❓Balance of practicality vs forms. What's your thought on it? ❓WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL? Free Zoom Lesson: ruclips.net/video/lVyeFAZxV2E/видео.html Please support the channel :) paypal.me/karateintokyo?locale.x=en_US 🥋FREE TRIAL｜Online Group Lesson🥋 Program Details: karateintokyo.com/ Any questions or concerns? → Email me at ynkaratedojo@gmail.com Episode #1: ruclips.net/video/peiCbxU_D6g/видео.html Yusuke In Okinawa Playlist: ruclips.net/video/jc0Zudzvk6E/видео.html
In regards to practicality and forms, I think the health of the practioner is key for both. Jhoon Rhee, the martial arts instructor of President Joe Biden and Muhammed Ali for your second question.
i feel basics are needed for practicality to work so i would go with forms first my role model is bruce lee but a fictional charecter would be Po(from the kung-fu panda series) also sensei do u have a discord server by anychance for karate related topics i would love to join one where we all can come together and share our views and discuss
First question: Forms without any application in real Kumite and/or real fights are "dead" techniques. Many Karate teachers do not teach kata applications in depth for real fighting situations, what is the main reason why Karate is not the number one martial art in the world for practical self defense. Sport Karate is ruining real Karate. What a pity, it could be so much more. The classical way of teaching "Karate" and the mindset of trainers must change. Karate must change. At the end, every Karateka and Karate style has to evolve to the formles form, like Jeet Kune Do. Second question: Hirokazu Kanazawa Sensei (with taking real Tai Chi lessons) and Bruce Lee (taking everything what is useful), they both share the flexible mindset of a real martial arts master. They are my role models.
I don't think it's a question of practicality vs forms. The forms should always maintain their practical focus, or you end up with a situation where people don't know what the form is for. The correct form also tends to fall apart if you don't know the function. My role model would be a man called John Morley, who taught me how to be the therapist I am now.
My role model is Richard Amos. He never ceases to amaze me with his interpretations of Karate techniques. He spent more than 10 years in Japan, training and teaching at the JKA headquarters. His Karate really suits me, I'm not super flexible or super strong and his Karate is more of a fast and intelligent kind of moving. Also he's super kind, explains everything in great detail, always answers questions, has a very humble personality and always a smile on his face. 😊
I recently lost my grandfather to covid. He was my role model and will always continue to be. Shimabukuro Sensei reminds me of my thaathaa. The same intelligence and secured confidence that stems from kindness and respect. Thank you for shooting this interview, Yusuke san. It really made me think of him and gave me more hope for my own karate.
The part when Shimabukuro-sensei talked about the other coach who called his students "stupid" or "idiot" really hits home. I cried a bit when he said that that wasn't going to be his way to his students. Some people are unbelievably harsh to the point of insulting others. Not all of it comes out of malice. Some do care, but just too emotional to convey the appropriate way to express it. Some are just twisted and egotistical. I think all of us has been on each end of that spectrum in some sort of fashion. I know I have. What Shimabukuro-sensei taught us here is empathy and compassion goes a long way. And in teaching, that kind of attitude is the one that makes students stay.
Agreed. I've had instructors who made you feel stupid even if they didn't call you names. Some think it's this Japanese approach of "breaking down to build up." That never worked with me and I saw the negative effect on other students. My motivation always came from inside me. The best teachers always expected an effort and had firm boundaries, but would work with anyone earnest to learn. Just letting their love of the practice show and excitement to have the privilege of teaching people. I try to do the same and not take it personally when someone isn't trying. And the less coordinated and confident students are sometimes the most rewarding to show patience and compassion to.
I would like to say that of all the Sensei interviewed by you thus far, Shimabukuro Sensei is the most interesting & appealing to me for what I look for in a karate Master. Personally speaking, I have trained with quite a number of Japanese Sensei that are Masters of their own National or International organisations. All have been superb at the technical aspects of karate but few have been truly humble. When travelling around Japan & training at various Shotokan dojo, I came across one instructor that impressed me with his humility, ethics, kindness & level of instruction. Although he was not well known, I found myself travelling to practice with him as often as I could (annually where possible) & he even visited my dojo on several occasions with some of his students. My point being that a good teacher is not always a famous teacher. Sadly he became unwell and passed away. I miss him, think about him a lot & try to practice and teach in a way that I believe he would approve of. When I listen to Shimabukuro Sensei speaking, he reminds me of my late Japanese Sensei.
Now that's some balsam to my heart. If not for Goju-ryu, then Uechi-ryu would be my next school I would choose. We of Goju love these our thug cousins. :) Thank you for this pleasant interview with Shimabukuro-sensei!
My answer to the question if Kata could/should be detached is a quote by Gichin Funakoshi: "One can practise Karate for very long, but if you just throw around your arms and legs like a monkey to kick and punch, then Karate is nothing more than dancing. It looses its essence." So: NO! NEVER detach Kata from the practical application!
Thanks! I can relate to what this man says. I learned over time that karate is not so much what you can do to someone, but rather what you can do for someone. I do not have much experience with this style. Perhaps it's like Isshin-Ryū. I fought two IR black belts in a tournament. These guys were tough, and I was fortunate to be able to beat them.
I haven't seen Uechi Ryu practitioners in a regular karate tournament outside of Okinawa, but we do see them in knockdown karate tournaments occasionally. They do well.
I love these interviews. It's so good the see the perspective of someone who has dedicated a huge part of their life to a martial art. Thank so much for sharing these with us, Nagano-san
These videos are great. It's good to interview veteran teachers. So that the knowledge of them is not lost. I congratulate the creator of these videos. From Puerto Rico in the Caribbean.
What a deep and meaningful conversation. Thank you for showcasing Shimabukuro Sensei's philosophy and approach to learning and teaching, this really struck me to the core!
I feel like this whole series has been arranged perfectly, and I commend you on a wonderfully done video series. It started out with a style I’m currently learning in Matsubayashi ryu, then came shorin ryu, its predecessor which offers a unique flavour to it, then comes goju ryu that spices things up with new approaches, and top it all off with uechi ryu, the most exotic of these four. I plan to study all these styles and incorporate them into my karate and daily practice,
Wow, Sensei have been through a lot. A lot of respect. I love the way Shimabukuro Sensei explain and talks, made me wants to listen more about his life story. I cried, probably because he is so kindhearted, I kinda feel it.
Senei's presence was very powerul and meaningful. An impactful and priceless interview. Sensei is a treasure of Japan and Karate. Thank you sir from Australia!
My Sensei has always told me to never change the kata. His teacher before him said the same thing. There is certaining a difference between techniques and the application of those techniques. That is why there is the practice of kata and bunkai. In the kata, you can work on refining the technique and in the bunkai you can work on the application of that technique. I find this video interesting because I have been practicing Uechi ryu for almost 28 years now. Thank you for sharing the videos.
ive recently started Uechi Ryu, and is strange when youre used to train another style, im 2nd dan in wado which has shotokan as one of it parent arts so i under stand how weird it is, Its very "Empty your Cup" kind of training, so far im loving it
My first karate style! Studied under Sensei Frank Gorman in Florida in the 90s. Even though I've long since moved from there, and have practiced Shito-Ryu for much longer, I still have an extreme fondness for Uechi-Ryu, and continue to practice a lot of its principles to this day. Really confuses the hell out of the other students in my dojo, lol.
Sensei, this is not a response to your question but a comment on you. You are an amazing listener, and a sponge to the style and knowledge that is different from your Shotokan karate. I appreciate that you are humble and respectful to those who came before you to lay the ground work for karate now and for the future.
Hi Sensei. Thank you for showing us this interview. I’m from Malaysia and pretty much interested in learning the art of Uechi-ryu. Unfortunately have not found such school here. Wish to have any sensei considers opening a dojo.
How amazing. Thank you for sharing this! I absolutely loved what he has to say. I have different experiences with a few martial arts, and one thing I've noticed is I've been taught what the movements are during forms (katas), but not practical applications. These are questions I am going to start asking when I'm in my training sessions in order to improve my knowledge so that one day, when I teach, I can pass it down! I've always learned forms as a way to learn various techniques in a set way of doing them, they've always been choreographed in a set way and practiced at a slower speed, more formal and less practical from my perspective.
I believe that, in martial arts, the form must always serve a practical purpose, lest it becomes a dance or a simple physical activity. We need to understand what we're doing, why and how, and avoid being lost in the form for its own sake.
This interview is wisdom acquired over a lifetime of Karate practice and teaching. Thank you for sharing this! Regarding your questions: 1) It depends on the primary reason of practicing Karate or any martial art for that matter. From a spiritual and phisolophical point of view, in my opinion, practicing kata movements is about reaching peace or a state of enlightenment through absolute focus on the movements and mindfulness of the surroundings and oneself. From the martial aspect, practicality and improvement of the application of the techniques through bunkai is paramount. As Jesse Enkamp said, "sometimes the ugliest Karate is the best" one. 2) I do not have a specific role model, but general charaters of people I admire. I seek not victory or domination, but self improvement, and I think Karate is one of many ways to achieve it.
I hope there's an Uechi Ryu dojo still opened in my area when I get my Shodan. I've been so fascinated with Uechi Ryu after learning about it 4 years ago and the other karate style I want to learn.
Great video. In terms of role models I have a few. In karate, I really admire sensei Rick Hotton, his mindset, attitude and skills are really amazing. I also look towards people like Jocko Willink and David Goggins for internal strength, mindset and discipline.
I think effectiveness is very important, And I agree with what he said here. This style of Karate always focuses on speed and power, And that's very important not to forget in any martial art!
I really like how all the Okinawa styles talk about their styles with street fighting and self defence at heart. “Closing the gap” more speed, blocks that also strike with the “uke” so intercepting a strike with a block, but it’s also more then a parry. I really like this mentality. The other mentality I’m seeing is styles that treat other karate styles as karate and not taboo. Seeing a shotokan practitioner study Okinawa karate can only improve their own karate. And vice versa Stop and listening to someone’s point of view can be used for everything, including karate, and that’s wise words for life.
Brilliant video thank you for sharing. I have many role models or did whilst growing up with my Karate, but o will stick with one, and that was/is Chuck Norris, for so many reasons, his strength and power not only in Karate but in character, this was always something I admired and inspired me to be this way also. May I also add my late Father was just as tough, if not tougher and was and shall always be my role model. 🙏🙏🙏
You asked about my role model so I like to tall you that I think we are a role model for ourselves. We must identify and correct any mistakes we have made in the past or are making in the present. .... “My role models are people who can do things; I say to myself, ‘I wish I could do that.’....😊❤ 👉Am I right or wrong ?👈
“There are many kinds of postures in karate. While learning these postures should not be totally ignored, we must be careful not to overlook that they are just forms or templates. It is the function of their application which needs to be mastered.“ - Choki Motobu Replace “postures” with “forms” and that’s basically my position on kata form vs function. It’s like Bruce Lee’s finger pointing to the moon. The form itself is the finger, while the myriad of applications and concepts are the moon.
my role model martial wise- is my grand master. in my childhood i was bullied alot . so my mom decided i needed to learn now to defend myself from them . i enrolled at the ymca in town. there i met him. He was only a master at that time. On one of the first few weeks he said you could be a mighty oak tree and suddenly a gust of wind up roots you and u fall right over. While a weak piece of grass bends around the wind and stays safe . For me that was huge it hit me m like a bolt of lightning. the image of a boulder on my path blocking my way came to mind and how id always try to move it with stregnth only. Noth me and the boulder being stubborn unyielding. I could just simply bend around it or side step the boulder. there was no shame being the weak piece of grass . i used that lesson many times in my life i have several learning disabilities .so it helped teach me how i learned better. in class it helped me use my movement better how to use distance and angles better it taught me i didnt need to be strong to deflect or redirect attacks. The adults or strong students can tire themselves out while i stayed fresher quicker always seeking how to bend around the boulder in my path to victory. in the self defense portions of the class. we learned how to transfer that into grappling throws joint locks and all that stuff. using the opponents body agianst themselves. which was the most satisfying thing . a 14 year old small teenager throwing a 35+ 6+ foot tall man with ease! To this day im not scared of anyone super taller than me i can always bend around the boulder and win . my master at the time seen alot of potential in me. taught me many lessons about managing pain and life lessons . later on when i went back to relearn at the ymca. i made it a goal not to get my black belt but to Give back what i had gotten from learning from there originally. he was still teaching as a grandmaster now. we became friends! and loved all my lessons so much my way became the defacto way of teaching there. and even used my lessons down to the last word .i felt honored recieivng my black belts from him. all becuase i didnt break. i bent.
Great job Very glad for you, and your subscribers keep the message no one said me that, need to learn by myself, remember in 20 years you have my age in 40 you the have same age of the person u interview great Ryu Ha many things changed with times others not but that system stays the same just 3 original forms after others next You need to go to south of China the origin to complete the journey i didn t do it never Okinawa never China but trained great systems/ryu ha also Okinawa and Hawaii first place after Japan Choki Motubu was there and many more then America and Europe. Tomorrow ;) i will have the same age age 70s and you 40s and you will realise that you are the next hanshi generation be prepared before that Grasshopper, time runs fast have fun and enjoy thanks still always learming ;)
For me it comes down to conditioning. I look at most Western Karate instructors then I look at the wrists and fists and toes of a Karate instructor in Japan. There is a huge difference. Also with the power combined with the speed and breathing. Bruce Lee also leaned towards these concepts. Breathing and moving with true expression as a living entity is very hard to do ...but when done with raw emotion ??? It's like fighting a ghost or something or someone supernatural. The look in someones gaze in that moment when they are one with the .....??? what it means to you ? That's why i loved it when you asked him to describe what the words said on the wall and what they meant.
Great content as always.(From Malaysia) 👍 There's one Okinawan karate master that I suggest you can meet, Kiyoshi Arakaki from Muso-Kai karate (he has a RUclips channel). If I'm not mistaken, he teaches Shorin-ryu but it's a combination of both lineage which is Shuri-Te & Tomari-Te. His videos are really quite fascinating. For example it's just a video of Naihanchi Shodan, but he relates body mechanics/human physics (I believe he has that background though?) to show why it moves a certain way in that kata. His bunkai analysis of that kata is pretty brutal because some of the moves in that kata can be really used to hurt/kill a person.. 🕵️♂️
1) I think it’s good to learn kata in order to see techniques, then apply it in bunkai to envision how each kata is suppose to work and then try it in kumite 2) my role model? Well none real life but definitely a few that are fictional
Sounds interesting, although it can be nice to remind people of some of the merits of not bouncing around and staying grounded in karate training so they don't get picked up and beat up in real life, although you might have more room to back up and often times not need knifehand block or spearhand thrust, than the closer distance of some boxing styles. Looks good for losing weight and upper body exercising though. Snake seems like it might be more grounded than some of the newer styles though?
Breathe, Center yourself and your focus on what’s in front of you, pass or fail, it doesn’t matter, but if you prepared and did the best you could have, that’s all that matters.
This sensei says "thank you" and bows, seems genuinely humble and decent. Just compare that to a lot of these "video senseis" and their self-aggrandizement, usually by sycophants.
When I do kihon or kata, I always focus on bunkai. Any form without application is fuben. You may laugh, but my role model is Bolo Yeung. But at 70 years now after more than 50 years of martial arts practicing, I'm asking myself: do I really need a role model? I'm at ease with anyone, at any age and we always get along (ok some don't, but they are not worth to be mentioned, because they don't get along with anybody).
My feeling on forms is it depends on what you are look for when you are practicing. If you doing for competition then it has to be one way. It has to look nice and fellow the rules of the organization you are in. But you are practicing the kata gain body mechanics of a technique there is nit only one way to do it.
I started in Wado Ryu in the mid 80s. I found that kata was useless in my eyes back then due to seeing many karateka getting beat bad in street fights in the New York City and Philadelphia environments. I moved on to Okinawan karate style (Goshin Ryu) in the late 80's to mid 90's where it was conditioning, fight and kata bunkai intensive. It was then I learned value in kata. I moved on in life and restarted my journey in JKD, Inosanto Lacoste Kali and later Bujinkan. My early lessons from bunkai gave me a greater appreciation of kata. I prefer practicality. Then again this is an opinion of a soldier turned contractor.
Uechi Ryu is obviously derived from Fujian boxing (White Crane, Southern Praying Mantis, Bak Mei, Lung Ying). These arts originally didn't use "kata", but, greatly stressed grueling repetition of single technique and radical conditioning. The essence of Uechi is in the Hojo Undo, even more so than Sanchin ( Saam Chien forms became popular around the turn of the 20th century), and you'll find that the true core Kata of Uechi has most of these moves. Learn the Hojo Undo and you know almost everything in Seisan.
Master Funakoshi. kanazawa and kawasoe along with Judo cannon Mifune . They are my role models. Forms should be practiced for their original purpose....that short clip you showed with that lady screaming while doing kata??? that is nonsense. karate is inward balance for the perfection of character. Thank you for your posting. i enjoy your videos very much. great job sir.
curious? the stripes on a belt represent different things in different styles? Sometimes titles (Hanshi, Kyoshi or its a Dan indication (Hachidan, Kudan). Shimabukuro-sensei has 5 strips on each end of his belt. What does that represent in his style (Uechi- Ryu)?
Generally speaking, Okinawan organizations use stripes for Dan indication. American Uechi Ryu organizations give them for titles. I’m sure there are exceptions on both sides.
@@The-Travel-Man Typically, the first gold strip is awarded at rokudan, then an additional with each following promotion. Making. Shimabukuro Sensei a 10 dan.
Question for Yusuke and other Karate practitioners, once one has gotten more advanced in karate, what is the point in continuing to practice basic katas such as the Heian katas? Once you have gotten to a more advanced level wouldn't you benefit more from spending your time mastering more advanced katas, after all there are so many of them? Anyway just wanting people to ponder this and reply. Thank you.
By stopping to practice the basic kata you throw out the stepping stones from under you. In Goju-ryu the first two basic kata are Gekisai Dai Ichi and Gekisai Dai Ni - both were created by Miaygi Sensei to help in learning progression. Once you start moving into more advanced kata such as Sanseru and Seisan, you can't help noticing similarities between basics and advanced. Then you go back to first two kata and realize these were the tools you needed to graduate to more advanced stuff. Basics are imperative, you keep doing them over and over again.
Uechi ryu is the most difficult style. They body conditions so hard and i might be afraid i would broke my forearm, toes or my leg by a hard and thick wooden sticks
I trained for a few months Uechi Ryu and plan on getting back to it (Stopped because of financial reasons) It really does hurt, if a strong sempai trained with me for body conditioning, my arms would be shaking for a few hours after the session, and the next day they would hurt whole day, sometimes it can be overdone as well because of the strength difference between a rookie and a black belt sempai, he is trying to be soft with me but it still hurts like hell
I think that kata (or forms in other martial arts) that are too far detached from bunkai are just dancing. I'm not at all interested in kata as a form of competition. It'd be like entering a textbook into the running for a Booker prize. It doesn't make sense to me. When I was learning Choy Lay Fut in my teens and early 20s, we had to know the application/s of every single movement in our forms to grade successfully. When I was looking around for a Karate school to join recently, the focus on bunkai was a big part of the choice.
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❓Balance of practicality vs forms. What's your thought on it?
❓WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL?
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I prefer practicality over learning more katas
My role model is Choki Motobu
In regards to practicality and forms, I think the health of the practioner is key for both.
Jhoon Rhee, the martial arts instructor of President Joe Biden and Muhammed Ali for your second question.
i feel basics are needed for practicality to work so i would go with forms first
my role model is bruce lee but a fictional charecter would be Po(from the kung-fu panda series)
also sensei do u have a discord server by anychance for karate related topics
i would love to join one where we all can come together and share our views and discuss
First question: Forms without any application in real Kumite and/or real fights are "dead" techniques. Many Karate teachers do not teach kata applications in depth for real fighting situations, what is the main reason why Karate is not the number one martial art in the world for practical self defense. Sport Karate is ruining real Karate. What a pity, it could be so much more. The classical way of teaching "Karate" and the mindset of trainers must change. Karate must change. At the end, every Karateka and Karate style has to evolve to the formles form, like Jeet Kune Do.
Second question: Hirokazu Kanazawa Sensei (with taking real Tai Chi lessons) and Bruce Lee (taking everything what is useful), they both share the flexible mindset of a real martial arts master. They are my role models.
I don't think it's a question of practicality vs forms. The forms should always maintain their practical focus, or you end up with a situation where people don't know what the form is for. The correct form also tends to fall apart if you don't know the function. My role model would be a man called John Morley, who taught me how to be the therapist I am now.
My role model is Richard Amos. He never ceases to amaze me with his interpretations of Karate techniques. He spent more than 10 years in Japan, training and teaching at the JKA headquarters. His Karate really suits me, I'm not super flexible or super strong and his Karate is more of a fast and intelligent kind of moving. Also he's super kind, explains everything in great detail, always answers questions, has a very humble personality and always a smile on his face. 😊
I definitely think that seeing and visiting and talking with original masters back in Okinawa definitely deepens understanding of karate
I recently lost my grandfather to covid. He was my role model and will always continue to be. Shimabukuro Sensei reminds me of my thaathaa. The same intelligence and secured confidence that stems from kindness and respect. Thank you for shooting this interview, Yusuke san. It really made me think of him and gave me more hope for my own karate.
The part when Shimabukuro-sensei talked about the other coach who called his students "stupid" or "idiot" really hits home. I cried a bit when he said that that wasn't going to be his way to his students.
Some people are unbelievably harsh to the point of insulting others. Not all of it comes out of malice. Some do care, but just too emotional to convey the appropriate way to express it. Some are just twisted and egotistical. I think all of us has been on each end of that spectrum in some sort of fashion. I know I have.
What Shimabukuro-sensei taught us here is empathy and compassion goes a long way. And in teaching, that kind of attitude is the one that makes students stay.
Agreed. I've had instructors who made you feel stupid even if they didn't call you names. Some think it's this Japanese approach of "breaking down to build up." That never worked with me and I saw the negative effect on other students. My motivation always came from inside me. The best teachers always expected an effort and had firm boundaries, but would work with anyone earnest to learn. Just letting their love of the practice show and excitement to have the privilege of teaching people. I try to do the same and not take it personally when someone isn't trying. And the less coordinated and confident students are sometimes the most rewarding to show patience and compassion to.
I would like to say that of all the Sensei interviewed by you thus far, Shimabukuro Sensei is the most interesting & appealing to me for what I look for in a karate Master.
Personally speaking, I have trained with quite a number of Japanese Sensei that are Masters of their own National or International organisations. All have been superb at the technical aspects of karate but few have been truly humble.
When travelling around Japan & training at various Shotokan dojo, I came across one instructor that impressed me with his humility, ethics, kindness & level of instruction. Although he was not well known, I found myself travelling to practice with him as often as I could (annually where possible) & he even visited my dojo on several occasions with some of his students. My point being that a good teacher is not always a famous teacher.
Sadly he became unwell and passed away. I miss him, think about him a lot & try to practice and teach in a way that I believe he would approve of.
When I listen to Shimabukuro Sensei speaking, he reminds me of my late Japanese Sensei.
That's a wonderful story- thanks for sharing your memory of a great teacher!
@@InGrindWeCrust2010 Thank you for saying so,
Now that's some balsam to my heart. If not for Goju-ryu, then Uechi-ryu would be my next school I would choose. We of Goju love these our thug cousins. :) Thank you for this pleasant interview with Shimabukuro-sensei!
Thug cousins! A very apt description.
Uechi is the quiet, stern but humble cousin
Love you too cous haha
My answer to the question if Kata could/should be detached is a quote by Gichin Funakoshi: "One can practise Karate for very long, but if you just throw around your arms and legs like a monkey to kick and punch, then Karate is nothing more than dancing. It looses its essence." So: NO! NEVER detach Kata from the practical application!
What a wonderful, warm and lovely person he seems to be. A role model for anyone who aspires to teach.
effectiveness of the form any day. Otherwise, you're treading into performative dance category (that clip of the girl was a perfect example)
your drive to explore all of karate makes you one of my role models sir
Thanks! I can relate to what this man says. I learned over time that karate is not so much what you can do to someone, but rather what you can do for someone. I do not have much experience with this style. Perhaps it's like Isshin-Ryū. I fought two IR black belts in a tournament. These guys were tough, and I was fortunate to be able to beat them.
I haven't seen Uechi Ryu practitioners in a regular karate tournament outside of Okinawa, but we do see them in knockdown karate tournaments occasionally. They do well.
I love these interviews. It's so good the see the perspective of someone who has dedicated a huge part of their life to a martial art. Thank so much for sharing these with us, Nagano-san
These videos are great. It's good to interview veteran teachers. So that the knowledge of them is not lost. I congratulate the creator of these videos. From Puerto Rico in the Caribbean.
What a deep and meaningful conversation. Thank you for showcasing Shimabukuro Sensei's philosophy and approach to learning and teaching, this really struck me to the core!
I feel like this whole series has been arranged perfectly, and I commend you on a wonderfully done video series. It started out with a style I’m currently learning in Matsubayashi ryu, then came shorin ryu, its predecessor which offers a unique flavour to it, then comes goju ryu that spices things up with new approaches, and top it all off with uechi ryu, the most exotic of these four. I plan to study all these styles and incorporate them into my karate and daily practice,
Thank you dear friend for this video, please more Uechi ryu Karate style
Wow, Sensei have been through a lot. A lot of respect. I love the way Shimabukuro Sensei explain and talks, made me wants to listen more about his life story. I cried, probably because he is so kindhearted, I kinda feel it.
Uchi ryu Karate is a great style . I felt it when try I to do a kata called kanshu
This was a very good interview.
"Getting away from the original aim of the kata". Amen. Truer words have never been spoken.
Senei's presence was very powerul and meaningful.
An impactful and priceless interview.
Sensei is a treasure of Japan and Karate.
Thank you sir from Australia!
My Sensei has always told me to never change the kata. His teacher before him said the same thing. There is certaining a difference between techniques and the application of those techniques. That is why there is the practice of kata and bunkai. In the kata, you can work on refining the technique and in the bunkai you can work on the application of that technique. I find this video interesting because I have been practicing Uechi ryu for almost 28 years now. Thank you for sharing the videos.
i loved this video
it motivates me to excel at whatever i do ty!!
A wise word from that Sensei...🙏🙏
ive recently started Uechi Ryu, and is strange when youre used to train another style, im 2nd dan in wado which has shotokan as one of it parent arts so i under stand how weird it is, Its very "Empty your Cup" kind of training, so far im loving it
Mate......... youre a champ !!! We love here in Oz !!
Well titled video. This Sensei is a great example of using your art for self improvement.
My first karate style! Studied under Sensei Frank Gorman in Florida in the 90s. Even though I've long since moved from there, and have practiced Shito-Ryu for much longer, I still have an extreme fondness for Uechi-Ryu, and continue to practice a lot of its principles to this day. Really confuses the hell out of the other students in my dojo, lol.
Sensei, this is not a response to your question but a comment on you. You are an amazing listener, and a sponge to the style and knowledge that is different from your Shotokan karate. I appreciate that you are humble and respectful to those who came before you to lay the ground work for karate now and for the future.
Respectable and respecting others as well. We indeed should take example on this sensei.
Hi Sensei. Thank you for showing us this interview. I’m from Malaysia and pretty much interested in learning the art of Uechi-ryu. Unfortunately have not found such school here. Wish to have any sensei considers opening a dojo.
How amazing. Thank you for sharing this! I absolutely loved what he has to say. I have different experiences with a few martial arts, and one thing I've noticed is I've been taught what the movements are during forms (katas), but not practical applications. These are questions I am going to start asking when I'm in my training sessions in order to improve my knowledge so that one day, when I teach, I can pass it down! I've always learned forms as a way to learn various techniques in a set way of doing them, they've always been choreographed in a set way and practiced at a slower speed, more formal and less practical from my perspective.
The Karate Nerd picked this style as the best style for actual self defense. Even has a RUclips video on it.
I believe that, in martial arts, the form must always serve a practical purpose, lest it becomes a dance or a simple physical activity. We need to understand what we're doing, why and how, and avoid being lost in the form for its own sake.
Agreed!
Agreed...!
I like your thought
This sensei was super cool kid with all the sports he played!
This interview is wisdom acquired over a lifetime of Karate practice and teaching. Thank you for sharing this!
Regarding your questions:
1) It depends on the primary reason of practicing Karate or any martial art for that matter.
From a spiritual and phisolophical point of view, in my opinion, practicing kata movements is about reaching peace or a state of enlightenment through absolute focus on the movements and mindfulness of the surroundings and oneself.
From the martial aspect, practicality and improvement of the application of the techniques through bunkai is paramount. As Jesse Enkamp said, "sometimes the ugliest Karate is the best" one.
2) I do not have a specific role model, but general charaters of people I admire. I seek not victory or domination, but self improvement, and I think Karate is one of many ways to achieve it.
I enjoyed this interview and look forward to more on the Uechi-Ryu karate style in the near future!
I hope there's an Uechi Ryu dojo still opened in my area when I get my Shodan. I've been so fascinated with Uechi Ryu after learning about it 4 years ago and the other karate style I want to learn.
Great video. In terms of role models I have a few. In karate, I really admire sensei Rick Hotton, his mindset, attitude and skills are really amazing. I also look towards people like Jocko Willink and David Goggins for internal strength, mindset and discipline.
Rick Hotton makes me remember being excited about karate as a kid in the early '90s. He teaches some great oyo, too!
Fantastic as usual. Thanks for this!
I think effectiveness is very important, And I agree with what he said here. This style of Karate always focuses on speed and power, And that's very important not to forget in any martial art!
So much to take away from this video, thank you for providing the recourse.
My sensei was my role model, a humble, yet charismatic gentleman who became as a father to my wife and myself.
I really like how all the Okinawa styles talk about their styles with street fighting and self defence at heart. “Closing the gap” more speed, blocks that also strike with the “uke” so intercepting a strike with a block, but it’s also more then a parry. I really like this mentality.
The other mentality I’m seeing is styles that treat other karate styles as karate and not taboo. Seeing a shotokan practitioner study Okinawa karate can only improve their own karate. And vice versa
Stop and listening to someone’s point of view can be used for everything, including karate, and that’s wise words for life.
Profoundly wise man
Wow such beautiful Empirical Wisdom in this conversation!
Great teaching attitude from this sensei.
Brilliant video thank you for sharing. I have many role models or did whilst growing up with my Karate, but o will stick with one, and that was/is Chuck Norris, for so many reasons, his strength and power not only in Karate but in character, this was always something I admired and inspired me to be this way also. May I also add my late Father was just as tough, if not tougher and was and shall always be my role model. 🙏🙏🙏
What a wonderful exprience to meet this great Sensei ♥️♥️
You asked about my role model
so I like to tall you that
I think we are a role model for ourselves. We must identify and correct any mistakes we have made in the past or are making in the present.
.... “My role models are people who can do things; I say to myself, ‘I wish I could do that.’....😊❤
👉Am I right or wrong ?👈
Greats interview! Thanks!
The effectiveness is that simple is better. Also by continuing practicing kata muscle memory can be developed.
“There are many kinds of postures in karate. While learning these postures should not be totally ignored, we must be careful not to overlook that they are just forms or templates. It is the function of their application which needs to be mastered.“ - Choki Motobu
Replace “postures” with “forms” and that’s basically my position on kata form vs function. It’s like Bruce Lee’s finger pointing to the moon. The form itself is the finger, while the myriad of applications and concepts are the moon.
That was a great interview.
As for the balance of practicality vs form. I prefer practicality more. But I enjoy doing forms regardless.
my role model martial wise- is my grand master. in my childhood i was bullied alot . so my mom decided i needed to learn now to defend myself from them . i enrolled at the ymca in town. there i met him. He was only a master at that time. On one of the first few weeks he said you could be a mighty oak tree and suddenly a gust of wind up roots you and u fall right over. While a weak piece of grass bends around the wind and stays safe .
For me that was huge it hit me m like a bolt of lightning. the image of a boulder on my path blocking my way came to mind and how id always try to move it with stregnth only. Noth me and the boulder being stubborn unyielding. I could just simply bend around it or side step the boulder.
there was no shame being the weak piece of grass .
i used that lesson many times in my life
i have several learning disabilities .so it helped teach me how i learned better.
in class it helped me use my movement better how to use distance and angles better it taught me i didnt need to be strong to deflect or redirect attacks. The adults or strong students can tire themselves out while i stayed fresher quicker always seeking how to bend around the boulder in my path to victory.
in the self defense portions of the class. we learned how to transfer that into grappling throws joint locks and all that stuff. using the opponents body agianst themselves. which was the most satisfying thing . a 14 year old small teenager throwing a 35+ 6+ foot tall man with ease!
To this day im not scared of anyone super taller than me i can always bend around the boulder and win .
my master at the time seen alot of potential in me. taught me many lessons about managing pain and life lessons .
later on when i went back to relearn at the ymca.
i made it a goal not to get my black belt but to Give back what i had gotten from learning from there originally.
he was still teaching as a grandmaster now. we became friends! and loved all my lessons so much my way became the defacto way of teaching there.
and even used my lessons down to the last word .i felt honored recieivng my black belts from him.
all becuase i didnt break. i bent.
Woooohooooo my style
Yes, only the effectiveness should be practiced.
I have always been taught: Form follows function
I think forms should never be separated from practical application. I think forms exist to teach practical self defense.
Great video
Nice New Hairstyle Yusuke😁
Great job
Very glad for you, and your subscribers keep the message no one said me that, need to learn by myself, remember in 20 years you have my age in 40 you the have same age of the person u interview great Ryu Ha many things changed with times others not but that system stays the same just 3 original forms after others next You need to go to south of China the origin to complete the journey i didn t do it never Okinawa never China but trained great systems/ryu ha also Okinawa and Hawaii first place after Japan Choki Motubu was there and many more then America and Europe. Tomorrow ;) i will have the same age age 70s and you 40s and you will realise that you are the next hanshi generation be prepared before that Grasshopper, time runs fast have fun and enjoy thanks still always learming ;)
For me it comes down to conditioning.
I look at most Western Karate instructors then I look at the wrists and fists and toes of a Karate instructor in Japan.
There is a huge difference.
Also with the power combined with the speed and breathing.
Bruce Lee also leaned towards these concepts.
Breathing and moving with true expression as a living entity is very hard to do ...but when done with raw emotion ???
It's like fighting a ghost or something or someone supernatural.
The look in someones gaze in that moment when they are one with the .....??? what it means to you ?
That's why i loved it when you asked him to describe what the words said on the wall and what they meant.
Great content as always.(From Malaysia) 👍 There's one Okinawan karate master that I suggest you can meet, Kiyoshi Arakaki from Muso-Kai karate (he has a RUclips channel). If I'm not mistaken, he teaches Shorin-ryu but it's a combination of both lineage which is Shuri-Te & Tomari-Te. His videos are really quite fascinating. For example it's just a video of Naihanchi Shodan, but he relates body mechanics/human physics (I believe he has that background though?) to show why it moves a certain way in that kata. His bunkai analysis of that kata is pretty brutal because some of the moves in that kata can be really used to hurt/kill a person.. 🕵️♂️
Practical in kata is important so if get in real fight can be used
Hopefully you could visit soon Isshinryu & Ryuei-ryu soon, two intriguing karate styles
Coincidentally, this master's name is Shimabukuro and is almost like Shimabuku, an Isshin-ryu founder's. It must be a common name in Okinawa.
Could you make a video about wado-ryu karate?
1) I think it’s good to learn kata in order to see techniques, then apply it in bunkai to envision how each kata is suppose to work and then try it in kumite
2) my role model? Well none real life but definitely a few that are fictional
Sounds interesting, although it can be nice to remind people of some of the merits of not bouncing around and staying grounded in karate training so they don't get picked up and beat up in real life, although you might have more room to back up and often times not need knifehand block or spearhand thrust, than the closer distance of some boxing styles. Looks good for losing weight and upper body exercising though. Snake seems like it might be more grounded than some of the newer styles though?
Man I have my first promotion exam tomorrow and my heart's beating so fast and don't know what to do how do I stay calm? Wish me luck guys.😅
Breathe, Center yourself and your focus on what’s in front of you, pass or fail, it doesn’t matter, but if you prepared and did the best you could have, that’s all that matters.
Agree... Breathe and keep focused! Good luck! :)
@@davidmatthews2983 yeah I agree
Just focus and keep practicing
The difference between dancing and martial art is intention.
This sensei says "thank you" and bows, seems genuinely humble and decent. Just compare that to a lot of these "video senseis" and their self-aggrandizement, usually by sycophants.
When I do kihon or kata, I always focus on bunkai. Any form without application is fuben. You may laugh, but my role model is Bolo Yeung. But at 70 years now after more than 50 years of martial arts practicing, I'm asking myself: do I really need a role model? I'm at ease with anyone, at any age and we always get along (ok some don't, but they are not worth to be mentioned, because they don't get along with anybody).
My feeling on forms is it depends on what you are look for when you are practicing. If you doing for competition then it has to be one way. It has to look nice and fellow the rules of the organization you are in. But you are practicing the kata gain body mechanics of a technique there is nit only one way to do it.
From what I heard Uechi Ryu was once called Pangai Noon. I'm not sure though.
I started in Wado Ryu in the mid 80s. I found that kata was useless in my eyes back then due to seeing many karateka getting beat bad in street fights in the New York City and Philadelphia environments. I moved on to Okinawan karate style (Goshin Ryu) in the late 80's to mid 90's where it was conditioning, fight and kata bunkai intensive. It was then I learned value in kata. I moved on in life and restarted my journey in JKD, Inosanto Lacoste Kali and later Bujinkan. My early lessons from bunkai gave me a greater appreciation of kata. I prefer practicality. Then again this is an opinion of a soldier turned contractor.
Gaja Takehiro Sensei, Nakahodo Tsutomu Sensei
The original purpose of the Kata for self defense should be the way🙏🏼
I think Kata without bunkai, is like a shadow without the sun.
expecting a video on Kyokushin
Miyagi-Do always looked more Japanese in style than Okinawan. The fight choreographer, Pat Johnson, knew this while filming the Karate Kid.
I am a uechi ryu black belt and tkd and tang soo do.
I think you should ask Uechi ryu sensei to show us how to perform mawashi uke, their trademark blocking
Uechi Ryu is obviously derived from Fujian boxing (White Crane, Southern Praying Mantis, Bak Mei, Lung Ying). These arts originally didn't use "kata", but, greatly stressed grueling repetition of single technique and radical conditioning. The essence of Uechi is in the Hojo Undo, even more so than Sanchin ( Saam Chien forms became popular around the turn of the 20th century), and you'll find that the true core Kata of Uechi has most of these moves. Learn the Hojo Undo and you know almost everything in Seisan.
Sense please give Indonesian translation
👍
Master Funakoshi. kanazawa and kawasoe along with Judo cannon Mifune . They are my role models.
Forms should be practiced for their original purpose....that short clip you showed with that lady screaming while doing kata??? that is nonsense. karate is inward balance for the perfection of character. Thank you for your posting. i enjoy your videos very much. great job sir.
curious? the stripes on a belt represent different things in different styles? Sometimes titles (Hanshi, Kyoshi or its a Dan indication (Hachidan, Kudan). Shimabukuro-sensei has 5 strips on each end of his belt. What does that represent in his style (Uechi- Ryu)?
Generally speaking, Okinawan organizations use stripes for Dan indication. American Uechi Ryu organizations give them for titles. I’m sure there are exceptions on both sides.
Sensei has five stripes on his belt, which may indicate he is a Go-dan, or 5th degree belt.
@@The-Travel-Man Typically, the first gold strip is awarded at rokudan, then an additional with each following promotion. Making. Shimabukuro Sensei a 10 dan.
Sir I AM beginner How to practice karate
You're either bitten by the bug or not. Most people not. I've been doing Shotokan since 1990, and teaching since 2001.
Can you go against a kali or arnis master?
Question for Yusuke and other Karate practitioners, once one has gotten more advanced in karate, what is the point in continuing to practice basic katas such as the Heian katas? Once you have gotten to a more advanced level wouldn't you benefit more from spending your time mastering more advanced katas, after all there are so many of them? Anyway just wanting people to ponder this and reply. Thank you.
By stopping to practice the basic kata you throw out the stepping stones from under you. In Goju-ryu the first two basic kata are Gekisai Dai Ichi and Gekisai Dai Ni - both were created by Miaygi Sensei to help in learning progression. Once you start moving into more advanced kata such as Sanseru and Seisan, you can't help noticing similarities between basics and advanced. Then you go back to first two kata and realize these were the tools you needed to graduate to more advanced stuff. Basics are imperative, you keep doing them over and over again.
Uechi ryu is the most difficult style. They body conditions so hard and i might be afraid i would broke my forearm, toes or my leg by a hard and thick wooden sticks
But it is very cool style. This is kinda like goju ryu had an older brother
I trained for a few months Uechi Ryu and plan on getting back to it (Stopped because of financial reasons)
It really does hurt, if a strong sempai trained with me for body conditioning, my arms would be shaking for a few hours after the session, and the next day they would hurt whole day, sometimes it can be overdone as well because of the strength difference between a rookie and a black belt sempai, he is trying to be soft with me but it still hurts like hell
I thought the whole point of forms was practicality or at the very least, every technique is thrown with focussed and sincere intent.
I don't have a rol model! You make me think...
I know kun fu people can fight if you read this book called taming the tiger
Sensei, I haven't Zoom😦
Zoom is a great platform as all you need is the app instaled on the laptop or smartphone. no account needed just yusuke's link.
Will you do a collaboration with Master Ken from enter the dojo show?
I think that kata (or forms in other martial arts) that are too far detached from bunkai are just dancing. I'm not at all interested in kata as a form of competition. It'd be like entering a textbook into the running for a Booker prize. It doesn't make sense to me. When I was learning Choy Lay Fut in my teens and early 20s, we had to know the application/s of every single movement in our forms to grade successfully. When I was looking around for a Karate school to join recently, the focus on bunkai was a big part of the choice.