UechiRyu Zankai Nagahama Dojo

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Seizan
Posts: 141
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 7:35 am
Location: Nagahama, Yomitan Okinawa
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UechiRyu Zankai Nagahama Dojo

Post by Seizan »

Hello Everybody, and Greetings from Okinawa.

Lately, I have had some free time to web-surf several sites, and I am happy to see that a lot of my (actually, Toyama Sensei's) information regarding history, concepts, terminology, and other technical information has been used on many sites. In reading through the sites, I noticed a few errors, probably caused by transcriptional or translation difficulties. I would like to offer some corrections or clarifications if possible, and if you wish them.

Some published information and history was written prior to my training with Toyama Sensei, and may be erroneous in places. Some newer information had not been seen or read until it was published in the UechiRyu section of the Wikipedia in 2007. Since then, it has found its place in many UechiRyu brochures and training manuals around the world. This includes the history of the development of the five contemporary kata, meanings of kata names, and reference to some of the old-style concepts. I am highly gratified if it helps anyone's training and understanding of UechiRyu. But I had not realized how extensively it has been used until now.

Having lived and trained mostly on Okinawa since 1979 (41 years!), I have continuously gathered and researched historical and technical information, much of which has never been published or discussed before. Especially in the past 22 years, I've added a great deal more to our information base.

If you'd like to augment some of the information you already have, please feel free to ask. I only ask that you be specific with your questions.

We hope you can join in with some of our other guests this year or next. Next month (my spring break in late March) we will host a team from Pakistan and guests from the USA and France. This summer (late July through August) we will host an international mix from the USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Sri Lanka, and Norway. A few students in Russia and Viet Nam have indicated plans to train with us but have not yet confirmed their arrangements.

Our small website has a little more information. Near the top of the page (just under the photo) there is a link to "Supplemental Information". It takes a few seconds to load, and the title is rather small. For more history and other information, please visit that section too.

https://breyette.wixsite.com/urzk-nghm-dojo

The doors of the UechiRyu Zankai Nagahama Dojo are open to friendly and sincere fellow practitioners. When you visit Okinawa, please coordinate with your seniors here for a visit to the Nagahama Dojo.

We hope you read this message in a spirit of open camaraderie, and that we'll hear from you anytime.

Best regards to all,

Seizan, Sumako, and all Zankai Members
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Seizan
Posts: 141
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 7:35 am
Location: Nagahama, Yomitan Okinawa
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Re: UechiRyu Zankai Nagahama Dojo

Post by Seizan »

Hi Folks,

I just updated the entry on my site for guest students. I included a look at a set of possible training schedules for beginners through advanced practitioners. I've used almost all of them before.

Go to

https://breyette.wixsite.com/urzk-nghm- ... ahama-dojo

If this URL doesn't work, use this one:

https://tinyurl.com/w6a3opa

Hope everyone is well and doing what you can to avoid the virus outbreak.

Best regards,

Seizan
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Seizan
Posts: 141
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 7:35 am
Location: Nagahama, Yomitan Okinawa
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Re: UechiRyu Zankai Nagahama Dojo

Post by Seizan »

Hello Everyone.

New text added to the Zankai website:

~~~~~
To talk about this style or training, please feel free to Skype me at Seizan01. You can use the message service below or send an invitation via Skype with a short text, and we can arrange a time to connect (considering time zone differences and duty schedules).

We hope to hear from you anytime...!
~~~~~

UPDATE: Several practitioners have postponed their visits for training this month because of the virus outbreak. One gentleman from France is still coming for a week anyway, and another from Pakistan (a member of the Olympic Committee) has just received sponsorship (from the Pepsi Company) for his visit.

We hope to see the rest for training this summer.
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Seizan
Posts: 141
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 7:35 am
Location: Nagahama, Yomitan Okinawa
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Re: UechiRyu Zankai Nagahama Dojo

Post by Seizan »

Hello Everyone,

Greetings from Okinawa.

A new section was added to my website. If you visit, go to "Supplemental Information" and you'll find steaming audio tracks are now available. They are not downloadable, so must be listened to while visiting the website.

These are meaningful and informative essays read (preferably) by the author. So far, one essay has been posted (by Joseph Bellone). He just wrote another and will record it soon (he is home "tele-working", so he may find the time) and send to me for formatting and final production. I am using Sumako's koto rendition of "Bashofu" as a subtle background to the essays.

In a short while, I will post 10 more essays regarding the Zankai training and testing philosophy -- it is actually one long essay broken into 10 parts. Other students are writing too, and we’ll see more in that section soon.

That's about all there is for now. Please stay safe, and we hope to see some of you on Okinawa this summer.

Best wishes for everyone's health and welfare,

Seizan and Sumako
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Seizan
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Re: UechiRyu Zankai Nagahama Dojo

Post by Seizan »

NEW AUDIO SECTION ADDED!

Hello Everyone,

Sumako and I hope you are all safe and healthy. We'll all need our strength, patience, and goodwill to get through the social and economic crises that will come after this virus outbreak passes.

A new page was just added to the Nagahama Dojo Homepage. Go here:

https://breyette.wixsite.com/urzk-nghm-dojo/audio

The first audio selection is a ten-part essay on the UechiRyu Zankai's testing philosophy -- how we view tests and delineate the various Dan levels. If you tap the play button on the Wix Player, Part 2 immediately follows the finish of Part 1, and so one to the end of Part 10. Or, you can select individual tracks, as you like.

Please allow a short delay for the audio tracks to load -- sometimes they won't play immediately but might take a few seconds before playing.

This essay is followed by Joseph Bellone's "The Importance of Practice". Joseph is a Zankai Yondan in Massachusetts. I sincerely hope you all get to meet him on Okinawa this summer.

I have been using Sumako's classical koto rendition of "Bashofu" for essays, but we'll record more traditional Okinawan and Japanese music soon. Sumako promised to set some time aside for practice -- Bashofu was recorded 22 years ago! If she doesn't have the time, I can use pieces found in the Public Domain easily enough.

Comments for the audio section are disabled, so please send any comments or suggestions to my e-mail address.

More audio tracks will be posted from time to time. Enjoy!

Best regards,

Seizan
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Seizan
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Re: UechiRyu Zankai Nagahama Dojo

Post by Seizan »

Good morning (on Okinawa).

A few new audio tracks have been posted. Nothing controversial, nothing that changes anyone's training or performance, just a few bits of general information...

More to come.

Sumako has renewed her practice on sanshin, the three-string instrument that sounds like a banjo. On Okinawa it is sanshin ("three strings") while the Mainland Japanese term is shamisen. Same instrument.

Anyway, she recorded an old Okinawan tune that I will use as background for a few future audio essays. As time goes on, we'll have a variety of Okinawan music pieces for background music.

Some of my old posts to the forums from up to 15 years ago (or more) are being revised as essays for future audio tracks. I won't use the responses of other forum members because of possible copyright infringement, just my own writings. I find it interesting to see how information discovered since those days adds to these posts!

Sumako and I are both teleworking from home since the beginning of April. Looks like we may keep this up for a while, though the middle school where I teach might reopen next week. We'll see... Meanwhile, I stay busy preparing lesson plans for my school classes several weeks ahead of time, writing essays for my karate students, still working on two books (one of our old-style karate concepts, and one very different Uechi history), keeping in touch with family and students via Skype and e-mail, reviewing student videos and sending back with comments, revising and recording audio tracks, and caring for home, granddaughter, and cats...!

We hope you are all well and safe at home, and wish everyone the strength and health needed to get through this crisis.

Best regards,

Seizan
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Seizan
Posts: 141
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 7:35 am
Location: Nagahama, Yomitan Okinawa
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Re: UechiRyu Zankai Nagahama Dojo

Post by Seizan »

Hello everyone,

Sumako and I, and all Zankai members hope you are all well and safe. Sumako is still home teleworking until mid-June but has been visiting her office to use the big computer (as opposed to the government laptop issued for telework). I have been back in school since the last week of May, and all students have returned to classes. If all goes well, I will likely reopen the Nagahama Dojo at the beginning of July. It looks like most restrictions on Okinawa will be lifted by then, but we will be wearing face-masks and “social distancing” for a long time. I believe it will be part of a new social adjustment seen worldwide.

I posted a new audio essay, “Kata Origins and Meanings Summary, and the Differences between Kanbun Sensei’s and Kanei Sensei’s Styles”. Please visit and give it a listen-to. Some of the information might seem to be controversial on the surface, but please keep in mind that this is just another perspective. Over the years, various other teachers spoke about why the “5 new kata” were created. Originally written in 2000 while I was under the training of Toyama Sensei, this essay doesn’t go into “why”, but how and when, gives some insight regarding the meanings of the kata names, and the describes some of the concepts embedded in the techniques.

I also do not go into “why” Kanei Sensei modified the system as much as “how” which is common knowledge on Okinawa, and has been published before in a widely-available book, “Okinawan Karate – the Real Truth” by another quite famous Okinawan UechiRyu teacher.

At nearly 10.5 minutes long, it is the longest single audio essay I have yet posted. Hopefully it will be one of the more interesting ones, too.

Coming up soon is “Sanchin and the Development of Hardness and Softness”.

If you have constructive comments, suggestions, or additional information you’d like to share, please feel free to e-mail me. There’s a contact form at the bottom of my website.

Stay safe and keep well, everybody.

Best regards to all,

Seizan
deanmadonia
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Re: UechiRyu Zankai Nagahama Dojo

Post by deanmadonia »

Sanshin:

I have a question for Uechi historians. I know that many of the karate masters have also been healers, practiced calligraphy, played music, etc.
I am a musician from the US, gratefully studying under master James Thompson and I just purchased my first sanshin instrument.
I remember hearing or reading that Master Uechi played the sanshin and I was wondering if anyone knows what songs he performed? Also, Was Kanbun Uechi also a musician? Shushiwa?
I want to learn some of those songs if possible, any information regarding this subject would be greatly appreciated!
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Seizan
Posts: 141
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2005 7:35 am
Location: Nagahama, Yomitan Okinawa
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Re: UechiRyu Zankai Nagahama Dojo

Post by Seizan »

Kanyu Uechi, a member of the Uechi Family in Futenma, has a Facebook. I will send to you via PM here, check your in-box. He might know, or might ask older family members for you.

I see photos of Kanei Sensei playing sanshin now and then, but I never heard him play. I believe Kanbun Sensei played sanshin, but I'm not certain. I would think they played the standard old folk tunes my wife studies every day (her sanshin master is of a very old lineage on Okinawa).
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