George's New Book

[Bill Glasheen]

Until those Japanese words end up in Websters or the Oxford I don't think sensei George can be criticized for the spelling.

It reminds me of the early days of using word processing software, where none of my biomedical engineering words (either medical or engineering) were in the Spell Check.

Sigh...

But it is OUR generation's job to pick that torch up and carry it, Fred. No excuses!

- Bill

[f.Channell]

I liked that remembrance on the site here somewhere of the Japanese student who travelled to the Mattson academy to train and had all the trouble with learning the "American Japanese."

As long as we have "reeken" and "say louiey" behind us......

f.

[PreyingMantis]

That is a big book

Imagine picking it off your coffee table, during a home invasion, and braining someone with it?

A great improvised weapon for sure.

you can also hold it over your head and perform 'jumping squats' with it...like we used to do in in my Infantry unit with a Garand in a 'press up' position.

I too am impressed with the heaviness as well. And Van you too have the thoughts right out of my head. I was thinking the same thing when my spouse made me angry the other day.

However, I refuse to let anything be damaging to this book. I hope George appreciates how we can find household objects to use in defense if need be. But again this book stays sacred.

I do have an old iron that coud use some use on any bad guys. Luckily it still heats up as well. That would serve more than one purpose. Hehehehe!

[robb buckland]

"As long as we have "reeken" and "say louiey" behind us......"

I didn't get the email ....

[Glenn]

Until those Japanese words end up in Websters or the Oxford I don't think sensei George can be criticized for the spelling.

But it is OUR generation's job to pick that torch up and carry it, Fred. No excuses!

Japanese has at least benefited from a relatively stable, consistant, single transliteration system (a formalized process used to convert the sounds of character-based languages to alphabetic writing) called Romanji, which has been in use for a relatively long time now (as transliteration systems go). Of course not all sounds from character-based languages convert easily to alphabetic writing, so we occassionally get some variation such as in "Kanbun" or "Kanbum" Uechi, but these issues are rare with Romanji and probably relate specifically to the Okinawan language rather than to Japanese. And of course individuals can try to alphabetically write Japanese themselves based on sound without any reference to Romanji, leading to some unofficial alphabetic spellings floating around, particularly on the internet. But in general, Japanese transliterations are reasonably consistant.

Chinese on the other hand has had the issue of multiple official transliteration systems that have changed over time, Wade-Giles and Pinyin for example. So depending on the publication date and country of a map you're looking at, the capital of China might be shown as "Peiching", "Peking", or "Beijing". Uechi history also experiences this with"Chou Tzu-ho" (Wade-Giles) and "Zhou Zi He" (Pinyin) both being used for the name of Kanbun Uechi's teacher. When I was going through school the name of a former ruler of China was written as "Mao Tse-tung" (Wade-Giles), now it is "Mao Zedong" (Pinyin). Then there is "Chi" (Wade-Giles) and "Qi" (Pinyin). The "Chin" Dynasty or the "Qin" Dynasty. The list of examples is almost infinite.

Given that the English alphabet cannot cover all sounds in the Japanese language (and vice versa by the way) and that the linguistic experts don't all agree, it is hard to fault independent authors who may not have the alphabetic spelling quite the same as others! On the other hand, such variations are definitely more of an issue now in our era of computerized quick searches for specific words.

[Bill Glasheen]

It is true that stable Chinese representations in our alphabet are difficult. It is also true that the Romanji is stable, and the acceptable (correct) representations of most karate terms are fairly clear.

If you go to Okinawa to study karate and you have never studied Japanese, well you're missing out on some useful tools to represent that which you hear. Once I had my one whole year of Japanese language training at UVa (A+ both semesters because I was motivated), I began to clean up the language in my own dojo. And of course I suggested to my UVa students that they too take advantage of the rare opportunity of this language resource just a few hundred feet away from the dojo. Some took it further and used karate + Eastern Studies to launch their own first careers in the East, either in the military or through the Japan Exchange Teaching (JET) program. Some (Chris Long, Lise Kupke) even became students and house guest of great men (Shigeru Takamiyagi, Kanei Uechi). So if WE make the effort on our end... imagine the heady experience of Kanei Uechi welcoming you into his home. THEY do appreciate it when WE make the effort.

We have since been blessed by some good karateka (e.g. Gary Khoury, Marty Dow, etc.) whom George has welcomed and encouraged to carry this "torch" farther. Having Gary give precise translations in a Nakahodo seiminar or Marty getting up early to wander in the village of Fuzhou is what you get - again - when WE make the effort. You end up with more than "the official party line."

There are great rewards ahead for those who make the effort.

- Bill

[Glenn]

My oldest child has taken to studying Japanese in a big way. She had the opportunity to go into an advanced program at a different high school in town with her best friend, but instead she chose to go to the high school in our district because it is the only one in town offering Japanese. And in the two years she has been at it she has done quite well (certainly better then I did in Spanish in high school or German in college, but then I wasn't motivated in foreign languages back then and no one to talk to in either language outside of class). She may never take that interest to include the martial arts (although exposure to MA is what first peaked her interest in learning Japanese), but she is aware that there is some potential future paths open to her if she keeps up with it.

[Topos]

I just got my copy today. GEM has not lost his writing capability. As a 1960 'frozen winter toes' student in the 'Alpine' first Dojo and then the Columbus Avenue Improvement I was transported back by the stories in GEM's new book.

Yes, I have all the previous ones, including the very first "Where is Sanseiryu" book that I had the honor to have read the first galleys.

George followed the dream he told us of in 1960. The PATH has been followed successfully ... and well deserved. Bravo. old friend [ ahem, I am 6 months younger so maybe I should excise 'old' .. ]

It is to be hoped that GEM is around to publish his last Uechi book on his hundredth birthday ... and we are all around to read it.

Now, George, as for the stories you seemed to have left out, remember when you .......?

[gmattson]

I had to rip open the shrink wrap to write a personal note. Susan was yelling at me to hurry or we would miss the Fed Ex pickup that was loading up the first delivery. I was rushing to finish the note to you and misspelled beginning. . . only wrote one "n". . . What to do???

I quickly added another "n" hoping you wouldn't notice. Oh well, I hope you don't mind. The message was still clear and came from my heart.

Another side note of general interest: In order to make the printer's deadline, Susan and I only had 24 hours to read the galleys and return them with corrections. Once into the text, Susan discovered I had sent the printer a final file that was not the "final" edited version. Somehow in the rush to make the deadline, I sent an earlier manuscript version (there were 3 editors and me working on the text and 8 versions in all) Bottom line, the final version had a number of minor typos and a duplicate Chapter quote that was corrected in the "final/final" version that somehow got lost or overwritten. There wasn't time to go through the whole book again, so we approved the earlier version with just a few corrections in first part of the book.

Anyway, these minor mistakes are my fault and I sincerely apologize for switching the files. I really wanted the book to be perfect!

I'm getting quite a few kind e-mail from people who are receiving their books. Some are posting comments and reviews on "The Way of Uechi-ryu Karate" Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Way-o ... 378?ref=ts

Thanks to all of you who ordered the book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did creating it.

[Topos]

George, I was touched by the note you inscribed.

After 50 years it becomes ever clearer how the forge of time strengthens friendships, much as the time consuming multiple foldings in making a Katana, and really learning San Chin [ 1960's student to you "What do you mean it takes a lifetime to learn San Chin, you taught it to us in 2 weeks?" He did not last long.]

Reading even more how you evolved and your overcoming the nearly insurmountable odds that you began with increased my admiration. Bravo, my friend.

Dave Florie took some good pictures of our class (Walter, Ahti, Harry, Allen, etc.) .. do you still have any? Seeing Walter and the others in the pictures brought an appreciative smile to me. Gosh, I do not believe we have changed much, have we?

Suggestion: an addendum of past students vignettes.

Mine would include: Splinters from the Floor, Ahti's Jiu Jitsu forms, the 'are you nuts' 1,000 kicks evening, the 'Pink Gi' story, Sunday 'Call to Jesus' meetings, "Deep in the Jungles of the Philippines" katas in the dark, etc.

As a comedian once said " nostalgia is not was it used to be".



But let us not get carried away!

Thank you, Sensei.

[gmattson]

Lots of interesting stories could not be used. However, I suspect the ones I did use will trigger many memorable memories in us all.

Each year at SummerFest many of these stories get passed down from "old timer" to newbies at the evening parties.

[Bill Bauknecht]

I received my book Monday and unwrapped it last night for a quick tour. What a beautiful book in appearance but also, after a quick glance through, I think will be a great read for any martial artist, especially our Uechi folks. Congratulations George, this was well worth the wait. I agree that this will quickly become a collector's item, I just called Susan and ordered another one. I can share one with my kids and students and they can leave mine alone. I suggest not waiting to get an order in. I haven't checked out the pictures yet, but, to Bill G, I'm sure you are an asset and should receive a small modeling fee. Maybe I should say SMALL a little larger. George might be kicking my arse right about now. Thank you George, great book,,and,,I wish you all the success you deserve. Second edition is when??
Bill B

[gmattson]

Honorable Sensei:

Your book arrived early this week. Looks wonderful lying on my cherry finished desk. Forty some odd years ago, when first embarking on my interest in the martial arts, and to broaden my understanding and knowledge base, I enjoyed a varied library of books, now gone with the wind. I must say that yours is the finest volume of its kind I have ever seen.

Respectfully,

Dr. Arnold Rosenstock aka Arne

[JaySal]

Hello All.

I got GM's new book the other day. I can tell you all, it is just GREAT! This is another great Uechi book by George. I was very surprised in how much material and information is packed in this book, way more then I expected. So many pictures, along with detailed explanations on all aspects of Uechi Ryu. The book is loaded with so many pictures and writings about Master Kanei Uechi. Many of them I have never seen before, in all my 41 years (1969), in Uechi Ryu. Every aspect of Uechi Ryu is covered. Again, BIG Congratulations to George on this master piece of a book. I highly recommend this book to all, it is an outstanding read. In fact, I think I will be ordering a second one, before they are all gone.

[Van Canna]

A Time Machine

I find myself ‘savoring’ each line of each page of this wonderful book…re-reading the lines again and again…almost out of fear that they might dissolve before my eyes.

The words being that important to me _ as they provide a window in time…letting in the bright sunshine from a veritable ‘Uechi Garden’ of so many cherished memories.

Once touching this work of art…it is impossible not to open it…and once open…impossible to put down…assailed by the magic in it…and the book’s cover… the color of remembrance of things past.

There's a very special garden
Where the trees of memory grow
Nurtured by the kindness
And concern that good friends show.
The roots are cherished memories
Of good times in the past
The branches tender promises
That souls endure and last.
It's a place of peace and beauty
Where bright new hopes can start
It's memory's lovely garden
That soothes the hurting heart.