Yabu Kentsū (1866–1937) was a great fan and supporter of sumō in Okinawa. But he was not the only karate authority back in the days who was fascinated by the sport. Apart from Yabu, who occasionally acted as a referee at the Prefectural Sumō Tournament in Ônoyama Park, Funakoshi Gichin (1868–1957) is known to have acted as a judge.
The art of sumō was very popular in all over Okinawa, so it is not surprising that also Yabu friend Hanashiro Chōmo (1869–1945) was also very much interested in such events. The undated photograph, which is unfortunately currently only available in poor quality, shows Hanashiro as chief referee (fourth from the left in the front row).
The text accompanying the photograph says that the organisers invited martial arts masters such as Hanashiro and Yabu to referee every big event. The article was written for young people to familiarise them with the history of Ryūkyū. The author is Kabira Chōshin 川平朝申 (1908–1988). He was an Okinawa Civil Government official, broadcasting station manager, and folklorist. He opened the first Japanese language radio broadcasting station in Okinawa after the war, and contributed to the postwar revival of Okinawan culture.
The magazine 今日の琉球 Kon’nichi no Ryūkyū (Today’s Ryūkyū), in which the article was published, was published from October 1957 until May 1972. It was a Japanese-language magazine reporting on the actual and current situation in Okinawa at the time.
Source: 今日の琉球 Kon’nichi no Ryūkyū (Today’s Ryūkyū), July 1967, page 35
Investigations into the history of karate 