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.