John Guilmartin

Reason began Uechi Ryu:

At the age of 5, my little sister Laurie and I were playing in her room when my father walked in and asked if I’d like to try karate. After a brief explanation that it involved fighting and belts my young mind conjured images of spandexed wrestlers competing for oversized belts in a large ring. I was in! Well, surprise, surprise. The initial disappointment that I wasn’t going to be the next Jake the Snake was brief and replaced with the immediate joy of throwing my first punches and kicks in a crisp white belt. I had more than a few questions following that first introductory class. What else would I be learning? How many different colors of belts were there? Was one of those colors my favorite: black?

Current reason for training in Uechi-Ryu:

White belt turned to yellow, and over the next five years purple, red, green, brown, and eventually jr. black followed. Though it was the everything between those promotions that kept me going. Karate just made sense to me. I felt an innate understanding for what I was being taught and I quickly developed a thirst to be better in every way possible. My closest friendships, which still exist to this day were borne out of the dojo. And, as I settle into adulthood Uechi keeps me mentally motivated and physically fit. Existing friendships continue to develop and new relationships gel into an exciting community. I get to pass on my Uechi knowledge to new and existing practitioners. Plus, who doesn’t want to throw some hits a few times a week.

Best Uechi-Ryu experience:

Pinpointing a single best experience is no easy feat after all these years. I achieved the rank of gokyu (green belt) along with about 12 others; a number large enough that required a special green belt class. It was there that seichin and kyu kumite were drilled week after week for a month. I was presented my jr. shodan by Kanmei Uechi, I’ve had the opportunity to dine with masters, and I even got to lead secondary exercises at my jr. nidan test. However, if I had to pick a best Uechi-Ryu experience, it was my sandan test. I was 15; a few months shy of my 16th birthday. I would have been amongst only a handful of students that had earned a jr. sandan. But I didn’t want that. I wanted the sanchin test. I wanted to go out and demonstrate that I was ready for an adult rank. So in a room of two other candidates and a panel of five sensei I did just that. It was the most awesome and humbling experience I’ve ever had in Uechi.