Interview : Lionel Reynaud Back from Winterfest

We are thrilled to welcome back our Sensei, Lionel Reynaud, from his trip to Florida, where he attended the renowned Winterfest, organized by George Mattson—widely regarded as the father of Uechi-Ryu Karate in America.

Sensei Reynaud has graciously agreed to share his experience and insights from this prestigious event with us.

Uechi-Ryu Oryukai: Hi Lionel, you just returned this week from the USA, where you participated in the Winterfest.

Lionel Reynaud: Indeed! I had the privilege of being invited by George Mattson to Orlando, Florida, for the Winterfest.
The Winterfest is a gathering that started in the late 1970s and has welcomed many masters such as Seiyu Gushi, Tsumoto Nakahodo, Kanmei Uechi, and others.
The purpose of this event is to bring together various countries and different organizations within Uechi-Ryu Karate.

We had many countries represented (USA, Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, Australia, China, France, etc.) and various organizations present (IUKF, Kenyukai, Butokukai, Yoshukai, etc.).
I really appreciated the spirit of fraternity beyond nationalities and organizations because, even though there are differences in practice between the different groups, we are all practicing Uechi-Ryu Karate.
Given the current climate of anxiety, many participants thanked the organizers for these precious moments that allowed everyone to come together.

How did the days unfold?

The routine was quite simple: we all started the day together with a joint session led by George Mattson and Buzz Durkin. Then, around 10 AM, three to four workshops were offered. The range was quite broad, with a significant emphasis on the Chinese roots of Uechi-Ryu Karate.
We had workshops on training with the wooden dummy, sessions with Kung Fu masters, Kobudo training, and, of course, many sessions entirely dedicated to Uechi-Ryu.

Did you train in a huge Dojo?

We were not in a Dojo because, with over 100 participants and multiple workshops, I don’t think there is a facility in Orlando large enough with three big training halls.
Some sessions were even held outdoors because, as Mattson Sensei says, “The world is our Dojo.”
In fact, the day before the Winterfest, George Mattson invited us to train in a wooded park. Practicing outdoors, especially with such pleasant temperatures, was truly enjoyable.

Looking at the list of instructors, including yourself, we noticed many Karate legends from the USA. How did you experience this moment?

To be completely honest, I arrived feeling quite impressed but, above all, excited to train with people I’ve known for over ten years, with whom I regularly exchange ideas, but had never met in person until now.

Who in particular are you thinking of?

Rik Lostritto and Jannet Okazaki, with whom I regularly exchange and have had the chance to train online.
Rik is a student of Gushi Sensei, who had a significant influence in the USA during the 1980s.

I also think of Buzz and Judy Durkin, with whom I had many discussions, but due to lack of time, we had never met in person—same for Patricia and Tim Dando.

Justin Testa, with whom I teach online classes at the Mattson Academy, and who has also written a very interesting book on Uechi-Ryu.

And of course, my dear friend Cecilia Salbuchi (Argentina), with whom I exchange a lot—it was a real joy to finally spend time together in person!

You mentioned many names, but not George Mattson, who was the organizer of this event…

That’s true (laughs). I’ve known George for a very long time; he is someone who is very important to me on a personal level—he truly feels like family, as does his wife, Susan.

I was very happy to be by his side for such an event and grateful to share quality time together, even though he was in high demand.

I am always impressed to see him practicing at 88 years old with such passion, energy, and, most importantly, a vision for the future.
During the Winterfest, he was determined to demonstrate katas, even though he was recovering from illness.

He also took advantage of this gathering to talk about the teachings of Kanei Uechi and Ryuko Tomoyose that he received and is determined to pass on to ensure they endure.

Is this what he calls ‘The Old Way’?

Tomoyose Sensei referred to this teaching as the Way of Shushiwa, while George uses the term The Old Way.

Can you explain what it consists of?

The principles are quite simple and practical: working on relaxation to gain speed and enhance impact. The breathing method is also slightly different.
It’s essentially a full-body approach that helps conserve energy to generate more power at the right moment through an alternation of solid and fluid movements.

Do you think this approach is becoming widespread in the USA?

Not necessarily widespread, as the United States is vast and has many different instructors. However, during the workshops, many high-ranking practitioners came to explore or rediscover it. It was very interesting to train with them in these sessions.

Were there many of them?

This gathering was not specifically dedicated to The Old Way but to Uechi-Ryu Karate as a whole.
George Mattson spoke about it during the first hour every day…

Ah yes, so that was quite a responsibility!

More than anything, it was quite a linguistic challenge! I definitely don’t have an American accent when speaking English (laughs).
In the moment, I didn’t really think about the responsibility behind it. I found that the participants I worked with were extremely motivated and eager for explanations.
Since I didn’t know everyone personally, I simply tried to convey the right messages and contribute what I could.

If I had known before starting my first seminar that I had high-ranking practitioners (7th, 8th, and 9th Dan) in the audience, maybe I would have felt some pressure. But since I only found out at the end of the session, I just delivered what I had prepared.

I also demonstrated the physiological impact of different training approaches by measuring my physiological data while performing the three historical katas—Sanchin, Seisan, and Sanseiryu—to show the benefits of this type of practice.
Okinawan Karate isn’t as “technological” as some modern sports, like cycling, where I worked as a coach for many years. However, we can still use classic and specialized tools, such as the Herman Trainer developed by George Mattson, which allows us to measure reaction time and the impact of techniques.

What were their reactions?

For some, The Old Way reminded them of principles their Japanese masters used but never explicitly explained. Some students of Gushi Sensei told me they recognized certain principles in what their teacher practiced.

They were also very interested in seeing real-time physiological data during kata or kumite demonstrations, as it allowed them to measure and adjust their practice based on key principles.

Above all, I really appreciated the humility of these high-ranking practitioners. They were open to working with everyone, eager to explore or rediscover certain training principles, and willing to question their own approaches.
That was truly inspiring for me.