The Power of
Uechi Ryu Karate
By Damien Chambers
Uechi Ryu karate is an
Okinawan karate style that relies on extreme power in its techniques. It
is a karate system that is also a powerful system of self-defense. It is
a unique style typified by the strength of its techniques, highly
effective self-defense applications and dynamic strength building kata.
Uechi Ryu is also known for its rugged full-contact sparring. The
distinctive demonstrations of its practitioners feature boards being
shattering with toe kicks and 2X2s smashed over arms, shins and stomachs
to show the level of conditioning achieved to perform these feats.
EARLY DEVELOPMENT
Okinawa, Japan has been
a fertile ground for the development of numerous styles of karate and
Uechi Ryu has been one of them. This style was originally a small family
ryu in Okinawa but it now enjoys a large following in Okinawa and
its popularity has spread abroad as well. An American serviceman named
George Matson brought the style in the late 1950s to the U.S. Later,
other servicemen in the 1960s and the 1970s began practicing Uechi Ryu
and the style slowly began to grow.
In 1897, an Okinawan by
the name of Kanbun Uechi (1877-1948) traveled to China and studied
martial arts there until 1910. It has been said that a lover jilted him
and that's why he went to China. Although during this time, many
Okinawans traveled to China for martial arts training. When he got to
China [Fujian Province] the teacher thought he was dumb or had a speech
impediment since he only spoke the Okinawan hogan dialect of
Japanese and not Chinese. The hogan dialect was incomprehensible
to the Chinese. In any case, his teacher was named Shushiwa or
Cho Tzu Ho in Chinese. Kanbun Uechi was instructed in
a tiger-crane style that was then known as Pangai Noon,
meaning half hard and half soft. This is indicative of the Chinese
concept of yin and yang, the principle of hardness and
softness. It was a typical tiger-crane style of the region. After
training in Pangai Noon for ten years Uechi established
his own school in China. He taught there for three years before
returning to Okinawa in 1910. In 1924, Uechi left Okinawa to find work
in Wakayama, Japan near Osaka. He began teaching there and his first
student was an Okinawan named Ryuyu Tomoyose. Kanbun Uechi continued to
teach in Wakayama until 1947. In 1927 Kanei Uechi began training under
his father. He later taught in Osaka, Japan but returned to Okinawa in
1945 and established his dojo in Futenma, Okinawa. In 1948, after
Kanbun's death, the style was renamed Uechi Ryu by his son Kanei Uechi
(1911-1988) in honor of his father. Kanei continued to teach the style
in Futenma, Okinawa. Today, Uechi Ryu is very popular and Kanmei Uechi
heads the system in Okinawa. However, the style has been politically
factionalized since Kanei's death. One separate group calls itself
Pangai Noon, the original Chinese name of the style and
another is called Shohei Ryu dropping the name of the founder.
TECHNIQUES
Uechi Ryu karate uses
elements of the tiger, dragon and crane styles of Chinese kenpo. But its
approach to self-defense focuses on muscular force and total body
hardening as a defensive measure. The specialty techniques of the style
include toe kicks and spear finger techniques. These techniques are
emphasized in the kata and the kihon waza. These are typical
southern Chinese white crane techniques that emphasize penetration of
vital points rather than smashing with the karate fist or chop. Further,
the style uses sanchin kata performed with a hissing sound to provide
muscle tension, growth and hardening of the body. It also uses
kotekite or arm pounding exercises to promote body hardening in the
arms, stomach, latts and legs. In the kata an exercise known as shime
or testing is used to check muscle tension. During the performance of
the kata sanchin a practitioner is struck on various parts of the body
to check the amount of muscle tension he has developed. This is the
dynamic strength building aspect of the kata. Through dynamic tension
during the practice of the kata and shime body conditioning is
achieved.
KATA
There are eight kata in
total in the Uechi Ryu system. The original kata from China included
sanchin, sanseiryu and seisan. Later, five other kata were developed
from these. Additionally, dan kumite or prearranged two-man sparring
kata were developed and added to the system. Since Kanbum Uechi only
brought back three kata from China it has been noted that he did not
learn the whole system. For example, the kata seipai or suparenpei were
never a part of the Uechi Ryu syllabus of kata. Therefore, Kanei Uechi
later devised the five additional kata of the style as a sort of fill in
the gap effort to complete the system. Additionally, three new Uechi Ryu
kata have been developed in Okinawa.
KUMITE
Uechi Ryu has
distinguished itself by its rugged full contact tournaments held on
Okinawa every year. The addition of competitive sparring as a part of
the Uechi Ryu training repertoire is a relatively recent addition. As in
most Okinawan karate styles only yakusoku kumite
(pre-arranged sparring) was previously practiced. The rules in the Uechi
Ryu tournaments are pretty much the same as most karate tournaments
except that punches and kicks are not pulled but rather delivered with
full force! This has resulted in many injuries during these tournaments
but it has not deterred the organizers and participants from continuing
this practice.
Uechi Ryu, a style that
developed in the humble Okinawan village of Futenma from a Chinese
prototype, has grown and now spread around the world. Its powerful
techniques and system of self-defense have evolved into a modern rugged
full contact system.
Damien Chambers is an Englishman who lives and practices martial arts in Kyoto, Japan. He is a martial arts historian and translator. He has been featured as a narrator on various videotapes entitled, The Fighting Spirit of Old Japan, Kodokan: Japanese Judo Masters, Tomiki Aikido and Early American Judo & Jujitsu. He can be contacted through Yamazato Productions (423) 338-4972 or Masrtersline videos at (310) 248-3633.