Chōjun Miyagi

Chojun Miyagi
Born	April 25, 1888(1888-04-25) Naha, Okinawa
Died	October 8, 1953(1953-10-08) (aged 65) Okinawa
Style	Goju-ryu
Teacher(s)	Kanryo Higashionna, Ryuko Aragaki
Rank	Sōke, Founder of Goju-ryu
Notable students	Gogen Yamaguchi, Seiko Higa, Seikichi Toguchi, So Nei Chu,[1] Ei'ichi Miyazato, Meitoku Yagi

Chōjun Miyagi (宮城 長順, Miyagi Chōjun^?, April 25, 1888—October 8, 1953) was an Okinawan martial artist who founded the Goju-ryu school of karate.

Early life and training

Miyagi was born in Higashimachi, Naha, Okinawa on April 25, 1888, the adopted son of a wealthy businessman.^{[citation needed]} He began his study in Karate-do at the age of nine (or fourteen)^{[citation needed]}. He first learned martial arts from Ryuko Aragaki^{[citation needed]}, who then introduced him to Kanryo Higashionna when Miyagi was 14. Under his tutelage, Miyagi underwent a very long and arduous period of training. His training with Higaonna was interrupted for a two-year period while Miyagi completed his military service, 1910–1912, in Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Ken.

Adult career

In 1915, after the death of Kanryo Higashionna, Miyagi travelled to Fujian Province. In China he studied the Shaolin and Pa Kua(Ba gua) forms of Chinese boxing. From the blending of these systems, the hard linear/external form of Shaolin, the soft circular/internal form of Pa Kua, and his native Naha-Te, a new system emerged. However, it was not until 1929 that Chojun Miyagi named the system Goju-ryu, meaning "hard soft style".

After some years in China, Chōjun Miyagi returned to Naha where he opened a dojo (training hall)^{[citation needed]}. He taught for many years, gaining an enormous reputation as a karateka. Despite his reputation, his greatest achievements lie in popularization and the organization of karate teaching methods. He introduced karate into Okinawa police work, high schools and other fields of society. He revised and further developed Sanchin - the hard aspect of Goju, and created Tensho - the soft aspect. These kata are considered to contain the essence of the Goju-ryu. The highest kata, Suparinpei is said to contain the full syllabus of Goju-ryu. Shisochin was Miyagi's favorite kata at the end of his years. Tensho was influenced by the White Crane kata Ryokushu, which he learned from his long-time friend Gokenki. With the goal of unification of various karate styles which was in fashion at that time (see Gichin Funakoshi for his works in Japan), he also created more Shurite-like katas Gekisai Dai Ichi and Gekisai Dai Ni in 1940, taking techniques from higher forms (notably Suparinpei, and upper blocks uncommon for Goju-ryu at that time) and incorporating them into a shorter forms. It is said he created these kata to bridge the gap between Sanchin and Saifa, which contains much more complex moves compared to Sanchin. However, Gekisai katas are learned before Sanchin now.^{[citation needed]}

Miyagi died in Okinawa on October 8, 1953 from a second heart-attack (the first had occurred in 1951).

Legacy

Some of Miyagi's more notable students were: Seko Higa (his oldest student and also a student of Kanryo Higaonna), Miyazato Ei'ichi (founder of the Jundokan dojo), Meitoku Yagi (founder of the Meibukan dojo, who eventually accepted Miyagi's gi and obi from Miyagi's family), Seikichi Toguchi (founder of Shorei-kan Goju-ryu), and on the Japanese mainland Gōgen Yamaguchi who was the founder of the International Karate do Goju Kai Association and who after training with Miyagi, became the representative of Gōjū-ryū in Japan. At a later date Gōgen Yamaguchi invested much time studying Kata under Meitoku Yagi. He also trained other students who went on to create their own styles, such as Shimabuku Tatsuo (Isshinryu).[1]

The character of Keisuke Miyagi in the The Karate Kid film series was inspired by Chōjun Miyagi.[2][3]

Successor

"Let me first say that I was not named the successor of goju-ryu by Miyagi, but nor was anyone else. There are some goju-ryu teachers who claim to have been privately appointed successor by Miyagi. These claims are ludicrous and disrespectful of his memory. He never publicly named anyone as successor. Common sense would dictate that if he were to appoint someone, it would have been a longtime student and it would have to be of public record to have any value. Miyagi was not a man to do things in a haphazard manner - everything was very deliberate and precise.

It would also be logical to assume that since Miyagi would not grant dan ranking, how then would he be inclined to name a successor? I feel Miyagi would be rolling in his grave with the plethora of ridiculous claims about this matter." - Seikichi Toguchi^[2]

Writings

• Miyagi, Chojun. "Karate-Do Gaisetsu. Outline of Karate-Do". March 23, 1934 (Showa 9). Reprint published in 1999 by Patrick McCarthy. Translated by Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy, 1993. Also in: Higaonna, Morio. "The History of Karate: Okinawan Goju-Ryu".
• Miyagi, Chojun. "Historical Outline of Karate-Do, Martial Arts Of Ryukyu". January 28, 1936. Translated by Sanzinsoo. In Japanese: "Ryukyu Kenpo Karatedo Enkaku Gaiyo", essay appeared in "Okinawano Karatedo" by Shoshin Nagamine (1975, Shinjinbutsu Oraisha) and "Okinawaden Gojuryu Karatedo" by Eiichi Miyazato (1979, Jitsugyono Sekaisha).
• Miyagi Chojun et al. "The Meeting of Okinawan Karate Masters" Fragment of the 1936 meeting records. Published as an Appendix of "Karatedo Dai Hokan", by Kanken Toyama. Pages 377-392 (Tsuru Shobo, 1960). (translated by Sanzinsoo)
• Miyagi Chojun. "Breathing In and Breathing Out in accordance with Go and Ju , a Miscellaneous Essay on Karate". First published in "Bunka Okinawa" Vol.3 No.6, August 15, 1942. Republished in "Chugoku Okinawa Karate Kobudo No Genryu" written by Masahiro Nakamoto, April 1, 1985 by Bunbukan. Translated by Sanzinsoo.

Sources

• Miyagi, Chojun: Toudijutsu Gaisetsu (Outline of Karatedo ) Chojun Miyagi, Original publication. Okinawa ©1933 - Japan. International Ryukyu Karate Research Society Yokohama Japan © 1934.
• Nakaima Genkai. "Memories of my Sensei, Chojun Miyagi". In: "Chojun Miyagi the Karate Master. His kindness is infinite. He preaches morality." in: local monthly magazine "Aoi Umi" No.70 February 1978 issue (pages 99–100) published by Aoi Umi Shuppansha. That special issue featured Okinawan karate masters. Fragment translated by Sanzinsoo.

1. ^ The Karate Genealogy of Sosai Mas Oyama
2. ^ Toguchi, Seikichi (2001). Okinawan Goju-Ryu II, Advanced Techniques of Shorei-Kan Karate. p. 26. ISBN 0-89750-140-3. 

External links

• http://www.iogkf.ro/ Okinawan goju-ryu karate-do Romania
• http://yamada-san.blogspot.com/ Sanzinsoo Okinawa Goju-ryu Karate-do

Persondata
Name	Miyagi, Chojun
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	April 25, 1888
Place of birth	Naha, Okinawa
Date of death	October 8, 1953
Place of death	Okinawa