TRUTH ABOUT GOJU RYU ... " ? "
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...