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I remember reading your text "Kumite" quite a few years ago. If I recall correctly you were in favor of prearranged kumite - dan, kyu, yakusoku, etc. I wonder if you'd comment on your current feelings on the topic. How would you recommend that practitioners work the exercise to develop realistic ability? Where do you rank kumite as part of the uechi curriculum? Do you feel it has merit? Thanks in advance.

Hi Josann, thank you for your question.
My response to your question concerning kumite and prearranged kumite in the Uechi process. Kumite, in any form, must be in the Uechi training. In order to receive full Uechi training, kumite must be taught. Prearranged kumite is very important in order to help understand your training.
My thought on anything prearranged is try to make it more realistic. Once the student has a very good understanding of the prearranged kumite, they can go to the next level. The next level being, a continual flow of all movements. This is after one has a very good understanding of that prearranged kumite. The instructor will know when to introduce a continuous prearranged kumite. It's up to the instructor who must know their student's ability. I never had that problem as I never had a great number of students. I knew every student's ability very well and injuries were rare in my dojo. Getting back to the original question, prearranged kumites are a must in all Uechi schools. How they are taught is the question. Teachers must know when to introduce the free flowing prearranged kumites. This means from start to finish without any hesitation between movements. You better block or you are going to get hit. An excellent question Josann, I could write another book on prearranged kumites.
Art

This is Bill Bauknecht and I am a student of sensei Rabesa. Working a prearranged kumite, with two advanced students, show not only their technique, but their timing, their distancing and their conditioning. I love dan kumite and doing this with no count or hesitation between moves, to me is the same as a fight. Yes, it's prearranged, but eventually you practice this the same as kumite. You better block the strike or you are going to get hit. The blocks are just as hard as if in a fight. I think an important part, and again this is up to the instructor, when the count is taken away, the student has advanced up to another level, both physically and mentally.
Bill

Art and Bill
Thanks for your reply. I agree with you both wholeheartedly on the realism and I believe in prearranged work as part of developing the realism needed to apply our karate. It's good to hear of some of our uechi seniors as supporting the practice of kumite. Free flowing kumite with two non cooperating partners, especially if they are truly trying to hit each other, can become a very instinctive exercise. I feel that the conditioning aspect- the "bone on bone" collisions of arm to leg- is the best conditioning and far more realistic that the point sparring that many dojos practice.