March 26, 1996: I will be on the road for awhile and promised Sue that I'd leave the computer home for the duration. This means that each of you will be in charge of keeping this site interesting and informative. You can do this by dropping by the Uechi-ryu Web Forum page , checking the categories and leaving your comments. I've asked Jim to change the Forum names, to make it easier for you to select an area of interest. Remember that you may create a topic under any category which readers may then expand upon.

I would like to congratulate Nancy Gavenda, who celebrated her dojo's 10th Anniversary last week. Her students held a big surprise party for Nancy on Saturday. Although I was looking forward to being there, I was unable to attend. Keep up the good work Nancy!

I've added lots of new photographs from past camps for your interest. Check them out. Finally, more letters in the March Letters Section. See you in 10 days. GEM

March 22, 1996: I had some time this afternoon and decided to learn how to use the image capturing card that came with my video editing program. Found out I could save an image from a video tape or Camcorder and with some editing, capture a picture that doesn't take up a lot of memory. And of course, it loads fast on your web browser. I had a meeting in New Hampshire yesterday and when we started to talk about the web, my guest took me to his computer where he called up my site. He is an AOL customer and uses their browser. I wasn't too impressed. Lots of alignment problems and missing features on the site that are not a problem using a Netscape browser. If you don't use Netscape, I highly recommend getting it. For now, its the "cat's meow"!

If you have a little time, you might want to check out some Summer Camp pictures produced with my video "grabber" program. And stop by the Uechi-ryu Forum and say hello. I notice that people are starting to use it and are leaving interesting information. If you remember, it was because of this interactive Forum capability that I moved the site in the first place. GEM

March 19, 1996: Check out the March Letters Section for new and interesting mail. Please use the Forum to communicate directly with everyone, including me, when you have a question to ask or when your comments might create a "thread" of conversation directly between you and others who frequent these pages. GEM

March 18, 1996: The site is up and running. However, for some reason, the server will occasionally not load with the name "www.uechi-ryu.com". If this happens to you, try adding "/index.html" to the address. Steve Radulovich discovered this "secret" password and is sharing it with the rest of us.

Check out the all-new Uechi-ryu Web Forum page and submit your ideas for topics. I will take the six most popular subjects from those submitted to create Forum Topics. First time visitors need to register at the registration desk. After you've registered, you only need to click on "Log in now."

Finally, lots of interesting things happening on Okinawa which I'll fill you in on next week. An "official" announcement from Okikukai Shoheiryu has been posted on George Miller's Okinawan/Uechi-ryu Homepage:. This release is an "official" response to many rumors and gossip that has reached Okinawa from questionable sources. Unfortunately, some of the rumors are inaccurate and malicious (surprise, surprise) and needs to be evaluated and modified. But at least it is a direct statement from Okinawa where the half truths, rumors and gossip can be focused on and corrected. The vermin who spread the malicious rumors will find the going a bit rougher now that direct communication is possible between the association leaders and the membership. Until all the "facts" are in and all sides are heard, I urge you to keep an open mind and remain calm! I predict that although the various groups of Uechi-ryu will remain separate and distinct, they will be able to coexist in peace.

No time to post more letters, but will catch up next time. GEM

March 17, 1996: Hopefully, this site will working from now on. . . for the past month, its been virtually out of business! Jim tells me the problems been resolved and that from now on, service will be "perfect"! Time will tell!

I was very honored by Sensei Kimo Wall accepting my invitation to teach at this year's Camp. Sensei Wall is one of the world's most accomplished Kobudo practitioner and instructor. Click here to learn more about him, his accomplishments and the many weapons he will be introducing at this year's Martial Art's Festival.

March 16 1996: Accompanying the rapid growth of Uechi-ryu are the growing pains associated with any industry. Our art has been rather late in flourishing, probably because of the tight controls exercised by our Okinawan family and the foreign seniors who introduced this art outside of that Island. Students would not open a dojo without their teacher's permission or without attaining a certain minimum rank generally accepted by all the Uechi-ryu seniors.

Yes, there were seniors who became disillusioned with the process and who linked up with a "chopsuey" association and became the official Uechi-ryu representative for East Overshoe. Yes, there were high ranking Okinawans who became upset with someone in the parent organization in the past and spun off a new no-name association, but few people can remember much about these individuals and organizations. They were there; no one disputed their abilities and talent, but they probably felt like outsiders and those of us in the "mainstream" probably treated them as such.

Then an amazing thing happened.... the majority of Grandmaster Kanei Uechi's students decided, rightfully or wrongly, to redefine the Uechi-ryu Family organization.... akin to abolishing the monarchy in favor of a democracy. We all know the results. However, this specific event on Okinawa opened a Pandora's box for all who wish to open schools, form organizations, carve out "niches" in the new Uechi-ryu world of business management.

If my teacher won't let me open a dojo, I can always call up someone else who will let me. If my teacher won't promote me, I can always knock on a few doors until one opens "with what I deserve"! I know some students who have been through more teachers than I own suits of clothes. Many of these students have never trained with their new teachers, but have new certificates and encouragement to do what the former teacher refused.

Now I've got to tell you... I'm actually pleased about most of this growth... Its nice to see Uechi dojo popping up everywhere and I'm a believer in a "free market" when it comes to the martial arts. If a teacher is good, his dojo will prosper, regardless of his rank and status. No amount of rank, certificates and honors will help a dysfunctional instructor from ever progressing beyond a handful of students. I wish there was a way to make the growing pains less painful, but I doubt it.

Associations are an attempt to passively control what is fast becoming a totally uncontrollable group of teachers. Like-minded people will band together to reinforce what they believe in and try to enforce these standards. Certificates will become less and less important as organizations splinter into less recognizable branches of the Uechi core system. The Okinawan parent organizations, eager to maintain and build their groups, will make more and more "exceptions" in the name of competition, eager to believe some disgruntled student's story of mistreatment. . . while hesitatingly asking the Senior if he will become his new Sensei . . and oh, by the way, how about throwing in a new rank to seal the deal!

Part of this explosive growth is in the "product" area. Seems like everytime I pick up a magazine or view a new website, another book or video is being offered. If I don't spot it, invariably someone else will point it out, believing that I will be upset that another interloper is infringing on my "territory". They find it hard to believe that I actually encourage people to publicize our art. People in karate tend to think that if a student reads one book they won't purchase another! Obviously this is wrong. The more the merrier! The good books and tapes will survive, the bad ones will suffer a timely and deserved death.

But I do take a strong exception to anyone who violates the law. There are a few people who, under the guise of ignorance or lack of moral character, will abuse the unspoken code of ethics that is part of the Budo spirit we learn and teach. They figure that they can get away with morally despicable behavior, because it might be embarrassing for the injured party to make a fuss or since the martial arts is relatively new as a business activity, no one really cares.

One individual has been particularly obnoxious in his behavior. Rod Mindlin has repeatedly marketed products that he does not own. I've mentioned in an earlier column, about how a California Student "permanently borrowed" an unauthorized copy of my 1965 tape and sold it without my permission or knowledge. I thought he only copied the section of Master Uechi performing kata, but much to my surprise I received in today's mail his new magazine proclaiming two "new" video tapes in his collection that are for sale. Guess what... they are the balance of my film! (Although I'm sure he cut out the sections with my pictures in it)

Bob Moorman, Rod's original Uechi instructor, sent me a copy of a letter addressed to him, asking Rod to return the film to me, stating in part: "I have been advised that you have possession of a copy of the film that I had of Master Kanei Uechi performing parts of the Uechi-ryu karate system. Please be advised that the film was, and is, the property of George Mattson. Mr. Mattson considered that film to be a very valuable possession and kept it under lock and key in Boston, Mass., so that it would not be stolen, damaged or lost."

Rod knows that litigation is expensive, time consuming and frustrating. He figures that the bulk of the martial arts community doesn't care about the legality or the morality of his actions. This statement is focused on those of you who don't agree that what he did is right and who believe that he should immediately return the "found" tapes and stop any further exploitation of property that does not belong to him. The only message that Rod will hear is in his wallet! So I'm asking you to send him a resounding message please, by not doing business with him until he rights this injustice. And while he is thinking about things to correct, I hope he will stop using the Dragon painting from the cover of my book "Uechi-ryu Karate Do" as a logo for his business. Also he should consider his reasons for marketing films of my Chinese delegation guests, taken at my 1983-84 Summer Camp, without my permission or permission of the delegation. Thank you.

On a more pleasant note: Lots of new mail in the "March Letters" Section. GEM.

March 11, 1996: I don't know about you, but I've had enough snow for this year! The only people around Brockton with a smile on their faces are those who own snowplows!

Received faxes from both Bob Campbell and Simon Lailey promising to attend this year's camp. Both Simon and Bob are extremely knowledgeable in the Martial Arts and both share a profound willingness to share their skills with others. Those of you who have worked with Bob before may have favorite weapons, techniques or artforms you wish to have him cover at the camp. Please fill out the electronic form on the application page, noting your preferences. Bob said he would cover any subject, from freefighting to the tea ceremony!

BTW, I've had quite a lot of trouble with this site since the move on February 1st. Most of the "downtime" is because of server problems. If you get an error message instead of the homepage, please be patient and try again later. Jim promises that these problems will soon be history.

Don't forget to check out the new letters. GEM

March 8, 1996: In 1965, Kanei Uechi, Ryuko Tomoyose, Charles Earle and I visited Japan, HongKong and Taiwan, filming the foremost martial arts experts of the time. When we returned to Okinawa after this trip, Charles and I developed the film and made one copy for each of us. Charles kept his copy secure, but I lent my copy to any Uechi teacher who wanted to show it to his/her class with the promise to return it and not make copies. One of the teachers, I learned later, had made a copy of a segment containing Master Uechi performing kata. Then, to further complicate matters, one of his students permanently "borrowed" this copy and began marketing the tape worldwide as his creation. I never intended to commercialize this tape, but now that so many "chopped-up" versions of it are being passed around, I've decided to issue a special three tape series of this unique and historic film. Part one will contain Master Uechi performing the major kata of our system and key techniques of these kata.

I've also added an interesting 1965 clip of Grandmaster Uechi leading an afternoon class at his dojo. Dan Kumite had just been introduced and I was learning it during this visit. I'll save the free style fighting segment for the third tape in this special series. Additionally, I've included highlights from the master's funeral ceremony, held following his death on February 23, 1991.

The second vidoe will feature the demonstration in Taiwan by members of the Taiwan Martial Arts Association and an unusual demonstration of a Chinese system while in Hongkong. Many famous masters on this film, are no longer with us. The third video will feature the Japan leg of our trip. Here we filmed Ryuryu Tomoyose and his senior students performing a fascinating variation of the Uechi system, looking more like Chinese Gungfu than Okinawan Karate. Since Ryuryu Tomoyose was Kanbun's first student, this film should create some interesting speculation regarding the Chinese "connection" and how the style first looked when it emerged from Fuzhou, China. This tape will also feature film taken at karate dojo in the Kyoto region of Japan. Check out the "Uechi film" page for details.

You might enjoy attending Steve Radulovich's seminar program in Ottawa Canada this May. I'll be there, conducting seminars, along with Jim Thompson and masters from other traditional Okinawan systems. Finally, don't forget to check out the latest and most interesting letters. GEM

One of my old students emailed me a couple of Press Releases relating to the June 1st Uechi Tournament and the Aug 9-11th Summer Camp. Anyone who would like to use these articles in their newsletters, dojo publication or magazines are welcome to download both the articles and photographs. Please send me a copy of the final publication for my files. GEM

March 3, 1996: Time to start working on this year's Uechi-ryu Karate Championships. I've been busy discusing rule modifications and certification of officials with the seniors. Everyone believes we are on the right track with the new rules adopted last year. However. . . we must find a way to stop the clashes and non productive ground action that detracts from the goals of our tournament.

We have decided to have the referee take a more active role in stopping the action whenever a good technique is executed or when the action starts to look like a clash. The object is to simply separate the contestants, allowing them to start over. . . not to call or infer a point has been scored. I have also requested that our Uechi brothers and sisters from Nova Scotia head up a certification process for training officials. Those of you from Nova Scotia or P.E.I. can check out Dave Hunt's open letter concerning this program.

World Championship Belts will be awarded to the overall black belt kumite champion, the black belt kata winner and to the winning Dan Kumite team. Check out the revised rules and standards for competition and plan to attend. If you are interested in the official's certification program, email me for details.

I was recently informed that Master Tsutomu Nakahodo was promoted to 9th degree black belt in November of 1995. Nakahodo sensei has visited America many times as our Summer Camp guest. He was and is one of the most popular teachers in the Uechi-ryu world. Congratulation Sensei. Memory of Nakahodo Sensei demonstrating a technique from Sanseiryu kata, during the 1984 Boston Summer Camp..

Finally, you might wish to check out the March Letters sections. I've posted a few of the most interesting letters for your enjoyment. GEM

February 27, 1996: I've been getting quite a few requests for Summer Camp Applications. Thought I'd take the time to learn how to use the "forms" program in order to create one which can be filled out on the site. If you have plans to attend the camp, why not check out this page, fill out the form and submit it. Sure would like to see you at the camp this year!! Catching up with the mail and have added a few more letters to the February letters section. Will be visiting a couple of Florida dojo at the end of March. If you are interested in attending one of the seminars, please contact me. GEM

February 24, 1996: Catching up with the mail, calls and things-to-do after being away for week. In order to keep up with everything, I try to manage my time . . . unfortunately, every time I travel, the formula get messed up. . . and something gets pushed aside or forgotten in the process. If I haven't answered your letter, please be patient. I'll catch up soon! Incidentally, if you do not wish to have your email messages included in the letter section of this site, please mention this somewhere in your message. If a letter or message is of a private or sensitive nature, I will not include it unless you specifically note that you wish to have it published.

The primary purpose for this site is to communicate information of importance to the Uechi-ryu community. This includes material that will be helpful in creating and maintaining a successful facility for teaching Uechi-ryu and communicating information of importance regarding how to safely instruct students. Some people feel that I should not publish topics that are "related to the teacher". My feeling is that an informed and aware student is better able to determine the value and credibility of his/her program and instructor, based on knowledge rather than blind faith! If a instructor or his/her program cannot pass the test of an informed and aware student body, then that teacher should be in the back of a class, learning or relearning the basics and not in front of a class, perpetuating the myths and harmful practices that haunt many Uechi-ryu dojo!

Speaking about positive teaching attitudes and concise, informative programs, check out the second part of Joan Neide's thesis, entitled "Skills for effective teaching". This article, along with the first part, will prove invaluable to any instructor wishing to establish a Uechi-ryu program at the University, college or High School level. GEM

February 23, 1996: Just spoke with Richard Baptista, who along with his wife Maria, runs the "New England Open", one of the nation's most popular and successful tournaments. "Bap" asked me to inform the martial arts community that his new program and information brochure has just been mailed to nearly 20,000 competitors. If anyone did not receive one and would like one , call him at 617-567-4989 or send me an email and I'll pass the information along to him. Additionally, I will be conducting the 2nd annual Uechi-ryu Karate Championships in conjunction with the "Open". Both events will be held on Saturday, June 1st at the Walter Brown Arena in Boston. For a Uechi Championship application, send me an email. Check out the new Tournament Page for details regarding both tournaments. GEM

February 22, 1996: Just returned from a wonderful visit to Burmuda. Al Wharton put together a fantastic series of events that was supported by many of the Island's martial arts community. The seminars were well attended and were well received by the students. The tournament ran smoothly and the banquet was excellent. Al worked very hard to make everything come together with the help of his students and friends. Hopefully, Al will be able to make this an annual affair.

In addition to all the karate activities, I was able to play golf nearly every day. Thursday, Nestor Folta and I played on an ocean course in near hurricane conditions! What an experience and what an opportunity to use one's Sanchin Stance!

Check out the February Letters section for a few of the many new and interesting letters.awaiting me upon returning home. GEM

February 13, 1996:

Congratulations to Debbie and David Kahn. The Chicago Uechi-ryu population has increased by one . . . the hard way! Good work Debbie . And welcome to the world, Jami.
- - - - - - - - - -
Al Wharton promised me that the weather in Bermuda this time of year is warm and balmy. I'll let you know next week when I return from Al's  four day Martial Arts Seminar. I'll also let you know how the golf is on this grand island.

February 9, 1996:
Well. . . the site is finally back up and running. My lack of understanding about "InterNIK" and its role in transferring a website caused the screw-up. That and the fact that moving a site takes about 2 weeks, even when everything is done correctly, caused the problem. Oh well, hopefully the Uechi-ryu Magazine has found a permanent home and we won't be subject to this situation again.

Even though no one could access the site, I continued to add material. Check out the earlier dates for information that you might wish to check out.

NAC/SOKE requires that teachers wishing to attain the "master" ranks of Renshi and above, submit a thesis or other project to coincide with their 6th degree promotion. The title of Renshi and above are not automatically earned with the promotion. On Okinawa, these titles were bestowed by the All Okinawan Karate Federation in separate tests. In the past 15+ years the Uechi-ryu Association has ignored this procedure and the titles have become sort of an automatic process. NAC/SOKE feels that the the master ratings is an important part of the style and should not be something that the advanced student takes for granted or automatically bestows upon him/herself. Therefore, one of the functions that NAC/SOKE performs is to establish a procedure for earning the "master" title and stripes that are worn on one's black belt. As part of this program, we will include some of these thesis as part of this site.

Last Summer at the camp, Joan Neide was tested and was promoted to the rank of Rokudan. She also submitted her Renshi thesis, entitled "Teaching Martial Arts at the College and University Level." For her work, NAC/SOKE awarded Joan the Renshi degree and presented her with a new black belt with gold stripes. GEM

February 4, 1996:
Dave Mott called me today and we spoke at length about Uechi-ryu "values" and about the many reasons why people study the martial arts. Dave felt that many teachers focus too much energy on the fighting aspect of the marital arts, ignoring the rich spiritual benefits of the art we practice. Dave is a strong martial artist and has thoroughly explored the physical side of Uechi-ryu. But he is curious individual and has practiced many other arts to compliment the strongly physical side of our art. I thought you might be interested in some of Dave's martial art's literary contributions, so pulled out of the archives a couple of his articles that discuss the more spiritual side of Uechi-ryu. I'll post a second article next week. Besides being a prolific writer, scholar and nice person, Dave happens to be one of the most popular teachers at Summer Camp. One of the first questions students ask me when calling about the camp is "...will Dave Mott be there this year"?? Well, of course Dave will be there! He hasn't missed a camp since they began in 1983. GEM

February 2, 1996:
Sorry for all the problems reaching this site. If you are like me, you don't want to hear about the computer "glitches" that kidnapped the bits and bytes, causing endless looping out there in the Internet World! So I won't tell you about them!
But on the plus side. . . "they" tell me the problems are corrected. Please continue letting me know of any problems you are encountering with the site.

Some of my colleagues have criticized my "open" dojo attitude, where I encourage my students to explore the martial arts world, learning other styles to help better understand what they are doing in Uechi-ryu. Although I've lost a few students in the process, most of them continue their training in Uechi and become better students because of the experience. Uechi-ryu, as an artform and method of self-defense, has become a stronger system because of this open-minded approach. One of my Uechi-ryu brothers, John Ray, recently wrote an excellent article on the subject of cross training which he sent to the Cyberdojo. I asked and received permission from John to reprint it here. In the process of communicating with John, he asked if he might present a seminar at this year's camp on the art of Iaido, which I've accepted. (Bob Campbell called me this morning and will also be attending and teaching at the camp this year.) GEM

February 1, 1996:
I'm always amazed at what interests Uechi students. Mention the U.F.C. (Ultimate Fighting Challenge) and students become hypnotized with fascination regarding this newest fad. Discover what might be a "lost" Uechi-ryu kata and students begin to yawn. Although there was quite a bit of interest in learning the kata at camp last year, there doesn't seem to be much ongoing practice or study of the kata in the dojo. I was therefore pleased to receive Stanley Griffis's letter last week, in which he comments on the similarity between the Superempi kata and "signature" movements in Uechi-ryu.

Those of you who have attended any of the Summer Camps, know how much work is involved. Getting the very finest instructors, who will present interesting and timely material that is relevant to Uechi-ryu, is necessary to keep the camp concept growing and evolving. I've started a new page, where this year's presenters will explain what they plan to teach and why people should attend their seminars. Check it out by clicking here.
GEM

January 30, 1996:
This has been a busy week. Thanks to Jim Brady, I was able to get this site up and running on USA1. Let me know if you find any errors. During the changeover of servers, I lost my bookmark file of Uechi web sites. If your site is not listed on the Hotlist, please send me an email with your URL.

Since beginning this site, I've tried to downplay the political problems within our system. In spite of this policy, much of my mail these past few weeks focus on recent events on Okinawa. Although some of the letters proclaim that "..it is an Okinawan issue", many of us believe that decisions made on Okinawa affect us all. For this reason, I've decided to open up a separate page for the discussion of this subject. The first letter summarizes the feelings of teachers returning to NAC/SOKE (The Uechi family organization) after becoming disenchanted with the current karate politics on Okinawa.

I have Dr. Ronald Kline's permission to reprint his letter, which clarifies his group's reasons for joining forces with NAC/SOKE. Hopefully all teachers who make similar decisions in the coming months, do so with the same rational and calm reasoning that motivated Ron to join our Uechi Family association.

Finally, I would like to thank Jim Hulse and his family for visiting my dojo last week. Jim, who is the Secretary for the Great Britain Uechi-ryu Karate clubs, worked out in many of the Boston clubs during the week, then went to New York as a guest of David Finkelstein's Uechi-ryu group.
GEM

January 26, 1996:
There has been a lot of interest and concern on the net, regarding the long-term physical effects of Sanchin. Obviously not all teachers understand the concept of "half hard/half soft". Bill Glasheen expertly answers many of these questions in his article on Sanchin Breathing. I highly recommend that all students and teachers read this important information and carefully evaluate how they study and teach this important kata. GEM

January 23, 1996:
Getting a bit anxious about the website change. Jim Brady assures me it will come off without a problem. But just in case Murphy's Law applies to new technology, don't erase the old address before trying out the new one. http://www.uechi-ryu.com right now will take you to the main page of Webcom and will continue to do so as long as the old site name remains in force.

I've been in touch with Duncan MacLeod and Dave Hunt from Nova Scotia last week, in reference to the formation of a Uechi-ryu Referee Certification Program. Because Dave and Duncan have been instrumental in conducting numerous successful tournaments, using the new Uechi rules, I thought it appropriate to have them help with getting this organization off the ground. We should have some information available for this site in a couple of weeks.

Check out January, 1996 Letters, Part II for some interesting letters. GEM

January 18, 1996:
Check out the January letters section for the latest correspondence. Be sure to read "The Spirit of Karate" contribution from Maurice Libby.  Mr. Libby's reasons for studying Uechi-ryu are not much different from mine and many others in the "family".  Sometimes it would seem, from letters received, that some Uechi-ryu students and teachers feel they must apologize for not breaking baseball bats over their shins at demonstrations and for not owning at least one North Boston Championship Trophy which they can proudly display on their mantle!  Not necessary... Uechi-ryu is for all of us!
I remember a wonderful person who studied with me in Boston many years ago, who also felt alienated from mainstream Uechi-ryu. His name was Jim Elliott. Jim was only 66 at the time, but his deformed body made him look years older. The only part of his kata that was recognizable was the spirit in which he performed the movements! But he practiced regularly until his death. Some of my young black belts objected to his receiving a black belt, since he could not perform his kata to their standards and according to one of the "fighters" in the dojo, expressed dismay that besides being "old", he couldn't hold his own in a dojo match. Soon after that comment, one of the students presented me with a Boston Globe newspaper clipping about Jim. Turns out that Jim was delivering groceries to an elderly woman in his building (located in one of the tougher neighborhoods in Boston) when he was confronted by a group of local thugs who demanded Jim's money. According to the article, Jim put his groceries down and proceeded to teach the gang a lesson in politeness. According to a witness, the police had to "rescue" the gang!  True, Jim's external Uechi-ryu looked different from mine or from his classmates. But Jim was as much a black belt as any "world champion" could ever be.

Each of us studies Uechi-ryu for personal reasons. Lets not be too quick to look down our noses at those who explore the system on other levels.
                                                         ++++++++++++++

Keep the site recommendations coming in. I'll be working on the "links" page later this month. GEM

January 16, 1996:
Busy weekend. Working on my seminar schedule for '96. Looks like I'm going to be travelling quite a bit. Began my new classes in Natick, MA last night. If anyone would like information on how you can join me for this Mon and Wed program, please call (508-586-3969) or email me for information.
Received a letter from Aleksander Dorovic, who teaches Uechi-ryu in Slovenia. Check out the letter in the  January letters section. GEM

January 14, 1996:
I had some time after my Saturday morning class, so decided to pull out some old photographs Master Uechi gave me in 1965 from his collection. Most of them are in my book, "Uechi-ryu Karate Do", but the small reproductions in the book really don't do them justice. Since many of them are in black and white, my old DEST scanner does a great job reproducing them, and in the process, gives them new life in the form of a GIF file. (482kb) The picture I chose is a really dynamic closeup picture of Master Uechi's performing Sanseiryu with his class. I hope you enjoy it.
GEM

January 12, 1996:
The easiest part of getting on the Web is getting started. However, keeping up with the fast moving technology changes can be a nerve racking experience. The easiest way to inexpensively access the web is through a company called Netcom. For $19.95 you get 40 free hours of prime time plus free weekends. You simply install the program and from that point on, the software tells you what to do. Once you connect, everything is done for you! No worrying about fancy mail retrieval systems, web browsers etc. However, Netcom does not support websites for its customers. Webcom does, however, for an additional charge of $10/mo. No big deal, except, webcom has some limitations one becomes aware of it your website hopes to grow.

My friend Jim Brady suggested Mass Internet as the solution to my problems. It is. .. but in order to use the system, you must get back to basics and learn all about Winsocks and other cryptic named devices that I never bothered to load with Netcom! But because Jim is a friend and he has the "ultimate" solution to my web problems, I spent the last two weeks (when I wasn't shoveling snow) trying to get on line with the new system. Finally, after spending more than an hour with tech support, I succeeded in using the new program. Naturally, everything is different from Netcom. If I want to check my mail, one click on the Netcom menu did the job. Now I must separately load Pegasus, then ask the program to check with the system for mail! I still haven't figured out how to save an email message, but I'm sure this will happen soon.

Bottom line... I have a new email address and beginning Feb 1st, hopefully this site will be fully moved to the new service. I'll try and change the email addresses in the site today. If you find some old ones, please let me know.

I received quite a few letters this week and have included them in the January letters section. You might get a kick out of an old photograph of Alan Dollar, Mike Knebel and me, taken in my Boston Dojo back in 1975. Mike sent the picture and asked me if I had as much hair today as then! (Hair isn't as popular now as it was then Mike!)
GEM

January 8, 1996:
Received a couple a great letters from Shohei-ryu members regarding the name change. Most asked that their letters not be printed, however Mark Brelsford did not object and his letter has been added to the January Letters Section.  
I'm in the process of switching on-line services. Netcom is one of the easiest to get online with and very reasonably priced, but does not maintain services for a site. With the new service, I'll be able to maintain this site as part of the service, plus I'm able to use the name: www.uechi-ryu.com. This shorter name will make it a lot easier for people to find the site. Another major plus will be the ability to incorporate a bulletin board as part of the site, enabling people to leave messages without having to send email to me or Bill.
I've always received lots of mail, but since beginning this site the mail has tripled. I've tried to select a few letters that in my estimation might be of general interest. I do reply to all letters and email sent to me however, even if they don't make the letter's section of this site.
I've started a hotlink page beginning today. Please check out the categories and send me your recommendations for sites to include. GEM

December 31, 1995:
Happy New Year.
The latest news from the Okinawan group that broke away from the Uechi Family in 1989 is a news release that has been circulating for the past week. I've received a number of email postings from students and friends who received it, including the following message from Okinawa. [I'd be very interested in hearing from the members of Shohei-ryu, regarding how they like the new name and how they feel about not being able to call themselves Uechi-ryu students any longer!]:

From: "Richard B Florence" <florencr@emh.kadena.af.mil

The following is an announcement released by the Okinawa Karatedo Association [Okikukai] Board of Directors on 16 November 1995 in Naha, Okinawa,  Japan, regarding the change of the style name of Okikukai Uechi Ryu to Okikukai  Shohei Ryu:

"On November 16, 1995, the Board of Directors of the Okinawa Karatedo Association created a new school (ryuha ["style" or "tradition"] ) and officially named it SHOHEIRYU, choosing one out of 28 proposed names.

The name SHOHEIRYU is very significant, historic and memorable for all members of the Okinawa Karatedo Association regardless of nationality. The Chinese character [sic] [kanji] 'SHOHEI' ["brilliant/shining peace] consist of the combination of the initial letter [sic] 'SHO' of SHOWA ["brilliant/shining peace"; era name of Emperor Hirohito, 1901-26-89] and 'HEI' of HEISEI ["peace achieving"; the era name of the current emperor, Akihito, son of Hirohito].

The Okinawa Karatedo Association was founded on April 1, 1989. The year 1989 was also very historically significant for Japanese people. That year, the accession of the present Emperor to the throne was carried out and consequently the era name was changed from SHOWA to HEISEI. The Okinawa Karatedo Association was organized just during this stage of transition.

The [sic] SHOHEIRYU is an epoch-making term, symbolizing a bridge between the past and the future and a well-balanced linkage between traditionalism and modernism. We value the cultural weight of tradition as well as the present-day being [sic]. Thus, SHOHEIRYU promises unlimited and everlasting development of the Okinawa Karatedo Association in the days to come.

In this new development, the members of the Okinawa Karatedo Association will be enriched both in spiritual and technical aspects of Okinawa karatedo."

December 27, 1995:
Received a wonderful photograph from Mike Knebel today of Master Seiyu Shinjo in his prime. We lost Master Shinjo about 15 years ago and the Uechi-ryu system certainly misses him. He was a wonderful teacher, who was also a great person. I had the privilege to work out with him on every trip to Okinawa prior to his death and can still remember his dynamic personality in class. Thank you Mike, for sharing this memory with the rest of the Uechi world.
GEM

December 26, 1995:

First, I would like to wish everyone a happy new year.  This site will be undergoing a number of interesting improvements in the coming year. I'm looking at new software that will allow viewers to leave messages without having to send them to me first. In order to maintain some control over who drops in, there will be a sign-up or registration process necessary prior to accessing this part of the site. More about this program as we learn how it works.

The main purpose for the site is to exchange information and learn from seniors you may not see on a regular basis. We can discuss various applications of key movements in kata, bunkai or kumite sets. We can also work from a grass roots level to make Uechi-ryu a one-family system again. Although we will never solve all the ego problems among the seniors, we may, by example show the world how Uechi-ryu practitioners can work together on non-political levels, not involving rank, teacher or association affiliation. The bottom line is that all martial arts are physical in nature. When people work out together, they communicate with a language devoid of words that hurt and intimidate. We should be able to question the validity of a technique or offer new understanding to old movements. We should not judge another's technique based on his/her certificate origin. The Summer Camps have proven that this is possible. This site will continue the process.
GEM

New in December: Check out the Letters section. Quite a few interesting subjects. Bill Glasheen has volunteered to answer any technical questions posed to him.  Bill has an email address now, which allows you to communicate directly with him. General type of comments, questions and any articles you may wish to contribute can still be sent to George E. Mattson.

We've added three excellent photographs of Grandmaster Kanei Uechi to the Gallery this month. You might be interested in the article George wrote about his trip to Vancouver. The description of his first encounter in a "sweat" hut is must reading for anyone interested in "First Nations" history. Until George gets more help with the site, I've promised to give him a hand. I also manage Peabody Publishing and help with the annual Summer Camp.
Susan E. Sussman

  Return to Home Page of the Uechi-ryu Karate Association On-Line Magazine::