History of Uechi-ryu
The founder, Kanbun Uechi
This text is inscribed on the pedestal of the Kanbun Uechi statue.
Kanbun Uechi was born on May 5, 1877, in Izumi, Motobu, Okinawa, the eldest son of Kantoku and Tsuru Uechi. Motobu is known for the spirit of Bu-Motobu, a tradition that values both scholarship and martial arts.
At the age of 20 he went to Fujian Province in China and trained in Southern Shaolin boxing under Master Shu Shiwa (Zhou Zihe). Seven years later, in 1904, he received full mastery of Pangainun (half-hard, half-soft), a tiger-style fist method.
He returned to Okinawa in 1910. In 1924 he moved to Wakayama Prefecture, where he began to teach. In 1940 the style was renamed Uechi-ryu.
The signature techniques of the style use the fingertips and the tips of the toes, and are built on the fists of the dragon, tiger and crane. Kanbun taught that “martial arts support duty, and duty supports martial arts”. His motto for technique was Gansei Shusho: “sharp eyes, swift hands”.
Kanbun laid the foundation of Uechi-ryu. His eldest son, Kanei Uechi, spread the style throughout Okinawa, mainland Japan and overseas, and deepened it into a karate practiced around the world.
The statue was built with the support of Motobu Town, led by Mayor Fumio Takara, together with the town’s Chamber of Commerce, its Tourism Association and hometown tax donations. It is the first statue of its kind in Okinawa Prefecture. Standing in the land of cherry blossoms and Mount Yae, a destination for karate pilgrims, it is meant to become a sacred place for karate and a center for sharing its culture. Under the motto “the spirit of Bu-Motobu, today”, it is a spiritual home for the Kanbun Uechi Statue Committee, the Uechi-ryu Karate-do Association, its supporters and karate practitioners around the world.
Kanbun Uechi passed away on November 25, 1948, at the age of 71.
The statue of Kanbun Uechi
On April 21, 2018, the statue of Kanbun Uechi, founder of Uechi-ryu, was unveiled at Yaedake Sakura-no-Mori Park in Motobu, the town where he was born. It is the first standing bronze statue of a karate founder in Okinawa.
The statue faces Izumi, where Kanbun was born, and behind it lies Ie Island, where he spent his final years. It is about 4.8 meters tall including the pedestal.
Location: Yaedake Sakura-no-Mori Park, 921 Namizato, Motobu, Kunigami District, Okinawa
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1877 | Born on May 5 in Izumi, Motobu, Okinawa. |
| 1897 | Travels to China and studies under Shu Shiwa in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. |
| 1904 | Receives full mastery from Shu Shiwa. |
| 1906 | Opens a dojo in Nanjing County, Fujian Province. |
| 1910 | Returns to Okinawa and marries Gozei Toyama. |
| 1911 | His son Kanei, the second head of Uechi-ryu, is born. |
| 1924 | Leaves for Wakayama for work. |
| 1926 | Teaches Pangainun kenpo at his company housing. |
| 1932 | Opens a dojo in Tebira, Wakayama City: the Pangainun-ryu Karate-jutsu Research Institute. |
| 1933 | Founds the Shubukai. |
| 1937 | Grants full mastery to his son Kanei, who opens a dojo in Nishinari, Osaka. |
| 1940 | Kanei moves his dojo to Amagasaki, Hyogo, under the name Uechi-ryu Karate-jutsu. |
| 1941 | Kanmei Uechi, the third head of Uechi-ryu, is born. |
| 1942 | Kanei returns to Okinawa and opens a dojo in Miyazato, Nago. |
| 1946 | Kanbun returns to Okinawa. |
| 1948 | Passes away at the age of 71. |