Gabu Seikei (1)

Gabu Seikei is a relatively unknown karateka, but he wasn’t just a karateka, he was also one of the first soldiers from the Prefecture of Okinawa. Together with Yabu Kentsū, Hanashiro Chōmo, and seven other Okinawans, Gabu joined the NCO School in Chiba Prefecture, becoming a soldier as well (Yabu, 1932a).

However, he has largely been forgotten in karate circles. His name, for instance, has often been mistaken as a typographical error for Yabu’s name, as shown in the following two examples—both of which are copies of a text by Tokuda Antei (Yōshū, 1961).

„Karate was first initiated by Hanashiro Chōmo sensei and Yabu Kentsū sensei, along with around 28 enthusiastic students, at the site of the former Shuri Tōnokura National School (now within the premises of the Okinawa Bank), where we began practicing fundamentals such as Naihanchi.“ (Hokama, 1984).

„Karate was first initiated by Hanashiro and Yabu (with ‘Ga’ noted as a mistaken character for ‘Ya’), along with around twenty enthusiastic students, at the site of the former Shuri Tōnokura National School (now within the premises of the Okinawa Bank), where we began practicing fundamentals techniques such as Naihanchi.“ (Kinjō, 2011)

Hokama Tetsuhiro, in preparation for his first book, conducted extensive research and interviewed numerous masters of karate. Kinjō Hiroshi, a former student at the Okinawa Middle School and a direct student of Hanashiro Chōmo prior to World War II, was also well-connected within the Okinawan martial arts community.

It appears that Gabu’s name had already faded from public recognition even before the war. According to the recollections of Yabu Kentsū, Gabu served in the 13th Company (Yabu, 1932b) and also participated in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), including the Battle of Weihaiwei. (Ryūkyū Kyōiku, 1896).

However, Gabu is believed to have passed away sometime before 1932. Yabu notes that five former attendees of the Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) School held biannual meetings (in spring and autumn), and Gabu’s name is not among those listed. (Yabu, 1932b).

Unfortunately, it remains unknown from which master Gabu Seikei may have learned karate. At this point, I will refrain from making any speculations.

One final note: Tokuda Antei (徳田安貞, 1884–1979) cannot be the son of Tokuda Anbun (徳田安文, 1886–1945), as I recently read elsewhere.