Top Sensei in US?

Special-K · Post by **Special-K** » Sun Nov 11, 2001 6:25 pm

I am interested in what the members of this forum think on the subject of who is the most knowledgeable Uechi-Ryu Instructor in the US and why? I often hear certain names, but would like to know who is the most knowledgeable about this system, not the most popular. K

miked · Post by **miked** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 12:02 am

That is like asking who is the most knowledgeable batting or pitching coach in the major leagues.

Every Senior instructor has a font of knowledge to share.

Seek out training and experiences from as many of those that you are able to visit.

To name one name, three names, ten names, etc. would then leave out a whole other bucnh of names that should be mentioned.

I will suggest that you study with any or all of the NAC senior intructors and any or all of the Okikukai senior instructors and add to that any or all of the Pan-Gai-Noon Senior instrucotrs as well as any or all of the senior Kenyukai instructors. I think that should keep you busy for quite some time.

:-)

All the best,

Mike

Ted Dinwiddie · Post by **Ted Dinwiddie** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 3:42 am

There is no one person who is the best at anything. But I'll say this without a doubt in my mind: Sensei George Mattson, the creator of these forums and the instructor of many of these extremely knowledgable moderators deserves alot of credit.

I don't know squat about Uechi-ryu, but I know it takes a secure and skilled teacher to train this bunch of attack dogs and let them loose with no collars. This is a free and open exchange of ideas and opinions and it flies thick sometimes, but the learning that takes place is extraordinary. That is the mark of a great teacher; not what they teach, but what they cause you to learn.

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ted

"I learn by going where I have to go." - Theodore Roethke

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 4:33 am

Special -K

Get ready for the ramble!

Sorry it's the way I best articulate my point of view. It is my comfort zone in communication.

Many many years ago I had the good fortune to train with Jim Maloney,a Canadian. He was a yondan back then. ( Late seventies)

He had been a champion,hell he had even spared with Bruce Lee. To us he was a Demi God,one of a kind. Then there was his teacher,George E. Matson, and his teacher Kanei Uechi, both much more advanced than Jimmy.

Twenty plus years latter I discover GEM'S web site ,and I discover that hundreds of people have attained Jim's rank of yondan.They all consider them selves students of uechi and are pleased to learn more from each other and their sensei's.

Miked and Ted have offered excellent answers to your post.

The person who has taught me the most was my first student. Teaching forced me to re explore every thing again and again and.............

It could be quite possible that the best sensei is actually the best student. Then again should we be asking who best to learn from or should we explore how best to learn.

Yes I know I,ve said nothing but maybe I provoked thought and that was my goal.

Who is the best teacher?

Who is the best student?

Laird

LeeDarrow · Post by **LeeDarrow** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 4:23 pm

Special-K - sama,

At the risk of sounding like an overly-intelligent gluteus maximus (smart a$$), IMHO, the best Sensei in ANY art is the one who can teach, not just demonstrate, who can explain, not just show a move or kata, is the one who understands the basis of his or her art and can impart that knowledge and understanding to his or her students.

Names? I am not an Uechi-ka, so I won't commit to any there, but as to people who have helped me, an outsider to this art, understand some of the finer points, I would point to ANY moderator on this forum as a good place to begin.

Remember, the best teacher for one person might be the worst teacher for another.

Teaching and learning are an interactive situation. At least in the US, personalities and attitudes often have a serious impact on how well that interaction works.

Look for a teacher that you can understand and relate to and you will be in a better position to learn.

Also, check their affiliations and certificates. While I am sure that there are not people out there claiming Dan rank in Uechi-Ryu, there are a few of those people in other styles.

Respectfully,

Lee Darrow, C.Ht.

Phils · Post by **Phils** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 6:46 pm

Special-K: Let me try to explain why this is a difficult question for a karateka to answer.

When we are very young, and a parent teaches is to tie a shoe, they are the smartest people in the world. You can't imagine anyone being smarter.

When you're older, in your teens, your parents aren't smart any more. Everyone is smarter than they are.

As you get older still, and particularly when you have children of your own, your parents words and action come back to you and they once again attain a new level of genius.

Likewise, the central problem for any student (sempei or cohei) isn't teacher knowledge it is wisdom and respect.

Best wishes!

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 11:13 pm

Seeing as how someone very indirectly said a nice thing about me here (thank you...don't know if I deserve it), I want to disqualify myself from being too much a part of answering this question directly.

But taking the wise posts a step further, I'd like to comment on how a "seemingly naive" question like this can really bring the best out of many who would post. So while some may consider this on the surface an unworthy question, it may indeed be an extremely good one if it brings forth such intelligence. Ahh...teachers love that!

Carry on, lads and laddies!

- Bill

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Mon Nov 12, 2001 11:36 pm

But then again...I've never been able to shut up for very long.

I would perhaps rephrase the question a bit here, or at least give an answer that suits me. Given a question like this, I might respond by talking about whom I like to study from and why. From that answer, you find out a lot about both me and the teachers I admire.

My geographic isolation has been both a curse and a blessing. On the one hand, it was very difficult advancing my Uechi ryu training in the mid-1970s when my first Uechi instructor (not my first MA instructor) left Virginia to get his MBA in a well-known New England university. On the other hand, it did afford me the ability to pick and choose for my next instructor(s). Since I had studied from several instructors by then, I had a little better idea at what I wanted.

What I did in May of 1977 was get on my motorcycle with girlfriend in tow and do a tour of East Coast Uechi schools. While there was a significant school (at the time) in Spring Lake, NC that should have been on my list, my experience brought me to a group and lineage that I have been most happy with over time. It also made me branch off outside of Uechi ryu.

What makes me happy may not make someone else happy. Understand that at the time, I ultimately had a PhD and research in mind for life goals (outside the dojo). I am not a "production" or "do it this way because I said so" kind of person. I want to know why on everything, and I can handle ambiguity. In fact, I thrive on it. I can recall reading more than a few Uechi web pages that have referred to certain ways of doing things as sacred, as if there was one and only one way. Some people really like that. Some people really want to be told that Master Big Stuff off in India 2000 years ago did things a certain way, and use it as a reason for THEM to practice things that way. Other people like to think that contemporary Master HotShot has it all figured out. Great...for them. I want to know why Master Big Stuff did his thrust-o-doom this way, and why the rival Bad Guys clan in the Ching Dow province did it entirely differently. I want to understand the body types, mindsets, knowledge base at the time, etc., etc. From the standpoint of history and perspective, Master BigStuff fascinates me. And I may admire Master HotStuff. But I can get just as much pleasure out of after-workout conversations with good students over a few brews.

In the end, I study from and work with people who have a broad knowledge base, have perspective on their knowledge, have an understanding of why they do things certain ways, and aren't rigid in their thinking or how they train their owns students. What this does is allow me to practice and teach my art(s) in a manner that they were intended in the first place - as arts.

I could name a few such teachers, peers, and contemporaries... Actually more than a few.

- Bill

Special-K · Post by **Special-K** » Tue Nov 13, 2001 10:49 pm

Thank you for all of the post. Mr. Glasheen I did enjoy your post & your insight in to how you train. My point for posting this was to see what names were posted and why people liked the people that they have associated themselves with.
For some general background on myself: I am currently going back to Graduate School and I have Dan Rank in Uechi-Ryu. I do not feel the need to post what rank, because I feel that I have extensive knowledge in MA and Uechi. I have studied Uechi for over ten years, but have not tested to my "knowledge." I am not rank hungry, but knowledge hungry. I have also studied Akido for that time period and Kobudo. For the last two years I have concentrated more on the grappling arts to round myself out and cover all of the ranges. To do this I have studied Judo and Machado Jiu-jitsu.
I again thank everyone for their responses thus far and I would like to commend everyone on their politeness and their well spoken (or written) insight, it is good to read post that are not ignorant in content, nor in thought process. K

Bill Glasheen · Post by **Bill Glasheen** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 1:49 am

K

If you know where you are going to graduate school, that may help you make some decisions. If you haven't decided where yet...and you are smart enough to get in wherever you want...that's another story.

It sounds to me like there are a handful of folks that you might like to work with. Folks like myself or Mike Murphy or Joe Pomfret have done both grappling and Uechi arts. There are others. There are many that combine weapon arts and Uechi in unusual ways. If you have a favorite weapon that you like more than you like to grapple, well...that might narrow things a bit for you.

Just thought I'd add that.

- Bill

Phils · Post by **Phils** » Wed Nov 14, 2001 5:45 am

Bill: You are onto something about 'seemingly naive' questions. I often find that it's more important for us to examine our own individual reaction to a question like this, particularly if there are 'undiscussables' or sensitivities. When I find questions like this and have an immediate reaction, it's worth the time to examine the response. Often, beneath the surface, I am holding a belief system that I may have never examined. It may or may not be supported by sound reasoning. That is why, opening up the question, expanding the conversation is a good thing. It exposes our thinking to the light of day and helps us break the pattern of thought we may never have scrutinized. Best.. phils

Colin 8 of 8 · Post by **Colin 8 of 8** » Thu Nov 15, 2001 12:45 am

The best teacher is life.

Colin 8 of 8

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My name is Colin 8 of 8, I am very much alive, and intend to stay that way.