HISTORY of KARATE-DO GOJU-KAI

HISTORY

The origins of Karate-do go back to the ancient travels of Buddhist monks throughout the Asian frontier.Unarmed and oppressed,it became necessary for them to develop a weaponless form of self defence for their survival. Through time the chinese developed it into a formidable art.

Merchants travelling south from China to the islands,or Okinawa,brought with them this art of 'Chinese Hand' or 'To De'(Later to be called Karate-empty hand).

When Japan invaded these islands its warriors found themselves confronted by the fierce retaliation of skilled practitioners of this secret art.

Of the various japanese styles of karate,Goju-ryu has received the greatest amount of Chinese influence.Late in the 19th century,Kanryo Higaonna,the highest authority in Naha-te,went abroad to learn Chinese boxing.Chojun Miyagi,his successor and the founder of Goju,spent the years from 1904 to 1908 there.

It is believed that Mr Higaonna studied the Hung style of Shaolin Chuan,one of the hard fist,or external styles.Mr Miyagi,on the other hand,studied not only Shaolin Chuan,but also another style known as Pa Kua Chang,or Eight-Diagram Palm.Pa Kua Chang,along with I Chuan and Tai Chi Chuan,was among the most prevalent of the soft fist,or internal styles.

Having mastered these two styles in addition to the original Okinawa-te,Mr Miyagi transformed Naha-te into a system of karate instruction which he called Gojo-ryu.It was the first organisation to be considered a style.

The meaning of Goju is derived from two contrasting terms: GO(Hard) and JU(Soft).it is said that the concept of combining both was derived from the doctrine known as Wu Pei Chih.It remained for Mr Miyagi to combine the hard fist of Shaolin Chuan with the soft fist of Pa Kua Chang.

The student of Chojun Miyagi; the carpenter, Murata; travelled to Japan and began to teach. One of his students, was a young man who was agile, fast and strong and had a reputation for being a deceptive fighter, giving no ground to any adversary. He was known as the "Cat", because of his favourite fighting stance - Neko ashi Kamae (Cat Stance) and his speed. His name was Gogen Yamaguchi. He founded the Ritsumeikan University Karate Club in Kyoto and was its chief instructor

He soon proved to be a man of credibility and initiative and became highly respected in Karate circles in Japan. He systemised the style into basically the system used all over the world today, and organised the style into it's current organisation - Goju Kai

In 1930 Mr Yamaguchi succeeded in his efforts to have karate admitted into the Butoku-Kai, the official government headquarters for Japanese martial arts. That same year, Goju headquarters were established in Tokyo next to the famous Giho-Kai Institute

Mr Yamaguchi continued his efforts to expand the art of Karate in Japan. The decision to relocate the headquarters of the All Japan Karate-Do Goju Kai organisation in Tokyo in 1950 resulted in a great jump in popularity for the style, both in Japan and abroad

On his death bed in 1953, the old master Miyagi called for all the senior members of Goju-Kai and announced to them his choice of a successor. It was then that Mr Yamaguchi obliged himself to organise the students of Goju in Japan to unite as an organisation,Goju-Kai. His leadership was unopposed and by virtue of his task the senior hierarchy of the Martial Arts Fraternity in Japan bestowed on him the honour of Grand Master, 10th Dan Hanshi. Being the head of this order he is called Kaicho

Gogen Yamaguchi was born on 20th January, 1909 in Kagoshima Province, the southernmost region of Japan. He has contributed many distinguished services to the development of Karate. He originated the method of jiyu kumite (free sparring) which has come to be known as sport karate. He was the moving force behind the formation of the All Japan Karate Federation in 1964.

MASTER KANRYO HIGASHIONNA

The history of GOJU KAI can be traced back to a man named Master Kanryo Higashionna, approx 1840-1910, known as the "Fist Saint of Naha".

Naha city in Okinawa was thriving with martial arts activity in the 1850's. Along with practitioners from the towns of tomari and Shuri, the Naha karateka were laying the groundwork for the development of modern karate-do and kobudo (weaponary).

But although Higashionna Kanryo began his training here, the true seeds of Goju were not planted in Okinawa but rather in China.  Higashionna  Kanryo went to China and studied there under a man by the name of Master Woo (Ru in Japanese), who was a practitioner of Chinese boxing. Kanryo Higashionna then trained under Master Woo for approximately 15 to 20 years.


On his return to Okinawa he combined his native fighting system with the Chinese system and became the father of Naha-te (Fist of Naha). It didn't take long before his fame spread throughout the island and students started to come to him for tuition. Among them was a student by the name of Chojun Miyagi.

CHOJUN MIYAGI (1888-1953)

Chojun Miyagi was born in Naha as the son of a wealthy businessman on April 25, 1888. Miyagi  Chojun then began his study in karate between the ages of nine and eleven years . In his early teens he became the student of Master Kanryo Higashionna. Under the tutelage of his Master, Miyagi underwent a very long and ardous period of training.

After the death of Master Kanryo Higashionna, Miyagi Chojun then travelled to the Fukien Province in China as his teacher had done before him. In China he studied the shaolin and pa kua forms of Chinese Boxing. From the blending of these systems, -one the hard/external form of shaolin, the other the soft circular/internal form of pa kua and his native Naha-te a new system emerged.

However, it was not until 1929 that Chojun Miyagi named the system GOJU KAI, meaning hard soft style. The name was inspired by the `eight precepts' of traditional Chinese Boxing, quote: Everything in the universe breathes out (hard) and in (soft) ... etc. After some years in China, Chojun Miyagi returned to Naha where he opened a dojo (training hall). He taught for many years, and even though Miyagi Sensei's reputation as a man of Karate do was enormous, his greatest achievements lie in the organization of Karate-do teaching methods.

He introduced karate-do into schools and other fields of society. He developed Kata Sanchin - the hard aspect of GOJU KAI, and created Kata Tensho - the soft aspect. These kata are considered to be the essence of the Goju style.

Chojun Miyagi was a man of extremely mild temperament and it is said that he was a very humble man. He lived according to the principles of Martial Art's, that of none violence. Master Miyagi died on Okinawa on October 8, 1953.

GRAND MASTER GOGEN YAMAGUCHI ( THE CAT )

Grandmaster Yamaguchi Gogen was born on January 20, 1909, in Kagoshima city on the Island of Kyushu . As a child he showed great interest in the martial arts. During his early school days he trained in kendo, (Japanese fencing) and it was during this time that he started his karate training under the tutelage of Mr. Maruta, a carpenter from Okinawa. Mr. Maruta who was a Goju practitioner, was drawn to the youngsters serious attitude and his willingness to train hard. Mr. Maruta taught Gogen Yamaguchi all he knew about the Goju system.

During his college days as a Law student, Yamaguchi Sensei established his first Karate club at the Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. Soon the dojo became famous in the city, known for its hard training and fierce breathing exercise. In those days karate students practised only kata (formal movements) and yakusoku kumite (prearranged sparring) and were unable to have matches between each other since they always fought with full contact and did not hold back their techniques. It was during this period that Gogen Yamaguchi Sensei created the first stages towards what is known as jiyu kumite (free fighting) and established rules to decide the winner of a match. Some of the rules are still in use today in what is known as sport or competition karate.

In 1931, at the age of 22, Gogen Yamaguchi Sensei was introduced to the founder of the Goju style, - Master Chojun Miyagi. This meeting proved to have a profound affect upon Sensei Yamaguchi's outlook on karate. Previously he had only considered the hard aspect of Goju but after his meeting with Master Miyagi he was determined to train himself spiritually as well as physically. Master Miyagi thought highly of  his new student who seemed to have mastered the hard aspect of Goju so well and gave him the nickname Gogen, meaning "Rough". He then appointed Gogen Yamaguchi as his successor of the Goju school in Japan.

During the years to follow, Gogen Yamaguchi Sensie often spent long stays at Mount Kurama where he subjected himself to ascetic exercises and hard training with Sanchin, meditation, and fasting. Between 1938-1945 he was sent to Manchuria on government and military assignments. On several occasions during his stay there, he could thank his skills in karate and his mental training that he stayed alive. During the Japanese-Russian war, Gogen Yamaguchi was taken prisoner of war and sent to a prison camp in Mongolia. He was kept there under harsh conditions for two years. Once again his strength and skill were severely put to the test. During all these years he still continued to train and develop Goju karate.

After his release and return to Japan, Gogen Yamaguchi became one of the most exciting figures in karate history. Known throughout the world as "The Cat" because of his grace and speed in movement and because of his favourite fighting stance, Neko Ashi Dachi (cat leg stance). Many also believe that he was called "The Cat" because during his time as a P.O.W. in the Japanese-Russian war he was locked up with a tiger and he killed it. (This position has been discussed further by various karate ka and will be linked to this page shortly).

Master Yamaguchi's contributions to GOJU KAI karate do and to karate do in general have been enormous. Under his leadership the International Karate-do Goju-Kai Association (I.K.G.A) has emerged. The organization has increased in popularity both in Japan and other Asian and Western countries around the world. Today there are about 35 countries teaching Goju-Kai karate. Master Yamaguchi succeeded in uniting all the karate schools in Japan into a single union which resulted in the formation of The Federation of All Japan Karate-do Organization (F.A.J.K.O.) in 1964. The Kokusai Budo Renmei - (The International Martial Arts Federation) in Japan, whose chairman is Prince Higashikuni of the Japanese Imperial Family appointed Master Yamaguchi as Shihan (Master) of the organizations karate division. He added to the Goju system the Taikyoku Kata forms, - training methods for the beginner students to prepare them for the more advanced kata.

In combining his religious practices with karate do training, he incorporated both Yoga and Shinto into Goju-Kai karate do and founded in recent years Goju-Shinto. He stated that both body and mind are interrelated and through proper breathing and concentration the Karate ka will be able to understand the essence of the martial arts. This is the reason why the Goju school uses the unique breathing exercise called ibuki. Concentrating all the muscular strength at one point, bringing mind and body into a coherent whole.

Some have argued that 'Never before has a single man had such profound effect on the development and propagation of karate-do.' Master Gogen Yamaguchi, 10th Dan (level), was a man of intense dedication and determination can truly be called a karate legend. A master of Yoga and a Shinto priest, a man that truly has united both aspects of go and ju into a concerted union. 1.

Grandmaster Gogen Yamaguchi Hanshi travelled to Australia on two occasions, 1970 & 1972. The Goju Kai students of Sydney Goju Kan, and the Victorian Goju Kai members hold precious memories of training in the presence of Yamaguchi Kaiso, and many hundreds of Australian members have since taken taken the opportunity to train in his Hombu Dojo in Suginami Ku. Paul Starling Shihan was the first graduate as Shihan of Gogen Sensei's prestigious Nihon Karate do Senmon Gakko, Japan Karate do College, whereby Grandmasters Inoue Motokatsu- Ryukyu Kobujitsu,  Ohtsuka Hironori - Wado Ryu , and Tamae Sensei-Rembukan, as well as Iwata Manzao-Shito Ryu , all taught regularly along side Yamaguchi Gogen Hanshi and his son Yamaguchi Goshi Shihan.

Goju Kai practitioners throughout the world mourned the passing of Gogen Yamaguchi Kaiso in 1989. He had been married twice and had five children, Gosei Norimi Yamaguchi, Gosen Kishio Yamaguchi,  Makiko Yamaguchi,  Goshi Hiroufumi Yamaguchi, Makiko Yamaguchi and Gokyoko Wakako Yamaguchi. All of his children practiced Karate do. Gosei Shihan has his own organisation in the United states of America and Goshi Shihan is the President of the International Karate do Goju Kai with branches in 60 countries. Gosen Shihan passed away recently and was fully involved in the running of the IKGA. Wakako Shihan was an All Japan Kata Champion and like her brothers a dedicated and inspirational instructor. Makiko Yamaguchi passed away in the 1980's

References :

De Jong, Ingo,  Goju-Kai Karate-do Hard and Soft in Harmony - Volume 1. [ Sweden, 1989]  Jakobsbergs Trycgeri AB.

©1996-1999 Goju Kai Karate do Australia would like to thankT- The Laurentian University Karate Club  of Goju Kai  Canadafor help with this web page.property of I.K.G.A. Canada