History
Uechi-ryu comes from Kanbun Uechi, an Okinawan who lived about thirteen years in Fuzhou, China, learning a style called Pangai-noon ("half-hard, half-soft"). He first taught it in Wakayama, Japan, and the style took his name around 1940.
Uechi-ryu is famous for body conditioning: students toughen arms, legs and body so they can take blows, and use open-hand strikes, toe kicks and short, circular blocks.