Sensei Masters of Okinawan Karate - James Thompson

Sensei Masters of Okinawan Karate - James Thompson - Uechi-ryu Karate

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5 ай бұрын

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! Glad I could share this amazing story over the holidays.
James Thompson served in the U.S. military for two decades. He trained in special operations, completed 4 tours in Vietnam, and survived numerous other high-risk assignments.
While stationed in Okinawa he decided to study karate to supplement the military unarmed combat so that he could "overcome any adversary." He studied Uechi-ryu under Kanei Uechi, son of Kanbun Uechi, founder of Uechi-ryu.
James Thompson is now president of Uechi Ryu Karate Do Kokusai Kyokai, having received his 9th and 10th ranks from Senaga Yoshitsune Sensei in Okinawa. He continues to teach karate in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and returns to Okinawan to reconnect with his Uechi-Ryu community including friends such as Takara Sensei, Senaga Sensei, Gaja Sensei, and Shinjo Sensei.
This interview was conducted during his October 2023 visit to Okinawa.
Enjoy the video and let us know in the comments your favorite piece of wisdom from the interview.
Sensei: Masters of Okinawan Karate is a documentary series about the amazing martial arts teachers living on Okinawa, the birthplace of karate. It is completely free to watch on KZfaq, anywhere in the world! Series One has more than 1,000,000 views and a fan community of 30,000+ on Facebook. The International Edition episodes are interviews with key karateka who have helped spread Okinawan karate around the world.
Learn more about the project here and how you can help here:
travel67.com/the-karate-maste...
GOALS OF THE SERIES
1. Document the stories of Okinawan karate masters and their philosophy on life and their martial arts practice.
2. Record in the highest quality possible. Ideally 4K or 8K, RAW, multi camera, multi audio
3. Store the original data as an archival record.
4. Transcribe and translate the recordings to spread knowledge of Okinawan martial arts, history and culture.
5. Make the videos available for free online via KZfaq, and on Bujin.tv so that anyone, anywhere can see them.
The documentary series grew out of the Karate Masters Portrait Project which began in 2012. The portrait project allowed amazing access to the sensei, but it was only Chris Willson and James Pankiewicz who got to hear their stories. The documentary series is a way for us to share that unique knowledge with the international karate community, and to archive aspects of Okinawan culture before they disappear.
If you can help sponsor or support this series like the awesome people listed below please get in touch!
SERIES TWO SPONSORS
Martin Pinto - Essex Goju Ryu Karate
Doug Perry - Okinawa Shorinryu Karate
Cezar Borkowski - Northern Karate Schools
NOVA Okinawan Karate Dojo
Seikichi Iha, Okinawa Prefectural Intangible Cultural Asset - Beikoku Shidokan Karatedo Association
Neil Stolsmark - Authentic Ancient Arts
Okinawa Kobudo Doushi Rensei Kai & Shorin- Ryu Shorinkan.
Zensekai Karate Kobujitsu Renmei / Oyata Preservation Foundation
Series Two - Key Supporters
Ervin Tong - Shin Shi Kan
Fred Mansfield Jr. - Beikoku Shidokan / RBKD
Robert Roberto Curtis - Beikoku Shidokan / Virginia Dojo
琉球大学国際地域創造学部ウェルネス研究分野 (荒川研究室)
Mark Spear - Black Bear Dojo
Series Supporters
Ari Nuutinen
Justin Sheehy
David Deinert
Fred Speece
Andreas Sticht
Danny Smith
Olaf Steinbrecher
Jonathan Lapomardo
Shelley Cormier
Gerry Campbell
Marian Reiter
Joel Castasus
Åke Mora Temnerud
Victoria Kirkup
Robin Ross
Thomas Podzelny
Andy Morris
Darren Xiberras
James Hatch
John J. Strangeway

Пікірлер: 76

@sethhinman1045 3 күн бұрын

My first martial arts instructor. He's a wonderful guy and a martial arts legend. Ueichi Ryu is the real deal.

@DavidMoore_drmoorejr 5 ай бұрын

I started Karate at the Okinawan Karate Academy (Kalamazoo, MI) in September of 1985. Sensei Thompsom was my Sensei. I still practice my kata.

@drcharles66 5 ай бұрын

Great video, please continue with the Americans who trained in Okinawa.

@TheReverb1 5 ай бұрын

Americans from which Country?

@KenpoKid77 5 ай бұрын

@@TheReverb1Uh...from America?

@josevelez8016 5 ай бұрын

North, South or Central América? USA is not the only América

@lucasmonteiro150 5 ай бұрын

America is a Continent, not a country. You should learn it.

@dbuck1964 5 ай бұрын

@@josevelez8016yes it is. 🇺🇸

@Knucky_Sammich 5 ай бұрын

Sensei Thompson is legendary among the martial arts community in Michigan.

@keithhere5292 4 ай бұрын

anyone living anywhere near the KZOO area would be blessed to have access to this man

@leithkarate 4 ай бұрын

An excellent interview interview with one of Uechi-Ryu Karate's finest practitioners. I appreciate the professional, well produced video.

@Scorch1028 5 ай бұрын

James Thompson 10th dan?! That's amazing! People can train a lifetime in a martial art and never earn the rank of 10th dan.

@AlbertEinsteinSpock 2 ай бұрын

He's been in it since about 1960.

@mrjuice1926 5 ай бұрын

Last of a true breed !

@williamcoachg3228 4 ай бұрын

Brilliant gentleman! God bless him

@actionjackson9201 5 ай бұрын

My foundation is Tae Kwon Dow, my Sensi was Master Chung in Detroit many years ago. Thank you for your great accomplishments and wisdom.

@lostphotographs3936 3 ай бұрын

My Uechi-Ryu Manual was passed to me by my grandfather Leroy S. who obtained 1st degree. It has James Thompson's signature in it. James used to fly to California to train in the local Dojo with Don U. and Brian S. They would have Uechi-Ryu parties at my grandfathers house out in the country. I believe it was James ( or Alan Dollar ) who loved honey dew melons and would eat an entire one to himself. I was 8 years old watching these men train. I still practice Sanchin-Kata and try to emulate those movements that James, Don, and Brian would display. Their laughter and kindness toward one another while pounding and punishing each other still delights and impresses me to this day. Im now 44 and aspire to the testament of their strength of character. .

@evgenyrybin2394 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing this 🙏, Great Sensei, the best

@deddymansyur2354 5 ай бұрын

You are a true Budo man. Thank you for sharing your life journey. Respect. Oss, Sensei.

@CrazyHorse3 5 ай бұрын

Thank you very much Sensei Thompson. Great video.

@rtt1961 5 ай бұрын

Very much enjoyed Mr. Thompson's comments. Osu !

@Quake2015 Ай бұрын

As a student of Uechi Ryu, I had the honor of briefly training under Master Thompson. My Sensei hosted a seminar back in Oct 2023 featuring Master Thompson. He is a very down to earth guy with a great sense of humor.

@rileylucky6276 5 ай бұрын

I really enjoyed this video. I am having my students watch it. They hear there things from me, but; it is important that they hear it from other masters. Lucky Riley, Grandmaster Dang Soo Do.

@dshapiro1000 4 ай бұрын

I recently was promoted to Hachi dan and you eloquently described my journey of the past 40 years to now at 85 and still training in Largo FL with Ryan Dean in Jeteki Kyuki according to Ken Nakamatsu sensi..

@walterhough5263 4 ай бұрын

O'Sensei Thompson Thank you for this video, your service to our country and teaching me so much more about the martial arts I started training in 1985, 2021 I believe I received my 6th Dan My base system is Okinawan ShorinRyu I received my 3rd Dan Shugoro Nakazato Sensei My 5th and 6th Dan Kyoshi Ronald Austin and Leslie Austin Jaribu System of Martial Arts Kiyoshi also served in the army special forces Laos and Cambodia Thank you for the inspiration and the video again, there's so much I still need to learn. Domo arigato gozaimasu Rei... Walter san

@seancallan6061 5 ай бұрын

We all need to just get along and be friends. Could not agree more!!!

@michide72 5 ай бұрын

My deepest respect, James Thompson.

@in8dr0 5 ай бұрын

Great video! Thank you for sharing!

@tokyo333 5 ай бұрын

Thank you, I love this series. Maybe after 20 more years of training, I can be on it :)

@OkinawanSpirit 4 ай бұрын

You can do it!

@neocloudmarts9613 5 ай бұрын

Super!

@lamiabay4329 5 ай бұрын

Great and nice Sensei 😘

@DeanMadonia 5 ай бұрын

Amazing video of an amazing man. Thank you so much for sharing!

@Drod81W 5 ай бұрын

Very honest and sincere; great video.

@mikepatterson1975 5 ай бұрын

Thank You for your service and as a martial artist ❤🥋my only issue is Ft. Jackson, South Carolina OSU!

@janblacha8522 5 ай бұрын

Thank you Sensei for everything that you have taught me over these years.

@stuarthughes3747 5 ай бұрын

what a really nice guy .. oss

@TheInvisibleSensei108 5 ай бұрын

Brilliant another inspiring example for us to aspire too, excellent!🥋🙏🏽

@grantphilpot8409 4 ай бұрын

i want to go to kalamazoo

@Jerry92128 5 ай бұрын

Wonderful video. Thanks for sharing. Sensei Thompson taught me San Seiru at George Mattson's 1984 Summer Camp.

@darrensamuels1511 5 ай бұрын

Great video Sensei 🙏🇦🇺🥋

@MementoMorituri 3 ай бұрын

All respect.

@sramdeojohn4428 5 ай бұрын

Respect ✌️🥋Oss!

@shevetlevi2821 3 ай бұрын

Thank you Shihan Thompson.

@gunnysteele1233 4 ай бұрын

I REALLY REALLY WANT TO SHOW AND GIVE THIS MAN = "JAMES THOMPSON" : THE UTMOST OF RESPECT, APPRECITION AND THANKS. A TRUE WARRIOR, UNLIMITED SACRIFICE, DISCIPLINE, COURAGE, PERSEVERANCE, WILL, DETERMINATION, ETCETC A VERY BRAVE, REAL MAN, THEY SIMPLY SEEM TO RARELY BREED THESE TYPE OF MEN NOW DAYS, AND ITS A REAL, ISSUE PROBLEM AN A SHAME

@frankmartinez4856 5 ай бұрын

Wonderful Sensei🎉my friend says! One of the Best Karate style ❤he also does Shorin, Goju 😳taught me Sanchin/ ore(Bo)set 😬

@julesjones2442 5 ай бұрын

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Uussshhh

@fuzzy5610 10 күн бұрын

I’m just curious how he gets graded as a 10th Dan or grandmaster and kiyohide Shinjo is only 9th Dan .? This a genuine question I have no knowledge of karate or any of these masters other than watching a couple videos in the past couple days, this is not about being a critic or rude , im genuinely interested in how it works. Thanks

@MrGPointe 5 ай бұрын

Respect Thompson Sensei, Fort Jackson, SC not NC...osu!

@memyself4ever1 5 ай бұрын

1979, I was only 9 years old and my sister was born a year later.

@AlbertEinsteinSpock 2 ай бұрын

He been doing Uechi-ryu by that time for about two decades already.

@BCS01 5 ай бұрын

Osu!

@rebassed1 4 ай бұрын

「私の知恵をありがとう、マスター・ガゼル」

@ayakosaito7323 2 ай бұрын

Google Translate fail

@user-on5up1oe2b Күн бұрын

If you re 59yrs old can begin karate

@memyself4ever1 5 ай бұрын

I noticed the stances of Okinawan Karate are higher than the Japanese styles.

@yogi8337 5 ай бұрын

It's original stance, the Japanese make it wider, lower, for competition, but when they do that, their kata little by little lost its essence

@memyself4ever1 5 ай бұрын

@@yogi8337 I would never have known.

@clarencewashington7881 5 ай бұрын

What does the modern version look like

@AlbertEinsteinSpock 2 ай бұрын

It's the same, but there are more bridging kata that have been developed over the years by Master Uechi and some of his senior students.

@norbertocarlosagustinkushi1916 5 ай бұрын

🇺🇲🇯🇵❤️👍💪💪💪

@jeromerizzo423 2 ай бұрын

As a veteran the first language of the military is profanity. So I can understand🤣😂😂😂.

@change9929 5 ай бұрын

Sir,is the attitude and result of westerners different from Japanese?

@davidyork8020 4 ай бұрын

ever herd of YOUNG BO KONG

@dudleydeee 5 ай бұрын

Blah blah

@michide72 5 ай бұрын

I don't think you understand...

@dakentaijutsu2010 5 ай бұрын

Don't be that guy

@johnhampton826 5 ай бұрын

You mean hiya hiya

@Duane-tl2zc 5 ай бұрын

Then why are you even looking at this with that stupid a** attitude?

@psuedomonas1 5 ай бұрын

You'll get there too. Or not.

@Bones-uu6zp 4 ай бұрын

Nice story, however why is the only thing shown a strike with the fingers/knife hand, whatever you want to call it- I SEE ZERO OF THAT IN REALITY. WHERE IS THE VIDEO OF SPARRING??? RAISED-PLATFORM COMPETITIONS PROVING IT'S WORTH AMONG ALL THE OTHER SYSTEMS??? ** MY GRANDFATHER DIED FROM BLACK- LUNG IN THE COAL MINES AND ALSO THE STEEL MILLS BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH HE SPOKE 6 LANGUAGES HE WAS A POLISH IMMIGRANT, >>> LEGALLY ENTERED WHICH MEANS HE BUILT AMERICA WITH ALL THE REST !

@AlbertEinsteinSpock 2 ай бұрын

Since they were using it in hand-to-hand combat in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, I would say the Uechi-ryu is pretty "practical."

@sethhinman1045 3 күн бұрын

Uechi Ryu is a very traditional style of Okinawan Karate- it's for self defense and character development. There was very little emphasis on free sparring (although there was a light sparring class ran by his son Marcus once a week) and little to no emphasis on competition when I trained at his dojo in Kalamazoo. He also taught me Aikido and Kobudo.

@Bones-uu6zp 3 күн бұрын

@@sethhinman1045 COOL. AND KALAMAZOO ⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️ Holy crap! 🤣🤣🤣 There IS such a place named- my brother stopped through there for half a year ( hospital traveling job in Cardiac ) - that's like the region close around the mid part and north... Right... thanks for info about emphasis on sparring, etc. but I think it's NECESSARY. You get used to other people, dynamically too ! different energies and what strikes you have that are in what area of needing more training, and also it toughens simultaneously you lose fear of getting hit, most everyone gets hit unless your just friggin straight ape-shit off the chain ADRENALINE And you are seeing everything in a fraction of a second, and light up the foolish bully and afterwards, ALWAYS YOUR EVEN SHOCKED AT THE POWER YOU'VE WORKED ON FOREVER like 🤯 and gee I did that ? 😂😂😂😂😂😂 - People watching are like "Damn man, that was crazy man! It's in you man! Can you teach me? " 🤔 NO JOKE. I started to teach but does because I couldn't teach BUT ONLY THE RIGHT WAY and people are "I can't wait to use this shit and beat someone up." So I thought SCREW THAT ! I worked so hard forever to give this away to people that I told the oath and after they did the do agreed etc etc the next week they say things like THAT ? NOPE. - - Application of Aikido is questionable as NO ONE RESISTS - BY THAT I MEAN FIGHTING IS ZERO. - Unless your from a traditional school of "Ueshiba"- 1 in DC is an ABSOLUTE GEM !!!!!!! - that guy has people trying to push him over WHILE HE IS SITTING AND THEY CAN'T MOVE HIM BUT A LITTLE AND AFTER A FEW SECONDS THEY GO FLYING ! ( said it's like pushing into your bed mattress ! ) they all about fighting and there's a RESPECT that goes without speaking, between us you know how much you can do with whoever, it's truly telepathic. But other than that, I learned some but forgot. IF YOU HAVE APPROPRIATE STRENGTH IN FINGERS AND WRISTS ESPECIALLY, AND YOU GET GET A HOLD OF SOMEONE BEFORE GETTING BRAINED, A GOOD CHANCE TO DO THAT DO, obviously, but closing the MAI / distance (sp.?) is the KEY : That's what people are SUPPOSED TO BE CONCENTRATING ON WITH THE "SPARRING" BUT IS YOU'VE NOT A GREAT TEACHER, THEN THAT'S THAT. THE TEACHER INDEED IS EVERYTHING, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW YET. -