denny Schools Periods & Styles book

Chōjun Miyagi (April 25, 1888—October 8, 1953) was an Okinawan martial arts Master who founded the Goju-ryu school of karate. Master Miyagi first learned martial arts at the age of nine from Master Ryuko Aragaki. At the age of 14 Master Miyagi studied under Master Kanryo Higashionna Master Miyagi underwent a very long and arduous period of training. His training with Higaonna was interrupted for a two-year period while Miyagi completed his military service, 1910--1912, in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Ken. In 1915, after the death of Kanryo Higashionna, Miyagi travelled to Fujian Province. In China he studied the Shaolin Kung Fu, Fujian White Crane Kung Fu and Pa Kua Kung Fu. From the blending of these systems, the hard linear/external form of Shaolin, 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-ryu, meaning "hard soft style". Some of Miyagi's more notable students were: Seko Higa (his oldest student and also a student of Kanryo Higaonna), Miyazato Ei'ichi (founder of the Jundokan dojo), Meitoku Yagi (founder of the Meibukan dojo, who eventually accepted Miyagi's gi and obi from Miyagi's family), Seikichi Toguchi (founder of Shorei-kan Goju-ryu), and on the Japanese mainland Gōgen Yamaguchi who was the founder of the International Karate do Goju Kai Association and who after training with Miyagi, became the representative of Gōjū-ryū in Japan. At a later date Gōgen ...