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MikeCallender
22nd April 2001, 08:34
I am looking for some information on Uni-Fugusuku, a 15th century Okinawan Martial Artist. Can anyone point to a good reference. I have checked my sources but I have nothing before the 1800's. Thank you.

Mike

Dale Knepp
26th April 2001, 21:55
I'm not familiar with that name. Perhaps you may be referring to Uni-Uhugushiku from that same period mentioned. If so, I have some infromation in my files at home and will have to refer to them for the details. There's not much information of which I'm aware and I would like to have more. Much of it is family legend and not otherwise documented.

Regards,

Dale Knepp

JosephBlow
27th April 2001, 09:12
Please, do share the file info. As pronounced, "uhu" sounds enough like "Fu" to make it a high probability (in my mind) that he's asking for your man.

Regards,

Rich B.

MikeCallender
27th April 2001, 09:36
Please do share the info. Regardless, I am interested in learning about any martial artists connected with Okinawa's history. I will check on the spelling this weekend. Thanks

Mike

Dale Knepp
27th April 2001, 20:47
Mike,

Could you name the sources that you have? I may not have seen them before and would like to reference them myself.

How long have you lived on Okinawa? and are you fluent in Japanese, reading and/or speaking? and how long have you been training and in what system(s)?

No offense, I'm just curious!

I've gone through some of my records but no luck so far. Sorry, if I seem to be teasing you but it may take some time to recover the details that I remember filing away. I can tell you some things from memory though.

"Uni" is a nickname of sorts and is the Okinawan variation of the Japanese "Oni" meaning devil. I recall that he was known for his ferocity in battle and would seem to come out of nowhere hence the appellation.

He and his descendents were rewarded by the King of Okinawa so that they became royal retainers responsible for the King and his family's safety, i.e., personal bodyguards. It is said that they had a prominent position posted to guard the main gate of Shuri castle and serve as bodyguards during the night while the royal family was sleeping.

One of his descendents was one of my teacher's instructors. You can read a little about him at the following website: http://www.kushu.com/aboutto.htm

Hope this helps,

Dale Knepp

MikeCallender
28th April 2001, 05:17
Well I have check a few books by Patrick McCarthy and Shoshin Nagamine Tales of Okinawa’s Great Masters but these books do not mention characters that far back.
Like most Americans living in Okinawa I am in the military (US Air Force). I have lived in Okinawa from 92-95 and then I moved back in 99. I speak a little Japanese, but only enough t get myself in trouble.
I practice Aikido, which I started in college, and only practiced a little Shorin Ryu, when I was stationed in Florida. (There wasn’t an Aikido Dojo close enough to practice regularly, so I supplemented my training by starting Karate and attending as many seminars as I could.)
While I do not actively study Okinawa Kobudo, I thoroughly enjoy reading about the history and development of the armed and empty-handed arts. Thanks for your help.

Mike

Pavel Dolgachov
3rd May 2001, 10:09
Sirs!
I think you mention Kanagusuku Sanda, whos nickname was Ufuchiku (Uhuchiku). Ufuchiku means 'chief of police'. he was a forerunner Ufuchiku-ryu Kobujutsu. But he lived in XiX century.
I also saw in kobudo sai-kata list different names of two kata:
1/ Ufuchiku-no-sai
2/ Fugushiku-no-sai

Probably, they were different persons?

Pavel Dolgachov

Dale Knepp
3rd May 2001, 21:30
Pavel,

You seem to have confused Uni-Uhugushiku with Kanagusuku. They are two different men living centuries apart from each other. I can understand why as the nicknames add to the confusion.

What's more is that Okinawan language varies from village to village with different enunciations for various terms. The letters H and F often tend to be interchanged depending on to whom you talk. Thus naihanchi may be pronounced naifanchi by some teachers.

As I said previously, I do not know the name Fugusuku or Fugushiku which could be an alternate romanization of the same name. I do not recall that name on the list of Okinawan family names from a reference book that I have a copy of somewhere at home but I will check to see for sure when I find it.

If anyone has references to the name Fugusuku, I would like to see them. Please forward it to me if possible that way I can cross reference it with the information that I have and clear up the confusion on the names.

Regards,

Dale Knepp

Pavel Dolgachov
4th May 2001, 13:54
I didn't confuse Ufugushiku and Kanagusuku. Kanagusuku (or Kanagushiku) means "Gold castle" and it is Kinjo on modern japaneese. Ufuchiku (or Uhuchiku)means chief of police. It was nickname of Kanagusuku Sanda who was founder of Ufuchiku-ryu kobujutsu.
see
www.karatedo.boom.ru/ufuchikuE.html

Dale Knepp
15th May 2001, 17:45
Pavel,

Sorry for the delay in responding to you, I've been on vacation since the 5th of May and haven't had a chance to reply to you.

My apologies, I didn't mean that you confused the two names but it seemed to me that you confused two different people thinking that they may be the same person.

Best regards,

Dale

shihonage
1st March 2006, 22:33
I have a little more information for you.

Uni Ufugushiku was his nickname, his real name was Kenyu Oshiro. My girlfriend is also of the Oshiro family and we are looking to see if she directly related to him.
I visited his Tomb in Nov or 2004 while I was exploring Chibana Gusuku ( castle ) where he used to live during the mid 1400's.

here is more pictures from my visit.
http://photo-blog-okinawa.cyberosity.com/post/index/31/Tomb-of-Uni-Ufugushiku.html

http://photo-blog-okinawa.cyberosity.com/gallery2/d/2161-3/DSC02956.JPG

MikeCallender
27th March 2006, 04:12
Tony
Thanks for the picture. That is the sign that first started my inquiry into Uni-Ufukusaga (aka, Kenyu Oshiro). Wow you revived a long dead thread. I visited that castle while stationed on Okinawa and wondered about the history of the place. Thanks for posting the picture; it brings back wonderful memories of Okinawa and my time their.


Mike Callender

mikem
26th September 2006, 01:42
Tony
Thanks for the picture. That is the sign that first started my inquiry into Uni-Ufukusaga (aka, Kenyu Oshiro). Wow you revived a long dead thread. I visited that castle while stationed on Okinawa and wondered about the history of the place. Thanks for posting the picture; it brings back wonderful memories of Okinawa and my time their.


Mike Callender


Hello Mike, Tony, Dale and all,

It was my understanding that Oshiro was the Japanese pronunciation of the kanji when Uhugushiku was written. That might be a cause some of the confusion concerning the name.

Mike