The History Of Uechi-Ryu
A Brief History of Okinawa
On the world stage, the three major things which Okinawa points to with pride are karate, nature and longevity.
Flrst appearing in the 14th century, karate has been part of Okinawa’s distinct cultural heritage of martial arts for more than six hundred years. The expansive crystal clear ocean and deep blue skies provide the backdrop for Okinawa’s incredibly lush natural environment. Amidst these exquisite natural surroundings reside people with the world’s longest life spans. Okinawa prospered in the past as the center of the Kingdom of the Ryukyus. The 13th century witnessed the rise of more than one hundred local lords known as aji . The aji constructed small castles called gusuku , and fought each other for local supremacy during what is now called the Gusuku era.
By the 14th century these local chiefdoms were consolidated into three kingdoms: Chuzan in the central part of the island, Hokuzan in the north and Nanzan in the south. The suffix -zan is written with the character for mountain but in Chinese the meaning ls actually closer to ”island” or ”country”. In the 15th century (1416), the Ryukyus were unified under King Sho Hashi of Chuzan ending the era of the three warring kingdoms.
In 1372, thirty-eight years prior to unification, King Satto of the Chuzan Kingdom was granted official recognition by the Chinese Ming Emperor, initiating an era of prosperous trade relations with China, Korea, and Southeast Asia. However, ln 1606 the Ryukyus were invaded and defeated by soldiers from the Satsuma Clan in Kyushu, marking the beginning of the period of dual tributary relationships with China and Satsuma. In 1871, four years after the Meiji Restoration the Japanese government decided to annex the Ryukyus, and eight years later, in 1879, the Kingdom of the Ryukyus became Okinawa Prefecture.
Over the subsequent sixty-six years, the Japanese government became increasingly militaristic, culminating in 1945 in the unprecedented destruction of the island in the tragic Battle of Okinawa Throughout the various eras of its history, Okinawa has been buffeted by more powerful foreign neighbours, but it has always maintained its own distinct identity. In the more than sixty years which have now passed since the end of World War II , Okinawa has been blessed with an era of peace and increasing prosperity
The founding of Uechi-Ryu
Uechi-ryu is a traditional Okinawan style of karate. Uechi-ryu means “Uechi style” or “Uechi school”. Originally called Pangai-noon, which translates to “half hard, half soft” in English, the style was renamed Uechi-ryu after the style’s okinawan founder, Kanbun Uechi (上地 完文), (1877-1948).
In 1897, in his early twenties Kanbun left his family and Okinawa to avoid Japanese army conscription. Kanbun Uechi studied a style of Southern Chinese kung fu called Pangai-noon (半硬軟) meaning "half-hard, half-soft" in the Fujian province of China, as well as herbalism in the late 19th and early 20th century under a teacher and Chinese medicine specialist known in Japanese as Shū Shiwa (Chinese: Zhou Zihe 周子和1874-1926).
It was a Kung Fu school based on three animals (Tiger, Dragon & White Crane). Kanbun stayed 13 years in China and taught Pangai-Noon during his last three years in China, (a huge privilege for a foreigner).
In 1910, Kanbun went back to Okinawa and despite lot of demands he refused to teach his art.
In 1924, for economic reasons, Kanbun moved to Wakayama (Japan). Two years later he was finally convinced by close friends to teach his martial art. He named his art Pangainoon Karate Jutsu.
In 1927, his sixteen years old son Kanei started to study Pangai Noon Karate Jutsu with his father and then become a teacher.
Kanei changed Pangainun Karate Jutsu name to Uechi Ryu Karate Jutsu (Empty Hand Technic Uechi School) to pay tribute to his father.
In 1942, Kanei went back to Okinawa and started to teach his family style in Nago (northern island).
In 1957, Uechi Ryu Karate Jutsu became Uechi Ryu Karate-Do (Empty Hand Way, Uechi School).
Kanei Uechi dedicated his life to develop his style by creating basic technics (Hojo-Undo) , Katas, Kata applications (Bunkai)
His father Kanbun became president of Okinawan Karate-Do Federation and worked to the growth of his art.
"The original basis for all martial arts was spiritual development and self defence"
"The Whole Essence Of Karate Taught"
"All is in Sanchin"
- Kanbun Uechi
