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This summer my rising 8th grader (13) said he wanted to learn #karate. He’s an introvert, so I was excited. We visited several dojos and decided on one. (1/7)

It’s run by a #sensei who happens to be female. This seemed good to me, because all the senseis I’ve known in the past (brothers and friends took lessons in various styles) have all been male, and kind of like drill-sergeants. (2/7)

Anyway, I signed him up, and Sensei +/- said (without being salesy *at all*), “Are you going to sit and watch him for an hour twice a week?” The “sit” kind of got to me. And then suddenly I found myself taking lessons as well. (3/7)

The style is called Uechi Ryu, and it’s a librarian’s *dream.* It was founded by an Okinowan who traveled to China to learn kung fu. The style he learned was called Pangai-noon. He returned home after 13 yrs of study, and (very long story short) opened a #dojo. Meanwhile… (4/7) #uechi-ryu #librarian

Pangai noon *disappeared,* as in From-The-Face-Of-The-Earth. So Uechi Ryu (named for its founder, Kanbun Uechi) became a “new” form of Okinowan karate. But it isn’t! It’s kung fu! And it’s tied up with Buddhism and Chinese medicine! (5/7)