Meitatsu Yagi

Master Meitatsu Yagi is the eldest son of the late Grand Master Meitoku Yagi. Master Meitatsu Yagi didn’t read books or watch training videos to gain his expertise in Karate. He was being tutored directly by the Grand Master himself. By training under his only teacher, his father, for over fifty years, he was groomed and trained to carry on the legacy of Meibukan Gojyu-Ryu Karate. One of Master Yagi’s goals has been to spread Meibukan Gojyu-Ryu Karate throughout the world where ever and whenever possible. This being said, Master Yagi has lived, worked, initiated new dojos and taught Meibukan in several places outside of Okinawa and around the world. Master Yagi lived in the US from 1964 to 1970; in Guam 1971 to 1975; in Saipan 1995 to 1997 and in the Philippines 1997 to 1998. After returning from Guam in 1975, Master Meitatsu Yagi was given the title of Renshi 6th Dan and became a Director of All Okinawan Karate-Do Association in 1976. Also in 1976, he was given the teaching responsibilities at the Hombu Dojo in Okinawa as President of Gojyu-Ryu Meibu-kai with Sensei Meitetsu Yagi (his younger brother) as Vice-President and Grand Master Meitoku Yagi as Chairman / Consultant.

The founder of Gojyu-Ryu Karate, Chojun Miyagi Sensei, chose the young master Meitoku Yagi to be the first and only person to learn all of the Gojyu-Ryu kata directly from him. Grand Master Meitoku Yagi chose his eldest son Master Meitatsu Yagi to be the first to learn all facets of Meibukan Gojyu-Ryu. Being the direct recipient from the Grand Master, he helped develop and teach all the Meibukan Kata, Renzoku Kumite, Kakomi Kumite, Meibukan Bo, Meibukan Sai, Nihon Kumite, Renzoku form, Kakomi form. From the Grand Master, Sensei Meitatsu Yagi was also charged with the responsibility of teaching all of the senior Meibukan Gojyu-Ryu teachers in Okinawa each Sunday afternoon. Although many profess to be Meibukan practitioners with high respect and admiration for the Grand Master, many have not learned or practiced the forms developed by him for his style. These forms are an integral part of Meibukan Gojyu-Ryu.

Master Meitatsu Yagi was also a director of the All Okinawa Karate-Do Gojyu-Kai for 20 years. He also served a two year term as President of the Okinawan Karate-Do Gojyu-Kai in 1987 as well as President of the Hombu Dojo in Kume.

In 1995 Meitatsu Yagi worked abroad in Saipan and the Philippines returning in 1998 to help care for his father and Grand Master who was ailing at the time. Ensuring that his successor be Master Meitatsu Yagi, Dai Sensei Meitoku Yagi gave Master Meitatsu Yagi the title of Hanshi Judan, Okinawa Karate-Do Gojyu-Kai in 1997. During his lifetime, Grand Master Meitoku Yagi presented only one Hanshi Judan and this was to his eldest son and heir, Master Meitatsu Yagi. To this day, Sensei Meitatsu Yagi, travels the world meeting and teaching hundreds of people each year in seminars in India, Canada, Israel, Italy, the USA, England and France as well as South America. This was the legacy that he was given by the Grand Master.

Master Meitatsu Yagi has also been very active in promoting and developing The Okinawa Traditional Karatedo Kobudo International Studying Center in Yomitan Village, Okinawa. As Master of Meibukan Gojyu-Ryu, he is working with Master Kenyu Chinen of Shorin-Ryu style and Master Yasuo Shimoji of Uechi-Ryu style. All three masters are traditional Okinawan teachers and are working together to promote Okinawa Traditional Karate-Do and Kobudo in Okinawa and around the world.