Chōjun Miyagi

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
In this Okinawan name, the surname is Miyagi.
Chōjun Miyagi
宮城 長順
Ei'ichi Miyazato, Meitoku Yagi, Seigo Tada
, Anichi Miyagi, Shuichi Aragaki

Chōjun Miyagi (宮城 長順, Miyagi Chōjun, April 25, 1888 – October 8, 1953) was an Okinawan martial artist who founded the Gōjū-ryū school of karate by blending Okinawan and Chinese influences.

Life

Early life and training

Sensei Miyagi was born in Higashimachi, Naha, Okinawa on April 25, 1888. One of his parents was a wealthy shop owner. Chojun Miyagi began studying Okinawan martial arts under Ryuko Aragaki at age 11.[2] At age 14, Miyagi was introduced to Kanryo Higashionna (Higaonna Kanryō) by Aragaki. 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 Miyakonojō, Miyazaki.[3] Miyagi trained under Higaonna for 15 years until Higaonna's death in 1916.[4]

Training in China

In May 1915, before the death of Higaonna, Miyagi travelled to

Naha-Te, a new system emerged. However, it was not until 1929 that Chōjun Miyagi named the system Gōjū-ryū, meaning "hard soft style".[5]

Return to Japan

After several months in China, Chōjun Miyagi returned to Naha where he opened a

Shuri-te-like katas known as 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, as well as to have forms to teach to his students in the Prefectural Teacher's College.[7]

Miyagi Chojun in Hawaii (1934 or 35)

Death

Miyagi had his first

heart attack in 1951, and died in Okinawa on October 8, 1953, from a second heart attack.[7]

Successor

Miyagi died without having officially named a successor, and several of his pupils have proclaimed themselves as his successors.[8] However, Seikichi Toguchi is quoted as saying “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."[7] After Miyagi's death, his most experienced pupils at the time of his death were Sekō Higa, Meitoku Yagi, Eiichi Miyazato, Koshin Iha, and Toguchi himself.[8]

The family of Chojun Miyagi communicated that the founder of the style wanted Eiichi Miyazato to succeed him. The Goju Ryu committee, formed by major students of Miyagi (which included among others Nakaima, Madanbashi, Meitoku Yagi, Iha Koshin) at a meeting in February 1954 voted almost unanimously Eiichi Miyazato as the official successor to Chojun Miyagi. Miyazato continued to teach from Miyagi’s Garden Dojo until 1957, when he built the Jundokan dojo with the help of the Miyagi family.[8] Miyagi's family also donated Hojo Undo tools and Miyagi's Busanagashi statue to Miyazato, which became the symbol for the Jundokan.[citation needed]

Another important recognition was made by Miyagi's family in 1963 to Meitoku Yagi, publicly recognizing him as one of the successors of Miyagi and giving him one of Miyagi's karate gis and belts.[7]

Later other students would proclaim themselves Miyagi's successors like An’ichi Miyagi (a claim supported by Morio Higaonna, who claims An'ichi as his main teacher[8][9]) or Gōgen Yamaguchi,[10] whom Peter Urban (in his book The Karate Sensei) says was named in Miyagi's will as successor.

Legacy

Some of Miyagi's more notable students were

Gōjū Kai in Japan.[10]

The character of

Karate Kid film series, written by Robert Mark Kamen (a Goju Ryu student of Toguchi - Kayo Ong lineage), was inspired by Chōjun Miyagi.[11]

Writings

Further reading

  • 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.
  • OLIVEIRA, Humberto Nuno de; LOPES, Eduardo Cunha. "Karate-Do por Chojun Miyagi". (Complete Writings). Bubok Edition, 2015 (PT). 80 p. Illustrated (b&w).
    ISBN 978-84-686-6419-4

References

  1. ^ The Karate Genealogy of Sosai Mas Oyama Archived 2004-10-25 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ISBN 978-1257979387
    .
  3. ISBN 0-89750-018-0
    .
  4. ^ McCarthy and Lee, 1987: p. 39
  5. ^
    OCLC 12948826
    .
  6. ISBN 979-8487016973
    .
  7. ^
    OCLC 48846495.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
    )
  8. ^ a b c d "Eiichi Miyazato (1921–1999) The Final Interview! | Goju Karate-Jutsu". Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  9. ^ Nakamura, Tetsuji. "International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-do Federation – IOGKF History". Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  10. ^ a b "History". www.gojukai.com. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
  11. ^ Prewitt, Alex (2018-05-01). "The Crane Kick Is Bogus: A Karate Kid Oral History". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
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