"Traditional Martial Arts in a Modern Context…"
50 Dexter Avenue
Watertown, MA 02172(617) 926-3200
Greg Postal, Sensei
The Style:
Uechi-Ryu Karate is a complete self defense system brought to the United States from Okinawa in 1958 by George Mattson Sensei (teacher, lit. "born before"). We can trace the history of the style (Please see G. Mattson’s Uechi-Ryu Karate Do for a more complete history) as far back as the late 19th century to the Fuzhou area of Southeastern China, where it was taught as Pang-Gai-Noon. This is often translated as "half-hard, half-soft," but has many other nuances of meaning as well. Uechi Kanbun, an Okinawan who traveled to China in the 1890s (ostensibly to avoid being conscripted into the Japanese army), studied under an instructor named Shushiwa for about thirteen years. Kanbun also taught briefly in China, before returning to Okinawa, and initially electing not to teach for a number of years (stories vary as to the reason for this). Kanbun did eventually resume teaching later in his life. Uechi Kanei inherited the style upon his father’s death (1948), and renamed it Uechi-Ryu to honor Kanbun. Uechi Kanei added a great deal to the Ryu, including several new kata (prescribed sets of solo movements) and yakosoku kumite (sets of partnered exercises). Uechi Kanei died in 1991, passing the Ryu on to his eldest son, Kanmei.
Uechi-Ryu is difficult to describe if you have not seen it practiced. It is more similar to Chinese martial arts than it is to most other styles of karate. The stances are upright, with a high center of gravity, movements are mostly circular, kicks are aimed at low targets, and hand strikes are performed with virtually every surface except the ‘traditional’ closed fist used in other karate styles.
What is most important is that Uechi-Ryu is a practical form of self defense, as well as being aesthetically pleasing. Uechi-Ryu, properly studied, provides many of the physiological benefits of many other exercise regimens. Common wisdom in the martial arts community is that practicing karate provides the student (whether adult or child) with opportunities to gain greater self assurance, self discipline, and feelings of security. This has been borne out in research findings, with one important caveat, these benefits are only accrued in a particular environment - that of a traditional dojo.
The Dojo:
The karate dojo (lit. "way place") is not simply a place where one learns a series of movements, learns to fight, etc. A true dojo is a place where the deshi (students) strive to find their own ‘way’ through the art, and use what they have learned about themselves during this process to transform the way that they live their lives. This is not to say that this process is forced upon any student, but rather that the study of Uechi-Ryu is often difficult, and the ways one wrestles with this may prove useful to the deshi in informing them about how they are living the rest of their lives. Each deshi brings to the dojo his or her own unique set of experiences and personality style. For one student, the challenge may be in simply learning movements which the Ryu demands must be physically precise, another may have difficulty remembering the sequences, and yet a third may be too hard on herself and demand perfection. All of these struggles, and more, occur on a daily basis in the dojo.
We mentioned earlier that there are many benefits to karate practice in a traditional dojo. We believe that the Shoshinkan is such a place. "Shoshinkan" literally means "the place of the tempering of the heart/spirit." In practice, this can translate in a variety of ways. Simply put, the more effort and energy deshi invest in their study, the better their practice will become, and the more beneficial effects they will accrue. What is different about Uechi-Ryu from many other physical activities/sports is that the product one receives out of the process is directly proportional to that which one puts into it; one does not have to start off a great athlete to eventually excel in the art.
The Instructor:
Greg Postal Sensei holds the rank of Sandan (3rd degree black belt) in Uechi-Ryu Karate Do. He has been honored to be a student of George Mattson Kyoshi (Master Instructor) for the past seven years. Postal Sensei firmly believes that anyone, regardless of innate abilities, can use Uechi-Ryu Karate Do to improve their lives in many ways; he has worked with a wide variety of students during his time teaching Uechi-Ryu. He taught at the Leventhal-Sidman JCC for five years and built the Uechi-Ryu program to seventy or more students at its peak.
In 1997, Postal opened the Shoshinkan at its current location in Watertown, Massachusetts. His goals were to run a small, traditional karate dojo; to be able to attend to his students’ individualized needs; and to continue to improve both his own practice and teaching. He also believes that, although Uechi-Ryu is superb as a primary art, deshi can benefit by studying other martial arts as well to enhance their Uechi-Ryu practice (once they have attained some degree of proficiency). To this end, Postal continues to study both Uechi-Ryu and other arts, most notably Tenshin Shintai Ryu (a classical Japanese Bugei), under Wes Tasker Sensei. Postal Sensei invites anyone who is curious about the style, or who may wish to study at the Shoshinkan, to stop by and watch a class, or to call and arrange a pre-enrollment interview and a free introductory lesson.
Monday:
6:45-7:45 Children's Advanced
8:00-9:00 Adults & Teens
Tuesday:
6:45-7:45 Children's Beginner
8:00-9:00 Adult Intro Class (8 sessions)*
Wednesday:
6:45-7:45 Children's Advanced
8:00-9:00 Adults & Teens**
Thursday:
6:45-7:45 Children's Beginner
* Introductory course runs for eight weeks and provides an introduction to Uechi-Ryu, after which students will join the regular class. This class will be offered at regular intervals.
** Free sparring practice with protective gear will be offered on these nights.
New counter. 2/24/97: