 For most of us who train in the martial arts, we usually have multiple things going on in our lives. Perhaps to go to work or school or both. We could be raising the family, have several hobbies or have rotating schedules. For most martial arts students, at least in the West, we have a dedicated class time a few times a week that we go to, we train, we come home, and we commence our busy schedule. But it wasn't always that way. If you go back to the old days of the martial arts, you are likely either a soldier who trained the fight for combat or possibly a farmer or civilian who trained daily for hours in order to protect yourself from those who trained the fight or in countries like Japan where training was restricted to the upper echelons of society. Sometimes it was a real privilege to train and when you did, it wasn't just for an hour or two a week. People spent their lives dedicated to the art. This brings us to what is perhaps the most dedicated and serious of students, the Uchi deshi. Uchi deshi is Japanese for inside student, which is the most basic of meanings refers to a student who is full-time and lives within the dojo or sometimes within the parameters of the dojo. Now, this wasn't a retreat or just a casual commitment. This was a full-time commitment to an art and instructor and for the time that you were there, you served the dojo or the art from the moment you woke up to the moment you went to sleep. And your duties were often split between training, serving the master in business, chores, or maintaining and cleaning the school. You usually had to be accepted to programs like this and dedicate 100 percent of your time and efforts to the school. In contrast, students who lived outside of dojo and just attended classes were referred to as soto deshi or quite literally outside students. Uchi deshi programs still actually exist today, although sometimes there's some variation on the living conditions. In modern times, they can also refer to a full-time apprenticeship with the dojo, but the commitment is no less serious. You can still find several all over the world in the Japanese arts of kyokushin, aikido, jiujitsu, and other off-shoot arts. They also usually have a very strict requirement to meet before you even be considered for such a program. Often, you have to be of a certain age, be healthy and in shape, be able to financially support yourself during your training and stay with the program. Have specific training experience, be able to leave all politics and religion outside the dojo, and also very often, you're to practice the style and only the style taught at this dojo. There are many variations in many arts, but typically expected that you were to follow their course exactly and leave previous experience outside the door. It's no joke, and neither are the martial artists that complete and graduate from these programs. Now, with all that being said, I'd like to point out an example of a man who I have a great respect for that took the role of an uchi deshi in the art of kyokushin. Shihan Judd Reed, who you may remember from our history of kyokushin episodes, entered an uchi deshi program in 1990 at the age of 19, and he spent 1,000 days training under kyokushin founder Sosai Masayama. Shihan Reed is an incredible martial artist and he is one of the few competitors ever to complete the kyokushin 100-man kumite. The 100-man kumite is a competition in which a fighter must stand and fight for 100 consecutive rounds, each round lasting between the one and a half to two minutes. These rounds are full contact, cannot be stopped, and they either end when time runs out, or someone is defeated. If the challenger loses any one of the rounds, it's over and they have failed. Shihan Reed completed this challenge in 2011, and it's an amazing story. I actually have his book right here, it's called The Young Lions, 1,000 Days of Training Under a Karate Legend and the 100-man kumite. This man is a beast, a true martial artist, and a highly respected instructor. You can also watch his documentary on YouTube, 100-man fight. I just think his story is worth sharing and can give you some extra insight on what it means to be part of an uchi deshi program. I have listed both of these resources below in the description. Do any of you out there have any experience at all as an uchi deshi or a similar program? I would love to hear your experience if you do, or from anyone who has just pushed yourself past the point of going to standard classes offered in most odors today. So please thumbs up on this video, share, subscribe, and thank you all so much for watching.