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3.
The associations goals are the following principles:
a.
We will embody the principles of filial piety and make efforts to be
upright citizens.
b.
We will deepen our understanding of everyday life and pursue a hard
working, humble, and frugal life-style.
c.
We emphasize physical exercise and bodily health.
d.
We will cultivate moral behavior and increase our appreciation of
others.
e.
We will promote social spirit and contribute to public well-being.
4.
Our members will refrain from drunken violence and will not injure
another person under penalty of immediate expulsion.
5.
Twenty yen will be collected each month for dojo maintenance.
6.
There will be a one yen registration fee.[89]
Kanbun's school grew to several hundred, with
forty-four senior members. As can be
seen from the following list, this group of senior students were mainly from Okinawa, most of them were noticeably from
Ie-son (a northern off-island). This is evidence of the fact that when
martial arts instruction was first offered, students were preferentially
limited to those from the same region.
SHATAKU DOJO
PRACTITIONERS April 1926 - March 1932
Ryuyu Tomoyose (Okinawa, Ie-son), Genmei
Uezato (Okinawa, Kume-jima), Kata Yamashiro (Okinawa, Ie-son), Saburo Uehara
(Okinawa, Oroku), Gichu Matayoshi (Okinawa, Urasoe-son), Kanei Uechi (Okinawa,
Motobu-cho), Shuei Sakiyama (Okinawa, Ie-son), Bunkichi Tamagusuku (Okinawa,
Motobu-cho), Kaei Akamine (Okinawa, Itoman-shi), Tamamura Susumu (Okinawa, Naha-shi).
TEBIRA DOJO PRACTITIONERS Pan-gai-nun-ryu Karate-jutsu
Institute Period
April 1932 - 1934
Hachizo Oshiro (Okinawa, Ie-son), Chigen
Bise (Okinawa, Ie-son), Kazuo Kishimoto (Okinawa, Ie-son), Yamata Chinen
(Okinawa, Ie-son), Seiryo Shinjo (Okinawa, Ie-son), Noboru Uchima (Okinawa, Ie-son), Takanobu Matayoshi (Okinawa,
Urasoe-shi), Senuke Yabiku (Okinawa, Ie-son), Takeo Gibo (Okinawa, Ie-son).
1935 - 1937
Misao Kitamura (Wakayama), Seiichi
Hosokawa (Wakayama), Chuichi Kameyama (Wakayama), Tadamitsu Kamei (Wakayama),
Takeshi Yamazaki (Kagawa), Seitoku Teruya (Okinawa, Tamagusuku-son), Kiyoaki Enomoto
(Wakayama), Eika Hirayama (Okinawa, Motobu-cho), Morika Iju (Okinawa, Takamine-son), Takamasa Negoro (Wakayama), Masaji Kimoto (Wakayama), Shigehide
Nakazato (Okinawa, Nakijin-son), Takayoshi
Tomoyose (Okinawa, Ie-son), Shukei Minemoto (Wakayama), Tsunejiro Akai (Wakayama), Natsukichi Shimabukuro (Okinawa,
Ie-son).
1938 - 1941
Takeshi Arinuma (Wakayama), Kotoku
Takamine (Okinawa, Nago-shi), Ryuzo Nishitani (Wakayama), Kenichi Demizu (Wakayama),
Harumatsu Yabuta (Wakayama), Hansei Yamagusuku (Okinawa, Ie-son), Seitoku Toyama (Okinawa, Naha-shi), Seiko Toyama (Okinawa, Naha-shi),
Seiryu Shinjo (Okinawa, Ie-son).
Kanbun Uechi's students numbered more
than two hundred people. Among them the
above-mentioned 44 men are counted as being in his group of senior
students. Among these the most senior
were Ryuyu Tomoyose, Genmei Uezato, Saburo Uehara, Kata Yamashiro, Gichu
Matayoshi, Kanei Uechi, Shuei Sakihama, Bunkichi Tamagusuku, Hachizo Oshiro,
Takeo Gibo, Kazuo Kishimoto, Seiryo Shinjo, Kaei Akamine, Susumu Tamamura,
Noboru Uchima, Eika Hirayama, Takayoshi Tomoyose, Natsukichi Shimabukuro,
Kotoku Takamine, Seiko Toyama, and Seiryu Shinjo; they were especially talented
and outstanding figures in the foundation of Uechiryu KarateDo. Their existence must be considered to be
historical.[90]
BRANCH DOJO ESTABLISHED
IN OSAKA
Being anticipated as the 2ND generation
of Uechiryu's head family and thought of as a treasure, Kanei Uechi proved
himself worthy of the expectation.
Inheriting his father, Kanbun's martial disposition, he surpassed his companions
in this attribute and in sharp motor nerves.
Moreover, he was an unusually hard worker. Becoming a practice demon, he diligently
trained day and night; as a result his ability improved remarkably. He received his father Kanbun's coaching for
10 years. He mastered theory, spirit,
technique, and body to the degree that he was considered to excel his father in
these aspects. With his father Kanbun's
approval and upon receiving his certificate of full proficiency, Kanei Uechi
opened a branch dojo at Tsurumi Hashi Dori, Nishinari-ku, Osaka-shi in April of
1937. Kanei was 26 years old and his
father was almost 60 years old. However,
although Kanei Uechi was enthusiastic about being the master of a new dojo,
upon seeing the sign proclaiming the Pan-gai-nun-ryu Karate-jutsu Institute,
Osaka Branch, and upon knowing it was a karate school, only a few people
entered it. In those days people only
thought of karate as a means of fighting; it was common for the general public
to think of karate as being evil. Under
such circumstances students at the initial classes numbered approximately
20. Although the branch dojo was not as
successful as he hoped, he dreamed and energetically worked for the growth of
Pan-gai-nun Ch'uan-fa [Kenpo] in Osaka; an intrepid youth of 26, Kanei Uechi was not
satisfied with the state of things as they were, something was missing. As time went on, he came to realize that
there was a strong tendency among the students.
Namely, that there was a high attrition rate among the students and that
the natural selection process was severe.
Most students left the dojo and few students remained. Knowing this tendency, he felt broad-minded
and adopted a selective policy regarding the dojo's management and teaching
guidance (i.e. the policy of having affairs run by fewer people of superior
ability). Then, he came to realize that
only those who could endure the strict practice would remain. Thus, even if the policy of carefully
selecting students did not produce men of skill, time would serve the same
function (of weeding out those who were unsuited to the training). Arriving at a new understanding Kanei Uechi
along with his father Kanbun came to establish the same policy, that of not
refusing those who came nor of pursuing those who left. Unfortunately, the Osaka dojo period did not produce any martial artists to
transmit their names to posterity.[91]
On October 18, 1939 Kanei married Shige Nahahara, a marriage which
eventually produced 4 daughters; Takeko, Mitsuko, Tomoko, Keiko, and 3 sons;
Hiroaki (Kanmei), Hiromasu, and Hirohumi. Kanbun Uechi was 62 years
old.
HYOGO DOJO PERIOD
For a short period after their marriage
Mr. and Mrs. Kanei Uechi were living the sweet life in the Osaka area; but, having hope in his heart, he moved to
Hyogo-ken before long. In the beginning
of 1940 Kanei Uechi established a dojo in his home at Amagasaki-shi,
Hyogo-ken. He was urged to do so by the
Okinawan Prefecture Association. For
more than two years he devoted himself to karate instruction in Hyogo and
produced many martial artists who passed their names to posterity. Soon, Japan went plunging into that abominable Greater East Asia
War. Many of these martial artists died
on the battlefield. Studying under Kanei
Uechi during the Hyogo Dojo Period, completing the training, also lucky enough
to live through the war were such well-developed and excellent students as
Kotoku Iraha (Kitanakagusuku-son outskirts - commerce), Soryu Furugen
(Naha-shi, Aza outskirts - acupuncture art occupation), and Seiki Itokazu
(Naha-shi Daido outskirts - unrestricted occupation). These three men were active as the
triumvirate of the Hyogo Dojo Period.
Now these three men are retired and became members of the Uechiryu
KarateDo Association's Advisory
Group with the title of Kyoshi Hachidan.[92]
In the Autumn of 1940, almost 15 years
after the establishment of the Pan-gai-nun-ryu Karate-jutsu Institute, Kanbun
Uechi made the long awaited change in his school's name upon the recommendation
of his students and acquaintances. It
was changed to Uechiryu Karate-do Institute.
This, being named for
the founder, Kanbun
Uechi's surname, marked the birth of Uechiryu.
This was to become a turning point in making Uechiryu KarateDo's
remarkable development a reality both in name and in fact, this honor was a
great pleasure for the founder Kanbun Uechi and the other people concerned
(Kanei Uechi, senior and junior students and acquaintances) because it was a
historical product 31 years in the making since Kanbun's return from China in 1910.
Kanbun was 63 years old and given the name grandmaster. Thereafter, the number of
Uechiryu students in both Wakayama
and Hyogo prefectures continued increasing.[93]
Approximately 1935, a formal Dan, Kyu
ranking system came into being. Until
then, there was no formal ranking system.
Dan ranks were licensed not through strict and impartial examination
regulations but by direct recognition of the master's skilled
authorization. Dan ranks and titles came
to be given only irregularly. From 1926 until 1945, Ryuyu Tomoyose and
Kanei Uechi were the only two men to receive Dan rank and the title of Hanshi
personally from Kanbun Uechi. On January 14, 1940 Ryuyu Tomoyose and one year later on January 14,
1941 Kanei Uechi each were licensed as Godan rank. Later in January of 1945, Ryuyu Tomoyose was
awarded the highest title of "Hanshi" from Kanbun Uechi. Then, 14 years later, on July 11, 1959, Kanei Uechi received the Hanshi title, in the name
of Kanbun Uechi, certified by his senior Hanshi Ryuyu Tomoyose.
Further, it is generally known, the
Pan-gai-nun-ryu Karate-jutsu Institute produced many distinguished and talented
martial artists, who built up the Uechiryu's first Golden Age. Based on good deeds, diligent daily training,
and excellence of technique, they were awarded the "kyoshi" title
posthumously at the 1974 Uechiryu KarateDo
Association's General meeting. As for
the senior students of the First Golden Age who were still living, the
"Kyoshi" title was given retroactively to December 3, 1964. As such,
December 3, 1964 was the date on which the Uechiryu KarateDo
association first issued the "Kyoshi" title.[94]
On May 10, 1941 Hiroaki (Kanmei), eldest son of Kanei, was born.
By April 1942, Kanei Uechi decided to
return to Okinawa after most of his students were called to war. Entrusting future affairs to his senior
pupils, Kotoku Iraha, Soryu Furugen, and Seiki Itokazu, Kanei Uechi left the
Hyogo dojo. He returned to Okinawa with his wife and children. For
Kanei Uechi it was a returning home after a 15
year absence. Kanei Uechi was 31 years
old.
By
then, the Uechi family had already moved from Motobu's Izumi to Nago's Miyazato. His return was to take care of
his mother, brother, and sisters. Soon
after settling down in Nago's Miyazato, Kanei Uechi gathered his younger
brother Kansei Uechi (then 20 years old), Kohan Toyozate, and some neighborhood
youths and began teaching in a spacious backyard garden. That was in fact, Uechiryu's Okinawan
beginnings. This came to be known as
Uechiryu Karate-jutsu Research Club at Miyazato village near Nago.[95]
Ryuko Tomoyose, son of Ryuyu, was living
in Futenma Okinawa when he learned from his father that Kanbun's son Kanei
Uechi was in Okinawa. He traveled
from Futenma to Nago in search of him. He tried to persuade
Kanei to teach in Futenma where he and a few others planned to build a dojo for
him.[96]
However, in 1944, Kanei, his younger
brother Kansei, and most of the students were called into the war effort to
defend Okinawa. The school
in Nago closed.[97]
So at age 33, Kanei, drafted into
military service was assigned to the station of Ie-jima garrison (an island off
the north coast of Okinawa). This
garrison was commanded by Major Tadashi Igawa.
He was later transferred to Colonel Takahiko Udo's Kunigami ground
support. Kanei's commanding officer, Lt.
Jinbo, a first lieutenant, knew that private Uechi was a "Shihan" of
karate and made him perform in front of the soldiers whenever possible. It was Jinbo who was to save Kanei's life and
with it, secure the future of Uechiryu KarateDo. Early in March 1945 Kanei Uechi was one
of 40 soldiers from Ie-jima sent back to the main island as a supply
squadron. By the middle of April the U.S. force took Ie-jima and the whole Japanese infantry
division was wiped out. After the war
ended, Kanei returned to Okinawa.
The Shubukai had prospered until Japan's entrance into World War II drew all but a few
students away to battle. With Japan in shambles, Kanbun Uechi, in October 1946 at age
69, returned to his village in Okinawa. This was to
be his last voyage. His fellow travelers
were two of his senior students; Seiryu (Seitoku) Shinjo, and Seiryo Shinjo (Seiryu's son). Upon leaving, he placed
the dojo in the hands of Ryuyu Tomoyose who then taught a small group of family
and close friends.[98] In 1948, when post-war policies changed,
Ryuyu Tomoyose was able to teach publicly again. In 1957 he moved the dojo to a nearby
location and taught until his death in 1970.
Shortly after World War II, many of Kanbun's top students also returned
to Okinawa where they hoped to find their village and homes
intact following the devastation throughout the island. Uehara, Gibo, Ihara, Natsukichi, the Toyama brothers
(Seitoku and Seiko), Shimabukuro, and
Itokuzu were just a few.
Kanbun Uechi then re-opened the school
his son Kanei began in Nago and training began.
He was still shy of publicity and consented to demonstrate his art only two
more times after his return to Okinawa;[99]
once at the Okinawa City's conference and then again at the Nakijin Village
fireman's organization. Upon retiring,
he left teaching to Kanei.
A year later, in 1947, Kansei Uechi
(second son) age 25 returned to Okinawa. He had been captured by the Russian army in Manchuria and had spent 2 years in a Siberian prison camp.[100] He returned in time to see his father who had
been suffering from a lingering illness.
Three days after Kanbun's last public
performance in January 1948, he fell ill with Nephritis, a disease of the kidney
(some forms are also known as Bright's disease). He fought his illness for the next 10 months
but finally died on November 25, 1948 at the age of 71.
At this time he had been living on Ie-jima
Island. He was buried in Nago near some
of the old Uechi family lands.[101] Eventually he was moved to the family tomb in
Futenma. (Note: After World War II, the
living conditions were very bad on Okinawa. American forces were not able to provide
sufficient food for the locals, and so, as a result, many Okinawans contracted kidney disorders. Kanbun's disorder could have been treated but
when others implored him to see a doctor (something he had never done), he said
"I will live until 88" and that "it isn't necessary for me to
get treatment." Mr. Tomoyose told
me in 1957, but wasn't discussed at the 1967 meetings, that just before Kanbun
died, he stood up and got into a Sanchin stance. Focusing every muscle in his body he yelled
out "it isn't time, you can't have me!" He then fell over and died).[102]
At the end of April 1949, shortly after
the death of his father Kanbun, Kanei Uechi, now 38 years old left his home in
Nago. Moving South, he established the
Nodake thatched hut dojo at Ginowan-cho, Aza Nodake 1537 banchi. He put out a sign, "Uechiryu Karate
Jutsu Kenkyu-jo" (Uechi Karate
study hall). The Kanzatobaru dojo
(zinc-roofed) in the suburbs of Naha was also set up with Mr. Seiki Itukazu from the
Hyoyo dojo as senior student.[103] Kanei does this with the help of Ryuko
Tomoyose, son of Ryuyu, in Ginowan-cho.
Tomoyose was 20 years old. Three
days a week, every other day, Kanei would bus to Naha to teach a large number of students at the
Kanzatobaru dojo. He did this because he
wanted to make Uechiryu grow.
Teaching at the Nodake thatched hut dojo
for nearly seven years, Uechiryu was becoming more widely known day by day in
the central and southern section, and more and more people were requesting
entry into the thatched hut Nodake dojo.
Finally, the dojo became too small and it became necessary to seek a
more spacious dojo. Thereupon, in June 1955, he moved the dojo to
Ginowan-cho, Aza Futenma 163 banchi (100 meters to the northeast of the present
dojo). This dojo was built with a tile
roof and was a large place, being more than 850 square feet.[104]
(Translator's note: In July 1957, after
teaching at this tile-roofed dojo for about two years, Kanei Uechi moved both
his Futenma class and his Kanzatobaru class to a new dojo at Ginowan-cho, Aza
Futenma 166 banchi. This is the current
location of the dojo but in December, 1963 a new ferro-concrete building was constructed. Known as the Soke Shubukan, this dojo is the
World Headquarters of the Uechiryu KarateDo Association). The dojo is situated at the top of the
highest hill in Futenma.[105]
In May 1956, the first meeting of the
Okinawa KarateDo Renmei (Okinawa Karate Federation) was held in Naha. At this
time, Kanei was made a charter member.
Kanei Uechi has been awarded three
"Hanshi" titles. To receive
these titles is the greatest honor for a martial artist. On July 11, 1959, Ryuyu Tomoyose authorized and awarded the Hanshi
title. On March 19, 1967 at age 55, Kanei Uechi was awarded the rank of
Hanshi Judan (10Th. Dan) by the Zen Nihon KarateDo Renmei (All Japanese
KarateDo Federation) and official recognition as the Master of Uechiryu
KarateDo. Then, on April 11, 1967 the Zen Okinawan KarateDo Renmei (All Okinawan
Karate Federation) awarded Master Kanei Uechi the same by a unanimous decision
-- Hanshi Judan). Later, in May 1975,
Master Kanei Uechi would be elected President of the same association. He was almost 64 years old.[106]
In the winter of 1966, Kanei Uechi (age
54), Ryuko Tomoyose, and other members of the Uechi Karate Association visited Taiwan and met with Chinese Kenpo experts to discuss the
origins of Pan-gai-nun. As a result, it
is believed that "Shushabu" is a variant pronunciation (due to
different local dialect) of "Shushiwa" a famed Kenpo teacher from Foochow.
Then, in August 1967, Kanei Uechi and
Ryuko Tomoyose visited the United States of America to observe Uechiryu KarateDo's growth.
In January 1971 the "Shubukai"
was renamed "Uechiryu KarateDo Kyokai" (Uechi Karate Association) and
became an international organization with member schools in the United States,
Canada, England, France, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Brazil,
Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
Pan-gai-nun-ryu was reformed in October
of 1978 by a breakaway group of Kanei Uechi's disciples headed by Seiko Itokazu
and Takashi Kinjo. One reason was that
they wanted to include Kobudo as well as other fighting arts in their dojo
training.[107] This, however, was not the only reason for
this split.
In April 1984, Kanei Uechi (age 72),
Ryuko Tomoyose, Kansei Uechi, and other members of the Uechi Karate Association
visited Foochow City,
Fukien Province, China, to retrace Kanbun's life there and the origins of Uechiryu
KarateDo. There they received historical
background concerning Shushabu (Chou-tse-ho, Shushiwa). It was then that they discovered that
possibly Shushiwa and Shushabu were different individuals.[108] Research is still being conducted to learn
more of Shushabu and the origins of Pan-gai-nun.
Then, in August 1984, the same group
along with Kanei's wife Shige, eldest son Kanmei, and nephew Hirosada visited
the United States to observe Uechiryu KarateDo in America.
In November, 1985 Master Uechi and a
number of Okinawan Instructors hosted a winter camp on Okinawa. Over 60 Americans attended this
2 week camp.
On February 24, 1991 at age 79, Kanei Uechi died in Okinawa. He is buried in the families
"turtle-back tomb" on the side of a hill in Futenma.
As brought from China, Pan-gai-nun, the basic system transplanted by
Kanbun Uechi consisted of the three kata's; Sanchin, Seisan, and Sanseiryu. The system also consisted of
Kakeai (technique experimentation) and body conditioning drills. "Min-chin-chu-ryu" was a phase
often used by Kanbun to describe Pan-gai-nun.
Kanei states; "It is supposed to mean speed with glare. This represents the idea of moving very fast,
yet with the glare or spirit of strength."
"Kanbun also mentioned that Pan-gai-nun meant "half-hard and
half-soft," which probably refers to the outer hardness and inner softness
of one's body during practice." (Note: The names of the original three kata
are literally translated into; 3 conflicts for Sanchin, 13 for Seisan, and 36
for Sanseiryu. These names are only valuable
in their historical place).
Through years of experience Master Uechi
realized the need for Uechiryu to evolve and grow. Understanding a need to expand the
curriculum, he proceeded to develop other fighting techniques taught to him by
his father. Over time he created
additional Katas (forms), Yakasuke Kumite's (sparring drills), Bunkai's (kata
applications), a stretching routine called Junbi-Undo, and a technique exercise called
Hojoundo. Initially, all were developed
for demonstrations, but eventually became regular training methods and requirements. All of these methods form a bridge to the
understanding of the "sacred three" kata's -- Sanchin, Seisan, and
Sanseiryu.
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