A lineage of the Uechi tradition
Sensei Al D. Saddler II
(1946 - 2019) |
The Arizona Uechi-Ryu Karate Association was founded by
Al D. Saddler II. He was born in Black Mountain, North Carolina (near Asheville). He began studying various styles of martial arts, Karate, Aikido, Judo, Kobudo Weaponry and Tai Chi. In karate, he studied: Moo Duk Kwan (Korean), Shorin-Ryu (Okinawan), Shoto Kan (Japanese). In 1968, Mr. Saddler began studying Uechi-Ryu , at Luke Air Force Base AZ, under George Krob, a renshi 6th Degree Black Belt. Mr. Saddler received Kyoshi (teacher, or certification as a black belt instructor) in Uechi-Ryu Karate from Master Kanei Uechi, son of the founder Kanbun Uechi, In 1971 (registered number 478). In 2016, Saddler Sensei appointed Michael Strong as Head Instructor and renamed the Association to "Saddler\Strong's AZ Uechi-Ryu" Saddler Sensei had instructed martial arts at various organizations. He had also worked with the law enforcement agencies in Arizona and, appeared on radio and television. He was a student and instructor of Japanese Jodo Shinshu Buddhism and Zen meditation. He retired from Intel corporation in Chandler, Arizona as photographer/graphics specialist after 19 years. He also maintained his own photography business. He died in 2019. |
Sensei George E. Krob
(1934-2015) |
George E. Krob, an Air Force Sergeant, was assigned to the Air Base at Kadena, Okinawa in 1960 and became a student of Uehara Saburo.
Known as jiro (oldest son) by Sensei Saburo, he studied in Okinawa for three years. Later, he traveled to Taiwan and was one of the first Americans to teach Uechi Ryu Karate in the city. To be invited to teach, Sensei Krob had to show kata in the park each day and be examined by many of the local masters. He also had to receive approval by Chang-Ki-Chek. Sensei Krob taught in the largest dojo in all of free China. 1968 brought Sensei Krob to Luke Air Force Base outside of Phoenix Arizona. A number of different styles were being taught at the base including: Kempo, Goju Ryu, and Shito Ryu. Sensei Krob became head of the base karate club. Among his students was Al Saddler. |
Saburo Uehara
(1890 - 1965) |
Saburo Uehara, Master Uechi's "second" student, was born in 1890, in Naha, Okinawa. He worked as a farmer after leaving the military. In 1925, he went to Wakayama City and worked in a cotton mill. In the summer of 1926, he began training under Master Uechi.
A superior and apt student, Uehara was certified as a teacher and, in 1932, opened his own dojo in Osaka, Japan. It was Uehara Saburo who taught the Taiyoku Shodan (Taiyoshi Shodan) kata as a bridging kata in the Uechi system. Taiyoku Shodan was developed from the Goju Ryu system. He later taught at Kanei Uechi's Dojo in Okinawa, where George Krob began his study. |
Master Kanbun Uechi
(1877 - 1948) |
Kanbun Uechi was born to an Okinawan Bushi (Samurai) family that farmed radishes. He left Okinawa in 1897 in order to avoid the draft into the Japanese military, and to study the art of Chinese fighting.
Now in the Fukien/Fujian Province, China, Kanbun Uechi was accepted as a student under Zhou-Zhi-He (Shu-shi-wa). Zhou-Zhi-He was a poet and painter, reknowned as a martial artist in the Tiger-Fist style. For years, Kanbun Uechi studied the Pangai-Noon Kenpo system. He later opened his own dojo in Nansoye City, China. During that time, he had the honor of being the only Okinawan accepted as a teacher there. Unfortunately, one of Master Uechi's students was involved in a dispute in which he killed a neighbor. This so devastated Kanbun that he closed his school and vowed to never teach again. He returned to Okinawa in 1910, married and had his first son Kanei, in 1911. Later, he found himself near Osaka, Japan, working as a janitor at a cotton mill. Sometime after Kanbun's arrival in Japan, Tomoyose Ryuyu, a young Okinawan, heard of Master Uechi's skills and eventually, with great difficulty, persuaded Master Uechi to teach Pangai-noon again. Finally, Kunbun Uechi open a dojo inside the cotton mill (1924). Here, Saburo Uehara began his training. Master Uechi taught only three Katas (Sanchin, Seisan, and Sanseiryu), a body conditioning exercise (kotekitae) and Chinese medicine. He would open a new dojo in 1932. In 1940, the Pangai-noon style was renamed to "the way of Uechi" or Uechi-Ryu. Grand Master Uechi died in 1948. |
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