Chojun Miyagi Sensei Goju Ryu founder
Goju-ryu:
Goju-ryu is a centuries-old fighting art that developed on the island of Okinawa. Goju-ryu, ‘the hard and soft way’, incorporates circular, or ‘soft’, defense with devastating ‘hard’ offense. At first, Goju-ryu was passed on in secret, teacher to student, but now is taught thoughout the world. Many karate styles have evolved from Goju-ryu, but at karate International we practice the art as the masters did long ago.
After studying martial arts under Kanryo Higaonno for many years, Chojun Miyagi Sensei, a native of the island of Okinawa, developed the Goju-Ryu, or hard-soft, style of karate. Goju-Ryu combines hard striking techniques such as punches and kicks with softer methods such as open hand blocks, takedowns, throws, and grappling.
There are 12 kata in the Goju-Ryu system. From the very beginning, students learn kata that contain combinations of techniques that can be used for self-defense. Gekisai dai ichi and gekisai dai ni, the first two kata that students learn today, were developed by Chojun Miyagi Sensei in 1940 to teach both self-defense and physical fitness. As students progress in rank they learn new kata and additional techniques, but the two gekisai kata alone provide the tools that are essential for self defense. To learn more about the kata in the Goju-Ryu system, CLICK HERE.
Students who train consistently in Goju-Ryu at our dojo not only learn self defense but also become more physically fit while gaining self discipline and self confidence. Miyagi Sensei felt that, the ultimate aim of karate-do was to build character, conquer human misery, and find spiritual freedom.
