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In spite of his innocence, Makabe was discouraged and told his family: “The purpose of bujutsu is not to compete with other people, but for training all aspects of oneself. I regret having competed with so many people in the past just to prove a point. As a man sows, so shall he also reap.” It is said that from that time forth, Makabe never took on another student.

According to his official resume, when Makabe was between forty and fifty years old he journeyed once to Fuzhou, China, and twice to Edo (the old name for Tokyo), on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It was expected that men like Makabe Chaan, “the scholar/warrior/diplomat,” would one day become powerful leaders for the Ryukyu government. However, Makabe Chaan passed away during the reign of Shoko-O, at the relatively young age of fifty-five years.

Shoko-O, the nineteenth century reclusive composer king, is perhaps better remembered for the artistic masterpieces he left behind than for his political ambivalence. Because of his reclusive preoccupation with music and poetry within the walls of the royal sanctuary, Shoko-O later became known as “Boochi-usuu,” the monk king.