Mattson sensei in Bugeisha

Bugeisha issue#11 is available with George Mattson in the cover page (see above).

2 very interesting articles

Bugeisha is a well know Martial Arts Magazine born in the 90’s and reborn in 2021. In the Jan’22 issue, you will find 2 articles related to Uechi-Ryu Grand Master.
The first one has been written written by Roy Bedard and it deals with Mattson sensei’s life his dedication to Uechi-Ryu.
The second one is a training article written by the father of American Uechi-Ryu. In that one, George Mattson is deeply explaining the importance of Uechi-Ryu template and more precisely shoulder and elbow position.
This is clearly a must to read for Uechi Practitioners or for Martial Artists interested in Fujian Karate( linked to the article you will be able to connect via a QR Code to the video performed by Mattson sensei).

Okinawa Learning

In the main article (the one written by Roy Bedard), you will follow the life of the young serviceman George in Okinawa and how he met Tomoyose sensei and start to learn Karate.
At that stage it is really interesting to read the moto of Tomoyose sensei willing to develop Uechi Karate outside of the mainland of Japan and how he dealt with Kanei Uechi sensei to get an American student.

Tommy sensei’s student will study with him and in different dojos were the training should have been called hard way. The young serviceman enjoyed a lot to be checked by other teachers and students to develop his body.

Later he was promoted black belt and promised to spread the Uechi-Ryu in the US and this was what he did.

This part of history is quite well known in Uechi-Ryu World (you could find some lines in y website) but the most important in that article is the way that Mattson sensei is analyzing how he progressed and how he evolved as a Martial Artist and as a teacher.

The Old Way

As explained during this interview Tomoyose sensei was teaching a softer way to build a better body avoiding non symetrical muscles and a better well balanced martial artist.
At that time the young George was more interesting in developing his body and his power and loved the be hardly tested in the Okinawan dojo.

With the years of training and through the constant tutelage of Tommy, Mattson sensei started to adapt his way of training, going back to the essence of Tomoyose sensei teaching : natural movements, non excessive contractions, …. and timing (as said by Samurai Miyamoto Musashi there is timing everywhere).

This training method as be named ‘The Old Way’ by Mattson sensei as it pays tribute to Tommy’s way of training. This is the way that from his last years Mattson sensei is training and teaching the Uechi-Ryu Karate.

Personal view

I was really happy to read this article, even if I know the philosophical approach of my sensei but I think it deserves to be promoted and it has to be read and taken as a gift for every serious Martial Artist..

To be honest I did not know Bugeisha before Mattson sensei called me to translate from japanese Tomoyose notes and quotes explaining me there will be an article about him in Bugeisha.
This a great magazine for traditional Martial Artist, dealing with Karate, Kobudo, training and philosophical concepts. In this issue, there is a fascinating article about White Crane…

If you want to order your Bugeisha it is very simple, Bugeisha is distributed through Amazon so you can receive it all around the World.
Bugeisha magazine is proposed in 3 different formats (& price), Color Copy ($17.95), B&W Copy ($9.95) & Kindle ($9.95).
If you want to get your copy, just click on the picture below and it will redirect you on Amazon.com.