# Shindoryu Ushiro Karate in US



## Marc Abrams (May 25, 2010)

Kenji Ushiro Sensei has officially allowed me to begin offering classes in Shindoryu as a branch dojo.  For more information about classes in New York and in Florida, along with information about Ushiro Sensei's next seminar in New York (Oct. 2010) please contact me directly at: sensei@aasbk.com

Respectfully,

Marc Abrams Sensei


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## Miles (May 25, 2010)

Congratulations and welcome to MT!


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## TimoS (May 26, 2010)

Having never heard of Shindo ryu, could you tell a bit more about the style?


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## Marc Abrams (May 26, 2010)

TimoS said:


> Having never heard of Shindo ryu, could you tell a bit more about the style?



Here is Ushiro Sensei's bio from his website:  

http://www.uk-jj.com/uk_jj/e_ushiro.html

Here are some youtube links:






http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-ranl2YTaw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-wYA0t8Qxo&feature=related



His ability to utilize Ki is at a level that has to be experienced in order to be believed.  I met him in 2001 at the Aikido Journal International Exposition.  He has gotten SIGNIFICANTLY better since then.  A lot of his stuff looks phony.  It is telling that the Kyokushin heavy weight champion from Japan is now his student (among many other high level sports karate champions throughout Japan).  He has a unique ability to take what ever level you are at in what ever art you practice and raise your level.  

Regards,

Marc Abrams


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## repz (May 26, 2010)

Last time Kenji Ushiro was in the NYC my kyokushin instructor, his friends from other full contact knockdown karate styles, and ashihara karate black belts, went. My sensei was pushed and pulled with ki. Mind you he didnt seem like the one to believe in ki, and his style of karate didnt use ki but real world full contact hits. Yet he was pushed and pulled like a doll, i saw it on youtube, and he used to talk about it all the time.

Last time i was there he taught me some ki building techniques that he said he learned from Ushiro. Something about being a log in a river.


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## jks9199 (May 26, 2010)

Marc Abrams said:


> Here is Ushiro Sensei's bio from his website:
> 
> http://www.uk-jj.com/uk_jj/e_ushiro.html
> 
> ...


But what's the style about?  What's it like?  Is it "just" karate with a different emphasis?  Or is it more like aikido?  What can a student expect to learn in their first few classes?  Over their first year?

How would you answer "But I got a black belt when I was seven; why should I take your classes?"


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## TimoS (May 26, 2010)

Marc Abrams said:


> Here is Ushiro Sensei's bio from his website:
> 
> http://www.uk-jj.com/uk_jj/e_ushiro.html


Well, that link didn't give too much information, I'm afraid. I did quick search and found a discussion on e-budo, where it was said that this is (partly?) based on Shorin ryu by Chibana. If so, I'm sure there's also good stuff in there. I say also, because to me, all the ki-stuff is next to useless, as I understand ki to be "just" proper body mechanics, nothing mysterious.


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## Marc Abrams (May 26, 2010)

History:

Kenji Ushiro Sensei teaches a style of Okinawan Karate called Shindoryu.   His teacher, Nikichi Zaha, learned Okinawan karate from his own father who was the direct student of Sokon Matsumura, as well as from his elder brother, Jiro Zaha, one of the top students of Chosin Chibana.  Matsumura and Chibana were pivotal figures in the development of modern Okinawan karate.  Ushiro  Sensei is a 8th dan Kyoshi of Shindoryu Ushiro Karetedo and 7th dan  Kyoshi of Iaido, All-Japan Kendo Federation.

This style of karate is not sports karate, rather bujutsu.  It is karate and it does have a different emphasis.  The use of blending with the attacker, the shifting of center and the ability to be ahead of the attacker are some distinguishing characteristics.  It is definitely not like Aikido, except that there is better use of Ki than found in almost any Aikido school.

Students can expect to learn how to move differently than they normally move so that you are not clashing with the attacker and you can enter in with your attack without a clash as well.  Learning tends to be in a stepwise manner rather than a slippery slope up/down.

A student should try a seminar taught directly by Ushiro Sensei and if they want to continue on a path that I am embarked upon, then we can traverse this road together.  He has to be experienced to be believed.  

To the poster who believes that the Ki-stuff is next to useless, I would respectfully ask you to elaborate what you mean.  Your understanding of Ki  (in my opinion) is both surface, simplistic and wholly incomplete.  Instead of engaging in an endless keyboard battle (like on many boards), I simply ask that you try it out for yourself with Ushiro Sensei.  You do not have to believe or not believe in it for it to effect you.  One of the previous posters mentioned that about his teacher and his teacher's friends.

The changes in my execution of budo/bujutsu have been quite astounding to me since I have been training under him.  I truly cannot fully explain how these changes are occurring, but I would be a liar to not acknowledge them.  I have been involved in martial arts and fighting sports for a very long time.  I have always been very careful about choosing my teachers.  I live in New York and bring this gentleman over from Japan twice a year.  I will be in Japan three times this year.  I still train weekly with my Aikido teacher, Imaizumi Sensei (a direct student of the founder of Aikido), besides running my own dojo. I have a full-time job on top of that!  Time is precious to me and my choices reflect that value.  I always try and keep an open mind and quiet mouth about what I observe.  I always try and experience it first hand before I open my mouth (historically, I have suffered from athletes-foot-in-the-mouth disease!).  If you are in the New York area in May or October, try it out for yourself and give me your honest impressions of your experiences.

Regards,

Marc Abrams


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## TimoS (May 26, 2010)

Marc Abrams said:


> To the poster who believes that the Ki-stuff is next to useless, I would  respectfully ask you to elaborate what you mean.


What I mean is that most of the "ki" stuff out there is, quite simply put, BS at worst or something quite natural, but misrepresented as ki, at best. Like I said, to me, ki/chi/however you want to spell it, is just using correct body mechanics and breathing to create powerful strikes/locks/kicks/whatever. There's no mystery to it. All it takes is hard work. It isn't some power you can "shoot out". Humans beings aren't lasers. The way I see it, ki was just a method of explaining something that you didn't properly understand yourself. You could do it, just couldn't explain it, especially in lay-man's terms. 


> I simply ask that you try it out for yourself with Ushiro Sensei


That might be interesting. However, being as I am in Finland, so I don't think it is realistic. At the moment I don't have any chances of going to Japan or USA, for that matter. Just can't afford it.


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## Marc Abrams (May 26, 2010)

TimoS said:


> What I mean is that most of the "ki" stuff out there is, quite simply put, BS at worst or something quite natural, but misrepresented as ki, at best. Like I said, to me, ki/chi/however you want to spell it, is just using correct body mechanics and breathing to create powerful strikes/locks/kicks/whatever. There's no mystery to it. All it takes is hard work. It isn't some power you can "shoot out". Humans beings aren't lasers. The way I see it, ki was just a method of explaining something that you didn't properly understand yourself. You could do it, just couldn't explain it, especially in lay-man's terms.
> 
> That might be interesting. However, being as I am in Finland, so I don't think it is realistic. At the moment I don't have any chances of going to Japan or USA, for that matter. Just can't afford it.




I absolutely agree with you in that a lot of stuff out there is major league BS!  Correct posture and body mechanics along with proper breathing leads to being open to transmit and receive energy.  The energy does emanate from us and we do receive it from others. It is as simple to explain as walking into a room and feeling the "vibe" of those in the room.  A lot of hard work without proper instruction does not necessarily lead to positive changes.  If you do something wrong one million times, you will still do that thing wrong one million and one times.

Ushiro Sensei is most likely going to be doing his first seminar in France on the April 10-12 weekend of 2011 in Lyon.  I will keep you posted as things become set for this seminar.   I hope that you can swing that seminar and the first beer is on me!

Marc Abrams


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## repz (May 26, 2010)

I dont think  my instructor was bs'ing when he said this guy wasnt touching him and he was forced to the wall. He has no affiliation to that guy, and he paid the same amount as everyone else in the seminar. All the knockdown karate guys are going again this year to see him.

I dont train with him anymore (atleast for the time being), and I am not a believer so much since I need to experience it for myself. But my ex-instructor seemed like an honest guy, and he also seemed more of a ring fighter "hit me as hard as you can" kind of guy, and not someone who falls for those kinds of tricks.


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## Marc Abrams (May 26, 2010)

repz said:


> I dont think  my instructor was bs'ing when he said this guy wasnt touching him and he was forced to the wall. He has no affiliation to that guy, and he paid the same amount as everyone else in the seminar. All the knockdown karate guys are going again this year to see him.
> 
> I dont train with him anymore (atleast for the time being), and I am not a believer so much since I need to experience it for myself. But my ex-instructor seemed like an honest guy, and he also seemed more of a ring fighter "hit me as hard as you can" kind of guy, and not someone who falls for those kinds of tricks.



Ushiro Sensei will be back at my dojo 10/23 & 10/24.  Info. is available on my website events page www.aasbk.com 

The scary/amazing thing is that what your teacher experienced was low level stuff that Ushiro Sensei does.  The higher level stuff that he will only do with people who are well trained enough not to get seriously hurt is quite a sight!  I am off to a special weekend training camp in Japan with him in several weeks to get some more of that stuff!

Regards,

marc abrams


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