2020-2021 News <> חדשות

Onegai-shimasu Ueshiro SRKUSA Worldwide,

It’s my pleasure to announce our February Test Results from Ueshiro Karate Dojo Ba’Kfar in Israel.  We are slowly, but surely growing via our deshi.  Six (6) deshi were tested and promoted.  With the help of our Shodan, Sempai Avi David, I conducted the full traditional test, as taught to me by Hanshi Robert Scaglione and our Kyoshi[s].  Thank you for teaching me and helping me continue to grow.

Promoted to Ro-Kyu (1st Green Tip):

Arye Ben-Ezra

Promoted to Go-Kyu (2nd Green Tip):

Moshe Ashkenazi

Reuven Ornshtein

Shir Ornshtein

Promoted to Yon-Kyu (Green Belt):

Natan Albek

Promoted to Orange Belt:

Guy Shlomo

Please see photo below with most of our deshi.

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu

Tamir Sensei

Deshi-Shihan

Ueshiro Karate Dojo Ba’Kfar

Onegai-shimasu Ueshiro SRKUSA Worldwide

Sensei Nir Zamir and I are pleased to share with you our joint Israel August 2020 Karate Testing results for both Ueshiro Dojo Herzliya and Dojo Ba’Kfar (Kfar-Saba)

Promoted on August 19, 2020:

Ro-Kyu (1 green tip)

Tsahi Orneshtein, Kfar-Saba

Go-Kyu (2 green tips)

Arye Ben-Ezra, Kfar-Saba

Gil Eran, Herzliya

Mickie Gotlieb, Herzliya

Yellow Belt

Shir Ornshtein, Kfar-Saba

Yon-Kyu (Green Belt)

Reuven Ornshtein, Kfar-Saba

Moshe Shkenazi, Kfar-Saba

Ni-Kyu (Brown Belt)

Guy Shlomo, Kfar-Saba

Congratulations to all those reaching this important milestone of testing, persevering adversity of the Corona storm.

It’s interesting to note that Tsahi Ornshtein, promoted to Ro-Kyu, joined our dojo virtually, while we were training via Zoom on-line, during the Corona shutdown; moreover he is the father of one of our deshi (Shir), and the son of another of our deshi (Reuven) (i.e., 3 generations training and testing together).

We conducted our traditional test outdoors at the Central Park of Kfar Saba (see photos) into the night hours, when it became completely dark.  It reminded us of olden days, when Okinawan’s had to train Karate in hiding under darkness, against Japanese rule forbidding the training.  The darkness heightened our senses as did the grass under our bare feet.

We concluded the 4 hour test with board breaking, including demonstration by Ik-Kyu Ran Sheinman breaking a stack of 4 boards.

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu Hanshi for giving us this gift from Master Ueshiro — the gift that keeps on giving!

Tamir Sensei

Denshi-Shihan

Ueshiro Dojo Ba’Kfar

Israel

Onegai-shimasu Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA Worldwide

The past six months have been uniquely challenging with the Corona outbreak.  As soon as it begun and the Kfar-Saba Country Club, hosting our dojo, was shut down to weather this “storm,” we shifted to Zoom.  We were one of the first dojo to do so, as Israel enacted quarantines earlier.

I maintained the same basic workout schedule 3 times per week, same traditional workout structure and 90 minutes long.  However, I concentrated the training to be more camera facing for a tighter space. For example, we performed kata facing the camera, as if doing it against a stationary makiwara.  

Moreover, we were fortunate to have Kyoshi, Sempai, and Deshi join our Zoom training from our various Dojo across the world. We received high level corrections and guidance from Kyoshi Seeger, and reconnected with our training brothers and sisters from past year gatherings.  My Deshi got an opportunity to meet others like them on the other side of the globe and share some encouraging words, sweat, hard work, and polishing of the human spirit through our Karate.

The Zoom workouts became an exciting opportunity to meet and train together regardless of location. The weekly zoom class coordination with Kyoshi Seeger, and published schedule from Kyoshi Mackay, enabled us to join other workouts from our Kyoshi and Sensei around the world, that fit our time zone and enriched our daily lives under the Corona quarantine.  Karate Zoom became the highlight of our day.

When quarantine requirements subsided and we were able to return to the Dojo, our Deshi were most appreciative of karate not subsiding from their daily lives during the quarantine, but rather empowering their perseverance over the Corona.   One of our Deshi, Sempai Reuven Ornshtein, prepared a special framed gift of gratitude, involving a poem of specially selected, rhyming words crafted with screen captures from our Zoom sessions, and presented to me on behalf of the dojo.  It was one of the most special gifts I have ever received.

Furthermore, we picked up a new student over the Zoom training, Tsahi Ornshtein, who decided to join his teenage daughter, Shir, and his father (her grandfather), Reuven, who had already been training with us for months.

After returning to our Dojo in person, the Country Club was closed on and off again, due to further breakouts.  However, the government allowed group training outdoors; so we shifted to our beautiful local Central Park across the road from the Country Club. The outdoor early evening training on the park’s grassy fields in the fresh air was exhilarating.

Our unfaltering training schedule, due to Zoom and the outdoor park training, allowed us to prepare a strong group for the major semi-annual August Testing.  Sensei Nir Zamir’s Dojo from Hertzelia, joined us in the same park mentioned above, for a traditional strong test into the night. The darkness and sharp blades of grass under our feet, sharpened our senses and performance.  

We now have a new Brown Belt, two new Green Belt “dojo pillars”, and other promoted Deshi, to help grow our Dojo strong into the future.  

We are grateful to our Hanshi, Kyoshi, Sempai and Deshi across the world for helping us continue holding tightly onto our Karate, as we navigate the wild twists and turns of life with strength, fortitude, and Joy & Vigor.

Please enjoy some photos depicting the above.

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu

Tamir Sensei

Denshi-Shihan

Ueshiro Dojo ba’Kfar [Village Dojo]

City of Kfar Saba, Israel

Under the Direction of Hanshi Robert Scaglione

Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA

Onegai-shimasu and Happy Holidays Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA Worldwide,

Sensei Nir Zamir, Denshi-Shihan of the Ueshiro Hertzelia Dojo in Israel, hosted our 2020 Cumpai celebration workout for our Karateka in Israel.

Our Cumpai started with the lighting of the Hanukkah Menorah, which commemorates the ancient Israelite Maccabee Warriors overcoming the Greek Empire over two thousand years ago in 167 BCE, to achieve freedom of religion.

Our 2020 Cumpai celebration consisted of our traditional workout, but in a circular formation, performing our group exercises and kata facing the center of the circle.  We also did individual demonstrations of kata in the middle of the circle.

Kyoshi David Seeger and Sensei Shlomo Dadon joined us via Zoom.  Kyoshi Seeger demonstrated kata and techniques from his dojo in Palisades New York and provided valuable “sugar”, helping us learn more on this special occasion and strengthening our connection with our worldwide organization, under the leadership of Hanshi Robert Scaglione.

We toasted Cumpai with Japanese Plum Wine and clementines from my home grown tree.

I provided a concluding demonstration involving a unique performance of our Okinawan Tuifa Kata in the dark using one traditional wooden Tuifa, made in Okinawa, paired with a second modern Tuifa, assembled from police accessories including a 6xD-cell flashlight (Maglite) with a side grip handle, as on a Tuifa, sharpened front strike bezel, and a pointed rear strike cap.  The swinging Maglite lit the dark room, providing a unique aspect to the kata demonstration, while symbolizing the Hanukkah Festival of Lights of freedom overcoming the darkness of oppression.  It is important to note, that the traditional hardwood Okinawan Tuifa is much more effective; the Maglite Tuifa is too cumbersome to match the traditional Tuifa’s speed and power.

I would like to thank Sensei Nir Zamir for hosting us this year, all sempai and deshi who participated from Ueshiro Hertzelia and Kfar-Saba Dojo[s], and Kyoshi Seeger and Hanshi Scaglione for continuing to shine the light moving forward — Cumpai !

Please enjoy some attached photos summarizing the event.

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu and Happy Holidays

Tamir Sensei

Denshi-Shihan

Ueshiro Dojo Ba’Kfar

Kfar-Saba, Israel

Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA

Under the Direction of Hanshi Robert Scaglione

Thank you Tamir Sensei and Zamir Sensei and

Thank you to all your students.

Great Event! - Kyoshi Seeger

Onegai-shimasu Ueshiro SRKUSA Worldwide,

On February 21 Sensei Nir Zamir, Sensei Shlomo Dadon, and I (Sensei David Tamir) conducted a join testing for 7 Israeli candidates and promoted all as listed below.   Congratulations!

1. Zachi Orenstein to Yon-Kyu, Ueshiro Dojo Ba’Kfar, Denshi-Shihan David Tamir
   
2. Shir Orenstein to Yon-Kyu, Ueshiro Dojo Ba’Kfar, Denshi-Shihan David Tamir
   
3. Gil Eran to Yon-Kyu, Ueshiro Dojo Herzliya, Denshi-Shihan Nir Zamir
   
4. Mickie Gotleib to Yon-Kyu, Ueshiro Dojo Herzliya, Denshi-Shihan Nir Zamir
   
5. Reuven Orenstein to San-Kyu, Ueshiro Dojo Ba’Kfar, Denshi-Shihan David Tamir
   
6. Moshe Ashkenazi to San-Kyu, Ueshiro Dojo Ba’Kfar, Denshi-Shihan David Tamir
   
7. Amir Eyal to Ni-Kyu [based in Australia], Ueshiro Dojo Herzliya, Denshi-Shihan Nir Zamir
   

The testing was conducted in two parts, one starting at “High Noon” over zoom, and the second in the evening outdoors at the Kfar-Saba Central Park.  Both parts started with our traditional full workout and ended with wooden board breaking.

The zoom portion was of Sempai Amir Eyal from Sensei Nir Zamir’s Ueshiro Herzliya Dojo; Sempai Amir did the test all the way from Australia; testing for Ni-Kyu.  Sempai Amir started training with Sensei Zamir back in 2002.  This past year’s zoom training, offered across our worldwide organization, helped prepare Sempai Amir well.  He did a great job and we hope to see him continue and grow our presence in Australia.

The second portion in the park involved near freezing temperatures in the dark, but our Karateka persevered.  Three of those testing represented three generations of the Orenstein family; grandfather, son, and granddaughter, as shown in close contact in the attached photo.

Special thank you to Sensei Shlomo Dadon who drove over 5 hours from Eilat to join us on the board of judges, to Nidan Ofer Sinai who also assisted on the board of judges, and to our two non-testing brown belts, Sempai Ran Shineman (Ik-Kyu) and Guy Shlomo (Ni-Kyu), who trained and participated in the event.

Domo Arigato to Hanshi Robert Scaglione for leading our way through this Corona “Storm" and to Kyoshi David Seeger for keeping our region connected to our worldwide organization.

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu

Tamir Sensei
Denshi-Shihan
Ueshiro Dojo Ba’Kfar
Kfar-Saba, Israel

Under the Direction of Hanshi Robert Scaglione
Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA

Onegai-shimasu Ueshiro SRKUSA Worldwide,

We join you all in celebrating Master Ansei Ueshiro’s birthday this month via Katathon.

On April 11th, the Ueshiro Herzliya Dojo Deshi with their Denshi-Shihan, Sensei Nir Zamir, visited the Ueshiro Dojo Ba’Kfar, joining us in our annual Katathon at the Kfar-Saba Country Club (see attached photo).  We performed 100 non-stop repetitions of Fukyugata Ichi, realizing how much more there is still to learn and master with our first kata.

These past two weeks, leading to Master Ueshiro’s Birthday, are also very special in Israel as we commemorate a series of three significant days: Israel’s Holocaust Observance, Memorial Day, and Day of Independence.

The following Ueshiro SRKUSA members participated in our Katathon:

Sensei David Tamir

Sensei Nir Zamir

Sempai Ofer Sinai

Sempai Ran Sheinman

Sempai Guy Shlomo

Sempai Moshe Ashkenazi

Sempai Reuven Orenstein

Sempai Miki Gotlieb

Sempai Gil Eran

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu

Tamir Sensei

Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA - Israel

Under the Direction of Hanshi Robert Scaglione

Onegai-shimasu Ueshiro SRKUSA Worldwide,

We are pleased to announce the promotion of our newest deshi, Meir Amarin, to the rank of Ro-Kyu.  Sempai Meir experienced our traditional green tip test on August 1st in Kfar-Saba, Israel, marking an early milestone in his voyage along our special Karate-Do path. He has not missed a workout since he joined us a few months ago.  We wish him steadfast practice and growth with joy and vigor!

Sempai Meir’s paragraph submitted for his first test:

ONEGAI-SHIMASU,

Learning karate for me is much more than just learning martial arts. It is training for the body and training for the soul. It is part of a life routine which makes me better at everything I do, with many added values: health, confidence in personal ability, self-discipline, personal modesty and body-mind balance. Beyond that I see the importance in the continuity of a long-standing tradition, a special method that connects people. People who come from different places, backgrounds and ages, when they all have at least one thing in common - the desire to learn, to strive, to be consistent and even more - to improve in the method we all practice and share, all over the world.

Domo arigato,

Meir

Domo Arigato Gozaimasu Hanshi and Kyoshi[s] for your continued leadership lighting the path ahead for all of us, now including Sempai Meir.

Tamir Sensei, Shichi-Dan

Deshi-Shihan

Ueshiro Dojo Ba’Kfar

Israel

Ueshiro Shorin-Ryu Karate USA

Under the Direction of Hanshi Robert Scaglione

With Hanshi's permission and Kyoshi Seeger’s supervision, we conducted the Shodan Test for Sempai Ran Sheinman on Tuesday October 5th at the Ueshiro Hertzelia Dojo.

Sensei David Tamir, Shichi-Dan, presided over the board of judges, consisting of Sensei Nir Zamir and Sensei Shlomo Dadon.  The board was augmented by Sempai Ofer Sinai, Ni-Dan, who assisted with the test operations.

The test lasted almost 5 hours, during which Tamir Sensei led us through a hard workout filled with our traditional techniques, kata, pushups, sit-ups, squats, sweat, and "Joy & Vigor"; pushing our Shodan candidate and the rest of us to our individual limits required for such a test.  Sempai Ran Sheinman prevailed, and was accordingly promoted to the rank of Shodan.

We are grateful for having Kyoshi Seeger join the event via video call (see attached photo), providing us with valuable input and instruction.

To culminate the promotion, each participant stepped-up on the spot to demonstrate a kata for Kyoshi.  We wrapped up this special event with a traditional Kampai, giving thanks to Master Ueshiro, to Hanshi, to Kyoshi Seeger, and to one another for the gifts of our Karate-Do and camaraderie (see attached photo).

Onegai-shimasu Ueshiro SRKUSA Worldwide:

On December 28th, 2021, we conducted a unique Cumpai from Israel, leveraging Zoom to open participation to our worldwide Ueshiro SRKUSA organization.

As a result, we were most fortunate to have our Hanshi and Kyoshi join our Cumpai along with other Sensei[s] and Sempai from the USA.

The following Ueshiro SRKUSA Karateka (with respective dojo locations) participated:

1. Hanshi Robert Scaglione, Ju-Dan (Viera, Florida)

2. Kyoshi David Seeger, Ku-Dan (Palisades, New York)

3. Sensei Chris Barnes, Shichi-Dan

4. Sensei Emiliano Mazlen, Shihan, Go-Dan (Boston, Massachusetts)

5. Sensei Tzvi Bar-Shai, Shihan, Yon-Dan (New Rochelle, New York)

6. Sensei Rick Cupoli, Shihan, San-Dan (West Melbourne, Florida)

7. Sensei Jennifer Sangalang, San-Dan (Suntree/Melboune, Florida)

8. Cheyenne Flynn, Junior-Shodan (Merrit Island, Florida)

9. Sharona Levine, San-Kyu (Palisades, New York)

10. Sensei David Tamir, Denshi-Shihan, Shichi-Dan (Kfar-Saba, Israel)

11. Sensei Nir Zamir, Denshi-Shihan, Go-Dan (Herzliya, Israel)

12. Sensei Shlomo Dadon, Go-Dan (Migdal Haemek, Israel)

13. Ofer Sinai, Nidan (Herzliya, Israel)

14. Avi David, Sho-Dan (Kfar-Saba, Israel)

15. Eyal Elnir, Sho-Dan (Kfar-Saba, Israel)

16. Ran Sheinman, Sho-Dan (Herzliya, Israel)

17. Guy Shlomo, Ni-Kyu (Kfar-Saba, Israel)

18. Moshe Ashkenazi, San-Kyu (Kfar-Saba, Israel)

19. Reuven Orenstein, San-Kyu (Kfar-Saba, Israel)

20. Gil Eran, Yon-Kyu (Herzliya, Israel)

21. Miki Gotlieb, Yon-Kyu (Herzliya, Israel)

22. Shir Orenstein, Yon-Kyu (Kfar-Saba, Israel)

23. Zachi Orenstein, Yon-Kyu (Kfar-Saba, Israel)

24. Meir Amarin, Go-Kyu (Kfar-Saba, Israel)

25. Shoshana Bialer, White Belt (Herzliya, Israel)

26. Ariel Nasri, White Belt (Herzliya, Israel)

The Cumpai began at 6:30 PM Israel local time (11:30 AM US Eastern time) and spanned for approximately 3 hours.  On the Israel side, we arranged the participants in a traditional Cumpai circular formation to perform our basic Karate warm-ups, Oyotanren, Yakusoku-Kumite-Sho, and our basic kata.  We then proceeded to make introductions by each participant abroad, followed by those in Israel.  Some select group and individual kata demonstrations took place, followed by review of our Ueshiro SRKUSA history including it’s history in Israel, as documented with photos and descriptions on our new Israel Ueshiro SRKUSA website at www.ISRAELKARATE.com.  We reviewed the bringing of our karate style to the US in 1962 and to Israel in 1987.  We wrapped up with a couple more kata demonstrations and various New Year Cumpai [bottoms-up] toasts, including some great historic stories about Hanshi’s visits to Israel in 1996, 2000, and 2014.  Hanshi emphasized the importance of visiting our world-wide dojo[s], as various Ueshiro SRKUSA Karateka visited Israel over the past years.

At the end of the Cumpai we distributed to all the Israeli Karateka their new Ueshiro SRKUSA membership cards, to facilitate their travel plans to visit our other dojo[s], during the New Year of the Tiger for our 60th anniversary celebration in the USA and 35th anniversary celebration in Israel.  A sample card (front and back) is included below for Israel’s longest standing member of Ueshiro SRKUSA – Sensei Nir Zamir, who began in 1983 under Hanshi Robert Scaglione at the Ueshiro Person-to-Person Karate Midtown New York Dojo on Lexington Avenue.

Please find several screen shots attached from the zoom session, as well as a final group shot of the Ueshiro SRKUSA Israeli Karateka.  For those who may want to observe a recording of the Cumpai starting with Hanshi’s arrival to the Zoom session, you may download it via the following link (it is a very large file of almost 2 GB):  https://www.dropbox.com/t/KMx2Q41ISyAXdZBj

Domo Domo Arigato Gozaimasu Hanshi, Kyoshi, Sensei, and Sempai for making this event possible with great JOY & VIGOR.

Special thank you to Sensei Nir Zamir for hosting the Cumpai at the Ueshiro Herzliya Dojo facility, and to Sensei Jennifer Sangalang for enabling the Zoom connectivity for Hanshi.

On behalf of all our Ueshiro SRKUSA Karateka in Israel, We wish you all a Happy New Year!

Tamir Sensei, Denshi-Shihan

Ueshiro SRKUSA Israel

Under the Direction of Hanshi Robert Scaglione