Throughout history the island of Okinawa has been a centre of cultural exchange and it is not surprising that this tiny island became the place of origin for the art of karate-do.
As with most societies, Okinawans had their native fighting art “Te”. The art of “Te” was the general term used, but there existed three different styles of “Te” in Okinawa namely Tomari-Te, Shuri-Te, and Naha-Te. These styles were named after the villages where they were practiced.
Naha-Te was the style practised by Kanryo Higaonna and this style of karate is the forerunner for Goju Ryu Karate-Do. The fourth son of Kanyo Higaonna, Kanryo Higaonna was born March 10, 1853 in Naha’s West village of Nishimura. He was the fourth son of seven boys and one girl. His family was extremely poor and survived by shipping firewood in a small boat.
Around the age of 14 to 17 he began to study the fighting arts under Aragaki Seisho. Higaonna Sensei spent a little over 3 years studying under him, when Aragaki Seisho who worked as a translator of Chinese was called to China for diplomatic duties. Higaonna Sensei’s training was left under the tutelage of Kojo Taitei. The katas Sanchin, Sanseru, Seisan and Suparempei were known to have been practiced in the Naha area. It has been suggested that it was during the approximately six years of training under Aragaki and Kojo that Higaonna Sensei learned the above mentioned katas as well as basics and supplementary strength training.
At the age of 22 or 23, Higaonna Sensei set sail for Fuzhou City in Fujian, China to continue his studies in the fighting arts. Safe passage, accommodations and instruction were made possible through the help of Kojo Taitei and Yoshimura Udun Chomei, a friend of the family.
When Higaonna Sensei arrived in China, he apparently stayed at the Ryukyukan, a boarding house for migrant workers. He started working a variety of different jobs and began practising the Kojo Dojo, which was located at the Ryukyukan. The Kojo dojo offered instruction in several forms of Southern Chinese boxing including Monk Fist Boxing.
Oral tradition states that Higaonna Sensei was introduced to a teacher of Chinese boxing to continue his study but there is much debate as to the identity of the teacher. The most widely accepted theory is that of Ru Ru Ko (Xie Zhongxiang). According to research, Ru Ru Ko was born in 1852; he was a shoemaker and founder of Whooping Crane Gongfu. The timeframe that Higaonna Sensei spent studying under Ru Ru Ko is speculative at best but oral tradition from interviews with Ru Ru Ko’s grandson and great grandson support the theory that Higaonna Sensei spent time studying with Ru Ru Ko.
After approximately 3 years in China, Higaonna Sensei returned to Okinawa and went back to his family business of shipping firewood. In no time his skill in the martial arts spread and soon many young men wanting to learn Higaonna’s Karate began to seek him out.
Higaonna Sensei is said to have taught only the four katas Sanchin, Seisan, Sanseru and Suparempei along with basics and supplementary training. A heavy emphasis was placed on Sanchin and many students came to learn but few remained due to the harshness of the training. Among the few that remained was Juhatsu Kyoda (founder of Toon-Ryu) and Chojun Miyagi(the founder of Goju Ryu Karate-Do.)
The son of Chosho Miyagi, Chojun Miyagi was born Matsu Miyagi on April 25, 1888. The Miyagi family was one of the wealthiest families on Okinawa, owning two trading ships, which imported pharmaceuticals to supply both the government and private merchants. At the age of 5, an uncle adopted him after the death of the main successor to the family fortune. His name was then changed to Chojun, as he became heir to his family fortune.
At the age of eleven, Miyagi Sensei began training under a karate master named Aragaki Ryuko. Training under Ryuko consisted of exercises to strengthen and develop the body through the use of the makiwara (punching post),chishi (stone lever weight) and nigiri-game (clay gripping jars). At the age of 14, Aragaki Ryuko introduced Chojun Miyagi to Kanryo Higaonna. Kanryo Higaonna teaching was severe and harsh with a special emphasis on the kata Sanchin. Chojun Miyagi was one of the few students that endured the training and was able to learn the entire Naha-Te system from Kanryo Higaonna.
Early in 1916, Kanryo Higaonna fell ill. Chojun Miyagi being devoted to his teacher, kept him at his home so that he could recover and regain strength, but Kanryo Higaonna passed away at the age of 63. Chojun Miyagi, because of his wealth and devotion to his Sensei took care of all the funeral arrangements.
After Kanryo Higaonna passed away, Chojun Miyagi went to China in search of the dojo of Ru Ru Ko. He did find the site but all that remained of the building was rubble.
As his teacher before him, Miyagi Sensei was very strict and placed a great emphasis on basics. He would train his students hard in supplementary exercises & basics for some time before introducing the Sanchin kata. Only after Miyagi Sensei felt his student had mastered the Sanchin kata would he teach another. The training was harsh & severe and students would be left with black-and-blue marks from Miyagi Sensei checking their stances during Sanchin training. It was said that the students would have to hang a rope from the ceiling in the public washrooms to lower themselves to the toilet and pull themselves up again because they were too sore to do it under their own strength.
Miyagi Sensei spent his whole life promoting his art and making people aware of the benefits of studying a martial art. In 1921 the Crown Prince Hiroshito (Emperor of Japan) was on a stopover in Nakagasuku Bay in Okinawa. A ceremony in his honour was given. At this ceremony a demonstration of Naha-Te & Shuri-Te was given. Miyagi Sensei represented the Naha-Te system. The prince was very impressed with the development of the martial arts in the small island of Okinawa. Four years later Miyagi Sensei gave another demonstration for prince Chichibu who was equally impressed.
In 1926 Miyagi Sensei organized the Karate Research Club along with Hanashiro Chomo of Shuri-Te, Motosu Choyu and Mabuni Kenwa. This club lasted only until 1929. In 1927 Jigoro Kano (founder of Judo) was invited by to the island by the association of Okinawa. At the ceremony Miyagi Sensei gave a demonstration of his art. Jigoro Kano was very impressed and through his influence Miyagi Sensei was able to introduce his art at many other demonstrations.
In 1930 Jinan Shinzato was giving a demonstration at the All Japan Martial Arts Tournament. After his performance, a Kobudo master asked Jinan Shinzato which school of karate he belonged to. Unable to reply with an answer, Shinzato discussed this with Miyagi Sensei upon his return to Okinawa. Miyagi Sensei decided that to help promote & spread his art a name should be chosen for his art. The name Goju Ryu which translates ” Hard & Soft Style” was chosen. This comes from the 3rd precept of the Eight Precepts of Quanfa of the Bubishi which states:
” Inhaling represents Softness while Exhaling characterizes Hardness”
Miyagi Sensei became the first Okinawan karate master not to name his system after the area in which it was practiced.
Miyagi Sensei’s influence led to the official recognition of karate as a martial art of Japan with the formation of the Dai Nippon Butokukai Okinawan Branch in 1934 which he was made head of.
As his Sensei before him, Miyagi Sensei was a constant innovator, which can be seen through his contribution & changes done to improve his art. He created the kata Tensho. In 1940 just before World War II, he created the katas Geki Sai Ichi & Geki Sai Ni to help the public learn the martial arts. Apparently Miyagi Sensei had planned to develop a series of Geki Sai katas but World War II interrupted training in Okinawa and the other katas were never developed.
During the war Jinan Shinzato, Miyagi Sensei’s senior disciple was killed in the fighting of the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. Miyagi’s third son Jun was also killed.
In 1946 Miyagi Sensei resumed teaching in the backyard of his home. Though plagued by high blood pressure and a heart condition, Miyagi Sensei accepted a position as a director of the Okinawan Civil Association of Physical Education and also taught at the Okinawan Police Academy.
On October 8, 1953 Miyagi Sensei passed away at the age of 65 from a heart attack. Upon his death the All Okinawan Goju Kai and a promotional ranking system for the art was established with Meitoku Yagi, Seikichi Toguchi, and Ei’ichi Miyazato assuming the hanchi-dan (8th Degree) black belt ranking. The three senior students formed their respective Goju Ryu organizations; Meitoku Yagi-The Meibukan School, Seikichi Toguchi-The Shoreikan School, Ei’ichi Miyazato-The Jundokan School and continued to further the art in Okinawa. Meitoku Yagi being Miyagi Sensei’s senior student after the death of Jinan Shinzato received Miyagi Sensei’s Obi (Belt) and Gi (Uniform) from the Miyagi family. The three students were eventually elevated to the rank of tenth dan black belt.