Tomoyose Ryuyu was Kanbun Uechi’s first and most senior student in Japan. A fellow Okinawan immigrant, Tomoyose met Kanbun Uechi in Wakayama, Japan, around 1924 while they both worked at a spinning mill. He convinced Kanbun Uechi to end a self-imposed ban and begin teaching the Pangainoon.
After Kanbun Uechi returned to Okinawa, Tomoyose took over teaching at the dojo he established in Wakayama. He later helped his son, Ryuko Tomoyose, convince Kanei Uechi to establish a dojo in Okinawa, solidifying the lineage of the Uechi-Ryu style.