Gojū Ryū

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Gojū-ryū ( 剛柔流 gōjū ryū) (Japanese for "Hard-soft style") is a style of karate, so called as it allows a combination of hard and soft techniques. It is commonly believed that the concept of combining the two extremes originated in a Chinese martial arts doctrine known as wu pei chih.

The development of Gojū-ryū goes back to Higashionna Kanryo, (1850-1915), a native of Naha, Okinawa. As a teenager he trained with an Okinawan master named Aragaki Seisho, before moving to Fujian Province, China, to study Wushu (Kung Fu) from Master Ryu Ryu Ko.

Higashionna returned to Okinawa during the middle of the Meiji Era (1868-1911) and continued in the family business of selling firewood, while teaching a new school of martial arts, distinguished by its integration of go-no (hard) and jū-no (soft) kempo in one system. The word karate (empty hand) was not in common use at that time, and Higashionna's style was known as Naha-te. It is accepted that Chinese Nanpa Shorin-ken was the strain of kung fu that influenced this style 1. As such, this style and that of Uechi Ryū were built upon a similar foundation.

Higashionna's most prominent student was Miyagi Chojun (1888-1953) who began training under Higashionna at the age of 12. After Higashionna's death Miyagi sailed to China and studied there for several years, returning to Naha in 1918. Many of Higashionna's students continued to train with him, including Higa Seiko (1898-1966.)

The naming of Gojū-Ryū came about more by accident than design. In 1930, numerous martial arts masters asked Chojun Miyagi’s top student, Jin’an Shinzato, while in Tokyo as to what school of martial arts he practiced. As Naha-Te had no formal name he came up with the impromptu name Hanko Ryū (Half Hard Style). On his return to Okinawa he reported this incident to Chojun Miyagi. After much consideration Chojun Miyagi decided on the name Gojū-Ryū (hard and soft school) as a name for his style. This name he took from a line in the Bubishi (a classical Chinese text on martial arts and other subjects). This line, which appears in a poem, the Hakku Kenpo (roughly, "The eight laws of the fist"), describing the eight precepts of the martial arts, reads, “Ho wa Gojū wa Donto su” (the way of inhaling and exhaling is hardness and softness, or everything in the universe inhales soft and exhales hard).

'Go' means hardness or external force, 'jū' means softness or internal force.

Gojū-ryū combines hard striking attacks like kicks and punches with softer circular techniques for blocking and controlling the opponent. Gojū-ryū's specialty is in-fighting or close-quarter combat. Major emphasis is given to breathing correctly.

1 Major sources
2 Kata / Bunkai
3 Traditional Gojū Ryū kihon Kata
4 Traditional Gojū Ryū Heishugata
5 Traditional Gojū Ryū Kaishugata
6 Non Traditional Goju Kata
7 Gojū-Ryū
8 See also
9 External links
10 See also

[edit] Major sources

The history of karate itself is one of cultural and social exchanges with China going back to the Tang dynasty - hence the name "Tang Soo" or "Chinese hands". Before the development of Modern Karate under Gichin Funakoshi, Okinawan karate style generally took after the names of the town they came from, thus "Naha-te" and "Tomari-te" were karate styles that came from the towns of Naha and Tomari respectively.

The late 19th century saw the great karate masters going back to China for a "martial-arts pilgrimage" of sorts. The great Chinese pugilist Liu Liu Ko ("Ryū ryū ko" in Japanese) in Southern China taught a handful of these Okinawan students who went on to be karate legends.

The use of "tensho" or "soft" techniques in Goju-ryu reveals an obvious influence from the Fukien White Crane style (known as "Fujian Bai He" in Chinese). From White Crane, Goju takes the circular movements and fast strikes. From Tiger Style, Goju takes the strong linear attacks and the tiger claw pinching (specially in kyusho jutsu). Also, one of the main components and sources of Okinawan karate is the native tradition called tuite: grappling, joint locks and breaks, throws, sweeps, which often led to ground fighting. These techniques were widely practiced in Ryūkyū's small villages and were blended with Chinese martial arts to give birth to karate. In kata, usually low stances and/or hands in chambers are the signs of a technique of this kind.

[edit] Kata / Bunkai

A kata is a set of pre-arranged techniques that simulate a fight. They serve as the basis upon which Goju Ryu is taught. It is to be understood as a "living textbook" in which karate proper - its techniques and philosophy - is passed down. The practice of kata itself provides the practitioner a sense of structure and possibilities to use in a real fight. Bunkai, on the other hand, is the analysis -or interpretation- of kata movements. Techniques-within-techniques are revealed through constant practice of kata and bunkai. It is not unlike how a classical cellist or violinist can go back to J.S. Bach's Cello Suites or Violin partitas and still find new insights, even after years of practising the same pieces of music.

The kata taught in Gojū-Ryū are rather traditional and are emphasized more than actual kumite (or free sparring). This emphasis in kata is also an emphasis in bunkai, the actual self-defense application of the kata movements. The self-defense approach explains why Gojū Ryū does not emphasize free sparring and its limiting rules.

Kata detractors say that these kata are useless in a real fighting situation, while proponents say they are failing to realize what the purpose of kata and bunkai is.

[edit] Traditional Gojū Ryū kihon Kata

Sanchin kata

Sanchin kata is the foundation to all other Gojū kata, it is also the foundation of body conditioning. See Sanchin kata below.

[edit] Traditional Gojū Ryū Heishugata

Sanchin kata

Sanchin kata has the simplest techniques, and yet is arguably the most difficult to master of all Goju kata. Sanchin is often taught as a black belt kata, yet it is simple enough to teach at the white belt level. This is often done in order to prepare the student for this kata by the time he or she reaches black belt.

Only one stance is used - the sanchin (meaning "3 battles") stance. Sanchin dachi is a practical stance, and yet is the most difficult stance to master. The legs protect the body from sweep kicks, the thighs are to trap low kicks. According to a taichi manual ("Zhuangzi 13 postures"), the punch draws its power from the earth through the legs - the flip of the hips enables the strength of the whole body to be channeled and focused into one punch.

Properly employed, Sanchin kata follows the "hard" style of karate - all the muscles are to be flexed and tensed throughout the kata - actually making it the most strenuous kata. This type of strength training, taught for thousands of years, is only recently understood in western science and is known as "iso-metric training" in body building.

In Chinese training, Sanchin kata also introduces the student to the use of "qi" (Japanese "ki") for training and fighting applications. It can be understood to be a form of "qigong" as employed in Chinese Wushu.

In Gojū, there are two sanchin kata: the first one, Miyagi's sanchin (or "sanchin dai ichi"), the most widely taught, was created by Chojun Miyagi, and has no turns. The karateka goes forward and then backwards. The second sanchin, Higaonna's sanchin (or "sanchin dai ni") is older and was taught by Higaonna Kanryo. The karateka always goes forward, but turns 180 degrees twice.

Tensho kata

Tensho was created by Chojun Miyagi. It means "revolving hands". It is a combination of hard dynamic tension with deep breathing and soft flowing hand movements, and is very characteristic of the Goju Ryu style. They say that it was created from some movements taken from hakutsuru.

Note; Tensho can be noted as both a Kihon Kata as well as a Heishugata because it is a basic and fundamental kata of Gojū Ryū however at the same time is advanced in its techniques which require the practitioner to have extensive knowledge of the full syllabus of the system.

[edit] Traditional Gojū Ryū Kaishugata

Gekisai kata

These two Kata are not traditional Gojū Ryū (brought from China) Kata. The first Gekisai was developed as a Fūkyū Kata, a "common Kata" to be practices by both Gojū and Shorin-Ryū. This Fūkyū Kata (Gekisai-dai-ichi, the first) was created by Miyagi Chojun, while another Fūkyū Kata, not practiced by Gojū-Ryū nowadays, was developed by Nagamine Shoshin (Matsubayashi/Shorin-Ryū). Miyagui created also Gekisai-dai-ni, richer in Gojū-Ryū stances and techniques. The Gekisai kata [Gekisai Ichi and Gekisai Ni] are usually first taught at hachikyū or rokukyū levels (yellow to green belt). Gekisai kata integrates kicking with blocks, strikes, and punches. It introduces the use of tensho technique, how to move in 8 directions, side-stepping, back-stepping, and the use of the cat stance (Gekisai-dai-ni, the second). It comes close to the idea of irimi, or "entering" techniques, used in Aikido. It should be noted that there are now three versions of this Kata, Gekisai Dai Ichi, Gekisai Dai Ni and Gekisai Dai San. Gekisai Dai Ni incorporates slightly "softer" techniques, although it follows a similar pattern to that of Gekisai Dai Ichi. Gekisai Dai Ni involves the use of techniques of higher difficulty (especially open-handed techniques), thus making it applicable to only blue, brown and black belts in some schools.

Saifa kata

Saifa kata is the first traditinal Gojū-Ryū's Kata. It's usually first taught at gokyu to sankyu levels (green to brown belt). The first 3 moves are the signature of the kata - a wrist-grab-throw technique that is very similar to Aikido's iriminage technique. Saifa teaches, among other things, how to counter being grabbed by one or two opponents. The centrepiece of the kata is the crane kick movement. The layout of the footwork is similar to taikokyū kata.

Seiyunchin kata

Seiyunchin kata is typically taught at sankyu to ikkyu levels (brown belt). Seiyunchin translates to "control, suppress, and pull," and is most appropriate, as the kata demonstrates the use of techniques to unbalance, throw and grapple. Seiyunchin contains close-quartered striking, sweeps, take-downs and throws. Though the kata itself is devoid of kicks, many practitioners make the grave mistake by missing the opportunity to apply any leg technique. Though almost invisible to the untrained eye, the subtleness of "ashi barai" and "suri ashi" can represent footsweeps, parries and traps. The centrepiece of seiyunchin kata is a stance taken directly from the White Crane style.

Shisochin kata

Shisochin emphasizes the power of goju-ryu, the hard and the soft, and integrates it in one. It is a switch between long distance combat (Shotei zuki-palm punch ) and close quarter combat (Nukite-or knife hand-and armlocks). Miyagi Chojun called shisochin his favorite kata when he was getting old, as he believed it to be best suited to his body type at that time.

Sanseiru kata

Sanseiru, meaning thirty-six movements, is taught at higher black belt levels. The number thirty six is based on Buddhist mythology. The kata teaches complex punching combinations. This technique was passed down from China.

Sepai, Kururunfa, Seisan, and Suparinpei

Sepai, or "eighteen hands", is one of four (Sepai, Kururunfa, Seisan, and Suparinpei) that are more subtle and contain more hidden moves. The true meaning of a kata becomes clear only when one learns the application of it (Bunkai). In sepai, and the three that follow, the applications are not immediately clear. Techniques were deliberately masked within these kata so that bystanders were not able fully comprehend the depth of the applications being practiced.

Sepai kata incorporates both the four directional movements and 45° angular attacks and, as in Shisochin, implements techniques for both long distance and close quarter combat.

Seisan

Kururunfa

Suparinpei

Han

[edit] Non Traditional Goju Kata

Taikyoku kata

Taikyoku katas were not created by Chojun Miyagi, and are not taught by Okinawan kaiha, but by Japanese Gojū Kai and its offsprings, therefore, it is not accurate to consider these kata as traditional. Taikoku are usually first taught in jukyu to ikkyu levels (white belt to brown belt). The Taikoku katas teach basic block and attack pattern, and how to move in four directions.

[edit] Gojū-Ryū

A system of Karate founded by Chojun Miyagi in Okinawa Japan.

Karate: A martial art of Okinawa Japan with a full curriculum that includes locks, throws, kicks, punches, and takedowns.

Sport Karate: A martial sport endeavour that often bans knock outs and choke outs.

Gojū-Ryū: An Okinawa Japan tradition of unarmed fighting that promotes a healthy and strong body with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of your life. Goju-Ryu is one of very few karate styles the practice methods of which include body strengthening and conditioning, its basic approach to fighting (distance, stickiness, power generation, etc.) and its partner drills.

Gojū-Ryū was the first recognized style of Karate in Japan and the only style of Karate with a full historical representation in both Okinawa and Japan. Goju-Ryu has the sophistication of being both linear and circular making it usable by all ages, sizes, and genders.