Uechi-ryu Karate 6th-dan Grading - Shai Hai @ Kiyohide Shinjo Dojo, Okinawa

Shai Hai takes his 6th-dan black belt grading in Uechi-ryu Karate at the Kiyohide Shinjo Dojo in Yomitan, Okinawa.
Examiners were Kiyohide Shinjo, Narihiro Shinjo, and Yoshimitsu Matsusaki all icons of Okinawan Karate.
In Uechi-ryu karate, for 6th-dan there is no kumite component, but Shai Hai had to perform the three key kata of the style.
After the grading I had the opportunity to chat with Kiyohide Shinjo about Series Three of SENSEI: Masters of Okinawan Karate. I'm excited about the possibility of interviewing Shinjo Sensei later this year.
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[@easternkarate4807]

I was a 1st kyu in Shotokan many years ago & wasn't long for Shodan, then this small Japanese sensei demonstrated at our dojo & I was blown away as my perception of what was the best got a a boost, I asked one of my mates who this guy was, he told me & within a week, I went over to his dojo & after seeing me in action for a few classes, he demoted me back down to 4th kyu & I went throught he brown belt stage again. That was the best move ever as thirteen years later, I left a Yodan because he was old school Japanese & ran me through the guantlet for all those years, it was tough because no quarter was given but it made me a better karateka today. The message is that if it's not hard, it's not worth taking the journey.

[@edwardp7639]

Amazing! Congratulations! A 6th Dan promotion in any art is a lifelong commitment. Great job...

[@roccogreco3618]

great experience, great Sensei, great Shai. thank you for sharing

[@joselosada662]

Congratulations Sensei!! Your story is an example of strenght, perseverance and willingness. All the best and thanks for sharing!

[@mauriciogutierrez322]

¡wuuuooow! Felicidades y que gran aporte con este video y tu experiencia. Gracias.

[@uwevon691]

Thanks for sharing this impressive documentation and congrats to your effort and achievement. Never give up!

[@GenjiG]

Nice inspiring story. I do Wado Kai and hope to train Japan a bit in a couple of years. 😊

[@z3r0c00l2]

Wow thanks for sharing. Here in my country (gr) I am tought shito-ryu karate. Currently brown belt. But I think I would also start over from white belt if I ever manage to visit Okinawa. Thanks for sharing. Jim

[@larsgibbon3327]

Congratulations Shai, a very inspiring story about never giving up to pursue your dreams!!

[@hi1hi2hi]

I swear they have made movies of your life. Congrats man, wish you the best.

[@mariosch7803]

amazing story. just like the story of the agerman shaolin monk...very inspired. stay focused all the time

[@franzsucalit7303]

Congratulations and what a great journey you have.

[@dominiclane9352]

Thank you for sharing Sensei. A wonderful journey that is full of honour, respect and inspiration. I study Japanese sword and my Sensei has been so supportive and has taught me so much. Many congratulations 🙏

[@dakentaijutsu2010]

Testing for your 6th dan in uechi Ryu (or any belt before and afterwards) is obviously not an easy task, I commend him, i practice Kyokushin btw!

[@tyriqcleo5899]

Why? Sounds like skill issue

[@dakentaijutsu2010]

@@tyriqcleo5899 Not sure what you're trying to get at with that comment, or what point you're attempting to make!

[@MichaelZuzolo]

​@@dakentaijutsu2010He's trying to say that he himself is an idiot.

[@thedadlife247]

@@MichaelZuzolofacts

[@AtlassianTarsier]

@@tyriqcleo5899 so whats your belt grading? Not that a high belt karateka would say such a disrespectful thing.

[@Ryo-dog]

異国の地でここまでの努力と鍛錬は本当に凄い。

[@jluistl]

Muchas felicitaciones... Excelente examen, increíble historia, maravilloso vídeo. Oss, Sensei! 🙇🏽‍♂️

[@legsakimbo666]

They dont say oss in okinawa ever oss literally means ready we say hei

[@peaceson14303]

Inspiring! Great work Shihan!

[@030382]

Beautiful video!! A wonderful document of a great path!! Congratulations!! What an achievement!!

[@michaelsentilles7009]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your story.💪👏👏👏

[@SoldierDrew]

Shalom, congratulations kayal! Todah for sharing your story with us.

[@octaviorodrigues4963]

Parabens Shai Hai um prazer te rever a muito tempo minhas felicitacoes para teu 6th...

[@mjokffsgfjs]

It's nice that the assistant will give him a massage while he is in the middle of a grading.

[@user-sm6lt9mf9t]

Yeah, I think in Muay Thai that is just the warm-up for a workout 😅

[@vincentcarvelli1086]

Thank you for sharing.

[@dariusemrani4091]

Beautiful! Congratulations on fighting for your dream

[@ROCKY44]

Thank you for sharing your story. Inspirational.

[@RickMartin-w8s]

You were very lucky to get accepted . I was in okinawa from 81 to 87an back then unless you were okinawan you just werent accepted . Ive heard its all changed there now . Okinawais beautiful an i loced it when i was younger but im too old to ever go back now . 😮

[@Lieutenant-Dan]

Wonderful story and incredible achievement. Well done! 🥋

[@slanginandbangingtactical1829]

I feel your spirt through your story. I’m a 5th Dan Kenpo . Usss

[@coycontreras2130]

Sabrá alguien si existe una escuela de uechi ryu en México.

[@demonslayer9016]

beautiful, thanks for sharing

[@kotinnda123]

感動しました。素晴らしいカラテ

[@captainmagpie1446]

Congrats man! Dan tests are sooo hard (as they should be) 🙂

[@CraigAB69]

Congrats on the grading. Did you say that you went to the Dojo wearing your black belt from another style? If that's true, no wonder you were beaten.

[@DanSimmons-s2f]

Wow.....Looks like sooo much fun!

[@MrAfp20400]

So you started training with Sensei in 2007. Is this video relatively recent? Congratulations on your achievement! Very humbling.

[@soft-minimalist]

This is a video from April 2024

[@adfas44]

Congratulations! That is a great achievement! Did you also learn the meaning of the individual techniques in the movement sequence?

[@emptyemptiness8372]

Relaxed, explosive power and unbreakable structure. Well done.

[@michaeldedonato-hd2je]

Well done and indomitable spirit!

[@SullyMadoori]

Congratulations Sense. God bless

[@jeromed2]

At the start, what strikes me is that the sansei doesn't even turn his foot that remains on the floor while throwing leg kicks...

[@tomf4547]

Probably fake

[@malakusmalakuss2152]

Congratulations. I train goju ryu, but you practice excellently. I see you practice a lot. it doesn't matter that your fists are not closed. (joke) I wish you much joy in your training and further development

[@jiggy1992]

おめでとう御座います。日々の鍛錬の賜物ですね。尊敬します

[@GorillaStrom]

why not name your previous instructor? or did I miss it.

[@xaviersphilostube8718]

Congratulations ! Rokudan is a great llevel, hence great responsibility. I am confident that you will be very careful to pass on the art of the Okiniawan Karate-Do trustfully to your students ! It'is alway's a good thing to have an model for the younger generations.

[@bci3937]

wow, insane* thanks for sharing....i actually beginning with JKD I wonder that the standing in Karate is similar to WT? Interesting... I remember if I was young, I was into ninjutsu and after every training, got my blue and purple marks as well. Mostly from learning to fall down.

[@martialartnerd1396]

Very intersting. And well done. But is there kumite examined too? I would like to see some, because uechi Ryu is very particular.

[@hardykornfeld1733]

I wondered about that too. When I was tested for shodan and nidan in George Mattson’ Uechi-ryu dojo in Boston back in the 70s, kumite was part of the process. I since moved on to Yang style tai chi, but this well made and sincere video brought me back in time.

[@brightlord-ov7cm]

What happened to the first 5 dans? Were they being disruptive? This is a joke I know what they mean.

[@jasoncaine7829]

Thank you so much

[@MeibukanKarate1976]

Though guy with strong spirit. Congratulations.

[@KingSize050]

Massive respect!!

[@TooTRUEtoBeG00D]

I am just 7 kyu and practiced 15 years ago but i saw that down swing in your punches and that is the only thing he complained about in the end.

[@ugoc3300]

I wish I could see a long time practitioner turn to boxing for a few months. I really wonder what it’d be like. It is a bit like not adapting to newer schools. While martial arts did before.

[@davec8401]

Thats some solid shime - much respect

[@evgenyrybin2394]

Congratulations 🎉

[@shaolinwaltertoch]

Good and you have a good MASTER

[@bkkarma178]

OOH 6th my Teacher Was in his 40's to but he Was 5ith Dan 25 Year's Ago ../Bow

[@grant2861]

Inspiring story.

[@funasanlibra]

すごいな、この人。 腕の動きが機械のようだ。 相当に強い人だ。

[@guycloutier1198]

Congratulation Sensei Shai

[@Burvedys]

That actual story is more interesting than the exam itself. Congratulations anyway!

[@dangerdavefreestyle]

these are all the sound effects that they make for the movies with whips and celery sticks etc....but in this scenario its all genuine. That short bald guy is quick as a cat and his strikes look unpleasant to take!

[@ДмитрийСтоляров-в7ь]

Поздравляю вас. От души.

[@typedeaf]

"One advice". I wish that was the normal for sensei and senpai. Too often so much advice that you just feel crushed, unable to perform w/o fear of doing one of the many, many things you have been advised to change. Let one be enough, until one is mastered. Then another one.

[@naltispace]

Nice Video, congrats

[@deathspawn54]

I hope to see a shorei-kan Goju Ryu master on here one day

[@IrLosin]

A very inspiring story.

[@SistemAX-21]

that old gentleman kick is actually hurt as hell, that is not a random kick

[@Baltihunter]

Very interesting 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧

[@sebaom3743]

Gratz Sensei !

[@Amos_tao]

Congratulations 🙏

[@edgardocarrasquillo9]

Blessings to all

[@locksmithdb5987]

A good striker wouldn't let a BJJ practitioner even get close.

[@cdubs9918]

If I took ONE of those leg kicks, I would be down. Probably going to the doctor, buying Ice and going to sit in an ice bath for 6 hours and eating 20 Oxy's!

[@strangedays1984]

Strong!

[@DanielRodriguez-x1z]

Uechi Ryu Karate is similar to Kyokushin Karate. Kyokushin Karate is powerful and popular, just like Chun Kuk Do since Grandmaster Chuck Norris mastered 15 fighting styles, especially Kenpo Karate, Hapkido, and Kyokushin Karate.

[@TinNguyen_USA]

Shai, you are so determined to pursue your dream.

[@kerai86]

The real karate kid. What a story

[@rezajamshidi5139]

👍

[@vandamme6379]

A warriors path starts with several refusals from a karate master. 😂

[@Maximplastun]

סיפור מרתק ומעורר השראה!! אוסס!!🥋

[@guthnar]

THAT WILL DEFENTLY HELP YOU IN A FIGTH OF COURSE

[@iramiyahira8301]

This Israeli is humble and dedicated 😂❤😂😮❤

[@נתןמארק-צ1ל]

שי אתה אלוף מת להתאמן איתך בארץ

[@eliasperez1022]

Great stuff but a blue belt level jiujitsu player would take him down and submit him within a few minutes. There are those break boards then there are those who submit people on the mats. Congrats

[@VictoriaCruz-f7r]

Perez Margaret Thompson Timothy Perez Patricia

[@pinkydavis6113]

The test should be fighting a formidable opponent with no limitations on contact. Anything short of that is just a waste of time...

[@rko2016]

Didnt you see all the felled shadows he boxed?

[@Lieutenant-Dan]

This wins the most ignorant comment award. Black belt gradings are multi faceted and he would've already done a heap of sparring/kumite tests in previous gradings. When getting to the higher dans, it's more about your knowledge of karate and fine tuning technique, not having full contact fights. Achieving anything difficult is never waste of time.

[@pinkydavis6113]

@@Lieutenant-Dan Yeah, I know how much you guys love to run the around in your costumes, pretending to be fighters. Too bad competitions like the UFC had to come along and expose all the fakers.

[@jimclarke1108]

Only in Japan🏅

[@BP-ii5wd]

To make your master hood in martial art complete you have to compete in MMA..

[@TinNguyen_USA]

Wow wow wow

[@casandre2]

kol ah kavod!

[@louisdrewainwright5359]

Martinez Brian Lee Matthew Thomas Donald

[@Ador828]

Good level though

[@mepsley]

Kol hakavot Sensie!

[@sleeve8651]

I understood this perfectly ! ITCH......SCRATCH ! ITCH...... SCRATCH ! Amazing how quickly I pick up on things ! 😑 🙏 XiéXié

[@surfboardshack3327]

That’s the real Mr Miyagi

[@siniv.s3001]

Super Vedio thanks god son of god

[@davidreynoso8833]

OSSU !!

[@rezawaheed8879]

really sad for the is a rail heh

[@aragornii507]

That's beast

[@tomf4547]

Interesting but I still think any decent boxer would beat karate.