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April 21, 2006

Uechi-Ryu

In the midst of working on the sock, and working on the sock, I don't have any knitting to report, except that I'm working on the sock. I really hope to get close to done this weekend, but at this point, who knows. I'm just starting the heel flap and well, that means I have the heel and the whole foot left to knit.

Last night was one of my karate nights, and this morning when I woke up a little stiff and sore, I starting thinking about karate - why I study, why I enjoy it, why it's ok for me to come home with bruises all over my arms and legs from karate when little else outside of an accident would be an acceptable reason for all those black and blue (or red at the moment) marks.

Karate for me started as self-defense. I took a self-defense class because it seemed like the kind of thing a modern woman ought to know. I truly believe that all women ought to be able to take care of themselves. That means a woman ought to be able to light her water heater, change her own flat tire, and defend herself if the need ever arose. I grew up in an environment where it was fully expected that I ought to be able to do anything a boy could do - maybe not in the same way, but I should be able to figure out a way to get it done. No excuses. I think that ingrained belief led me to karate. However, karate turned into a lot more than self-defense, and I imagine that's why I've stuck with it.

My first exposure to Uechi-Ryu was a revelation. Something just clicked for me. I thought to myself, “Wow, I like this. This is something I want to know more about.” A karate student was born in that instant. Uechi is the first thing I have ever done that combines physical and mental exercise in one activity. After a workout, I feel strong – mentally and physically - and I like that feeling. When I began studying Uechi, I had not done a lot of exercise. I was active, but I had yet to find a form of exercise that I could embrace. I would start something – running, swimming, weight lifting – and would soon find my best intentions shoved to the back of my conscious because of time constraints or boredom or whatever the excuse was at the moment. Karate was immediately different. It was a group activity, with that accountability associated with it. However, instead of focusing on moving with the group just to do it, karate was about movements and activities that had a greater purpose, and that purpose was explained. The ultimate goal was not to fit into a group just to fit in, but to improve yourself mentally and physically with the help of a sensei and fellow students. What a concept! The reason karate clicked for me was because I not only began learning the physical movements, but the reasons behind those movements. The mental aspect of the art intrigued me, and continues to do so.

Friends and acquaintances seem impressed with the fact that I study karate, and that has always baffled me. Perhaps it is the image karate carries with it. However, one thing is clear to me, I do not study karate for anyone but me, certainly not to impress others. I study karate to improve myself. Self-improvement is one of those fluid concepts. How do you really define it? The dictionary defines self-improvement as “improvement of oneself or one’s condition by one’s own efforts.” A nice definition, but what does it really mean? In my mind there is not an easy answer. I am in better physical shape because of karate – clearly an improvement of myself. I believe I am much healthier mentally – there is nothing like Sanchin kata to make the troubles of the day dissipate - again, a clear improvement. Every karate class I attend, I learn something new, or relearn something I have forgotten. That is one of the best parts of studying karate – continuous learning – another improvement. Uechi is something I know I can spend a lifetime studying and never really master. Before I began studying Uechi, I considered someone with a black belt in karate as a master. Now I realize how untrue that it. A black belt is simply someone who has dedicated herself to continually learn a complex art. I really cannot imagine a point in my life when I will be able to honestly say, “I understand Uechi and all it has to offer.” I think one of the truly unique things about karate is that it is incredibly complex - as an individual’s life experiences change, so does that person’s study of karate. Complete understanding is unfathomable, and something I believe I will never achieve.

The historical nature of karate, especially Uechi-Ryu, fascinates me. I feel as though my study of karate connects me to a larger history. I am one of many Uechi students who have studied virtually the same lessons as generations before me. I feel connected to the past and as though, by my participation, I have become a part of the history of the art of Uechi. One of the most intriguing aspects of Uechi is the constant dedication its teachers demonstrate. Uechi teachings have managed to remain mostly constant through the years. It is a style dedicated to teaching martial arts, and producing students equipped in self-defense, rather than a style dedicated to showy moves, tournament wins, and making money. Such a distinction is important to me and a reason for the great respect I have for Uechi and those who choose to teach the next generation of Uechi practitioners. The purpose of the style is to learn to defend yourself if the need actually ever arose, rather than to look cool in a mock fight.

Ultimately, Uechi is still about self-defense for me, but my concept of self-defense has expanded as my study of Uechi has progressed. And with that expanding, my mental and physical commitment to the study of Uechi has strengthened. I may have started my study of Uechi because I thought I ought to learn self-defense, despite my true lack of understanding of what such study would entail, but I have continued my study because of the benefits and satisfaction I enjoy. To me, self-defense is a representation of my commitment to my physical and mental well-being.

Have a great weekend and remember to take some time to unwind.