Okinawan Uechi Karate School

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Okinawan Uechi-Ryu Karate, the Okinawan Karate-Do Association and Okinawan Uechi-Ryu Dojo of Ed and Jean DeCosta has been located in downtown North Attleboro for over 43 years. The dojo is the oldest established dojo in North Attleboro and the surrounding areas. Ed, 9th dan and Jean DeCosta, 8th dan black belts, have more than 65 years combined experience in the style of Okinawan Uechi Ryu. Okinawan Uechi-Ryu Karate History Uechi-Ryu (Way-Chee Roo) is a form of Chinese Temple Fighting. In the United States it is referred to as Kung Fu or Karate, and in Japan and Okinawa as Karate. In China, its formal name is Fwange-Nun (Pong-Gi Non). Fwange-Nun, from Northern China, is the interwoven movements of the tiger, crane and dragon. It is a specialized method of self defense that concentrates on the use of the Single-Knuckle Punch, Spear Hand Strike, Pointed Kick and Circular Block Grand Master Kanbum Uechi, the founder of Uechi-Ryu Karate is responsible for lifting the Chinese veil of secrecy, bringing this martial art our of China and into Japan and Okinawa. At the age of 20, to avoid serving in the Japanese military (which at the time occupied Okinawa), Uechi fled to China. There, in Fukien Province, he studied the art of Fwange-Nun. His teacher was Shushiwa, a priest who had received his training from a temple monk. Uechi studied in Fukien for ten years and became a master of Fwange-Nun. At the end of his training, Master Uechi opened a school in Nanchon, a city in Fukien Province. He taught there for three years. During this time one of his students became involved in a dispute and called upon his training to kill another person. Disheartened by this event, Master Uechi vowed never to teach again, closed his school and returned to his homeland. The year was 1910. Master Uechi has the distinction of being the only Okinawan ever to have been accepted in China as a teacher Returning to Okinawa, he married, and on June 26, 1911 his son Kanei was born. He still refus