KANBUN UECHI BACK IN OKINAWA

At the time of Kanbun's return to Okinawa, Japanese officials were arresting all Okinawan people accused of evading the draft, and sentencing them to prison terms. However, Kanbun had so completely adapted to the life and culture of China that when he landed in Naha Port, the examining officials were convinced he was a Chinese scholar. He wore Manchu clothing, spoke Chinese, and wore his hair Chinese style. Kanbun returned to Izumi without incident.
 
That year, Kanbun married and settled down to raise his family and farm his land. He tried to forget his years of training in China, but his reputation was following not far behind.
 
Gokenki, the former student, often traveled to Okinawa on business. He soon located his friend and teacher. He tried to persuade him to teach again. With the ghosts of past events and the sudden downfall of his reputation in China still haunting him, and the possibility that his recent connections with Chinese training might help to identify him as a draft-evader. Kanbun was alarmed at the thought that his now happy and peaceful life may be destroyed and his new family made to suffer, and so he vehemently refused.
 
Gokenki was a rather outspoken fellow, it seems, and made no secret of his obvious preference for Chinese-style training and it's superiority over many Okinawan systems. He managed without much effort to get into a brawl with another Naha Karate teacher, and defeated him soundly. After that, it seams that the reputation of several teachers and systems were at stake. To save face, other well known karate teachers challenged Gokenki, but none were able to best him. Then, of course many prospective students showed up at Gokenki's door asking for instruction. Gokenki made it known that his teacher in China was an Okinawan after all, and lived on the northern end of the island.
 
Soon Kanbun's reputation grew, though no one had ever seen him perform. When approached by young men seeking instruction, he merely stated that they must have mistaken him for someone else. Finally, the townspeople got Kanbun and Gokenki together to clear up the mystery. Kanbun could no longer deny the stories. He still refused to discuss karate or demonstrate a kata and would not offer an explanation. Somehow, the question of draft-evasion never came up, and Kanbun was never indicted. He continued to farm his land as if he had never been away. Though he did teach the bo staff technique at village gatherings and festivals, but never a demonstration of karate.
 
Every year the Motobu police department held a large celebration at which it was customary for all the local karate schools to demonstrate their skills. The teachers got together before the celebration to discuss the demos and plan the events. The idea came up to have the mayor of Motobu announce that Kanbun Uechi would demonstrate by performing a kata. They were anxious to see proof of his ability, and so saw to it that he attended the celebration and was seated so near to the stage that if he refused the mayor's request, he would lose face. The plot was successful, for when the mayor asked Kanbun to demonstrate, the other teachers pushed Kanbun onto the stage where he was seen by all. He could not refuse!
 
There was applause, then dead silence. Kanbun was furious, but quiet. He hesitated for a moment - just enough time for the other teachers to wonder if, after all, it was just a story. Then with eyes glaring, Kanbun performed Seisan kata so fast and beautifully, with strength and power that after he had finished, jumped down from the stage and proceeded home, the karate portion of the day's festivities had come to an unexpected end. No one wished to try and follow Kanbun's demonstration.
 
From that time on, Kanbun was respected through out Okinawa as a true expert. He was asked to teach his karate in public schools, and was even offered a position as a professor of karate at the Teacher's College of Okinawa by Itosu Anko, the great Shorin teacher, who was also a professor at that college. Kanbun politely refused all offers.
 
Okinawa was now feeling the great national pride of a suppressed people, and the poverty stricken Okinawan people were ever on the lookout for heroes and role-models to bolster the societies morale. But "famous" Okinawan people represented a threat to the Japanese rule of the island, and were subject to harassment and "investigation" by Japanese officials. Kanbun was concerned with his family's welfare because of his years as a draft-evader, and would not give into the pressure to teach, which would only expose him to official scrutiny. There was so much pressure from different sources, in fact and income for family support so scarce, that Kanbun left Okinawa for mainland Japan in 1924 to search for stable employment. 
 
 

Excerpts from "The Secrets of Uechi Ryu Karate and The Mysteries of Okinawa" and "The History of Uechi-Ryu Karate"