In February of 1910, Kanbun returned to Izumi and took up life as a peasant farmer. On June 26, 1911, Kanei Uechi, Kanbun?s eldest son was born. Due to economic reasons Kanbun left Okinawa in 1924 for Kansai, Japan and began working in a cotton mill. Here he met Ryuyu Tomoyose, who with great determination convinced Kanbun to teach him Pangainoon. In 1926 Kanbun, with the assistance of Ryuyu, opened a school in the cotton mill complex where he taught portions of three katas (Sanchin, Seisan, and Sanseiryu) as well as forearm conditioning (Kotekitae) to a select group of students. This was the first time Pangainoon had been taught outside of China. Later, as the school began to grow, the five seniors carefully selected new students. The seniors accepted full responsibility for their nominee?s behavior.
In 1927 Kanei traveled to Kansai and joined his father?s dojo. Kanei received certification in Pangainoon in April of 1937. In the fall of 1940 the students of Kanbun?s dojo renamed the style Uechi-Ryu and gave Kanbun the title of grand master. On May 10, 1941, Kanmei, eldest son of Kanei, was born. In April 1942, Kanei returned to Okinawa and began teaching Uechi-Ryu there. Nearing the end of World War II both dojo?s became inactive as almost all of the students had been called away to serve in the Japanese military.
Immediately following the war Kanbun and several of his students were temporarily placed in a refugee camp while the rebuilding process began to restore the Okinawan/Japanese economy from the complete destruction caused by the war. Food and essentials were in short supply and the refugees were very depressed. In an effort to raise spirits, Kanbun demonstrated complete katas for the first time since he had left China. In October, 1946 Kanbun returned to Okinawa with two students, Seiro Shinjo and his son Seiyu, leaving Ryuyu Tomoyose in charge of the school in Kansai. On November 25, 1948, Kanbun died of nephritis. It is believed that a written text of Uechi-ryu was destroyed in the bombings of World War II before it could be handed down from Kanbun to Kanei.
