What Oyata Te Encompasses

This system of instruction in Oyata's defensive methods and methodology evolved from 30+ years of the founder's experience from Oyata's (direct) instruction. The Oyata Te system employs the (direct) instructions and guidance that was received from Taika Seiyu Oyata during his final years of instruction. Many of the founding members trained (directly) with Oyata himself (on a weekly basis) during those years, and were completely familiar with Oyata's desires for his methodology's advancement. Although his (public) organization "survived" his passing, that organization has chosen to pursue a different direction for that membership's instruction. Although we recognized their reasons for doing so, we did not agree with those choices and have chosen to pursue the instruction of our students to be done in the manner that we received it (from Oyata himself). For that reason, the founding member's organized the Oyata Te system.

We pursue the "ideal" of sharing Oyata's methodology with interested systems/instructors, and attend numerous gatherings/seminars that allow us to do so. We have no (or at least limited) desire to increase our system's membership level. The majority of the instruction that we provide is (often) for the improvement of "any" system/methodology's technique application (as it was provided to us by Oyata).

Oyata provided varying levels of instruction (in his methodology) over the years that he lived within the United States. What was taught prior to his immigration (here) was different than what was taught after that arrival. That instruction continued to be improved (by him) until his passing in 2012. His final years of instruction focused upon principles and details of/for instructing his methodology. That instruction included (numerous) changes/additions (if not corrections) to kata and weapon's use/application.

Oyata was never a “fan” of the “belt-ranking” system (commonly employed by the various martial art systems). He would often express regret for his employment of it, and felt that it (too often) inflated the egos of some individual's who had been promoted (with it). Within “our” school/system “Oyata Te”, and within our system of instruction, we have restricted (if not eliminated) the "Dan" ranking system. Once our students achieve a Yudansha (Black Belt) ranking, there is no further/higher “ranking” available. All Yudansha are treated as equals. Those who have/provide particular (if not specific) instruction (in various subjects) are recognized, and are (individually) approached for instruction in those subjects.

Our student's main focus is upon “open-hand” (defensive) training. That instruction commonly entails a longer training period that is more commonly recognized/experienced (within this "industry"). The average amount of a student's training (within our school), prior to testing for Yudansha is 4-6 years. We additionally don't “charge” for mudansha (“kyu” rank) gradings. This should be understood to be the result of the fact that we are not attempting to “make a living”(nor are we obligated to “pay bill's”) from the instruction of our classes. That “obligation” (obviously) will vary between instructors of this system. Unlike many of those instructor's, we reserve the right to dismiss a student/attendee for any (justified) reason, and/or reject a student's application to study with us (These would be rare occurrences but it should be understood regardless). We have limitations on how many student's that we will accept (within our weekly classes) but with the varied "work" schedules of our present students, overcrowding is rarely a problem.

The seminars that we attend/instruct at, are (most commonly) used to illustrate individual aspects of Oyata's methodology (whether those are shown in regards to "Tuite", "weapon's" or defensive applications). Attendees should never assume that they are (then) “training” in the Oyata Te system. They are only receiving exposure to that system.

Only those person's who train in and/or have received a Yudansha ranking (within the “Oyata Te” system) are authorized to award or present ranking within that system (and is done so within the parameters of our system's mandates).

For those that (continually) have asked, neither Oyata nor ourselves have ever Endorsed or accepted/condoned any amount of "TCM" instruction/practices to be a part of the instruction that we provide. We are fully aware that numerous persons that attend our seminars participate in "that" practice but has no relevance to what (or how) our instruction of Oyata's methodology is provided.

We consider the pursuit of that subject to be “on par” with Flat-Earther beliefs. Student's are free to believe/study anything that their interests leads them to, but those beliefs are not recognized by the Oyata Te System/ instructors.

That being stated, we regularly explore (recognized) medical research that aids in our instruction of the Oyata Te methodology. Our students are exposed to the study of (general) Anatomy and body/limb motion (Kinesiology). This was the only "extra" (type of) study that Oyata endorsed. It could be (easily) argued that Oyata included (a limited amount of) behavioral tendency's, and to an equally limited extent it is (being limited to a person's naturally performed actions and reactions).

Oyata's methodology focused on the efficient performance of the instructed actions. Those actions are intended to provide specific reactions (by the aggressor) with their implementation. Though not (individually) being complicated, they required a greater amount of practice to perform them (effectively). Each of our students receives individual instruction (as each student will have particular differences/limitations and/or abilities). This accounts for the "limitations" that we impose on our (own) class sizes. This commonly results in (that student's training) requiring a larger (I.E. longer) than is commonly recognized amount of time spent with their training.

The video examples that we have provided (elsewhere) in regards to the Oyata Te methodology have been provided for those practitioner's who possess some level of experience (in the illustrated subject). Those examples only illustrate limited examples of those subjects (being addressed within those videos).

Becoming an instructor/member of the Oyata Te system requires an instructor to (personally) participate in those classes that provide that ability. Though being a "common" practice, the Oyata Te system does not automatically bestow (any) “rank” upon a new member/practitioners (regardless of any previously earned ranking). We consider the provided instruction to be individual (if not specific) from other commonly taught defensive systems. Although (possibly) appearing to be “elitist”, we are only choosing to endorse a specific method of defensive instruction/practice to/for our own students (within our instruction of this methodology). Our acceptance of (member) instructor's to endorse any "additional" instruction/practices (within their own classes) can or may be accepted, but are not (necessarily) recognized (by any other members within our organization).