ABOUT GOJU-RYU KARATE-DO

剛柔流空手の起源

In Okinawa, at the beginning of the twentieth century, Karate was taught by the name of the city, such as Shuri 首里, Naha 那覇, and Tomari 泊. Today both Naha-te 那覇手 and Shuri-te 首里手 are the original features of various schools of Karate. The main distinction between these two is that, in general Naha-te emphasizes flexibility in dynamic movement; Shuri-te emphasizes speed in rational movement.

Master Soshu Matsumura，松村宗秀 （1796-1893) in Shuri and Master Kanryo Higaonna，東恩納 寛量 (1853-1915) in Naha were the most distinguished authorities in the early period. Master Chojun Miyagi，宮城長順 (1888-1953) was a successor of Naha-te and later named his style of art Goju-Ryu 剛柔流 (hard and soft.) It was 1929 that Master Miyagi was invited by Gogen Yamaguchi who was then founder and chief instructor of Ritsumeikan 立命館 大学 University Karate Club in Kyoto, Japan. Master Yamaguchi became the successor of Goju-Ryu Karate school in Japan.

About Goju-Kai Insignia

Goju-Kai in the United States