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Thank You from IUKF President on New Rank!

IUKF Promotions

Chelsey Schultz

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April 4, 2022

Thank You from IUKF President on New Rank!

I have been receiving many congratulatory messages and well wishes from friends and associates worldwide, and I am thankful and humbled by their comments and acceptance. I realized long ago, you are only who others believe you to be. As we all know, there are always people who will preach their messages of discontent and hate for whatever reason. I am so happy that the hundreds heavily outweigh the few.

There are many Uechi-Ryu organizations I could have turned to for advancement. I am so proud to have been honored by the IUKF, being acknowledged and promoted by Sensei George Mattson, the pioneer of Uechi-Ryu in the Americas, north and south. I am not implying that Sensei Mattson is the only person in this country to have studied and trained in Okinawa, but Sensei Mattson was the very first to bring Uechi-Ryu to light, starting in the northeastern region of the United States of America. Evident in the congregation of Uechi-Ryu dojos in the New England States and Canada.

As I realize this promotion demonstrates the pinnacle of our ranking system, this does not mean there is nothing else to learn. Martial arts are so vast, and Uechi-Ryu is so complicated and diverse that there is enough room for advancement and improvements for two lifetimes. I promise I will continue to train, study and learn from all sources until I am unable.
Martial Arts have been my passion since I was 7 years old. Throughout these many years, I have accumulated much knowledge. Some useful and some not so much.

However, as the president of the IUKF, I have committed to sharing all the information I have gathered. As senseis, we must realize that should be our desire. To be more direct, that should be our objective.
I do not use the word “teach,” as this might indicate that my path is imminent. I will always say that I am “sharing,” which gives everyone the option to receive or politely pass.

This promotion does not place me above anyone. Anyone who feels their rank means superiority in any shape or form has been walking the wrong path. We are all brothers and sisters heading in the same direction. Due to the extra time I’ve started my journey puts me a few steps ahead. Nothing more and nothing less.

I look forward to the day when those whom I walk in front will be leading me with strength, honor, and respect.

Darin Yee
President-IUKF
Judan-Hanshi

A Winterfest Experience

Events

Chelsey Schultz

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April 8, 2020

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A Sandan of Uechi-Ryu, Chelsey Schultz, attended Winterfest 2020 and shared her experiences on her blog. If you would like to read about her experience, click HERE!

IUKF MEMORANDUM

Chelsey Schultz

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October 3, 2019

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Clarification Regarding Promotion & Master Rank Testing

The IUKF is undergoing a revision of its procedures to serve its members better. I’m sure there must be many questions going forward. I hope the following information will address some of your concerns. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to communicate with us.

Our organization is global, and our membership is extensive. We understand the difficulties of trying to accommodate everyone 100% of the time. Please understand the best that we can do is to make decisions that will serve the majority of our membership. In order to maintain stability and consistency, we cannot offer conflicting agreements from one dojo to another.

Promotions

Promotion For Shodan To Godan

The IUKF determined many years ago to implement “dojo testing” for Sho-dan to Go-dans. That is to say, that each member dojo shall test students for Shodan up to Godan and may promote at their discretion. The IUKF holds the Sensei/Direct Teacher responsible for upholding general standards and competency of the Applicant and will not scrutinize promotions at that level. Our current Senior Advisory Board upholds this current practice.

Each member dojo will conduct their own testing and apply their own standards specific to their dojo. Each member dojo is advised to assemble their own testing board. All member dojos may request the presence of a master rank from the IUKF, and we will make all efforts to make that possible.

The IUKF recommends your dojo follow the minimum requirements listed in the Black Belt Test Guide (which you can purchase online in Sensei Mattson’s store, or as a member dojo, you can view our suggested guidelines on our website in the members’ section).

Promotion For Rokudan & Up

Master ranks (Roku-dan 6th degree and up) are asked to uphold a more exceptional standard. The candidate must record all 8 katas; and a bunkai of at least 8 techniques/combinations of his/her choosing.

Your katas will demonstrate you are still actively training and retain all the knowledge which paved the path to where you are. Your katas will be judged by 3 anonymous master rank members from around the globe (preferably with no personal ties or conflicts) who can judge you without prejudice or partiality.

The master rank must also demonstrate their knowledge of the arts which he/she believes they have mastered. We are not asking you to create a long, formal bunkai like Seisan Bunkai. Bunkai simply explains the application of movements or our technique.

Candidates will be required to demonstrate the 8 Uechi-Ryu bunkai movements from our 8 katas and how he/she would use them in an actual application. This way, we can all witness your mastery and understanding of your master rank request, as well as to share your ideas with the rest of the Uechi World.

We thank you for your loyalty and contributions to the IUKF. Together, we will grow and improve.

Sincerely,
Darin Yee
IUKF President

Sechin Bunkai Variations

Chelsey Schultz

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February 1, 2022

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Cecilia Salbuchi, one of our IUKF members from Argentina, has shared with us this incredible video on various applications of Sechin in Bunkai! Please take a look when you have a moment; it is worth the watch!

Plus, feel free to follow Ms. Salbuchi on Facebook and YouTube; she posts something almost every day.

Letter from the IUKF President

I.U.K.F.

Chelsey Schultz

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October 25, 2021

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Hello,

This is a message to all IUKF dojos and its members. The IUKF is doing great, and membership is growing by the day. I want to reiterate that the IUKF is a supportive organization for all Uechi-Ryu dojos throughout the world. We encourage all practitioners to train and develop the art to their individual needs and benefit as we understand that all practitioners are not the same.

We are not hindered with tunnel vision and mandate that each of us need to be a carbon copy of one another. I will not dictate to anyone how they should train or make demands on changes. After 60 plus years of continuous training, I do not know everything. I welcome ingenuity and fresher, younger, smarter minds with hopes to learn more from everyone’s individualism.

All our IUKF masters have much-accumulated expertise and are willing to share within our IUKF Family. Whatever they share can be included in your training or remain stored knowledge. Your early training should always conform to the direction of your chosen sensei. However, we are not duplicates of one another with nothing to enhance our training. We do not meet at dinners to tell each other how great we are and promote everyone to ridiculous high ranks with little to show other than a mouth full of food and a pat on the back.

Personally, I believe that during our formative years in training, we should all learn “root” Uechi-Ryu. That is the movement and understanding deriving from the many diverse teachers in Okinawa. As we grow and if we mature as individuals, our training should have molded us. If we indulge in other martial arts systems, they too become an intrinsic part of who we are.

Please realize martial arts is not a hand tool to be picked up and used if we choose to. With proper, continuous training, movements become instinctive and a part of who you are. However, improper training, a lack of training, or bad muscle memory could be detrimental and completely useless to you.

Your art will excel as your Uechi-Ryu movements conform to your individual body, adapting to size, speed, and comfort of motion. That is why continuous training is paramount as we physically and mentally change from moment to moment.

Many feel change is not good. Many would say if you do not train as I do, you are corrupting the system. If that was true, why would we invite other masters to teach in our dojos? Why are we paying money just to have another sensei come to our dojo and repeat what we are already teaching? Or are we welcoming new ideas and more concepts? Are we beyond learning anything different and new? Are we afraid of the fact there could be something more sensible and practical than what we are presently teaching?

Let’s examine the fact that Leung Tak Wing was Chan Wah Shun’s Wing Chung teacher. Chan Wah Shun added many adaptations to Wing Chung, which he learned. Chan Wah Shun was Ip Kai Man’s teacher. Ip Kai Man not only created many adaptations, but he also rearranged the complete form and sequences. Ip Kai Man was Lei Sill Lung (Bruce Lee’s) teacher. Bruce Lee added so much more to the Wing Chung system, including many high kicks, which was not very prevalent in Southern Kung-Fu.

One of the original Kung Fu systems was White Crane. Practiced by the Shaolin Monks and developed by a woman named Fang Qiniang. She morphed this style from a Neanderthal practice of hard robotic movements to a more universal smooth, flowing system fitting all possible practitioners. The evolution did not stop there. There are now 5 major systems of White Crane depending on the needs of the practitioner. These 5 are Sleeping, Crying, Eating, Flying, and Shaking Crane. They each have their own nuances to fit the individual practitioner.

Please understand one method is not better than the other. They are just slightly different to fit the individual needs of the practitioner.

The IUKF supports all our dojos and each individual practitioner. I will never insist anyone train my way or use our Uechi-Ryu movements as I use them.

I have and will always encourage you to be the best you can be and train in whatever way you choose. I will never stop sharing knowledge and new discoveries in the martial art world which I encounter. I believe in training with no restrictions or mandates.

Train diligently and always strive to be the best that you can be. If I can be of assistance for your training in any way, please let me know, and I will try to be there to support you regardless of organizational lines.

Darin Yee
President – IUKF
Kyudan – Hanchi-sei