Welcome to Budokan Martial Arts, located in Plymouth Massachusetts.
Led by Sensei Darin Yee, Budokan Martial Arts training provides children and adult students with:
Discipline & Respect
Focus & Awareness
Speed & Agility
Confidence
Self-Defense Skills
Better Health
In our classes students will start off learning a form of Karate called
Uechi-Ryu, an Okinawan style that incorporates hard and soft aspects of our physical ablities. As students prove to be proficient in Uechi-Ryu they then move on to practice Chinese Kung Fu. They can learn Choy-Li Fut, which is the system taught to the Chinese army for use in the battlefields. Other classes offered include: Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Mandarin language courses and Calligraphy
Schedule
Monday
10:00 -11:30am Adults/All Ranks
5:00 - 6:00pm Children Beginners
6:00 -7:00pm Intermediate
7:00 - 8:30pm Adult and Advanced
Tuesday
5:00 -7:00pm Weapons
Wednesday
10:00 -11:30am Adults/All Ranks
5:00 - 7:00pm Sparring Class - All Children
7:00 - 8:30pm Adult and Advanced
8:30 - 10:00pm Tai Chi
Thursday
5:00 - 6:00pm Tai Chi
Friday
10:00 -11:30am Adults/All Ranks
5:00 - 6:00pm Children Beginners
6:00 -7:00pm Intermediate
7:00 - 8:30pm Adult and Advanced
8:30 - 10:00pm Tai Chi
Saturday
10:00 -11:00am Children/All Ranks
11:00 - Noon Kata - All Ranks/All Ages
12:00 -2:00pm Adult and Advanced
8:30 - 10:00pm Tai Chi
A True Warrior Has Passed
I am announcing to the world that a true warrior has passed. Herman Yee passed away around 9am Wednesday, January 12, 2011. These last few years of battling his illnesses have finally overcome him. The warrior that he was, Herman fought to the very end. Strangely enough, Herman’s fight was not for himself but for all who loved him.
During the early 1970s when Mattson Academy fighters were the ones you needed to get passed in hope for a chance at a championship, Herman was one of those feared obstacles. As a fighter, he was tough, resilient, relentless and possessed more skill and ability then one would imagine.
All of us who really knew Herman understood him as a reserved, selfless individual who would rather give then take. There are many who benefited from his generosity and offered back nothing but grief and didn’t give him the time of day. Herman’s remark was “The truth of a man is reveal by his actions. Enough said”.
Unlike much of the fables going around the internet about “fighting in the street” to boost ones imaginary image, Herman Yee who mentioned nothing, was one of the few who actually practiced much of our training in the streets of the South End, downtown Washington Street and Chinatown. Fighting alongside Herman, I knew there was always someone watching my back.
Those of you who never met Herman Yee and do not know of him, Herman was a man of honor, respect, integrity, strength and most of all compassion. He began his training of Uechi-Ryu in 1969 along with many of his friends from the South End. He continued training until a year ago when his health did not permit him to do so. We will miss him.
The brothers from birth are circumstantial. There will always be a connection. Our brothers through friendship are by choice.
Chinese New Year 4709 Water Dragon
2012 Chinese New Year
The first day of the 2012 Chinese New Year is on January 23, 2012 in China's time zone.This day is a new moon day, and is the first day of the first Chinese lunar month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar system. The exact new moon time is at 15:40 on 23-Jan-12 in China's time zone.
The Year 2012 is the 4709th Chinese year.The Chinese believe that the first king of China was the Yellow King (he was not the first emperor of China). The Yellow King became king in 2697 B.C., therefore China will enter the 4709th year on January 23, 2012. Also, the Chinese Year uses the cycle of 60 Stem-Branch counting systems and the Black Water Dragon is the 28th Stem-Branch in the cycle. Since (60 *78) + 29 = 4709, therefore 2012 is the Water Dragon year, which is the 4709th Chinese Year.Some web sites say the year 2012 is the 4710th Chinese year. If you cannot find the explanation as to why, here is a possible answer for you. The Yellow King's inauguration was held in the spring of 2697 B.C. But the day that was used as the first day of the year was the winter solstice, which was around December 23rd, 2698 B.C. Today's January 1st meant nothing to the Yellow King. If we count that extra eight days in 2698 B.C., then year 2012 is the 4710th Chinese year 2012 is the year of Dragon.
Some people say 2012 is a Black Dragon or Water Dragon year. This is because the Stem-Branch Calendar is connected to the Five Element theory. Chinese calendars used the Stem-Branch system to count the days, months and years. There are 10 Stems and 12 Branches in this system. Stems are named by the Yin-Yang and Five Elements (Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth). The Stem sequence order is Yang Wood, Yin Wood, Yang Fire, Yin Fire, Yang Earth, Yin Earth, Yang Metal, Yin Metal, Yang Water and Yin Water. Branches use animal names. The Branch sequence order is Rat, Cow, Tiger, Dragon, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Chicken, Dog and Pig. Stem and Branch are used together to form a cycle of 60 counting systems which begin with Wooden Rat and end with Water Pig. You can see the entire sequence from the Chinese New Year's page. From 1924 to 1983 is a complete cycle. Year 2012 is Male Water Dragon the 29th of the Stem-Branch in the system.
Because Water is connected to Black in the Five-Element system, Year 2012 is also called the Black Dragon year
Dragon has Nine Sons
A dragon is a legendary creature. All legendary stories about Chinese dragons are from the sky, which means heaven in China. The image of dragon is blurred, misty, mystic, occulted, noble and untouchable. For China, it is the symbol of power from heaven. The Chinese emperor was considered the son of heaven. An emperor has the authority to send command to Dragons. One Chinese story mentioned an emperor killed a dragon in his dream. After 581 AD, Chinese emperors began to wear imperial robes with dragon symbols. During the Ching Dynasty (1644-1911 AD), the dragon can be seen everywhere on the roofs, doors, pillars, bridges, utensils in the forbidden city. The most powerful dragon is the five-clawed dragon. It appears only on the yellow imperial robe. Because of this, Dragon is one of most auspicious animals in China. They say that Dragon has nine sons. People didn't know too much about the Nine Dragons until Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). However, there is more than one version of the Nine Dragons story. One story is the following.
The Dragon sent its nine sons to help the first emperor of Ming Dynasty to conquer China. After completing the mission, nine dragons were preparing their journey to return to heaven. But the emperor wanted them to continue to help the Ming Dynasty. The nine dragons wouldn't stay and the emperor couldn't stop them. However, the emperor decided to play a trick on the most powerful dragon, the 6th son. He tricked the sixth dragon son to carry a magic stele with a carved inscription, which could suppress any ghost, spirit or evil creature. The 6th dragon couldn't move under the magic stele, and all of his other brothers wouldn't leave without him. However, they wouldn't work for the emperor anymore. They decided to no longer show their dragon identities and turned themselves into evil creatures. Since then, the nine dragons have stayed in China.
The nine dragon have different themes, and they all have different versions too. We skip their names because all of their names are hard to remember. One version is:
- The 1st son loves music. The head of Number 1 son becomes a decoration for music instrument, such as two-stringed bowed violin (huqin).
- The 2nd son loves fighting. Many different handles of weapons have the symbol of Number 2 son.
- The 3rd son loves adventure and keeping guard. He has prestige and is the symbol of safety, harmony and peace.
- The 4th son loves howling. The image of Number 4 son can be found on the big bells. It is a symbol of protection and alertness.
- The 5th son loves quietness, sitting, fire and smoke. His image is often found in temples, such as on incense burners.
- The 6th son has the power of strength. He loves to carry heavy stuff to show off his magic energy. He is a symbol of longevity and good luck.
- The 7th son loves to seek justice. Chinese like to apply his symbol around law, court, or jail.
- The 8th son loves literature. Chinese like to put the 8th son as a symbol around steles. When used in this way, it is a symbol of knowledge or education.
- The 9th son loves water. He is a symbol to prevent fire disasters.
Parents/Guardians,
Check Out our Budokan Martial Arts Blog for new pictures of your child, at different promotions, during classes, Summer Camp, tournaments, Junior Black Belt promotion, China Pearl Recognition night, and more!!
To visit our picture blog, go to the bottom of this page and click on: "View Photos on our Blog" !
Enjoy the pictures!
Parents try to set a good example for their children. However, Marilyn’s son set a good example for her. While in high school, Michael earned a black belt in Uechi-Ryu. He said to Marilyn, “You should try karate. I know you’ll enjoy it.” She began her martial arts training in August 1992 and hasn’t stopped.
At another school she was promoted in 1998 to Nidan, 2nd degree black belt. Shortly after, she had to discontinue karate because Uechi-Ryu at that school was too bone-jarring and punishing to her body.
Marilyn soon took up Yang-style Tai Chi and then Chen-style Tai Chi. Her husband and she now study Tai Chi with Sifu Fang-Chih Lee.
In February 2009 Marilyn returned to Uechi-Ryu to study under Sensei Darin Yee. She was promoted to Sandan, IUKF 3rd degree Black Belt (International Uechi-Ryu Karate Federation), in September 2010. Sensei Yee’s hard-soft style of karate is a martial art she can practice throughout her life.
A Message From
Darin Yee
The origin of Uechi-Ryu is named Pong-Gai Noon which translated from Chinese means half hard and half soft. A true understanding of this style commits the practitioner to learn and understand its’ movement in a hard path and with little to no effort use this same movement in a soft path. Both paths should produce the same results.
While we are young and at our physical peak, we employ our strength and smash flesh to flesh, bone to bone. As we mature, we develop more skills, timing and finesse. By understanding how our bodies work with each movement, we are now true matured, martial artist and not mindless brutes. If hard is our only path, we do not learn and improve thus become much less effective because we can not withstand the forces of youth. Training in finesse, we can overcome the simplicity of strength. We no longer have to abuse our thinning bone density, brushing that last for months, fear of not having the strength to block an attack and witnessing your maturity in a beautiful, effective art which will last you a life time.
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