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Naha-Te is the name of the particular type of Okinawan martial
art that developed in the port town of Naha,
the modern
day capital of Okinawa. The martial art that indigenously developed in Okinawa
was called Te
("Hands"), and the continuous Chinese influences that
incorporated Chinese Boxing (Chuan-Fa, nowadays
known as Chinese boxing) were
eventually reflected
by naming the Okinawan martial arts Tang-ti "Chinese Hand".
Credited for the early development of Naha-Te is Kanryo Higaonna
(1853-1915). Kanryo Higaonna students
include Chojun
Miyagi (1888-1953), the founder of Goju-ryu. Taken from the Bubishi meaning
hard and soft
and Kenwa Mabuni (1889-1952),
the founder of Shito-ryu. Shito-ryu truly has no translation, but the first
two
ideograms from his teacher Itosu = SH, and
Higaonna = ITO.
The founder of Goju-ryu was Chojun Miyagi
(1888-1953). He became a
disciple of Kanryo Higaonna (1853-1915), the founder
of the Naha-te style, when
he was 14. He endured harsh ascetic practices
and in 1915 went to Fujian Province in China to
perfect his skills
in the martial arts. He also undertook a lot of research on
noted Chinese warriors. As a result, he was able
to
take over and organize karate techniques and the principles of the martial
arts that he had been taught. He
consolidated modern karate do,
incorporating effective elements of both athletics and the martial arts in
addition
to the principles of
reason and science.
Chojun Miyagi's most promising disciple, Jinan Shinzato, gave a
demonstration at the 'All Japan Martial Arts
Tournament
Offering Congratulations on the Emperor's Accession' held in Meiji Jingu Shrine
in 1929. Afterwards
he was asked what school
of karate he belonged to. When he returned home, he told master Miyagi about
this
and Miyagi decided to choose the name Goju-ryu (the hard-soft style), inspired by one of the 'Eight Precepts'
of
Kempo, written in the Bubishi, and meaning 'The way embraces both
hard and soft, both inhalation and exhalation.
The main characteristic of
Goju-ryu is the 'respiration method' accompanied by vocal exclamations,
emphasizing 'inhaling
and exhaling' and 'bringing force in and sending force
out'.
The Kata of Goju-ryu are broadly divided into: Sanchin (basics),
Kaishu-gata (open hand forms), and Heishu-gata
(closed
hand forms). The traditional Kata passed down from Kanryo Higaonna to the
present include: Sanchin, Saifa,
Seienchin,
Shisochin, Sanseiru, Seipai, Kururunfa, Seisan, and Suparinpei (or Pecchurin).
In addition to such traditional
Kata, Goju-ryu
has added Kokumin Fukyugata, a series of Kata created by Chojun Miyagi
for the nationwide popularization
of the school Gekisai I, Gekisai II and Tensho-which complete the Kata of Goju-ryu
for Tanren.
For More Information Contact:
KARATE-DO SHITO-KAI USA MURAYAMA
318 N. 5TH AVE.
Tel: 602 254-8576
FAX: N/A
Internet:
shitokaiusa@hotmail.com
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KARATE-DO SHITO-KAI MURAYAMA U.S.A
Shito-ryu
Shito-ryu Kata