Frequently Asked Questions

What is Uechi-Ryu karate?

Uechi-Ryu is an Okinawan martial art named after Master Kanbun Uechi (pronounced way-chee) who was born in Okinawa.  He trained in southern China and later returned to Okinawa to live and teach until he passed away in 1948.

In very general (and over simplified terms), Uechi-Ryu may be considered to be a close-in style.  As necessary however, the Uechi-Ryu practitioner may cover substantial distance or defend themselves within the confines of a phone booth successfully.  Distance and movement are variables; not fixed constants. Uechi-Ryu utilizes a large variety of soft and hard techniques based on a number of well established and proven principles of defense, counterattack, balance, body motion, breathing, and so forth.

Is it hard to learn Uechi-Ryu?

No and yes. 

Within a matter of a few weeks you will notice changes in your ability and body responses.  Positive changes in terms of skill, health, and awareness will continue to manifest as your training proceeds.  As with any other worthwhile endeavor however, it takes time to develop mastery.  If there is a hard part, it is persevering over the months and years to gain the necessary proficiency to become truly adept at this art.

Will Lostritto Sensei teach all the classes?

With the exception of a elective special Aikido class, Lostritto Sensei teaches all classes.  Ours is not a commercial dojo; enrollment is small to keep the training more individualized.  However, Sensei does call upon senior students to help with juniors.  Helping others who are less experienced is an important part of every student’s training.

What ages will you take students?

Women, men and teens aged 13 years and up are welcome; there is no upper age limit.  Serious prospective students are asked to try the classes for two weeks to see if what we do is right for you.

Do many women study karate?

As time goes on, a greater percentage of women are studying karate.  However, the ratio of students is still not close to 50:50 in most dojos. 

This is unfortunate for several reasons.  Uechi-Ryu karate is very amenable to folks of lesser stature because brute strength is not the operative mechanism of application in our case.  Rather, correct posture, body movement, technique, and focus are stressed.  A competent Uechi-Ryu practitioner does not need to rely on raw strength. 

For the very strong beginner, brute strength may seem like an advantage; however, very soon the individual discovers its disadvantage towards real progress and then will begin to learn correctly.

It is also a sad fact that percentage wise, women are preyed upon more than men.  With regards to physical self-defense for women, Uechi-Ryu is a style that is very useful in that realm of application.  In a larger perspective, the inner development fostered by the practice of Uechi-Ryu (calmer more aware mind, focused ability to center with clarity, projected self-confidence, and so forth) is very useful to women as they navigate the subtle and perhaps more insidious attacks wrought by a society that still does not quite deal a level playing field to them.  In other words, the confident, centered and capable woman is not only a lesser target, she is also better equipped to deal with life's issues on any level.

Will I learn those cool karate moves I see in the movies?

No.  Real karate is not about yelling, jumping and spinning all over the place.  That only works in Hollywood.  In a real street situation, Hollywood karate (movie-foo) will get you killed in a heartbeat.  What you can expect to learn in a Uechi-Ryu dojo is realistic technique as part of a curriculum that fosters the holistic development of the body and the mind.

Besides self-defense, what else can I expect to get from studying Uechi-Ryu?

Uechi-Ryu is a “way”, proven though centuries of practice and refinement in Asia, to build character, health, self-confidence, agility, personal insight, self-awareness, and a more sensitive awareness of others.  These attributes are useful in all aspects of daily living.

Can I get injured studying Uechi-Ryu?

Yes you can, and to be honest, you will probably get the occasional minor injury or bruise.   It is part of the physical journey that goes with karate training.  This applies to any martial art or any contact sport for that for that matter.  However, you are much more likely to get substantially injured playing basketball or volleyball than by training in a healthy dojo environment.  

As the Sensei, it is Rik Lostritto's job to create a healthy environment where the chance of accidental injury is minimized.  The progression of the intensity of study is designed to be gradual and natural and takes into account the age, level of fitness, and so on of the individual.  The students’ job is to come to class alert and to follow all instructions fully.

Do your students enter tournaments?

Rarely.  Uechi-Ryu is not a sport style martial art.  The techniques we learn care not appropriate for sport matches.  Over training in points style sparring develops habits with poor survival value in real situations.   (As you train, so will you defend yourself.) 

There is a place for sparring, however: as a tool to experience some approximation of a combat situation with someone who is trying to safely hit you and whom you must safely counter.  This is useful to a point.  In Uechi-Ryu we have supplementary methods to develop realistic training responses in a safe manner.  However, if students do choose to enter tournaments, we will help them prepare for the experience. 

Our most senior student (Stanley Crump) has won international tournaments in both kumite and kata.  Others have also done very well.

How long does it take to earn a Black Belt In Uechi-Ryu?

Four years of consistent training is about the average time it takes to earn your first degree Black Belt (shodan). 

However, many factors must be considered such as skill development, maturity and sincerity as an individual, as well as the ability to pass your knowledge on to others in the dojo environment.

This rank is considered to mark a new beginning or turning point in your study and is not considered an end point or pinnacle.

I studied another style.  May I transfer my rank to Uechi-Ryu?

No.  Uechi-Ryu is different enough from other arts that everyone, despite prior experience must start at the beginning. 

However, your rate of progress may be affected by prior training (usually positively).

Is this a traditional dojo?

The curriculum is traditional in that our dojo is connected to a recognized central system which employs long standing principles of martial and personal development and which have a history of being both effective and healthy for the practitioner.  In Uechi-Ryu, we appropriately use methods that can be traced back through hundreds of years of Okinawan and Chinese history.  

The traditional curriculum maintains the fundamental systematic approach and balance of the originating system (kata, self-defense applications, mind-set, and so forth) and should provide a near seamless transition to the practice of the art as taught in the founding or home dojo in Okinawa. 

The protocol and etiquette structure we use is appropriate to our art and respects both Eastern and Western cultures.  Our protocol is sufficient to provide the necessary class structure to maximize learning, foster mutual respect, and provide for enough historical and cultural training so that our students can travel to any Uechi-Ryu dojo anywhere in the world and fit in seamlessly.  This balance develops students with sound skills and a fundamental appreciation and understanding of martial arts.

A dojo with a traditional curriculum is not necessarily old fashioned.  It can be more flexible in the face of modern times than some of the so-called modern methods.  The traditional curriculum has already been refined through previous centuries of cultural change, war, peace, famine and prosperity.  It may seem ironic to some that a good traditional approach is probably the most adaptive and useful way to approach martial arts training in today’s world.

Does you dojo offer any classes besides Uechi-Ryu karate?

Yes.  We offer optional classes in Kobudo (weapons training) and Aikido.

Our Kobudo is under Master Gushi’s Rykokaku Organization and includes, non-contact traditional Okinawan weaponry such as the sai, bo, jifa, eku, and so forth.  In addition to learning weapons techniques for their own sake, weapons study provides  deeper insights into your Uechi-Ryu practice.  The extension of the weapon magnifies both correct and erroneous body movement and is therefore an excellent learning tool for anyone interested in learning to coordinate upper and lower motion to maximize effective power.  Students with a rank of green belt or higher are eligible for this class.

Our dojo also offers an Aikido program that is presently limited to Uechi-ryu ranks of brown belt (sankyu) and higher. In addition to learning good Aikido skills, this program allows the Uechi-Ryu student to understand and use the mechanisms of karate from a different perspective.  Through enhanced exploitation of the attacker’s (uke) motion to generate off-balance situations, uke’s offensive capability may be further reduced.  These principles enhance the existing stepping, blocking, and posture controlling actions inherent in karate, and provide additional applications (bunkai). Advanced students may recognize the deeper complimentary aspects of these two arts that may escape lay observation.   Our Aikido class is taught by guest sensei Scott Jenkins.

The student also has the opportunity to explore and learn about Ki (or chi) as it relates to all aspects of martial arts; from combat, to self development, to healing (Reiki).