Zhou Zihe
周子和
Existence disputedA master of southern kung fu from Fuzhou, traditionally the teacher of Kanbun Uechi and a forerunner of Uechi-ryu; both his role and his historical existence are disputed.
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ChinaBiography
Zhou Zihe (周子和), also called Shu Shiwa, is, according to tradition, a Chinese master of the tiger and crane style of southern kung fu from Fuzhou in Fujian province, under whom Kanbun Uechi studied the martial art. He is counted among the forerunners of the Uechi-ryu style. We have not found in the sources any information about his death, family, or other students.
According to tradition, Kanbun studied under him for a total of 13 years, received a teaching licence from him in 1904, and in 1906 opened his own dojo in Nanjing. Kanbun called his system pangai-noon, and it also included instruction in herbalism. Through him the Sanchin and Sanseiryu kata were passed on in Uechi-ryu; the kata names Kanshiwa and Kanshu refer to his name.
Research by the Uechi family and a local wushu association from 1984 concluded that Zhou Zihe may not have been Kanbun's actual teacher but rather his assistant. According to genealogies of the Fujian tiger boxing style huzunquan, Kanbun's actual teacher was Zheng Xianji (鄭仙紀). The very existence of Zhou Zihe as a historical figure is also disputed; according to one version, he was a Buddhist monk from a central temple in Fujian.