Goju Ryu Karate History

Brief chronology of the history of Goju Ryu Karate

1853 Kanryo Higaonna is born in Okinawa

1867 Kanryo Higaonna travels to Fuzhou in China to learn martial arts and meet Ryu Ryu Ko, who teaches him Fujian White Crane style.

Ryu Ryu Ko

1881 Kanryo Higaonna returns to Okinawa and founds the Naha-te martial art based on his learnings from Ryu Ryu Ko.

1888 Chojun Miyagi is born.

1899 Chojun Miyagi (11 years old) starts training karate under tuition of Ryuko Aragaki Sensei (Tomari-Te).

1901 (April) Karate is first taught in school by Anko Itosu (Shuri-te style) – Shuri Jingo Elementary School.

1901 Jinan Shinzato is born.

1902 Chojun Miyagi (14) meets Kanryo Higaonna (49).

1905 Kanryo Higaonna starts teaching Karate (Naha-Te) at Naha Kuritsu Shogyo Koto Gakko ( Naha Commercial High School ).

Kanryo Higaonna

1910 Chojun Miyagi enlists in military service.

1912 Chojun Miyagi returns to Okinawa.

1915 Kanryo Higaonna dies (62).

1915 Chojun Miyagi travels to Fuzho and visits Ryu Ryu Ko grave.

1922 Jinan Shinzato joins Chojun Miyagi’s Dojo.

1926 Karte Kenkyu club is founded with Chojun Miyagi as chief instructor.

1929 The club is abandoned.

1930 An all martial arts demonstration takes place in Tokyo. Jinan Shinzato performed Naha-Te and is asked the name of his style but he couldn’t answer.

1931 Anichi Miyagi is born

1931 (circa) Chojun Miyagi decides to name the Style Goju -Ryu after the phrase ” ho go ju donto” that is found in the Bubushi which means “The way of inhaling and exhaling is hardness and softness.”

Chojun Miyagi

1934 Chojun Miyagi travels to Hawaii and brings back the kongo ken.

1936 Chojun Miyagi gives a speech in Osaka – What is Karate- Do (speech).

1944 World War II.

1945 Jinan Shinzato dies by a bomb .

Jinan Shinzato

1948 Anichi Miyagi begins training with Chojun Miyagi.

Anichi Miyagi

1949 -51 Anichi Miyagi is Chojun Miyagi’s only student as he would not take other students.

1952 Shuichi Aragaki starts training with Chojun Miyagi and Anichi Miyagi.

1952 Chojun Miyagi starts taking more students

1953 October 8 , Chojun Miyagi dies.

1955 Morio Higaonna begins training in Chojun Miyagi’s house with Anichi Miyagi

Morio Higaonna 2016

1979 International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do Federation (IOGKF) is formed with Anichi Miyagi as chairman and Morio Higaonna as chief instructor.