Master Chojun Miyagi

The History of Goju Ryu Karate

   Goju ryu karate was created by an Oki-nawan named Chojun Miyagi. Goju ryu karate means hard-soft style, and is based on the yin and yang principles of the soft and hard. It was developed from the art of naha-te. Miyagi began training in the naha-te system when he was little more than 14 years old under the great instructor Kanryo Higaonna. As a youth Higaonna had made many trips to China while working for an import and export company. During one of these trips he decided to stay on the Chinese mainland and, while there, became greatly interested in Chinese boxing. Upon his return some years later, he merged his ideas of the Chinese systems with those of the indigenous karate systems of Okinawa. Although Goju was developed from naha-te, its Chinese influence is easily recognizable.

   Two of Higaonna's top students were Miyagi and Mabuni. After their master's death they took his place as the school's instructors, but Miyagi soon decided to travel to the Chinese mainland as his teacher had done before him. Continuing his studies in China, Miyagi was greatly influenced by the internal systems of kung fu and the special breathing techniques. He began to understand that karate, with the added impetus of kung fu, could be twice as deadly. Miyagi returned home to Okinawa some years later with a greater knowledge and understanding and quickly established himself as a karate teacher.

   Following in Funakoshi's footsteps, Miyagi went to Japan where Okinawan instructors were in great demand to take up his position as karate teacher at Kyoto University. Although he was very successful, attracting large classes, he began to get so homesick that he returned to Okinawa. While some of his students followed him to Okinawa, one student, Gogen Yamaguchi, began to formulate his own karate techniques. This happened because during a visit to Shanghai on the Chinese mainland Chojun Miyagi had modified to a certain extent some of the finer points of Goju. However, Yamaguchi refused to accept these modifications, believing that the old ways were the best, and broke away from the Goju movement and wandered up into the mountains.

   Miyagi devoted his whole life to the teaching and furtherance of goju ryu karate, which has remained unchanged right up to the present day (unlike other styles which were splintering and becoming almost unrecognizable from the original forms). Miyagi died on 8 October 1953, aged 65.

   The techniques in goju kai involve close-in fighting. This is a highly complex style that is quite exacting, requiring a balance between hard and soft. This balance gives the student the ability to change techniques in a quick flowing manner in order to execute a kick or punch with the force of a thunderbolt. The training methods of goju kai are not based upon muscular strength alone; a great deal of emphasis is placed upon special breathing techniques. A beginner must master these correctly in order to gain mastery of the complete system. Originally, goju had no high kicks whatsoever but modern sporting ideas have introduced a certain number of these into the style. Traditionally, high kicks to the head were not employed because they were considered unsafe, because the overextended line of balance was too exaggerated.

   Goju kai karate came into being through the developments made from the original form of goju ryu by Yamaguchi. While in the mountains seeking spiritual guidance, after he had left Miyagi's goju ryu, he became invovled with a group of Shinto priests. Under their tutorship Yamaguchi followed the path of nature. He began a hard training regimen involving deep meditational practices, and went without food or drink for long periods of time. Every morning he would stand in the traditional goju stance of sanchin (hourglass stance) under the icy waters of a mountain waterfall. His strength and mental abilities increased tremendously during his mountain period. When Yamaguchi returned to civilization his style of goju kai soon became very important in Japanese martial circles. His goju kai spread, becoming far more popular than his master's system of goju ryu. Throughout the late 1930s, as goju kai became increasingly popular, its grandmaster Yamaguchi became affectionately known as 'the cat.' At the outbreak of World War II when Yamaguchi was serving in the forces he was captured by the Russians and shipped off to a labor camp in Mongolia. Yamaguchi's indomitable karate spirit kept him alive through this wretched period, when many around him were dying. At the end of the war, after more than 12 months in captivity, he was repatriated and returned home to Japan. In 1948 he opened his new karate dojo (club) and began establishing goju kai all over again. In 1950 he formed the All-Japan Karate-do Goju-kai and later was awarded the tenth dan black belt.

Goju-Ryu New Brunswick

    Welcome to Goju-Ryu N.B. We are the newest style to join Karate New Brunswick. As a member club, who had no earlier recognition by the NKA, we became the first style within N.B. to gain recognition thru the NKA Dan certification program. This is a program that allows non-recognized styles to gain recognition within New Brunswick by taking a Black Belt test before the NKA Technical committee. Sensei Sylvian Lessard, the Goju-Ryu representative, has become the first individual to have successfully passed this exam, which consequently allowed the Goju-Ryu to become members of Karate New Brunswick. Sensei Lessard, trains under Sensei Don Benoit of Sudbury Ontario, and passed his Dan test at the Nationals in Halifax. As Goju-Ryu is one of the oldest styles that exist, we are happy to welcome them to Karate New Brunswick. Please feel free to contact us at the dojo links button for any further information.