We wanted to share with you this message of thanks from Whidbey Island, where Darin Yee oversaw the black belt testing and taught a fantastic seminar.
“Hi Mr. Yee, We met while you were visiting in Washington during the Black Belt Test at the winery. We just wanted to thank you so very much for teaching my wife and I, before the test and before the seminar. We deeply regretted not being able to stay for the seminar, but we are both very grateful for the wisdom you shared with us while we were there. It gave both of us a new way to look at the thing we do and opened a door to a better way of thinking about the things we do. We just wanted you to know how much we appreciated the time you took and the knowledge you shared.
I
sincerely hope you are well and practicing good sanitation habits suggested by
our educated, seasoned health professionals. At times like this, we need
temporarily set aside all the things we want to do and follow the protocol of
what we should do.
As an
extrovert, I find it very difficult to sit patiently at home and watch all the
bad news on television. I’ve already informed my friends who come to work out
with me to hold off and stay safely at home until this virus is eradicated.
I’ve
continued to stay active by performing all 8 Uechi-Ryu katas followed by
tiger/crane, Choy-Li-Fut, and every kung-fu form I remember. I’ve even brought
home from my dojo some of the Chinese Weaponry and found enough room to go
half-speed carefully.
In
consideration, I’ve emailed my students and suggested we can meet online to
train together. We have done it 2 times already and are learning what we can do
and how we can do it. The IUKF has a GoTo Meeting program where we can entertain
a total of 151 participants.
I
understand some of us have very diverse processes of training, but the bottom
line is, we are all family, and I encourage all to advance and grow in our
path. Without sounding political, my philosophy has always been the fact that
we all need to be supportive and not regulatory. Since my appointment as
president of the IUKF, I’ve been a bit more liberal than some would like, but I
believe no one knows what we want better than each individual, and I, for one,
respect our individual beliefs.
If
anyone would like to join our online workouts, please let me know, and I will
include you in my notifications of time and what we will be working on in that
particular workout. Please email me at darinyee@hotmail.com.
I
understand these workouts would not be as vigorous as when I am standing next
to you, pushing you to go 110%. The bottom line is you will get out of these
workouts that you put in.
Anyways,
please stay healthy and well. When this is over, I look forward to seeing everyone
again. I may set up another regional workout so we can be gathered together as
good families should do periodically.
Please
stay vigilant, practice good sanitation habits, and I look forward to seeing
you again soon.
(Please note that this message was translated and may not be 100% accurate!)
On Friday, March 13, SenseiCecilia Salbuchi traveled to Brazil to represent Uechi Ryu IUKF on the occasion of the seminar that SenseiGeorge E. Mattson (10th Dan) and Darin Yee (9th Dan) were going to offer that weekend. Abruptly the event had to change its organization due to the expansion of the coronavirus in America. That same week, with very little notice, the senseis from the United States had to suspend their trips on medical advice first and because the airlines began to suspend their flights.
Because Argentina and Brazil continued with their open borders within South America, the event could be held with only the delegations of Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Buenos Aires. Attentive to the provisions of the government of that country, no training was carried out in closed dojos, only in open spaces (courts and public parks) and the recommended hygiene measures were adopted.
SenseiSalbuchi shared exercises and concepts that were demonstrated in the previous WinterFest in the USA where she had traveled on several occasions, in order to be faithful as possible to the style that characterizes IUKF. In the general seminar on Sunday the importance of practicing Sanchin was discussed to strengthen the body correctly, without doing harm and at all times helping the practitioner to overcome their own limits. They carried out practical exercises of pressure on the practitioner who executes Sanchin, with the focus placed on achieving a strong skeletal-muscular structure and the rooting-based balance that characterizes this kata.
Then we worked on different levels of bunkai of the Kata Kanshiwa, stressing the importance of the black belt always having a different training from the colored belts, so we exercised a level of analysis in the way we call bunkai Ura or Tori Te. At the end of the seminar, some varied endings of Yakusoku Kyu Kumite were seen and various ideas were discussed around it.
Representatives of dojos from different locations within Brazil were present at this seminar, as well as Sensei José Vieira, President of the Federação De Karatê Dos Estilos Okinawanos – FKEO, who was very satisfied with the holding of the event despite the vicissitudes of public knowledge.
The rest of the classes that were held were attended by the brand new IUKF representatives in Brazil: Senseis Luiz Monteiro, André Tavares, Paulo Monteiro, and Wesley Almeida. We had the opportunity to review concepts, train all the katas of the style and enrich each other by sharing Danish training methods. Each of these teachers has knowledge that makes them unique and valuable, and that they shared with humility and generosity with their Argentine counterpart.
We also have videos that Sensei George Mattson sent us sharing some of the material they offered at the Winterfestheld a week before this event, as well as videos sent by Sensei Darin Yee about their notions of the soft side of our style.
From Argentina, as representatives of IUKF and also of FAKKO, we appreciate the hospitality and warmth with which the representatives of IUKF Brazil and FKEO received us.
As I do every year, I remember all the great martial artists I’ve known throughout the years and feel I need to reach out to wish you strength, health, and prosperity this new year and the many new years to come. I have experienced many tough years, but I realize I’ve had many great years. Through Uechi-Ryu, I was granted the opportunity to meet and interact with so many wonderful people. I feel truly blessed.
Thank
you for your friendship. I wish you and your family the very best in your
training and your life. May all your
good deeds come back to you in multiples of 10.
