historical info

greetings all-i am wondering if anyone out there would know of the name or names of the chinese mother art or arts of okinawan goju-ryu karate-do,are they still being practicedany onfo would be greatly appreciated,train hard folks!

Howdy!

Its nice to meet another Goju Ryu practitioner out there. I'll do my best to answer your question as my Instructor has recorded it:

1624 AD: Shao-lin-ssu spread to Ryukyu islands where it combined with the existing fighting system of "Tode"

1700's: Okinawans had adapted the system completely from its Shao Lin origins, becoming much more coarse and formalized because of the lack of relgious training usually associated. But the Okinawans added their personal skills and moralities to the system. 3 schools formed based on location (Shuri te, Naha te, and Tomari te).

1935: Several schools of Okinawan Karate developed into 4 schools-Shotokan Ryu, Goju Ryu, Shi-to Ryu, & Wado Ryu.

So if you want to learn the roots, learn Shao Lin.

(I fixed the wording of Shi-to so the system won't think its a naughty word )

__________________
"You must eat bitter before you can taste sweet"- Iron & Silk
"I see no virtue where I smell no sweat"
"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you" - Chris Cornell

The system automatically deleted the "sh*t" out of shi-to ryu!!!
ROFL!!!

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If you understand, things are just as they are; if you do not understand, things are just as they are.
-Zen proverb

From the pine tree
Learn of the pine tree.
And from the bamboo
of the bamboo
-Basho

WraithAlcon, I've heard alot about Goju-Ryu Karate, but not the pricinples of the style. I've heard that it's one of the deadleist style of karate, and hearing that it's one of the best also. Seeing that you have studied this style, could you enlighten me I'd appreaticate it. Thanks.

“	Where there's a will there's a way	”

All karate styles are supposed to come from a few Chinese ones. The most know of them is the White Crane.

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jing qi shen wei ben, shou jiao yan wei gen
(Vital fluids, Qi and spirit are your essence, hands, feet and eyes your root.)

Kungfu14, I'll do my best to explain Goju Ryu Karate. Others may study different variations of this system, and whether or not I have studied the "correct" version is unknown to me.

My Goju Ryu system is based on the philisophical ying-yang sign. It is our practice to neither employ the yang or the ying though. Instead we seek for the gray center. The classic symbol of Goju Ryu is a gray clenched fist centered on the ying-yang sign.

Our techniques are external produced and internally driven. A technique is never pure muscle or brute force just like it is never powered by internal energy. Overall my interpretation would be a 70/30 split, siding on the external side.

I could go into techniques, but that is really dependant on the instructor and school. Some emphasize only striking, some joint locks, and others a combination. One of the defining principles I've noticed about Goju Ryu is its adaptive ability. The Goju Ryu practicioner does not try and make a square block fit in a round hole, rather he adapts to his enviroment and what is needed.

None of the principles are groundbreaking or newly practiced. In fact you may be reading this and thinking that you've heard this song and dance before. I won't argue that. The Okinawans did not invent this style, rather they adapted it to suite their needs.

I hope this helps to answer your question. I'm not sure about the label of being the deadliest style of Karate. The weapons are definitely there, but in the end its up to the practitioner who wields them.

__________________
"You must eat bitter before you can taste sweet"- Iron & Silk
"I see no virtue where I smell no sweat"
"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you" - Chris Cornell

Thank you very much for clearing up and telling me about your style.

“	Where there's a will, there's a way	”

wraithalcon-it looks as if you have a real kwoon there in north carolina,i lived there once but in the durham area where i and a friend founded the seikijuku martial arts dojo,my post inquiring about the origins of goju were more of what do you think....tibetan white crane tiger perhaps or purely southern fukien shaolin white crane and tiger gung fu as the mother arts of goju karate,whats interesting is that the systems of ryuie ryu and uechi karate-dohave similar histories,oh and the use of the phoenix eye strike is another point of ref for all of them,i now train with higaonna sensei here in california and soon theres a trip planned togo to china where ryu ryu ko was from for there annual martial arts fest,should prove to be an eye opener in the history dept-my best to you all-budobro

What is really funny is how Goju-Ryu got it's name.

in the articles part have an article talking about white crane i think it have something about