Neal ---- Mick	Neal ---- Mick
a block to a front kick using the right arm under the leg and the left hand as a guard against the foot.	a front kick from an upright stance delivered with the big toe, fast in and out like "the strike of a snake"
There are three original Chinese kata in out style. These are recording taken during the 6th dan grading :	Sanchin : Seisan : Sanseiryu

Background : I have been training in Uechi-Ryu for 33 years, since Dave Scott (my instructor) returned from Okinawa in 1975 and I was one of the earlier members of the Association and the Liverpool club. My training emphasis has always been on practical self defence and fitness through the basics of the style, achieving high energy output when necessary and a balanced overview of what is happening around me - awareness. I have held the position of Okinawan Representative and Association Secretary and am currently the Chairman of the Association. I moved to Oxford in 1987. I have trained with Dave Finklestein and George E. Mattson in 1979 and with grand-master Kanei Uechi, Senseis Takamiyagi, Higa, Nakahodo, Shinjo, Yonamine and James Thompson in 1982 and attended the world gathering of senior instructors to commemorate the 33rd aniversay of the death of Grand Master Kanbun Uechi (a very special aniversary in the Shinto religion). contact Mick Pappas by email on mickx at intbis.com (spam avoidance) Beginning training : It is important to pace yourself in training, which may be difficult to begin with and that's where your instructor's experience comes in. It's also important to avoid bruising and although we do body conditioning, the purpose is to improve the durability of your body using developed muscle and control to absorb blows. In the early stages, bruisng is easy to do and should be avoided because it defeats the previous conditioning work that you have done and softens tissue. What you learn: The first set of exercises that you will learn do just this - we start at the outset as the masters have taught their students and continue it through to the highest levels with ourselves and our students. Each class starts with traditional warmups, single exercises of stepping, turning, block, punches and kicks which are then joined in effective combinations as your training progresses.

Gathering of karateka GB with Okikukai masters and instructors

Gathering of karateka GB

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Wayne Otto demonstrating at Oxford Karate Academy