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By Graham Noble
In late 1946, a little over a year after the war ended, and after twenty years in Wakayama, Kanbum decided to move back to Okinawa, accompanied by several of his Wakayama students. While the conditions on mainland Japan were terrible, they were probably even worse on Okinawa, which had just about been blasted to pieces during the American invasion. But Kanbum was now coming up to seventy years old and maybe he just wanted to return home. In early 1948 he fell ill with nephritis and died in November of that year.
The founder of Uechi Ryu was gone, but all those years of teaching in Wakayama had left some strong students and they were determined that his art should carry on. They too returned to Okinawa after the War and crucially, Kanbum’s first son Kanei had been back on the island since 1942. The other seniors gathered around him and he became the central figure in the next stage of Uechi Ryu development.
Kanei (b1911) had gone over to join his father in Wakayama in 1927. In the 1961 “Okinawa Times” article he stated that he had begun studying his father’s kempo at the age of eighteen and after ten years training had moved to Osaka and opened a dojo there. In that article he recalled one time in Osaka when he demonstrated his art at an Okinawan-style sumo tournament and a big fellow called Akamine asked to test his karate. According to Uechi, Akamine weighed about 220 pounds and “could break seven boards with his fist.” Akamine asked Uechi if he could punch him five times in the stomach and solar plexus. The tournament director wanted to refuse his request but Uechi simply said that he didn’t mind, and Akamine, “holding nothing back, punched. Akamine’s punch was powerful. It cut my skin and I started to bleed. The audience became alarmed at the sight of me bleeding, but the punch itself did not affect me. I thought Akamine had had enough and decided to bring the demonstration to an end . . . . I can’t express how happy I felt after the demonstration.”
Afterwards, Uechi was praised by Mabuni Sensei, who said that he had obviously trained very hard in karate. He was featured in the following day’s newspapers and several people also came to see him, fearing he might have been injured by the punches he had received, but he assured them he was fine. It wasn’t actual fighting, but that experience of taking a much heavier man’s punches must have given him confidence in his father’s karate, and no doubt he credited his impressive physical conditioning to the long practice of Sanchin kata.
In this same article, Kanei recalled that “Later on, the famous Karate master Chojun Miyagi asked me to show him kata. Miyagi sensei watched intently as I performed five kata. After the performance Miyagi Sensei also praised me by saying that there were few even in China who could perform kata the way I had.”
Shortly after he returned to Okinawa Kanei had set up a dojo in the back yard of his home in Nago where he taught young men from the village. It was wartime but that dojo seemed to have attracted some attention. According to Shigeru Takamiyagi’s Uechi history (1977), when Shuki Izumi, the newly appointed (July 1943) governor of Okinawa, toured the island, an accompanying journalist recommended that he visit Kanei Uechi’s karate school in Nago, which he did. Uechi and his students demonstrated karate for the Governor, who also saw another demonstration a little later at a local girls’ school by Kanei Uechi and Chojun Miyagi and their pupils. Apparently Izumi referred to karate in the official report of his tour.
The Nago dojo had to be closed after a couple of years as the War moved closer to Okinawa and Kanei was drafted into the army. He was originally assigned to the garrison on Iejima, but was transferrred back to Okinawa to the Kunigami ground support unit where he remained until the end of the war. He had been lucky because according to an article by Ron Ship, (“Fighting Arts International” Vol 7 No 3) the whole division on Iejima island was subsequently wiped out in the fighting with American forces.
James Thompson, the senior American Uechi karateka wrote in “Dojo” magazine that at the time of his father’s death Kanei Uechi was not teaching. I’ve never read that anywhere else, but in any case, Kanei did soon begin to teach at the request of others, particularly Ryuko Tomoyose, the twenty year old son of Ryuyu Tomoyose. In 1949 Uechi established the “Uechi Ryu Karate Jutsu Kenkyujo” in Ginowan, Nodake. It was a small but important start.
There had been some interest in Uechi style karate a little before that, apparently. In June 1947, the chairman of the Okinawa City conference, Tamaki Katsuya, invited the Uechi school to perform at their annual meeting which was to be held in Motobu in the north of the island. The following year the Kunigamigun Nakijin Village Firemen’s Association also requested the group to demonstrate karate at their January 1 opening. John D. Mills, who gave this information in his thesis on Uechi Ryu history, also noted that “Still later in the difficult post war period, when there were virtually no public facilities for cultural activities, outdoor theatre troupes of dancers, singers, and drummers enjoyed great popularity. Some of the students of the Uechi school joined one such troupe and went on karate performance tours with them. Thus, as in these examples, the native cultural legacy of karate continued, despite immense hardships, and contributed to the post war reconstruction of Okinawa.”
Things seemed to go well and in 1957 Kanei moved his school to Futenma, and essentially that became the head dojo of Uechi Ryu. Before that, other dojo had been set up in the early 1950s: the Oroku dojo had been opened by Saburo Uehara and the Kanzatobaru (Naha) dojo by Seiki Itokazu. In 1955 Seiyu Shinjo set up the the Asato Uechi Ryu Dojo, also in Naha, and so by the 1950s Uechi Ryu was well established in Okinawa, and in fact by Okinawan karate standards it was a rapidly growing style. The seniors were enthusiastic and worked hard to build the style. “I farm during the day and teach at night from 8:00 to 11:00,” Kanei Uechi told the “Ryukyu Shimpo” in 1961. “Every morning I wake up early and never get enough sleep, but I never think of giving up. That’s how much I love karate, so I don’t regard it as something harsh.” A July 1965 “Black Belt” article on Uechi Ryu noted that there were eight Uechi Ryu dojos on the island, and that had come from nothing twenty years before. George Mattson’s 1974 “Uechi Ryu karate Do” stated that as of 1973 there were fifteen dojo. The Uechi Ryu directory section of the 1977 “Okinawa Karate Do Sono Rekishi to Giho” covers 100 pages of dan grades and includes listings for Uechi groups in Argentina, Brazil, North America, Australia, New Zealand, France, Great Britain and Yugoslvia: by that time Uechi Ryu had become international.
In the early post war period the training continued in the traditional way, based on the practice of kata. “All those years ago when I started training we were taught individually, not in a group,” Ryukyu Tomoyose recalled. “We would perform the three main kata, three times each: Sanchin, Seisan, and Sanseru. First we would perform Sanchin very slowly so that the instructor would correct us in great detail. Then the second Sanchin we would perform at normal speed, and the instructor would still correct us if really necessary. The third kata we would perform as fast as we could. That’s the way we trained.”
In the post war world, though, a system consisting of the simple repetition of three kata looked old-fashioned and limited, and Uechi Ryu training methods gradually began to develop. The core – Sanchin, Sesan, Sanseru, and conditioning – remained, but elements were added common to the other modern karate styles: the practice of warm-up and strengthening exercises, the formal practice of basic techniques (punches, strikes, kicks and blocks), pre-arranged and free-style sparring and the use of supplementary equipment such as the makiwara. The use of the fist also became an essential part of basic practice and kumite. New kata were added too and bunkai, the application of the kata movements, was also explicitly developed. During the Wakayama, and early post-war Okinawa periods, training was carried out wearing the fundoshi (loin cloth), or shorts, but from about the mid-1950s the use of the gi (judo gis at first) became standard and in 1958 the first formal dan grading was held. This once rather secret and isolated style, then, gradually moved towards the general stream of karate practice, albeit with its own individual and recognisable characteristics. The new kata added to the style in the 1950s and 1960s for example - Kanshiwa, Serui, and Kanchin (created by Kanei Uechi), Dai-ni Sesan, (Seiki Itokazu), and Seichin, (Saburo Uehara) – were distinctly Uechi Ryu in appearance, (they were pretty much made up of techniques in the three traditional kata), and fitted in smoothly with the progression through the new grading system.
Uechi Ryu also seemed to get respect fairly quickly from the established schools of Okinawan karate. And in 2006 I had several quite long phone conversations with Tsutomu Ohshima, the well-known Shotokan teacher. One thing I asked him about was his 1961 visit to Okinawa with the Waseda Universtity karate team. He talked a little about the experts he had met, and he described Kanei Uechi as “very powerful, very humble”. The Japanese, he said, had been very impressed by Uechi Ryu, even though the technique was so far from their own Shotokan. In particular he mentioned an Uechi teacher called Shinjo (Seiyu Shinjo presumably), who had once been a student of Kanbum Uechi, and who was “marvellous, most impressive.” He demonstrated a strong kata, and Ohshima thought, “This is authentic martial arts.”
Next chapter
Post War (A)
Moderator: Available
Post War (A)
Erik
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
- John Adams
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
- John Adams
Re: Post War (A)
A picture exists of Kanei Uechi getting punched by sumo practitioner Akamine at the demonstration described by Noble above, this was around 1940.
Glenn
Re: Post War (A)
[The following news article details the event at which the photo was taken. Translation by Sumako Matsuda-Breyette.]
1961 Newspaper Interview with
Uechi Kanei Sensei
(The name of the newspaper in which this article appeared is not on the photocopy I have.)
(Probable date June 1961)
[Caption]
Uechi Kanei (50 years old) – Making Good People:
Karate a person can be proud of.
Born in the year Meiji 44 (1911) in the village of Motobu, Diploma of the Commercial High School of Wakayama in the year Showa 13 (1938). At the head of the Uechi-ryû Shubukan.
[Caption]
Trained by my father.
My father learned karate in Fuzhou from a professor called Shuu Shabu for a total of 10 years. When I was 18 years old, my father opened a dojo in Wakayama. From that date I formally learned from my father and grew up. When I was 28 years old, finally I was permitted I could open a dojo in Osaka in the district of Nishinari. During my training, there was Okinawan people’s sumo competition took place in Osaka. During this tournament I made a special representation (demonstration) of karate. At the end, Akamine Kaei who was 28 years old and a big man with the power who could break seven planks with his fist wanted to challenge real power of karate by hitting the mizoochi (pit of the stomach) five times.
Since it’s life-threatening, the official refused but I happily accepted and let him punch me with full power. Of course, Akamine punched me without any hesitation. Since I was punched with such full power, finally my skin was cut and bleeding. The public began to panic when they saw the blood, but the punch itself did not really affect my life. Since I saw Akamine has pain, so I said let’s stop, and the audience was surprised a second time.
One of the officials, Mabuni Sensei, gave me a compliment saying “You are well-trained.” When I was told like that, I was overjoyed and speechless. I remember clearly the following day my photo was both in the Asahi and Mainichi newspapers, and those were posted in the Tokyo Station and the Umeda Station in Osaka. Also many people thought I would not be able to move since I was hit by such a big guy, so they visited my hotel and they were surprised that I was fine. They thought I would suffer from side effects after receiving a punch from Akamine, but were surprised to see that I was doing quite well.
Later, karate master Miyagi Chojun asked me to show kata. I was extremely happy, and I showed five kata. He gave me great joy by saying to me “I have never seen a person do as much as you can do, even in China.” When I was 31 years old, I went back to Okinawa. Besides farming, I taught karate to high school students in Nago.
[Caption]
Open the Shubukan
After the war, I moved to Futenma and opened the Shubukan.
Currently there are 81 pupils there, as well as 30 students who gather to train at Koza (Okinawa City). I did my best working with young people, but today’s young people don’t have strong willpower to pursue to the end. There are people who continue to the end, but the majority of people quit. If you really want to learn karate truly, you must like karate more than three meals so you can really learn karate. During my training, beside my heavy labor work, I practice karate every night from 8 to 11 and have never given up. I awaken early in the morning and don’t have enough sleep. This is how I love karate. I do not consider it as something difficult.
Miyagi Chojun Sensei told me, "During the training time, if you stop training one year, it’s like hot water gets cold. So your performance will get two years worse.” Young people who are going to learn karate in the future have to have the feeling when they come to the dojo as if they come to their own home. Training in a very unenthusiastic way will not make a karate practitioner of good character. Karate purpose is not merely to make you strong. The purpose through karate is to build Budo spirit and people of good character. It is important for seniors to be respected and for juniors to be treated with kindness. Using the attacking aspect abuses the use of karate. I want everyone to learn orthodox karate; a karate that is beautiful and the origins of which they can be proud.
[End of article]
1961 Newspaper Interview with
Uechi Kanei Sensei
(The name of the newspaper in which this article appeared is not on the photocopy I have.)
(Probable date June 1961)
[Caption]
Uechi Kanei (50 years old) – Making Good People:
Karate a person can be proud of.
Born in the year Meiji 44 (1911) in the village of Motobu, Diploma of the Commercial High School of Wakayama in the year Showa 13 (1938). At the head of the Uechi-ryû Shubukan.
[Caption]
Trained by my father.
My father learned karate in Fuzhou from a professor called Shuu Shabu for a total of 10 years. When I was 18 years old, my father opened a dojo in Wakayama. From that date I formally learned from my father and grew up. When I was 28 years old, finally I was permitted I could open a dojo in Osaka in the district of Nishinari. During my training, there was Okinawan people’s sumo competition took place in Osaka. During this tournament I made a special representation (demonstration) of karate. At the end, Akamine Kaei who was 28 years old and a big man with the power who could break seven planks with his fist wanted to challenge real power of karate by hitting the mizoochi (pit of the stomach) five times.
Since it’s life-threatening, the official refused but I happily accepted and let him punch me with full power. Of course, Akamine punched me without any hesitation. Since I was punched with such full power, finally my skin was cut and bleeding. The public began to panic when they saw the blood, but the punch itself did not really affect my life. Since I saw Akamine has pain, so I said let’s stop, and the audience was surprised a second time.
One of the officials, Mabuni Sensei, gave me a compliment saying “You are well-trained.” When I was told like that, I was overjoyed and speechless. I remember clearly the following day my photo was both in the Asahi and Mainichi newspapers, and those were posted in the Tokyo Station and the Umeda Station in Osaka. Also many people thought I would not be able to move since I was hit by such a big guy, so they visited my hotel and they were surprised that I was fine. They thought I would suffer from side effects after receiving a punch from Akamine, but were surprised to see that I was doing quite well.
Later, karate master Miyagi Chojun asked me to show kata. I was extremely happy, and I showed five kata. He gave me great joy by saying to me “I have never seen a person do as much as you can do, even in China.” When I was 31 years old, I went back to Okinawa. Besides farming, I taught karate to high school students in Nago.
[Caption]
Open the Shubukan
After the war, I moved to Futenma and opened the Shubukan.
Currently there are 81 pupils there, as well as 30 students who gather to train at Koza (Okinawa City). I did my best working with young people, but today’s young people don’t have strong willpower to pursue to the end. There are people who continue to the end, but the majority of people quit. If you really want to learn karate truly, you must like karate more than three meals so you can really learn karate. During my training, beside my heavy labor work, I practice karate every night from 8 to 11 and have never given up. I awaken early in the morning and don’t have enough sleep. This is how I love karate. I do not consider it as something difficult.
Miyagi Chojun Sensei told me, "During the training time, if you stop training one year, it’s like hot water gets cold. So your performance will get two years worse.” Young people who are going to learn karate in the future have to have the feeling when they come to the dojo as if they come to their own home. Training in a very unenthusiastic way will not make a karate practitioner of good character. Karate purpose is not merely to make you strong. The purpose through karate is to build Budo spirit and people of good character. It is important for seniors to be respected and for juniors to be treated with kindness. Using the attacking aspect abuses the use of karate. I want everyone to learn orthodox karate; a karate that is beautiful and the origins of which they can be proud.
[End of article]
Re: Post War (A)
Here's another one of my annoying questions...
Kanei Sensei stated in the article that he performed five (5) kata for Miyago Chojun Sensei. Does anyone know what those were -- since Kanbun only taught him three...?
Any comments or conjectures on this?
Kanei Sensei stated in the article that he performed five (5) kata for Miyago Chojun Sensei. Does anyone know what those were -- since Kanbun only taught him three...?
Any comments or conjectures on this?
Re: Post War (A)
"A picture exists of Kanei Uechi getting punched by sumo practitioner Akamine"
I have confirm that this man is Kaei Akamine.
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/photo/38977418
I personally doubt that he's a sumo wrestler for two reasons. First, when in competition, sumo wrestlers wear mawashi, a 30-foot-long belt, that they tie in knots in the back to form a loincloth. in public, they must always wear yukata, a bathrobe, or silk robes depending on rank. Second, they are expected to grow their hair long to form a topknot. I can't imagine sumo wrestling, so steeped in ancient tradition, would make such drastic changes during an exhibition match.
Graham Noble stated that Kaei Akamine and Susumu Tamaura had studied karate with Akamine’s father and Akamine became one of Kanbum Uechi’s senior students.
viewtopic.php?t=23029
If I'm mistaken, I would be glad to be corrected. I love the photo. It's pretty famous.
I have confirm that this man is Kaei Akamine.
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/photo/38977418
I personally doubt that he's a sumo wrestler for two reasons. First, when in competition, sumo wrestlers wear mawashi, a 30-foot-long belt, that they tie in knots in the back to form a loincloth. in public, they must always wear yukata, a bathrobe, or silk robes depending on rank. Second, they are expected to grow their hair long to form a topknot. I can't imagine sumo wrestling, so steeped in ancient tradition, would make such drastic changes during an exhibition match.
Graham Noble stated that Kaei Akamine and Susumu Tamaura had studied karate with Akamine’s father and Akamine became one of Kanbum Uechi’s senior students.
viewtopic.php?t=23029
If I'm mistaken, I would be glad to be corrected. I love the photo. It's pretty famous.
Erik
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
- John Adams
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
- John Adams
Re: Post War (A)
"... wanted to challenge real power of karate by hitting the mizoochi (pit of the stomach) five times."
"Since it’s life-threatening, the official refused..."
Blunt force trauma to the abdomen, such as a punch into the stomach by Kaei Akamine, can truly result in serious injury. The officials weren't doing this to coddle them like babies. Abdominal injuries could result in kidney trauma. If the spleen gets damaged by getting torn, it can lead to rapid and life-threatening internal bleeding. A torn liver may cause severe bleeding. Stomach, gallbladder, bladder or intestines may also get damaged. Any of them may require rushing the victim to the hospital.
https://www.healthday.com/a-to-z-health ... 44315.html
"Since it’s life-threatening, the official refused..."
Blunt force trauma to the abdomen, such as a punch into the stomach by Kaei Akamine, can truly result in serious injury. The officials weren't doing this to coddle them like babies. Abdominal injuries could result in kidney trauma. If the spleen gets damaged by getting torn, it can lead to rapid and life-threatening internal bleeding. A torn liver may cause severe bleeding. Stomach, gallbladder, bladder or intestines may also get damaged. Any of them may require rushing the victim to the hospital.
https://www.healthday.com/a-to-z-health ... 44315.html
Erik
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
- John Adams
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
- John Adams
Re: Post War (A)
"Kanei Sensei stated in the article that he performed five (5) kata for Miyago Chojun Sensei. Does anyone know what those were -- since Kanbun only taught him three...?"
It's possible that he performed five in addition to his original 3:
1. Sanchin
2. Kanshiwa
3. Kanshu
4. Seichin
5. Seisan
6. Seiryu
7. Konchin
8. Sanseiryu
See:
https://wkadojo.com/kata
It's possible that he performed five in addition to his original 3:
1. Sanchin
2. Kanshiwa
3. Kanshu
4. Seichin
5. Seisan
6. Seiryu
7. Konchin
8. Sanseiryu
See:
https://wkadojo.com/kata
Erik
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
- John Adams
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
- John Adams
Re: Post War (A)
No, I disagree.
The event took place in 1939 or 1940. Kanei Sensei performed five kata (not eight) between the event and his (Kanei Sensei's) return to Okinawa in 1941 or early 1942 at age 31 (he had entered his 31st year of life after his 30th birthday in 1941).
The contemporary 5 kata were not created until the late 1950's and early 1960's.
At the time Kanei Sensei performed 5 kata for Miyagi Chojun Sensei, those 5 contemporary kata did not exist.
He may have performed the 3 that his father taught him -- and 2 more?
Or 5 entirely unknown-today kata?
Or any combination thereof?
I have a copy of the original 1939 news article, but it doesn't mention the later performance of kata for Miyagi Sensei. It is the same article that Kanei Sensei referred to in his 1961 interview, and carries the photo shown above. I would have used the article in one of the Bunburyodo volumes, but it and the photo are still under legal copyright.
By the way, the Asahi Shimbun site states the event took place "around 1933", but Kanei Sensei said he was 28 years old, making it 1939.
The event took place in 1939 or 1940. Kanei Sensei performed five kata (not eight) between the event and his (Kanei Sensei's) return to Okinawa in 1941 or early 1942 at age 31 (he had entered his 31st year of life after his 30th birthday in 1941).
The contemporary 5 kata were not created until the late 1950's and early 1960's.
At the time Kanei Sensei performed 5 kata for Miyagi Chojun Sensei, those 5 contemporary kata did not exist.
He may have performed the 3 that his father taught him -- and 2 more?
Or 5 entirely unknown-today kata?
Or any combination thereof?
I have a copy of the original 1939 news article, but it doesn't mention the later performance of kata for Miyagi Sensei. It is the same article that Kanei Sensei referred to in his 1961 interview, and carries the photo shown above. I would have used the article in one of the Bunburyodo volumes, but it and the photo are still under legal copyright.
By the way, the Asahi Shimbun site states the event took place "around 1933", but Kanei Sensei said he was 28 years old, making it 1939.
Re: Post War (A)
Okinawan Sumo is not the same as Mainland Japanese Sumo. Okinawan Sumo dressed pretty much as you see in the photo, there was no traditional hairstyle, rules are different, etc. It's basically just rasslin'. Akamine was Okinawan, like Kanei Sensei. His grandnephew, Akamine Yoshinobu, was my senior (same rank level but older by one month) in the Futenma Dojo when I joined in 1979, and again in the Zakimi Dojo (he joined one month before me!), and for years after. He teaches his own brand of UechiRyu now; his dojo is in my neighborhood. He confirmed that his Grand-uncle was a highly-ranked Okinawan Sumo.emattson wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 12:03 am "A picture exists of Kanei Uechi getting punched by sumo practitioner Akamine"
I have confirm that this man is Kaei Akamine.
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/photo/38977418
I personally doubt that he's a sumo wrestler for two reasons. First, when in competition, sumo wrestlers wear mawashi, a 30-foot-long belt, that they tie in knots in the back to form a loincloth. in public, they must always wear yukata, a bathrobe, or silk robes depending on rank. Second, they are expected to grow their hair long to form a topknot. I can't imagine sumo wrestling, so steeped in ancient tradition, would make such drastic changes during an exhibition match.
Graham Noble stated that Kaei Akamine and Susumu Tamaura had studied karate with Akamine’s father and Akamine became one of Kanbum Uechi’s senior students.
viewtopic.php?t=23029
If I'm mistaken, I would be glad to be corrected. I love the photo. It's pretty famous.
Last edited by Seizan on Sat Nov 02, 2024 9:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Post War (A)
It is my suspicion that this did indeed cause a recurring health issue for Kanei Sensei, as discussed in Bunburyodo Vol. 2 (for those who have the book, see page 131). Sadly however, Kanei Sensei did not go to the hospital to check out the possibility of internal injury. He simply went home to his apartment.emattson wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 12:18 am "... wanted to challenge real power of karate by hitting the mizoochi (pit of the stomach) five times."
"Since it’s life-threatening, the official refused..."
Blunt force trauma to the abdomen, such as a punch into the stomach by Kaei Akamine, can truly result in serious injury. The officials weren't doing this to coddle them like babies. Abdominal injuries could result in kidney trauma. If the spleen gets damaged by getting torn, it can lead to rapid and life-threatening internal bleeding. A torn liver may cause severe bleeding. Stomach, gallbladder, bladder or intestines may also get damaged. Any of them may require rushing the victim to the hospital.
https://www.healthday.com/a-to-z-health ... 44315.html
By the way, mizoochi is pronounced mee-zo'oh-chee (with the "long O" sound extended).
Re: Post War (A)
I have confirmed that Okinawa do practice a form of sumo wrestling called shima. It is distinct, different than mainland Japan's sumo. The uniform is often a karate gi. The customs appear to be much more relaxed. In a sense, the photo post is correct, but could be improved by specifying "Okinawan Sumo" or "Shima". Thanks.Seizan wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 8:58 amOkinawan Sumo is not the same as Mainland Japanese Sumo. Okinawan Sumo dressed pretty much as you see in the photo, there was no traditional hairstyle, rules are different, etc. It's basically just rasslin'. Akamine was Okinawan, like Kanei Sensei. His grandnephew, Akamine Yoshinobu, was my senior (same rank level but older by one month) in the Futenma Dojo when I joined in 1979, and again in the Zakimi Dojo (he joined one month before me!), and for years after. He teaches his own brand of UechiRyu now; his dojo is in my neighborhood. He confirmed that his Grand-uncle was a highly-ranked Okinawan Sumo.emattson wrote: ↑Sat Nov 02, 2024 12:03 am "A picture exists of Kanei Uechi getting punched by sumo practitioner Akamine"
I have confirm that this man is Kaei Akamine.
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/photo/38977418
I personally doubt that he's a sumo wrestler for two reasons. First, when in competition, sumo wrestlers wear mawashi, a 30-foot-long belt, that they tie in knots in the back to form a loincloth. in public, they must always wear yukata, a bathrobe, or silk robes depending on rank. Second, they are expected to grow their hair long to form a topknot. I can't imagine sumo wrestling, so steeped in ancient tradition, would make such drastic changes during an exhibition match.
Graham Noble stated that Kaei Akamine and Susumu Tamaura had studied karate with Akamine’s father and Akamine became one of Kanbum Uechi’s senior students.
viewtopic.php?t=23029
If I'm mistaken, I would be glad to be corrected. I love the photo. It's pretty famous.
https://www.jissenkarate.com/shima-okinawan-sumo/
Erik
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
- John Adams
“Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.”
- John Adams
Re: Post War (A)
I don't think Okinawan Sumo wore karate ghi back then. Maybe today, or at least many years after WW2 when ghi were becoming popular. But back then, I don't think there was any sort of uniform.
Here's a photo of the first Okinawan Sumo Tournament held after WW2 on Okinawa. Below is an explanation of the photo. I don't see a ghi among them. I believe Akamine Kaei was dressed as well as any of these folks for the occasion.
https://i.imgur.com/eToXmFE.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/beIbYi7.jpeg
It looks as though maybe a few wore what we might think of as ghi pants, but I was told these were just cotton work pants.
If there was some sort of formal wear or uniform that identified a participant as an Okinawan Sumo wrestler, I would think it would have been worn for a tournament that took place on the grounds of the Japanese Consulate.
Here's a photo of the first Okinawan Sumo Tournament held after WW2 on Okinawa. Below is an explanation of the photo. I don't see a ghi among them. I believe Akamine Kaei was dressed as well as any of these folks for the occasion.
https://i.imgur.com/eToXmFE.jpeg
https://i.imgur.com/beIbYi7.jpeg
It looks as though maybe a few wore what we might think of as ghi pants, but I was told these were just cotton work pants.
If there was some sort of formal wear or uniform that identified a participant as an Okinawan Sumo wrestler, I would think it would have been worn for a tournament that took place on the grounds of the Japanese Consulate.
Re: Post War (A)
Regarding the mention by Kanei of demonstrating 5 kata to Miyagi, I think there are two likely possibilities:
1) Kanei had already done some karate training in Okinawa prior to joining his father at age 16 and knew some kata from that time (possibly influencing what he added to Uechi Ryu); and/or
2) After opening his dojo in Osaka, Kanei had already begun playing around with creating his own kata. Shinpo Matayoshi reportedly did not like to show his authentic kata when demonstrating, choosing instead to ad lib or do an unofficial variant, maybe early on Kanei was like that as well?
1) Kanei had already done some karate training in Okinawa prior to joining his father at age 16 and knew some kata from that time (possibly influencing what he added to Uechi Ryu); and/or
2) After opening his dojo in Osaka, Kanei had already begun playing around with creating his own kata. Shinpo Matayoshi reportedly did not like to show his authentic kata when demonstrating, choosing instead to ad lib or do an unofficial variant, maybe early on Kanei was like that as well?
Glenn
Re: Post War (A)
From UechiRyu Bunburyodo Vol. 2, pg 132:
~~~~~
"Later, karate master Miyagi Chojun asked me to show kata. I was extremely happy, and I showed five kata. He gave me great joy by saying to me “I have never seen a person do as much as you can do, even in China.”
What were the five kata performed by Kanei Sensei? His father Kanbun Sensei only taught three. Did Kanei Sensei already create additional kata as far back as the late 1930’s or 1940? It was stated in the 1977 Kyohon that the idea or beginnings of new kata began as early as 1931, but no mention is made of further progress until the kata were completed and authorized as part of the UechiRyu syllabus in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
From the UechiRyu Kyohon, 1977, pages 452-453, translation by Matsuda/Higashimori/Breyette. The full translation of the entire section is found in UechiRyu Bunburyodo Volume One, pages 364-365:
“From the time [since] the Shataku Dojo was established until Showa 5 or 6 (1930 or 1931), those were the most highly skilled students, and they were considered the pioneers for UechiRyu KarateDo. From among them at that time, 2nd Generation of Uechi Soke [Uechi Kanei Sensei] started to develop several kata [the idea began to sprout for the development of several new kata] and to modernize Pangainoon Karate Jutsu from the old style Chugoku Kenpo that his father Kanbun taught.”
Miyagi Sensei’s statement that there were few people even in China who could perform as well implies that the kata performed by Kanei Sensei in the 1930’s were Chinese-style, so these were probably strongly influenced by Kanbun Sensei’s training.
~~~~~
"[the idea began to sprout for the development of several new kata]" is rather intriguing.
"When I was 28 years old, finally I was permitted I could open a dojo in Osaka in the district of Nishinari. During my training, there was Okinawan people’s sumo competition took place in Osaka."
He was 28 when he opened his first dojo in Osaka, and it appears he was still training with his father (though "during my training" could be interpreted as "while I was training/teaching", too). Not likely that he could work on developing new kata without his father seeing or hearing of it. Word would surely reach Kanbun that Kanei was practicing or performing kata that Kanbun didn't teach.
Toyama Sensei and Kanejana Sensei gave us the most intimate look at Kanbun Sensei's personality, in and out of dojo. I asked Toyama Sensei if it was possible that Kanbun Sensei knew about his son developing "new kata" based on his training, and if Kanbun Sensei might even have contributed ideas or concepts to help with the develpment. Toyama Sensei said he didn't really know, but that it was possible (during his 8 years with Kanbun Sensei, he never saw or heard of any additional kata being performed by Kanei Sensei). This tells me that Kanbun Sensei was not jealous of the development of new forms as long as they remained strictly true to the performance style and concepts he learned from Zhou Zihe. He himself did not change or alter what he learned in China, and developed no new forms.
However, the additional kata were not organized and formalized by the Kata Development Committee until the late 50's and early 60's. Whatever Kanei Sensei peformed for Miyagi Sensei likely bore little resemblance to any forms we know today, unless three of them were Sanchin, Seisan, and Sanseiryu (Sandairyu).
I hope some reader had spoken directly to Kanei Sensei about this. After all, this interview has been circulating since 1961; surely someone must have asked about this interesting detail.
~~~~~
"Later, karate master Miyagi Chojun asked me to show kata. I was extremely happy, and I showed five kata. He gave me great joy by saying to me “I have never seen a person do as much as you can do, even in China.”
What were the five kata performed by Kanei Sensei? His father Kanbun Sensei only taught three. Did Kanei Sensei already create additional kata as far back as the late 1930’s or 1940? It was stated in the 1977 Kyohon that the idea or beginnings of new kata began as early as 1931, but no mention is made of further progress until the kata were completed and authorized as part of the UechiRyu syllabus in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
From the UechiRyu Kyohon, 1977, pages 452-453, translation by Matsuda/Higashimori/Breyette. The full translation of the entire section is found in UechiRyu Bunburyodo Volume One, pages 364-365:
“From the time [since] the Shataku Dojo was established until Showa 5 or 6 (1930 or 1931), those were the most highly skilled students, and they were considered the pioneers for UechiRyu KarateDo. From among them at that time, 2nd Generation of Uechi Soke [Uechi Kanei Sensei] started to develop several kata [the idea began to sprout for the development of several new kata] and to modernize Pangainoon Karate Jutsu from the old style Chugoku Kenpo that his father Kanbun taught.”
Miyagi Sensei’s statement that there were few people even in China who could perform as well implies that the kata performed by Kanei Sensei in the 1930’s were Chinese-style, so these were probably strongly influenced by Kanbun Sensei’s training.
~~~~~
"[the idea began to sprout for the development of several new kata]" is rather intriguing.
"When I was 28 years old, finally I was permitted I could open a dojo in Osaka in the district of Nishinari. During my training, there was Okinawan people’s sumo competition took place in Osaka."
He was 28 when he opened his first dojo in Osaka, and it appears he was still training with his father (though "during my training" could be interpreted as "while I was training/teaching", too). Not likely that he could work on developing new kata without his father seeing or hearing of it. Word would surely reach Kanbun that Kanei was practicing or performing kata that Kanbun didn't teach.
Toyama Sensei and Kanejana Sensei gave us the most intimate look at Kanbun Sensei's personality, in and out of dojo. I asked Toyama Sensei if it was possible that Kanbun Sensei knew about his son developing "new kata" based on his training, and if Kanbun Sensei might even have contributed ideas or concepts to help with the develpment. Toyama Sensei said he didn't really know, but that it was possible (during his 8 years with Kanbun Sensei, he never saw or heard of any additional kata being performed by Kanei Sensei). This tells me that Kanbun Sensei was not jealous of the development of new forms as long as they remained strictly true to the performance style and concepts he learned from Zhou Zihe. He himself did not change or alter what he learned in China, and developed no new forms.
However, the additional kata were not organized and formalized by the Kata Development Committee until the late 50's and early 60's. Whatever Kanei Sensei peformed for Miyagi Sensei likely bore little resemblance to any forms we know today, unless three of them were Sanchin, Seisan, and Sanseiryu (Sandairyu).
I hope some reader had spoken directly to Kanei Sensei about this. After all, this interview has been circulating since 1961; surely someone must have asked about this interesting detail.
Re: Post War (A)
Thanks Seizan, I suspected you may have addressed these in your Bunburyodo books. I have all three, I just have to find time to read them!
Glenn
