History of Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate

Okinawan Master Kanryo Higaonna, the father of Naha-te, was born in Naha City in 1853. Higaonna at the age of 10 began helping his father in the family business that consisted of transporting firewood in a small junk from island to island. By all accounts Higaonna was physically small for his age, but very quick in his movements. When he was 11 or 12 years old he developed an interest in the martial arts and began to train with a local instructor who was teaching a Fukien style of Kung Fu. The reason he became interested in the martial arts at the time remains unclear. In 1865 his father was killed in a fight. It is believed that his father's death caused him to intensify his desire to extend his martial arts training.

In 1868 Higaonna traveled to Mainland China and reportedly spent the next 15 years learning kung fu from Chinese masters. There exist no verifiable records but it is widely accepted that Master Higaonna studied White Crane Kenpo from Master Ryu Ryu Ko in China's Fukien Prefecture. It is also widely accepted that Master Ryu Ryu Ko learned from Master Hayashi Toku Jun, a martial arts master and founder of Taiwan White Crane Kenpo. After his arrival in China he spent year the Okinawan settlement in Foochow, before he was introduced to Ryu Ryu Ko. Virtually nothing is known about Ryu Ryu Ko. Some martial artists/historians have suggested that it is possible that Ryu Ryu Ko is only the nickname given to him by Master Higaonna in order to protect his true identity. The reason Master Ryu Ryu Ko wished to keep his identity a secret is not readily discernible. The influence of Master Hayashi on both Master Ryu Ryu Ko and on Master Higaonna has caused Goju practitioners to accept the connection that exists between White Crane Kenpo and Goju-Ryu. After a long period, Higaonna was accepted as Ryuko's personal disciple. Higaonna Sensei stayed with Ryuko for fifteen years and became Master Ryu Ryu Ko's most skilled student.

In 1881 Master Higaonna returned to Okinawa. Shortly after his return he began developing his own martial arts style. He was not, however, eager to teach and for a long period of time he did not accept any students for instruction. Neither did he bother to name or systematize his style in general. The style eventually became known as To-de, or Chinese hand, to distinguish it from Te, the native Okinawan martial art. Later the style took on the name Naha-Te to distinguish it from Shuri-Te and Tomari-te the other two Okinawan styles. His fame as a martial artist quickly spread and the Okinawans soon realised that the martial art of Higaonna Sensei exceeded anything that they have seen before. Ultimately Higaonna began to accept students and began teaching Naha-Te. He is honoured as the founder of Okinawan karate.

The next significant historical event in Goju-Ryu history is Higaonna's teaching of karate to Master Chojun Miyagi. Chojun Miyagi was born in Okinawa in 1888 and at age 12 started karate training with Aragaki Ryuko Sensei. He was introduced to Master Higaonna at age 14. Following his initial instruction from Higaonna Master Miyagi traveled to Fukien Prefecture, most likely at the urging of Master Higaonna, to study the martial arts and to improve his technique. It is widely accepted that Master Miyagi was in China from 1904 to 1908. What styles of martial arts Master Miyagi Studied in Fukien is the subject matter of much speculation. It is assumed that he followed in Higaonna's footsteps. But this can either be confirmed or dismissed.

Upon his return to Okinawa Master Miyagi began teaching karate. Miyagi, unlike Master Higaonna, began to organize and systematize the style. A physical education teacher in the Okinawa school system, Master Miyagi began to introduce other elements in the basic physical training of karate. He began to incorporate aspects of callisthenics exercise in the traditional training methods of karate instruction. This attracted young men to the art and the art gained more notoriety in Okinawa. Master Miyagi also introduced two new kata into the system that were much simpler than the traditional kata Master Higaonna had brought back from China. These two kata, known as Gekesai Dai Ichi and Gekesai Dai Ni, served to attract many students into the style and helped to popularize Goju Ryu.

As his popularity grew, Master Miyagi traveled to Japan to teach Goju Ryu karate. In Japan, he taught many pupils who later would become masters in their own right.

Miyagi Chojun Sensei died on October 8^th, 1953, leaving a great legacy behind. He predicted that during the 20^th century karate would spread throughout the world. Today we can see that his prediction has been realized; karate is not only practised in Japan, but can be found in over 140 countries of the world.

After Miyagi Chojun Sensei's death a meeting of senior students and Miyagi Kei, the second son of Master Miyagi, it was agreed that Miyazato Eiichi Sensei was the most qualified to succeed Miyagi Chojun Sensei. Miyazato Sensei accepted the responsibility and dedicated his whole life to preserving and spreading Goju-ryu in Okinawa from his dojo, the Jundokan. 2003 marks the 50^th anniversary of the Jundokan Dojo. Tenth Dan, Hanshi, Miyazato Eiichi was born in Naha, Okinawa on July 5^th, 1922. He began his training in Goju-ryu Karate-Do in 1938 under the founder of Goju-ryu, Miyagi Chojun Sensei. At the early age of thirteen, Miyazato Sensei was accepted in Miyagi's Garden Dojo for formal training. Although Miyazato Sensei excelled in the art of Goju-ryu, Karate was not his only passion. His daily martial arts training were divided equally between Karate and the sport of Judo. Not only did he master the sport of Judo, but he also became Okinawa's and the all Japan Police Judo champion for many years. Miyazato Sensei passed away on 11^th December 1999.