Homepage of Don-Miguel Cummings

Goju Ryu

Bushido Karate Dojo is a branch of the Japanese Goju-ryu tree. This is Gogen Yamagushi's art. Kanryo Higaonna, a leading nineteenth century Karate master, combined the techniques of Naha-te and the teachings of Shurite plus added different moves from the Chinese art, Shao Lin Chuan to creat a new art. Higaonna studied in Okinawa under Karate masters Sekon Matsumura, Arakaki and Shao Lin Chuan under master Doruku for approximately ten years in Fukien Province, China.

Chojun Miyagi, a student of Higaonna, is given the credit of naming this new system of Karate. In 1929, there was a large martial arts convention in Kyoto, Japan. Master Miyagi could not attend so instead, he sent a student, Shinsato to be his replacement. Each person at the convention was asked what style did they train in. At this time, there was no namefor what Shinsato was practicing. Feeling his art would be looked down upon and given amateur status, he quickly picked Hankry-ryu, which means the Way of Half Hard. When Shinsato told Master Miyagi what had happened, Miyagi liked the idea. He then took this idea one step further. Quoting from the Chinese poem, Eight Poems of the Fist: "Everything in the universe is breathing hard and soft." It is from this that the art Miyagi studied had a new name. Goju-ryu, the way of hard and soft. Indeed, the word Goju means hard-soft. Go is the Japanese word for hardness and Ju is the word for softness. This system is based on the Oriental concept that all hardness and stiffness is not good. At the same time, all softness and too much gentleness can be harmful.The two should complement each other. This combination of the two gives Goju Karate its beautiful, disciplined movements, filled with the grace and flowing form.

But lest anyone believe that Goju is merely a beautiful style of dance with little of the art of defense, he need only watch two Goju practicioners square off in Kumite against one another. The action is fast, extremely fast. It relies on an aggressive style of attack, with the emphasis on delivering blows "hard" but with easy effort and in rapid succession. The opponents don't have much time to stand still and to look cautiously for openings. They are exchanging kicks from side to side and aiming blows from the outside, left and right. Many Goju techniques actually look like the flapping of a bird's wings. Many blocks and strikes are in the form of slaps, though the slaps usually feel a lot more bear-like when one is on the receiving end. Though graceful and bird-like in appearance, they are delivered with a powerful snap. The overall movements of the entire system is based upon speed. There is a great deal of moving in and out quickly and weaving from side to side, in contrast to the hard schools which concentrate more on straightforward ovements. Naturally, all this fast motion lends itself to graceful and artistic techniques.

Another fact of Goju is the extreme closeness with which the blows are delivered in Kumite. The school emphasizes control of motions and a student is supposed to be able to stop a punch or kick only fractions of an inch from target.

But even with all this emphasis on speed, the study of the traditional Kata is still underscored. Goju, with its love of graceful and delicate movements could be expected to venerate the historical Kata. Many Goju men feel that the Kata is usually more dynamic and far more beautiful than Kumite. There is another form of Kata for which the school is famous and without which no explanation of the Goju system would be complete. That is the school's breathing Kata. No one who has ever witnessed a Goju man practicing his breathing Kata under a full head of steam will ever forget the experience. It is an awesome and, to those of a more timid turn, sometimes frightening experience. A good Goju man can be heard half a block away and more while engaged in breathing exercises. Once warmed up, he will stride across the floor rippling every muscle from head to foot while engaged in powerful animal-like breathing. The effect can be quite spetacular.