Uechi-ryu
The term Uechi-ryū ( Japanese 上 地 流 , dt. School of Uechi ) designates a style in the Okinawan martial art Karatedō , which was developed by Uechi Kanbun (1877-1948) and later in collaboration with his son Uechi Kan'ei around the year 1900 on Okinawa , the place of origin of karatedō, was developed.
origin
Studying in China
The origin of this style is in the south of China in the province of Fujian (Fukien), which Uechi Kanbun visited because he did not want to join the Japanese army (Okinawa was a prefecture of Japan from 1879). As a result, Kanbun Uechi secretly made his way to China in the spring of 1897, where he learned the Quanfa style Pangai-noon (half hard, half soft) from a master named Chou-tsu Ho (Japanese Shushiwa) from 1897 to 1910 . After ten years of hard training, his master gave him permission to build his own dōjō (training hall), which a Chinese tea merchant named Gokenkein, who learned a Quanfa style called Kingai , advised against , as many others had tried and failed . However, this did not impress Uechi Kanbun, and so he set up his dojo. This became one of the most successful in the area, and he enjoyed a high reputation among the citizens of the province, until one of his students got involved in an argument in which the other person attacked him and instinctively performed one of his learned blows and killed him. Kanbun Uechi has now been blamed for this incident, and the residents' respect turned into hatred. After this incident, Uechi Kanbun vowed never to teach karate again and returned to Okinawa.
Back on Okinawa
After two years of quiet life, Uechi Kanbun received a visit from his former student, the tea master Gokenkein, who urged him to start teaching his style again, which, however, was rejected by Kanbun. However, after the tea master got into a fight with a karate master from Naha and won, many young people on the island asked him to teach them his skills. When asked, Gokenkein replied that there was a greater master of this style, namely Uechi Kanbun, who could teach them his karate. As a result, people went to this master, but he only answered the questions by saying that it was a mistake and that he was not the said man. When people confronted Kanbun with Gokenkein a little later, he could no longer deny that he was the great master, but did not want to break his oath, and so he refused to teach. At the annual demonstrations of all karate schools in Okinawa , the mayor of Motobu invited Uechi Kabun, at the request of the other karate masters, who got a seat so far up front in the stands that he could only answer the mayor's request to perform a kata with yes because otherwise he would have lost his reputation, so he performed the Kata Seisan . After his great demonstration, the event ended as everyone knew that he could not surpass this performance. After that day, Itosu Yasutsune Kanbun offered a position at the teacher college, which he accepted and has since taught again.
The time in Japan
Uechi Kanbun now lived in Wakayama Prefecture , Japan , where one day he came into contact with his neighbor, Ryuyu Tomoyose, a young man from Okinawa. The latter suspected, for whatever reason, that Kanbun was a master of karate, and so one evening he came to the presumed master with a made-up story about the fact that he was getting into a fight and didn't know what to do . Uechi Kanbun began telling him what techniques to use, confirming Ryuyu's suspicions. For this reason he repeated his trick a few more times, and after Ryuyu Kanbun said that he knew which techniques he had mastered, he asked him to teach his karate publicly, which Uechi Kanbun later did.
Features of the style
In contrast to other styles in karatedō, the Uechi-ryū is characterized by a narrow stance, called Sanchin dachi , circular block techniques, techniques with the fingertips, phalanges, bent thumbs, the palm and very effective attacks with the tips of the toes. These techniques have remained almost unchanged since the style was developed and are famous for their efficiency.
Another special feature are hardening exercises ( Kitae ) in Uechi-ryū, which are often not found in other styles. This special training method enables karateka to take very hard blows over time without being damaged.
Kata in Uechi-ryū
Originally there were only the three Kata Sanchin, Seisan and Sanseiryu in Uechi-ryū, which Uechi Kanbun brought with him from his studies in China. The other five kata of this style, Kanshiwa, Kanshu, Seichin, Seiryu and Kanchin, were developed by Uechi Kan'ei and two other masters named Uehara Saburo and Itokazu Seik. They serve as a transition between the main kata mentioned above and are known as bridge kata.
| Kata | type | description |
|---|---|---|
|
Sanchin ( 三 戰 ) |
Basic kata | Literally translated, Sanchin means 'three conflicts', derived from the Kanji for 'three' and 戦 う ('to fight'). One interpretation is the conflict between mind, body and soul, an alternative interpretation is the combination of the three abilities 'softness', 'timing' and 'strength'. |
| Kanshiwa ( 漢子 知 ) |
Combat kata, bridge kata | The name was created from the combination of the first Kanji of the name Kanbun and the last two Kanji of the name Shushiwas (written in Chinese). This kata mainly teaches the power of tiger techniques. The kata is also known as kanshabu. |
| Kanshu ( 完 周 ) |
Combat kata, bridge kata | The name originated from the combination of the first Kanji of the name Kanbun and the Kanji for Shushiwa's surname (Shu). This kata is also known as Daini Sesan (第二 十三). This kata teaches the concept of precise timing through crane techniques. |
| Seichin ( 十 戦 ) |
Combat kata, bridge kata | Literally translated, Seichin means 'ten conflicts' or a combination of the two Kata Seisan and Sanshin. Interpreted phonetically, the name means 'challenge of the mind'. The kata teaches the concept of soft, whip-like kite techniques. |
|
Seisan ( 十三 ) |
Combat kata | Literally translated, Seisan means '13'. Usually this is interpreted as the '13 types of attack and defense 'or '13 positions for attack and defense'. Alternatively, it can also be called '13. Chamber Kata 'and is the shape that was formed in the 13th chamber of Shaolin from the techniques of the previous chambers. In this kata, karateka can develop the forms they have learned. |
| Seiryu ( 十六 ) |
Combat kata, bridge kata | Literally translated, Seiryu means '16'. The phonetic translation can mean the 10 kite techniques, especially since 10 kite techniques appear in the kata. In this kata, balance and stability are trained through the kite techniques and the rotations between the techniques. |
| Kanchin ( 完 戦 ) |
Combat kata, bridge kata | The name originated from the combination of the first kanji of the name Kanbun and 'fight'. The first kanji of Kanbun, Kanei and Kanmei are the same. Since this kata was developed by Kanei Uechi and contains his preferred techniques, the kata is called 'Kanei's challenge' or 'Kanei's fight'. This form teaches defensive movements. |
|
Sanseiryu ( 三 十六 ) |
Combat kata | Literally translated, Sanseiru means '36' or 'the tiger comes down the mountain'. Usually this is interpreted as the '36 types of attack and defense 'or '36 stances for attack and defense'. It can also be called '36. Chamber Kata 'as it is composed of the techniques learned in the previous 35 chambers (or 12 previous chambers in three directions). Shushiwa was also known as 'the 36th Chamber Priest' as described in Uechi-Ryu Kyohon (1977). This last kata combines all of the previous concepts to forestall an attack. |
Sanchin
The Kata Sanchin is the basis of the Uechi-ryū. Uechi Kanbun always said: "Everything is Sanchin" and "Sanchin alone deserves ten years of training". In fact, for the first three years of his studies in China, Kanbun was only taught this kata before learning another kata.
Sanchin is used to help the student acquire basic spiritual and physical principles. It is also checked whether and how well the student can take kicks and punches. This skill is then learned or improved later with the Kote Kitae (hardening exercises).
Combat kata
The so-called combat kata are used to teach the student self-defense techniques, and a start is made to prepare the karateka for a real fight.
Uechi-ryū today
After Uechi Kanbun's death, the Uechi-ryū split up, and organizations like the Okinawan Karatedo Kyokai ( Okikukai ) or the Uechi-Ryu Kenyukai came into being . Another organization, called Soke , was founded by Uechi Kanbun's grandson, Uechi Kamei. Most of the practitioners of this style are from Japan , Australia , New Zealand , France , Great Britain , Mexico , Slovenia , Croatia , Serbia , Saudi Arabia , Brazil , Argentina , Peru , Israel , Canada , the USA and Germany .
In Germany
In Germany, Uechi-ryū is only taught in a few cities such as Mönchengladbach ( Wickrath ), Erlangen , Würzburg , Berlin , Munich , Regensburg , Bad Kissingen or in communities such as Miehlen and Bendorf .
literature
- Roland Habersetzer : Koshiki Kata - The classic Kata of Karatedô . Rosewood Verlag, 2005, ISBN 978-3-938305-01-0 . In the book u. a. the history of Uechi ryu is discussed and the Uechi-ryu-Kata Sanchin and Seisan are presented in words and pictures.
- Klaus Ackermann: History of Uechi Ryu Karate . 2013, ISBN 978-1-291-48158-7 .