I'll post my reply to H.K. after others have had an opportunity to respond.Dear Mr. Mattson,
Hello! I am a former competitor in the Junior Championships. I meant to send this to you earlier, but I lost track of time. Earlier this year, there was the Mass Challenge in Brockton, Ma. I have competed in kata and sparring. I got two first place medals and 10 points for each. Now I was going to do the weapons division for my age group, but there was no one to compete against. It felt like no one cared about weapons that was 12 or 13 years old. So what happened was that I didn't compete in that division. Both of my parents thought that it was a very honorable decision.
I was wondering if you thught the same way. Please send me a letter before the New England Uechi-ryu World Championships. Thank you and tell me what you think!!
Sincerely,
H.K.
13 years old and attending the World Championships!
Interesting Letter
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Interesting Letter
GEM
"Do or do not. there is no try!"
"Do or do not. there is no try!"
Weapons Divisions
Hello H.K.:
First, let me congratulate you on your first place wins in the Uechi Ryu Tournament series. This is a great accomplishment, for yourself, and your teacher. I will try to answer you’re questions relating to the weapons division, the best I can. Please remember, what I am saying is strictly my opinion.
1- It is not your fault that no other competitors showed up to compete in that division. Therefore, you should not be penalized for it. You were their ready and willing to go out on the floor and compete against any and all comers. This shows me that you are a person of great courage. Not all martial artists are willing to go out, put themselves on the line, and compete against others. Many say negative things about tournaments. However, my belief is they do not have the courage or the confidence in themselves to enter a tournament and put themselves on the line, as you have. You should feel proud. This is one reason, there are other reasons, read on why there were no other competitors in your weapons division they do not have the courage or the confidence in themselves to compete. In fact, many of the weapons divisions were empty, not just yours.
2- You made the decision not to compete based on the fact that you were the only competitor. I totally respect your decision. However, my personal belief is, you should have preformed your weapon kata and competed. Why you may ask, by competing, you are showing everyone at that event what they are missing. Many kids do not do weapons in Uechi Ryu & Shohei Ryu for one simple reason. They have never been taught weapons. Their teachers do not know weapon forms. In turn, they cannot teach their students what they do not know. I myself was a tournament competitor for over 20 years. I have competed nationally from coast to coast. There were a few times over the years I was also the only competitor in my division. What I did was, I went out of the floor and preformed my kata, or weapons form, and yes, I took first place. However, it was not a very self-awarding win for me. However, what it did do was add to the advancement of weapons in the open tournaments. Go to any open tournament today, you will every weapons division packed like a sardines.
3- Please do not misunderstand me. I also think you made a very honable decision. I respect you very much for that, especially at your age. However, I am looking at the over all “Big Picture”, and the future of Uechi, Shohei Ryu people in tournaments. If teachers do not learn and teach weapons to their students. One of two things will take place. Either the art of weapons in Uechi ryu / Shohei Ryu will die out and be gone forever. Or, The student that wishes to learn this aspect of martial arts will go elsewhere to learn them. They will find a second teacher who will teach them weapons.
Just like many Uechi Ryu teachers are doing today with Brazilian Jujitsu, they go to other teachers.
In closing, I wish you the very best and good luck at George Mattson’s tournament on May 31st.
Take Care
First, let me congratulate you on your first place wins in the Uechi Ryu Tournament series. This is a great accomplishment, for yourself, and your teacher. I will try to answer you’re questions relating to the weapons division, the best I can. Please remember, what I am saying is strictly my opinion.
1- It is not your fault that no other competitors showed up to compete in that division. Therefore, you should not be penalized for it. You were their ready and willing to go out on the floor and compete against any and all comers. This shows me that you are a person of great courage. Not all martial artists are willing to go out, put themselves on the line, and compete against others. Many say negative things about tournaments. However, my belief is they do not have the courage or the confidence in themselves to enter a tournament and put themselves on the line, as you have. You should feel proud. This is one reason, there are other reasons, read on why there were no other competitors in your weapons division they do not have the courage or the confidence in themselves to compete. In fact, many of the weapons divisions were empty, not just yours.
2- You made the decision not to compete based on the fact that you were the only competitor. I totally respect your decision. However, my personal belief is, you should have preformed your weapon kata and competed. Why you may ask, by competing, you are showing everyone at that event what they are missing. Many kids do not do weapons in Uechi Ryu & Shohei Ryu for one simple reason. They have never been taught weapons. Their teachers do not know weapon forms. In turn, they cannot teach their students what they do not know. I myself was a tournament competitor for over 20 years. I have competed nationally from coast to coast. There were a few times over the years I was also the only competitor in my division. What I did was, I went out of the floor and preformed my kata, or weapons form, and yes, I took first place. However, it was not a very self-awarding win for me. However, what it did do was add to the advancement of weapons in the open tournaments. Go to any open tournament today, you will every weapons division packed like a sardines.
3- Please do not misunderstand me. I also think you made a very honable decision. I respect you very much for that, especially at your age. However, I am looking at the over all “Big Picture”, and the future of Uechi, Shohei Ryu people in tournaments. If teachers do not learn and teach weapons to their students. One of two things will take place. Either the art of weapons in Uechi ryu / Shohei Ryu will die out and be gone forever. Or, The student that wishes to learn this aspect of martial arts will go elsewhere to learn them. They will find a second teacher who will teach them weapons.
Just like many Uechi Ryu teachers are doing today with Brazilian Jujitsu, they go to other teachers.
In closing, I wish you the very best and good luck at George Mattson’s tournament on May 31st.
Take Care
Jay Sal
Semper Fi
Semper Fi
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Guest
My daughters also compete with the weapons. They don't have any one at their rank and age at our school to do kumite with so they opt for the weapons. I make them practice the weapons just as much as the Uechi Kata to get ready, so what a shame it would be for them not to perform them.
In fact the Kata that they do they create themselves, which I am very proud of.
I teach the kids the techniques and they put together the Kata, there are no traditional nunchaku kata.
So if you train hard you have every right to do your Kata, and should be proud to do so.
And I have seen at Raffi's in September a full weapons division of children so don't count on being the only one out there!
And if you are a pioneer, others will follow.
Fred Channell
In fact the Kata that they do they create themselves, which I am very proud of.
I teach the kids the techniques and they put together the Kata, there are no traditional nunchaku kata.
So if you train hard you have every right to do your Kata, and should be proud to do so.
And I have seen at Raffi's in September a full weapons division of children so don't count on being the only one out there!
And if you are a pioneer, others will follow.
Fred Channell
I believe that weapons are an important facet of karate life.
Not part of regular Uechi work and having been missing from tournamnts in the past it may take a while for them to catch on. Just a person's presence doing weapons, even unopposed in the beginning, plants a seed in the mind for others to follow.
If there is a weapons division and no one shows up then weapons with Uechi will die. It would be a sad thing to hear that happen.
Not part of regular Uechi work and having been missing from tournamnts in the past it may take a while for them to catch on. Just a person's presence doing weapons, even unopposed in the beginning, plants a seed in the mind for others to follow.
If there is a weapons division and no one shows up then weapons with Uechi will die. It would be a sad thing to hear that happen.
Always with an even keel.
-- Allen
-- Allen
