Kentsū Yabu

Kentsū Yabu (屋部 憲通, Yabu Kentsū, September 23, 1866 - August 27, 1937) was a karate master in Okinawa, and was among the first people to demonstrate karate in Hawaii.

Kentsū Yabu
屋部 憲通
Yabu Kentsu, c. 1936
BornSeptember 23, 1866
Shuri, Okinawa, Ryukyu Kingdom
DiedAugust 27, 1937 (age 70)
Shuri, Okinawa, Japan
StyleShuri-te, Tomari-te
Teacher(s)Matsumura Sōkon, Ankō Itosu, Kōsaku Matsumora
Notable studentsYabiku Mōtoku, Kanken Toyama, Tokuda Anbun, Kyoda Jūhatsu, Gima Shinkin, many others

Yabu learned Shuri-te from Matsumura Sōkon and Ankō Itosu[1][2] and Tomari-te from Kōsaku Matsumora.[3] He is often considered Itosu's top student.

History

Yabu was born in Shuri, Okinawa, on September 23, 1866. He was the oldest son of Yabu Kenten and Shun Morinaga. He had three brothers, three sisters, and three half-sisters.[4] On March 19, 1886, he married Takahara Oto (1868-1940).

As a young man, Yabu learned Shuri-te from Matsumura Sōkon and Ankō Itosu. Around 1889, he, together with Motobu Chōyū and Motobu Chōki, learned Tomari-te from Kōsaku Matsumora.[3] In those days, there was no distinction between different styles of karate, and Yabu did not call himself by the name of his school for the rest of his life.

Yabu joined the Japanese Army in December 1890. He served in the First Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. He received promotion to lieutenant, but to subsequent students, he was often known as gunso, or sergeant.[5]

Following separation from the service, Yabu became a teacher at Okinawa Prefectural Normal School in 1904.[6]

In 1908, Yabu's oldest son, Kenden, went to Hawaii. In 1912, Kenden went to California. In the USA, Yabu Kenden became known as Kenden Yabe, after a method of transliteration then being used on Japanese passports.[7]

In 1919, Kenden Yabe married, and in 1921, his wife became pregnant. Yabu Kentsu went to California in 1919 to visit his son (and, hopefully, grandson). However, Kenden Yabe and his wife only had daughters. Thus, Yabu Kentsu went back to Okinawa disappointed.[5][7]

Yabu stayed in the United States from 1919 until 1927. He returned to Okinawa via Hawaii. He spent about nine months in the Territory. He spent most of his time on Oahu, but he also visited other islands. In Honolulu, he gave two public demonstrations of karate at the Nuuanu YMCA.[8]

In 1936, Yabu visited Tokyo. While there, he visited the young Shōshin Nagamine, who later became another well-known karate teacher.[9]

Yabu died at Shuri, Okinawa, on August 27, 1937.

Influence on Karate

As a former soldier, Yabu has been credited with helping make Okinawan karate training more militaristic. That is, students were expected to line up in rows, and respond by the numbers. If so, this was probably part of the general militarization of Japanese athletics common during the early 20th century.[10] However, there is no doubt that his methods involved much rote repetition..[11]

His favorite kata reportedly included Gojūshiho and naihanchi.[11]

References
  1. Hokama, Tetsuhiro. History and Traditions of Okinawan Karate, translated by Cezar Borkowski. Hamilton, Ontario: Masters Publication, 1998, p. 35.
  2. Lowry, Dave. "Yabu Kentsu, An Okinawan Karateman," Karate Illustrated, 7, 1985, p. 11.
  3. Motobu, Choki (2007) [1936]. Translated by Asai Ferreira, Kiko. "Bushi Motobu Chōki Ō ni 'Jissen-dan' o Kiku!" 武士・本部朝基翁に「実戦談」を聴く！ [Choki Motobu's Lost Interviews from 1936]. Classical Fighting Arts Magazine. Dragon Associates Inc. (34): 52. ISSN 1547-416X.
  4. Yabu, Kenjiro. "Genealogy of the Surname So Family (from Kengi the Founder): The Okushima Family Line, An Annotated Text," translated with supplementary notes by Ben Kobashigawa and Yoko Fukumura, May 31, 1986
  5. Svinth, Joseph R. (2003) "Karate Pioneer Kentsu Yabu, 1866-1937."
  6. Narahara, Tomomitsu (ed.). 沖縄県人事録 [Okinawa Prefecture Personnel Records] (in Japanese). 沖縄県人事録編纂所 (Okinawa Prefecture Personnel Records Compilation Office). p. 344.
  7. History of the Okinawans in North America, translation of Hokubei Okinawajin shi, translated by Ben Kobashigawa. Los Angeles: University of California and the Okinawan Club of America, 1988.
  8. Goodin, Charles. (2003) "Hawaii Karate Seinenkai Salutes Kentsu Yabu 1866-1937."
  9. Bishop, Mark. Okinawan Karate: Teachers, Styles and Secret Techniques. London: A. & C. Black, 1989, p. 86.
  10. Abe, Ikuo, Kiyohara, Yasuharu, and Nakajima, Ken. "Sport and Physical Education under Fascistization in Japan," Bulletin of Health & Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 13, 1990, pp. 25-46.
  11. Noble, Graham, with McLaren, Ian and Karasawa, N. (1988). "Masters of the Shōrin-ryū, Part II," Fighting Arts International, 51, 9:3, 1988, pp. 32-35. Archived 2009-02-10 at the Wayback Machine


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