# Hello from Okinawa



## Seizan (Oct 9, 2017)

Hello folks,

It's been some time since I've been on any forums, so I thought if I make a comeback it would be best to just reintroduce myself...

My name is Seizan Breyette, a UechiRyu practitioner and teacher on Okinawa.  My wife and I own a dojo in Nagahama Yomitan, Japan.  I teach UechiRyu KarateDo, and she assists in the dojo plus teaches yoga.

I began UechiRyu training in Plattsburgh NY in 1974.  I came to Okinawa as an Air Force member in 1979, and pretty much stayed here since (a few short-term assignments back Stateside but always back here after).  I was a member of the Futenma Dojo under Uechi Kanei Sensei, then under various senior students until enrolling under Toyama Seiko Sensei in 1998, the last active student of Uechi Kanbun Sensei, the Founder of UechiRyu.  At that point, I made the changeover to the old original performance style, and relearned the philosophy of the system in accordance with the Founder's vision.

I had been teaching on Okinawa since 1986 and at one time had 6 active dojo on the military installations.  When I became Toyama Sensei's student, I closed all but one dojo (the Kadena Air Base Dojo) and did more retraining than teaching for a time.  My wife and I built our home and dojo just 10 minutes from Sensei's Zakimi Shubukan in 2000, and I consolidated my Air Base students into the Nagahama Dojo in 2002, closing the Air Base Dojo.

In 2002 I began teaching English at a local Japanese middle school and have been full-time employed in that position since.

In 2009, Toyama Sensei passed away but his association continues to train and preserve the system as he taught us -- the Okinawa KarateDo UechiRyu Zankyokai.

If you have any questions about the Nagahama Dojo, the style or training, or are interested enough to visit for a taste, I will be happy to discuss with you.  If you prefer private mail, please visit my profile for my e-mail address and website.  I hope to hear from you anytime...!

Best to all, and looking forward to some fruitful discussions.

Seizan


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## Tames D (Oct 10, 2017)

Welcome


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## Dirty Dog (Oct 10, 2017)

Welcome to MartialTalk. Hope you enjoy it.


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## hoshin1600 (Oct 10, 2017)

Welcome back, good to see you.


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## Bill Mattocks (Oct 10, 2017)

Seizan said:


> Hello folks,
> 
> It's been some time since I've been on any forums, so I thought if I make a comeback it would be best to just reintroduce myself...
> 
> ...



Welcome back!  I am an Isshinryu karateka.  I was stationed on Okinawa in the Marines from 82-83.   I was an MP stationed at Camp Butler, and spent a lot of time at both Kadena and Futenma.  It was an amazing time and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


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## KenpoMaster805 (Oct 10, 2017)

Welcome to MT hope you enjoy it


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## JR 137 (Oct 10, 2017)

Ohio gozai mas.


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## Anarax (Oct 10, 2017)

Welcome


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## Xue Sheng (Oct 10, 2017)

Welcome to MT


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## Seizan (Oct 10, 2017)

Hi Everyone, and thanks for the welcome.  I have been a member of MartialTalk for ten years but haven't been to the site for quite some time.  I remember some very good exchanges from the past and look forward to more of the same if I can be of any help.


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## Seizan (Oct 10, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> Welcome back!  I am an Isshinryu karateka.  I was stationed on Okinawa in the Marines from 82-83.   I was an MP stationed at Camp Butler, and spent a lot of time at both Kadena and Futenma.  It was an amazing time and I thoroughly enjoyed it.



Were you a student of Uezu Angi Sensei, or Shimabukuru Sensei?  I knew Uezu Sensei around then; Greg Gudson and I did some preservation work for him on his certificates.  Uezu Sensei gave me the full set of his videos and a book one of his American students published.


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## Bill Mattocks (Oct 10, 2017)

Seizan said:


> Were you a student of Uezu Angi Sensei, or Shimabukuru Sensei?  I knew Uezu Sensei around then; Greg Gudson and I did some preservation work for him on his certificates.  Uezu Sensei gave me the full set of his videos and a book one of his American students published.



Uezu Angi Sensei - I was not his student, but he worked as a Japanese Security Guard on the base where I was a patrol supervisor and desk sgt at that time.  I was introduced to him by one of my fellow MPs who did train with him.  He was a very nice person.

I did not train when I was a young man; foolishly I missed that opportunity when I was on Okinawa.  Instead, I started training in my 40s, here in SE Michigan, under a 9th dan student of two of Shimabuku Tatsuo's first-generation American students, Harrill and Mitchum Senseis.


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## Tez3 (Oct 10, 2017)

Welcome back! Good to see you.


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## Tony Dismukes (Oct 11, 2017)

Welcome back!


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## Kiki (Oct 11, 2017)

Seizan said:


> Hello folks,
> 
> It's been some time since I've been on any forums, so I thought if I make a comeback it would be best to just reintroduce myself...
> 
> ...



Teaching karate in Okinawa, that is amazing.  I have a shodan in Goju Ryu and one in kobudo... actually just recently started training again after many years off.  Would love to visit Okinawa one day.


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## oftheherd1 (Oct 11, 2017)

Welcome back.  Looking forward to your input.

I was also on Okinawa from 62 to 64.  Our barracks were in Sukiran, but I seem to remember we trained in the Yomitan area.  There was a place called bolo point where there was a firing range.  We also jumped on an old Japanese airfield.  I don't recall its name after these years.

Like Bill, I wasn't smart enough to train there.


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## donald1 (Oct 11, 2017)

thats quite a story you got there.

p.s. hello!


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## wingchun100 (Oct 13, 2017)

Seizan said:


> Hello folks,
> 
> It's been some time since I've been on any forums, so I thought if I make a comeback it would be best to just reintroduce myself...
> 
> ...




Enjoy the forums!


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## Seizan (Oct 13, 2017)

Good morning from Okinawa.  Thunderstorms since early this morning, looks like this will last for a time...

My knowledge is pretty much limited to UechiRyu only (and some weather expertise, having been a USAF career weatherman until retirement).  Sadly, living on Okinawa since 1979 didn't make me an expert in all things Okinawan, not even the language...  Yeah, I'm really that dense.  But I can answer questions as long as they are UechiRyu-related.

However -- my wife's Taco Rice, chia bread, and cake recipes remain a secret.

For now I will just drop into the background, visiting from time to time, and responding when asked.  You're likely to get a faster response if you e-mail me.

My website:

zkk-nghm-dojo


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## Bill Mattocks (Oct 14, 2017)

Seizan said:


> Good morning from Okinawa.  Thunderstorms since early this morning, looks like this will last for a time...
> 
> My knowledge is pretty much limited to UechiRyu only (and some weather expertise, having been a USAF career weatherman until retirement).  Sadly, living on Okinawa since 1979 didn't make me an expert in all things Okinawan, not even the language...  Yeah, I'm really that dense.  But I can answer questions as long as they are UechiRyu-related.
> 
> ...



I was on Okinawa for Super Typhoon Forrest. Exciting.


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## Seizan (Oct 14, 2017)

Bill Mattocks said:


> I was on Okinawa for Super Typhoon Forrest. Exciting.


I was one of the forecasters on duty during the storm...


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## Bill Mattocks (Oct 14, 2017)

Seizan said:


> I was one of the forecasters on duty during the storm...



I was in a 5 ton truck standing duty at Futenma, watching bondo buggies being blown down the street.


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## kuniggety (Oct 16, 2017)

I was stationed on Kadena from 2005 - 2009. It was my second duty assignment. Oh man did I love it there. I did a brief stint of Aikikai aikido when I was there but, like everyone else here, was foolish to not really take advantage of the opportunity in front of me. I did enjoy the diving and the Okinawa cuisine


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## Seizan (Oct 16, 2017)

kuniggety said:


> I was stationed on Kadena from 2005 - 2009. It was my second duty assignment. Oh man did I love it there. I did a brief stint of Aikikai aikido when I was there but, like everyone else here, was foolish to not really take advantage of the opportunity in front of me. I did enjoy the diving and the Okinawa cuisine


I was fortunate enough to have begun training in the States, and selected Okinawa as my next AF assignment in 1979 so I could go to the Honbu Dojo.


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## Bill Mattocks (Oct 16, 2017)

kuniggety said:


> I was stationed on Kadena from 2005 - 2009. It was my second duty assignment. Oh man did I love it there. I did a brief stint of Aikikai aikido when I was there but, like everyone else here, was foolish to not really take advantage of the opportunity in front of me. I did enjoy the diving and the Okinawa cuisine



I was an MP and could therefore drive over to Kadena whenever I wanted to; their chow was much, much, better!  And they had beer machines in the hallways of the enlisted quarters!


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