I believe all his shodan candidates are tested by a representative from Okinawa. I do know that Ray-sensei tested for 5th dan in Okinawa during the same trip that I mentioned above. This is perhaps the largest collection o koryu sword folks online.Īs for Uechi, I don't know that much about that side of things as I'm not in that class.
#Uechi ryu karate do kenyukai free#
Feel free to enquire at in the sword arts forum. I have also had the oppurtunity to train with the Vice President of the Zen Nippon Iaido Renmei in California this past 4th of July weekend. They were scheduled for a private training session with Fukui-soke, who unfortunately passed away a couple of months before the trip. A few years ago about 8 of our students accompanied Ray-sensei to Chiba, Japan for an extended training trip. Uechi left Okinawa in March of 1897 to avoid conscription into the Japanese military and began his study of the martial arts at the central temple of the Fukien Province in southern China. I have had the good fortune of training with several of Ray-sensei's sempai from the Chiba dojo at various seminars in Denton. Uechi-Ryu Karate-Do is named after the founder, Kanbun Uechi, who was born on in Izumi, Motobu-cho, a small village in northern Okinawa. Ray-sensei is indeed a Nandan Kyoshi in MJER Iaido. For more information on the Kenyukai organization in North America, visit have trained with Ray-sensei for more than 6 years. Put together the translation is Seiyu Shinjo's Strong Fist Group. The "yu" comes from the second character in Seiyu. The "Ken" in Kenyukai represents "strong fist". In honor of his father, Shinjo Sensei has named the organization of Uechi-Ryu practitioners associated with his father as Kenyukai. He currently holds the rank of Hanshi Kyudan (9th degree). Shinjo Sensei continues the family tradition to this day, though the dojo now resides in Yomitan. Shinjo Kiyohide Sensei took over as the chief instructor of the family dojo in Kadena after the death of his father. Starting in 1970, he became the unprecedented, nine time, undefeated kumite and kata champion. He continued training under his father's watchful eyes eventually becoming one of the best (if not the best) martial artist on Okinawa. Kiyohide was required to learn Uechi-Ryu and did so reluctantly at first. Seiyu Shinjo began the training of his son Kiyohide when he reached the age of 10. Two years later at the age of 71 Master Uechi died on Ie Jima. He did not teach formally after his return to Okinawa, but continued to train a few students. Master Uechi continued teaching in Wakayama until 1946 when he returned to Okinawa (Ie Jima island near Okinawa).
#Uechi ryu karate do kenyukai how to#
In 1924 Master Uechi moved to Wakayama, Japan where he resumed teaching in 1926.His first student in Wakayama was Ryuyu Tomoyose, who initially tried to trick Master Uechi into teaching him by making up stories of fights he had gotten into and asking him how to defend himself in these situations. He did not formally teach for a number of reasons. He taught there until 1909 when he returned to Okinawa.īack in Okinawa, Master Uechi married and began farming. Master Uechi referred to the art which he taught as Pangainoon. Uechi studied a system of martial arts based on the movements of the tiger, dragon, and crane with Shushiwa for approximately 10 years, after which time he opened his own school in the village of Nanching(Nansei) in the Fukien Province of China. He studied under Master Zhou Tzu Ho (pronounced Jo su ho) who is known in Okinawa by his Japanese name Shushiwa. Uechi-Ryu Karate-Do is named after the founder, Kanbun Uechi, who was born on in Izumi, Motobu-cho, a small village in northern Okinawa.