Loretta Lynn Gill Bryant

Michigan, USA

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Biography

Loretta first came into contact with Uechi-Ryu through a college course in 1988. At the time she thought she would learn all that she needed to defend herself in a semester course. Ironically she took the course more for her young son, than for herself.  Being disappointed when her instructor, Mr. James Thompon advised her that there was no follow-up course, she ventured to his dojo and so her karate career began. Now years later Loretta looks back and finds humor in her misconception about what a quick, self defense seminar would do for her.  Since then she has learned that studying karate can take on a life form of its own.  Loretta identifies that there are things she learned in the beginning that she still works on today; and that she’s never stopped learning.  She believes firmly that karate reflects all that you put into it, and if you want more, there will always be the next level you can take yourself to, both internally and externally. In addition to being committed to her study of traditional karate, Loretta has studied Aikido. She also has learned to work with a diverse number of traditional Okinawan weapons, the study of kobudo. Loretta says that years later she’s still learning more than she could ever have imagined and is eager to be on this tour, where women from around the world come together to share differences and similarities, as one.

Loretta's thoughts on this tour?  "The 2004 Women’s Friendship Tour is going to be a fantastic experience for us all to get together and train and get to know one another.  Okinawa , there couldn’t be a better location for this to take place.  I think we all are excited to be a part of this lifetime event."

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Educational Background

At what age did you begin to study karate?   

I was 27 years old.

 Why did you choose to study karate?

At the time I began to study, I was becoming uncomfortable with going out at night (ex: to the grocery store) and in Michigan in the winter it gets dark around 6 pm . Not so much for me as for my son, I kept envisioning someone trying to attack me and me telling my son to run in the store for help, and he being the child that he was, would have tried to protect me.  With this scenario I felt it was time for me to learn how to defend myself.  I found a college course at a community college and thought I would be taught all that I needed to know, silly me, now years later I‘m finding I‘m still learning more than I could have ever imagined.

After the semester was over, I asked Mr. Thompson if there was a continuing class, and to my disappointment then there wasn’t.  So I ventured to his dojo.  At the time Uechi Ryu was all that I knew, and I knew this martial art form was for me.

It will be a time when women from all over get together and unite. Meeting other women who study martial arts will be a fantastic experience.  We all study the same art but there will be so many differences in ideals, techniques, focal points and I am more than ready to take in and share our differences and alikeness. It’s like a coming together as one.              

I feel more confident that I would be able to defend myself if the situation arose. I’m more aware of things going on around me; I’m not as paranoid  of the unknown.  Don’t have such the overwhelming sense that something is out there to get me. It has given me the opportunity to meet wonderful people and build meaningful relationships.  The people at the dojo give you a sense of belonging, encouragement, love, they are like family to me.  Training becomes a part of your being - of yourself, it completes your spirit, your soul.