Sixty Years of Training, Growing Everyday

[Dojo Visit, 1]

Karate is for training the mind. If you continue to train, you will acquire a strong body and a strong and tough spirit. Uehara Takenobu, 87, is the holder of a prefectural designation of an intangible cultural asset for Okinawa Karate and Kobujutsu, . He has been devoting himself to Karate for 60 years. The 10th dan instructor of Uechi-ryu continues to hone his skills and mind, saying, “There is no end to Karate“. At his Uechi-ryu Karate-do Shinkokai Head Dojo in Oroku, Naha City, where he serves as the chief instructor, he continues to teach his students the traditions he has inherited, including kata and philosophy. Read more »

I translated this article about Uechi-ryu founder Uechi Kanbun several years ago, but am reposting it here as readers may find it interesting. It was originally written by Mabuni Sho and published in the magazine Karate Kenkyu, 1934 pg. 92-93. Enjoy. Read more »

Taira Shinken (R) demonstrating soto uke and ura nage on Mabuni Kenwa (L) From Nakasone G & Mabuni K (1938) Kobo Kenpo Karatedo Nyumon

I rarely talk about specific applications of techniques from kata in this blog mostly because I feel they need to be practiced in the dojo over and over again under the watchful eyes of a good teacher. That said since I’ve been translating “Kobo Kenpo Karatedo Nyumon” so I don’t think I’m giving anything away by showing this photo of the application of “soto uke, ura nage” or “outside deflection, rear throw” (外受裏投) from the same book. Read more »