history of goju ryu karate

Okinawa Goju-Ryu Karate is unique in the world of martial arts. Where other forms form of the art of Karate have divided and detached into splinter groups, Goju-Ryu has remained the closest to the original teachings of its 2 main contributors.

The art of Goju-Ryu is based directly on the art of Chinese Kempo and is governed by the following Eight Precepts of Chinese Kempo:

1. The mind is one with heaven and earth.
2. The circulatory rhythm of the body is similar to the cycle of the sun and the moon.
3. The way of inhaling and exhaling is hardness and softness.
4. Act in accordance with time and change.
5. Techniques will occur in the absence of conscious thought.
6. The feet must advance and retreat, separate and meet.
7. The eyes do not miss even the slightest change.
8. The ears listen well in all directions.

The actual founder of the Goju Ryu karate was Miyagi Chojun Sensei, a personal disciple of Kanryo Higaonna Sensei. At the age of 14, Miyagi Chojun Sensei met Kanryo higaonna Sensei and together they devoted their lives to the improvement and advancement of the art of Naha-te.order to promote his art as well as cooperate with other schools of Japanese martial arts, Miyagi Chojun Sensei decided it was necessary to name his art. It became known as ‘Goju Ryu’ Karate, meaning ‘hard and soft’ taken from the precepts of traditional Chinese Kempo (see below). He was the first among different schools of karate to name his art and in 1933 his art of Goju Ryu was formally registered at the Butoku-kai, Japanese Martial Arts Association.
During the 1930’s, Miyagi Chojun Sensei actively developed and promoted karate-do in Japan and throughout the world.