UECHI LONGEVITY

[Van Canna]

We have a picture of Bill on a table in the alcove of the Bridgewater dojo...smiling and looking at every move we make on the floor...he is with us always.

[Art Rabesa]

Yes I have seen it. A thank you to all for the respect.

[Van Canna]

He was a man and a friend like no other I have known.

[Art Rabesa]

I have the good fortune to have senior peers that show no lack of decline in their overall performance. I'm sure there are certain things they did 30 or forty years ago that they have omitted from their training. I know I have. When we get up there in age, our training becomes more streamlined. Things become more simple. Our kata is more compact and movements flow into each other. I call it "moving in one piece". The power is now coming from our better understanding of sanchin. Knowing where our power can be reached and how to bring it forth. Blocks are now used with the understanding of small angles, and knowing when to move into the attack. Understanding space and how to use it. Not much heavy banging anymore to get the job done. I've been told many times that I can hit harder now than in my 20's and 30's. I feel that I can. I also know others around my age that hit very hard. I've known them for 50 years and I can tell you this as fact. I really do not think one ever loses the ability to strike hard, if the training is on going. You don't know any other way. I've written numerous posts concerning "keeping it simple". This means concentrating on the simple things in the training. Moving and striking. Not actually fighting, but moving and striking fast and hard. Exploding into the strikes. Limiting the variety of strikes to just a few. That's why I do leg thrusts instead of actually kicking. Working fast tight, close quarter strikes that cause lots of damage. Cause a lot of damage fast is now what I practice. Not many moving parts to have anything go wrong. Show me a machine with few moving parts, and I'll show you a machine that just keeps on ticking. So longevity is upon us like it or not. We now hone our training and embrace it. I've been quoted as saying - "I don't think I can do any rounds, but I'll give you 20 seconds of sheer hell". A fact.-----Happy Trails----Art

[hthom]

It is not getting any easier. Thinking positive should do it if only the body would listen.

I will be 72 in three months. Have been practicing Uechi Ryu since 1965. I remember the days I could go on forever but the body seems to have a mind of its own nowadays.

Just finished another workout. Feeling great as usual after workouts. But can't do those eight katas three times each at more than minimum speed anymore. Actually I am happy to do them just one time each. Today after the warm up (including a few palm and elbow strikes on Bob), I was almost ready for the couch if it weren't for my stubbornness. Have I heard that the older one gets the more stubborn he gets? Thank goodness it is true in my case. That's what the wife says anyway. I shut my brain off and did the three main katas at full power (hopefully yours is much fuller) but had to finish the remaining katas at Taichi speed, no offense to the Taichi folks. I usually do all eight at full power with half a minute in between but not today. Speaking of that, sometimes during real low energy days I did all katas at Taichi speed. It is better doing them slow than not doing them at all. I wonder if that is not how Taichi got started.

Think positive, they say. Mind over matter, they say. Yea right. If your body won't do it your mind doesn't matter.

My left knee is hurting again. It has been hurting on and off for five years. Probably punishment for those heavy duty roundhouse kicks back in the days when I thought there was no gain if no pain. Nowadays every time I do that Seisan jump I ended up limping for a month. I don't do the Seisan jump anymore. I have no idea why it started hurting this time. I don't jump or kick much anymore either. So glad that Uechi Ryu doesn't have those fancy jumps and high kicks in katas.

I will keep on trucking for as long as I can. I have learned to shut my brain off and turn on the stubborn button on my workout days. Like they say, Just Do It!

[Art Rabesa]

Stubborn is my middle name. I hear what you're saying Henry, and I'm in full agreement. Do all Uechi kata's at full power -- one right after another? Nope. I always do the three main kata's though. My wife also knows my stubborn streak. I actually become angry when I have an injury or ailment. I feel the exhaustion when I work out hard like anyone else. I want to grab a cool drink and flop onto my sofa. Then I get angry when I get that feeling and push on. I'm 74, but it upsets me when someone reminds of that. I really don't know if this is normal behavior. All I know is it's normal for me. I actually hope there are not to many seniors out there like me. We have enough crazy old bucks now as it is. You might be one of those crazy old bucks Henry. That's okay my friend ---welcome to the club. -------Happy Trails -----Art

[Art Rabesa]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHHGuLYEvdM
JUST KEEP GOING

[Otto]

I think Henry said it best on page 1 with the Satchel Paige quote, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?"

I needed to read that today. Don't think I'll ever forget it, either.

[Art Rabesa]

In staying in my keeping things simple mind set. The very simple fact is that many of us can still produce. So you ride that as long as it takes you. I'm very grateful that I can still do the things I do. I do not take this fact for granted. I never let "You're too old to still do that" creep into my mind. I just do it. We'll work things out later. I'm in the company of peers that share my beliefs. When we're together, we still talk about the same things we talked about 50 years ago. We demonstrate our Uechi Ryu the same way we did 50 years ago. Van Canna 78 -- Walter Mattson 77 ---- Art Rabesa 74 ---- Jim Maloney 70 ---- Bob Bethoney 65 ----Bob Campbell 66 . Do you think you can go through these men? Think again. Uechi strong and still going.-----Happy Trails ----Art

[Art Rabesa]

Teaching traditional Uechi Ryu is very important. However, I do have a compact training plan that I follow. I have a tiny training area in the basement of my home. I work these few aspects on a regular basis. Our three main kata's, with much attention to the power mode of sanchin. Close power strikes on the heavy bag including leg thrusts. This takes about 20 -25 minutes. I'll sandwich bag work in between each kata I do. Doing each kata hard in a row?? Hell no. I want to be able to do each kata as explosive as possible. After some strikes on the heavy bag, I'll get to the next kata. When I complete this micro workout, I'll do one last hard sanchin. This is every other day. Walking is on the off day. Teaching comes in the evening. This training does not take much time out of my day. It's a simple workout schedule that seems to work for me. Maybe I'll call it the "Senior Workout". Simple, but it keeps me moving. Actually, this training might be okay for any age. What do you think? ----Happy Trails----Art

[Art Rabesa]

Had my annual physical the other day. It's always funny because my MD asks the damnest questions. "Have you fallen lately ? Do you have safety bars in your tub? Do you ever get depressed? Do you have any difficulty walking any distance? He has my background and knows my history. He says the questions are standard for someone my age. Then he has me do some walking with my eyes closed. I walk out the door and keep walking until he calls me back. Then he wants me to balance on one leg and raise my knee and extend the leg slowly. He sits on a stool near the computer while asking me to do these things. So I move closer to him and fire three front kicks by his head. "Like that?" I ask. He gets up and tells the assistant to make the next appointment for six months. He sticks out his hand and shakes mine. He shakes his head and smiles as he leaves the room. "Sanchin" I say when he's leaving. I like pushing his buttons. -----Happy Trails---Art

[Art Rabesa]

75 yesterday. Never thought I'd make it this far. Plenty of things along the way to make me feel that way. Today is my walking day. Out back to tackle those hills. I'm a normal fixture out here as I walk through my route. People wave and smile as I stride past. Makes the walk more enjoyable. Tomorrow is my little workout in my tiny training area in my basement. Some kata and the heavy bag. Walking and Uechi Ryu back to back. Not a big deal really. Just a regular routine I've been doing for quite a long time. I throw some teaching in during the week for good measure. As I constantly tell those my age --" Gotta keep moving". Uechi Ryu Longevity?? Don't really know. I just know what seems to work for me. Don't forget now ---George Mattson--Walter Mattson -- Van Canna --are all older than me. Maybe it's best to ask them. --------Happy Trails ------Art

[hthom]

Happy birthday, Art.
Keep on trucking!

[Art Rabesa]

Thank You Henry. Uechi Ryu longevity includes you too you know.

[Van Canna]

Happy day my friend.