In styles so old it is very chancy and difficult to be conclusive and categorical.

Nevertheless, today all the lines - and all the practisers - of GOJU RYU coincide that was Master CHOJUN MIYAGI who gave form and name to this style, based on the NAHA - TE (Okinawan method of Master Kanryo Higaonna), who in turn was inspired in Chinese Martial Arts.

Master Miyagi trained Shaolin Chuan (Chinese method of HARD - or "GO" - modality), as well as Tai Chi Chuan, Pa Kua Chang and Pa Chi Chuan (Chinese methods of SOFT - or "JU" - modality).

Combining these systems with the Okinawan NAHA TE, Master Higaonna created what it is thought was the first style Karate, and he called it GOJU RYU that means "STYLE THAT COMBINES THE STRONG AND HARD things WITH THE SOFT AND BLAND things".

Chojun Miyagi had outstanding students - among them the famous GOGEN "CAT" YAMAGUCHI - who was the founder of the JAPANESE ASSOCIATION OF KARATE GOJU KAI (GOJU KAI - JK), and its style expanded fundamentally toward Central Japan.

Master Yamaguchi sustained that Kanryo Higaonna had studied only Chinese systems of HARD modality, in the Counties of Fukien and Fuchou; while Chojun Miyagi had also specialized in Chinese methods of SOFT modality - practiced in other Counties - fundamentally Pa Kua Chang (also known as Palm of the eight diagrams, or Boxing of the eight diagrams, or Boxing of the eight trigrams); Tai Chi Chuan (from where the Katas Geiki Sai would arise) and Pa Chi Chuan (from where another GOJU RYU'S Katas would arise).

Because of political-administrative reasons of Karate, that are not of the case to analyze, Gogen Yamaguchi moved away from the Goju Kai, creating then the International Goju Ryu Karate Do (IGK) with Central Headquarters in United States of America, which today is directed through the World by his son Gosei, and for Pan America - and South America - by Renzo Watanabe (residing today in San Pablo, Brazil). This Organization, in some countries, it is knows as International "GOJU KAI".

The previous "GOJU KAI" became then in the "Goju Kai Japan Karate Federation" (GOJU KAI - JKF) with Central Headquarters in Japan, and directed worldwide by Masters Kenzo Uchiage (10th. DAN GOJU RYU), and Tadamitsu Matsuo (9th. DAN GOJU RYU); while from Pan-America the Representative it it is Sensei Takeshi Uchiage. Technically, this Organization doesn't differ too much with the "Goju Kai" created by Gogen Yamaguchi, in spite of the discrepancies that existed with this Master.

On the other hand - when Master Miyagi died - the family named Master Meitoku Yagi as his successor, who founds the Goju KAN Okinawan Asociation of Karate (OKINAWAN GOJU KAN KARATE - DO) with Central headquarters in Okinawa. This Organization - for the West - it is knowed as OKINAWAN FEDERATION GOJU "KAI" OF KARATE-DO, being institutionally - and in quantity of practitisers - the smallest of the three "GOJU KAI" knowed.

At the moment it bill with a Branch in South America (San Pablo, Brazil) whose Representative is Sensei Yasunori Yonamine.

This GOJU RYU's line sustains that the name of the style arises from eight Chinese poems, and that its meaning would be: "SHORIN KEN HAKUTSURU NO DE FUKO KEN SHO"; whose translation could be "THE SPLENDID CIRCLE THAT PROJECTS US TOWARD THE OLD CIRCULAR BEGINNING OF THE NATURE". Its interpretive line comes closer more to the orthodox one, and it claims for itself the correct - and complete - version of most of the Katas of GOJU RYU.

Other Masters - like Seikichi Toguchi (SHOREI KAN), and Seiichi Akamine (KENSHIN RYU) - didn't agree with none of GOJU RYU's previously mentioned lines, and created their own Schools, having many likeness among themselves.

Master Toguchi's SHOREI KAN Organization, says to be the one that respects totally the "ORIGINAL" system of GOJU RYU, while Master Seiichi Akamine's KENSHIN RYU Organization is based on the same "ORIGINAL and ORTHODOX" GOJU RYU of the Shorei Kan, to which added techniques that considered important from SHORIN, UECHI and SHITO RYU.

Master Seiichi Yoshitaka Akamine died in San Pablo city (Brazil), and he left Sensei Juan Carlos Ríus (better known as "Pa Chi") - who is residing in Uruguay - as his Representative in the style and philosophy KENSHIN, having decided, because of reasons that I don't believe opportune to analyze, to close all his Schools in South America.

Since October 1993, Sensei Pa Chi solved put into operation the "URUGUAY TOKU IN KAN School" (created by Master Seiichi Akamine) again, requesting me that technically I was in front of the same one. In this School becomes trained the philosophy KENSHIN (in charge of the Sensei "Pa Chi"), and technically the style KENSHIN RYU.

Although I am the President (Prof. Fernando Prieto) - and Representative - of the "GOJU KAI" JKF, that Masters Uchiage and Takagi direct, I have tried to be the most objective possible in my appreciations... then... the interrogation sign of the title.

I hope that those people who differ with what it is mentioned in this article, try to deepen more than what the undersigned has been able to make it, or... that remain silent forever...