Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

A place to share ideas, concerns, questions, and thoughts about women and the martial arts.

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Knight
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Knight »

Hello, David and Jackie O,

No analysis needed, David. Compliments can be like fish hooks. We can be gracious in response, of course, but also aware that some may praise us not to give but to exchange. Thanks for the book recommendation. I'll check it out.

Jackie, I hope you like the book. You may also want to check out a new periodical called "Dragon Times," which focuses on traditional martial arts. I recall seeing a picture of a woman sparring with a crane in a recent issue.

Michael
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lori macleod-doyle
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by lori macleod-doyle »

greetings ,
i'v just read your forum for the first time and must say enjoyed it greatly.i am currently studying uechi-ryu with sensei dave hunt in bedford nova scotia,canada. we are very lucky to have a rather large contingent of females in our do-jo.we are fortunate to have an instructor who does not discriminate but asseses each student according to their own abilities.this attitude seems to foster an ability to look at ones own self and ones own strengths and weeknesses rather than comparing to the largest or strongest or toughest males in the class.i know i'll never be as strong or as tough as these guys but i think that i can be the best karateka that i can be if i work as hard and as diligently as i can for me.we all study for different reasons and i know that my reasons affect the way that i work out in the do-jo.each person,male or female,has the abilities to go as far as they want to if the desire is there.i know that some people quit because they don't advance as quickly as they want to.those people don't want to study, they want belts.people who study,work hard and perservere will attain one goal at a time.mayby it will take longer but these goals will be earned and will be respected.i know that when my sensei tells me i'm ready,that he believes i have earned the right to stand before a testing board. he does not give rank indiscriminatly and for this i respect and thank him.if he feels that i am not ready to be promoted i know that it is because he wants me to be more prepared.not because i am female!
i don't know what the roll of women in other do-jos is but in our do-jo we have two female instructors who i have great respect and admiration for. they are strong,technical and i think excellent roll models for not just the female students but all the students in our club.i hope that some day i will be as proficient as these two.
thank-you for giving female karateke a place to discuss the things that that effect us all,positive or negative.domo,
lori macleod-doyle
Knight
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Knight »

Hello to you, Lori M-D!
Thanks for reviving this thread. It was well worth reading every post again. Your dojo sounds to me like a good example of what a 21st century martial arts school should incorporate. The dojo where I practice is young, but already has strong female presence also.
Michael
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lori macleod-doyle
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by lori macleod-doyle »

hi michael,
as i am new to this forum, i didn't realize this thread was inactive until after i sent my posting.thank-you for your response.
our do-jo is a young one as well but as i stated earlier we do have a lot of female students. i feel that this gives us the opportunity to share our experiences and to help each other with things that are unique to women in the do-jo.
mayby a technique that works well for the smaller female form. mayby just an adjustment to the way a technique is applied. whatever it is, there are more of us to exchange ideas with so therefor a lot less frustration for those of us of the female persuasion.

LORI M-D

[This message has been edited by lori macleod-doyle (edited 08-06-99).]
Lori
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Lori »

Lori M-D:

Welcome to the forum! Please excuse the tardiness of my response but I've been out of town for some intensive training - and haven't had any time to get on the forum for the last week...

Nice to hear from one of our Canadian sisters - and I hope we will hear more from you - please feel welcome to introduce any subject you feel pertinent - we've run the gamut here - and I have no problem reviving any older threads or subjects (especially this one - as one of my favorites) as we get new readers all the time.

I've got a few topics on the back burner - as soon as I've settled in to the new routine with school starting I hope to get them up soon - meantime - please don't be shy! This is YOUR forum - and we need input from martial artists like you with positive experiences to share - (not everyone has it that good!)

Again, welcome and looking forward to your future posts!

Peace,
Lori

P.S. To the regular readers/participants of this forum - thank you for your continuing interest - I still feel that this is a valuable resource for martial artists - both male and female - which is why I have not given it up even though the last couple months have been difficult. As a cyber-extension of the dojo - my hope is that this forum will be a venue for continued education and sharing in the arts.

Allons!
Knight
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Knight »

So...there you are.
I missed you! Can you imagine a camp without you? Well, let me tell you, it's not the same. I hear something about your OWN dojo. Truth?
I'm about to take off for a conference. If I'm a week or so late in replying, please forgive.
Michael
Lori
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Lori »

Hi Michael-san - yes I missed seeing you again at camp! I was looking forward to catching up - I can hardly believe an entire year has gone by since we conversed the first time as I was chasing my munchkin around the gym... (he does a cute version of sanchin now by the way!)

Not sure what you mean by my own dojo... email me if you like and I'll clarify whatever you like!

As for camp - a set of circumstances descended upon me over the last month - involving a serious family illness and death, a new job, and a few other minor details that made getting away impossible... hopefully next summer will be more serene! Meanwhile - if you are ever down south - the dojo doors are open!

Have a good conference - just back from one myself! (My brain is fried - hope yours fares better!)

Peace,
Lori
Shelly King

Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Shelly King »

Though I have been studying Uechi-ryu for only a month, I feel I can offer a slightly different view on women's roles in karate. My husband and myself began taking classes together as a way to get into shape (Which I must says beats any aerobics class hands down). Sensei Klossner was very up-front on the differences between men and women, stressing that Bruce, my husband, would rely mostly on his strength and that I would have to develop speed to be effective. Being a small dojo, Sensei is able to really work on our weaknesses. He spends extra time with the men working on smoothness and the women (myself and his wife) on strength. Because we started at the same time, it is really interesting to see that what I pick up easily my husband has trouble with and on the other hand, what I have difficulty with is no problem for him. I do find during class that the majority of the men do go easier on me than they probably should. On the other hand, Sensei is always pushing the limit though amazingly never crossing it.

On a perosonal note, I am really glad I found this web site. It has been a long time since I had something I felt this passionate about. I am really looking forward to the years of training to come.

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Shelly
david
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by david »

Shelly, welcome and pleased stay involved. As various folks have posted, your opinions as a beginner and as a female really help provide a fuller discussion of various topics that come up in these forums.

It is really nice to have something to be passionate about. We are share that here. Image

david
Kevin Mackie
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Kevin Mackie »

Shelly, welcome to the forums. You are to be commended for your decision to pursue the Uechi style in your immersion into the martial arts world. The path you have chosen is not a beaten one, especially for a woman as those who post on Lori's forum can attest.

It is a tribute to your determination that you did not chose an easy way to fulfill your goals.

It is on this forum and others on this site where those who cleared the path for all of us join in to help one another learn and grow in our understanding of theory and practice.

VTY,

Kevin
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lori macleod-doyle
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by lori macleod-doyle »

hello shelly,
i understand where you're comming from. my husband and i started studing uechi at the same time as well.(aprox 4 1/2 yrs. ago)we also found that we learned very differently.
some movements came very easily to one while the other struggled.we also found that size was a factor. i am 5' 4" while my husband is just over 6' tall. remember that the okinawans are smaller and more compact a people by nature . therefore , those of us who are smaller in stature have a natural advantage. observe two people preforming the same kata. one is tall and lanky while the other is shorter and stockier. the smaller person, often has the nicer looking kata in my opinion. because the people who developed this style were smaller, many of the movements seem more natural when preformed by a smaller person. (of course this is just my opinion.)
as far as conditioning goes, you must let your partner know when to go heavier or when to lighten up. some men have a difficult time hitting a women and it is up to you to let them know what you can or can't take. when my husband and i started i always felt i had to keep up with the guys and i sported some very colorful bruises for a while. i soon learned it was important to allow bruises to heal before turning up the conditioning again. conditioning should be done slowly and consistently.unfortunatly women seem to take a little longer to become well conditioned but that is an important part of our style .
you neen to be able to take some hits if you're going to move in and make your move.
my husband and i have progressed through the ranks together and only reciently did he move ahead to out rank me.(only in the do-jo of course!!)i hope you and your husband enjoy many years of study as my husband and i have.uechi is not the easiest of styles but it is most rewarding.
good luck .....lori m-d

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[This message has been edited by lori macleod-doyle (edited 08-13-99).]
Lori
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Lori »

Excellent advice Lori M-D! And thanks for your participation - the more women who can jump in here and share their insights - the better off all of us will be...

Welcome to the forum Shelley! Great to have you. It is really important to hear what newer students have to say as well as those who have been around for a while - each new level of understanding is a progression, but we all need reminders of what it was like before we got to the place we are now - beginner and advanced alike! Your input serves to remind all of us that there ARE concerns that differ between genders when beginning the study of this art - and I thank you for bringing them up here. I hope to see you become a reugular contributor.

Peace,
Lori
Shelly King

Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Shelly King »

Thanks for all the advice. In fact last Wednesday during class, Sensei saw the male student I was training with pull a strike back while we were training together. I didn't catch the fact he had done it but Sensei sure did. The male student got about a 2 min. lecture on how he isn't doing me any favors by developing a false sense of security in me and I received about a 4 min lecture on making sure that I demand my partners to push my abilities. OH! Have to go...boring meeting.
JOHN THURSTON
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by JOHN THURSTON »

Lori et al:

Well, half my small school are ladies, so this is clearly a question I should address to them.

Oversimplification is a pain, I know, but I am not sure that the question of what their place was really stuck in my mind.

They made their place. I don't think we "accomodate" them.

I think its clear that we have to explain to them they have to be technically precise in execution of blocks and general structure, as do we all when contemplating dealing with larger opponents.

The Kyusho connection /direction would seem to especially an area of focus for those facing a probability of dealing with such situations.

JOHN T.

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Mary S
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Women of Uechi, D.H. Lawrence and politics

Post by Mary S »

Hello out there. Just joined the forum today and thought I'd throw in my two cents. I am fortunate to go to the same dojo as Lori MacLeod-Doyle (Hi Lori!!) and working with Dave Hunt in Bedford, NS has been a wonderful experience. I have been reading with interest what has been written about men and women in the dojo. One thing I have started to notice as I progress is that the distance (difference) between the two sexes has diminished a bit. There seems to be a familiarity present in our dojo and a sense of respect not only to our senseis but to fellow students as well. I'm not sure this is the same for everyone as they continue the journey but my experience has been that I take something away from every workout with partners - male or female. My concentration seems to be on the karate. To me there will always be differences - some will have more strength, some - more flow. I try to take a litle bit from both... Please continue this forum...very interesting stuff!!!
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