Uechi-Ryu.com

Thanks to Mike Murphy for teaching and Len Testa for hosting yesterday's throwing seminar! An excellent time was had by all.

Len's new mats are the perfect solution for karate & grappling. Not too soft, yet not too hard, portable and easy to install. His dojo is incredible - it had been a year since I'd seen it - and features some nice work by Peter Blackman.

Mike took us through three throws, reinforced them by making us throw the entire class with them after practicing with a partner, and then led us into some randori. I'm still sore today!

My favorite part of the seminar was when Mike incorporated pressure points into different grappling situations. He used the pressure points to create space, move the uke or set up his next move. I'll never look at a shoken the same way again!!!

Well done Mike and Len! Looking forward to more.....

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D. Steven White
swhite@umassd.edu

Congratulations gang. Sorry I had to miss this event as well as Joe's fight last night. If you get some jpg pictures to me, I'll post them on the front page.

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GEM

Thanks Steve for the kudos on the dojo.

The mats held up better than I expected. The only time I felt a throw was when I made a mistake in not keeping my back arched and landed kind of flat out on my back.

The logo on the center mat, painted by Peter Blackman took quite a pounding when Mike decided that the torry should use every member of the class as individual consecutive ukes. BTW...I am sore today as well. And to top off I just got back from a 9 inning basewball game where I went 2 for three with a double and played error free defense the first inning at short stop and the rest of the game at third. I wont be able to get off the couch after 6:00 PM tonight.

Thanks to Sensei Mike Murphy for a well planned and executed seminar. I encourage every Uechi-ryu practitioner who wants to learn how to add grappling to their arsenal to go to Mikes Seminar when he holds it at his dojo the next time. I know I will be there.


Sensei GEM:
I took pictures with my digital. I cannot upload them until tomorrow. I will e-mail them to you. I took about 20 pictures. I will send them all and you can pick out the best.



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Len

Steve,

Thanks for the good words, and thanks for the workout. You are truely a dedicated budoka. Many of the people who strut around in complacency could learn much from your desire to learn and participate. It's a shame more people like you didn't come out and have some fun.

Lenny,

Great dojo (sorry about the paint). It was great to work out with you as well. You have a great throw :-). Your students are going to be pretty good grapplers with a little more practice (especially Gumby). Keep them going with it.

We'll wait a little bit (perhaps after Summer Camp) and we'll hold another at my dojo.

And of course, thanks to my students who came out and participated and hopefully had some fun!! You guys are the best!!


mike

mike

Don't worry about the painted logo on the mat. It is only paint after all and can be touched up!

Gumby...HA I like it. Little does Al know that he now has a new nickname.

Thanks also to Steve for joining us. Joe has done a fine job teaching you grappling. Now with some Nihon Jujitsu and those three throws to practice we at the BUKA have a way to go to catch up.

Mike, please thank all of your students who came over and let us grapple with them. We appreciate the efforts and the courtesy that you and your studnets had with us.

It was great to work out with Rich again. BTW Rich and I worked out togther at Joe and Josh's seminar at summercamp last year. Little did I know how experienced a grappler I was working with until we decided to randori on my suggestion. It took Rich about 30 seconds to get me into an arm lock. I am sure that my sarcasm was lost on you when I said " I got the easy one" while practicing with Rich.

Eugene and I will remember our randori also.

Great job Mike and all his students.

I will bring as many students (and instructors) as I can to your dojo when you host it next time.

Stay tuned for the pictures. I will send them to GEM today.


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Len

[This message has been edited by LenTesta (edited May 14, 2001).]

Thanks for the kind words Len. I had a really good time.

Your dojo looks great.

I look forward to the next seminar.

~Rich