Kanryo Higaonna 
(1852-1915)
Goju-Ryu Karate-do is a mixture of Chinese martial arts and traditional
martial arts in Ryukyu 
, which is now known as Okinawa 
(about 500 years ago).
During the Ryukyu age, weapons were not allowed for any civilians
because of the government's policy. These peasants who developed martial
arts called Te 
, fought with bare foot and bare hands. In the process
of spreading over in Ryukyu, different kinds of martial arts were
created, such as Naha-te 
, Shuri-te 
, and other Styles.
Kanryo Higaonna (1852-1915) was still in his teens when his father died.
At the age of 14, he began his formal training in Chinese Kempo with
Seisho Arakaki 
(1840-1920), who had studied the Fukien style.
Kanryo decided he wanted to continue his studies in martial arts
abroad and he set his heart on traveled to Fuzhou, China for this
purpose. It is said that he visited the port city in 1873 for fifteen
years. Some martial arts historians explain his motive for visiting
the city was to study the Chinese Martial Arts. Higaonna did, in fact,
study a Southern Shaolin Chaun style with Sifu (instructor) Liu Liu
Gung and remained there for 15 years, during his stay in that city.
As Explained by other historians, his initial reason for visiting
China was the result of his political involvements. He arrived in
Fuzhou in the year 1869, he was 15 or 16. It is believed that Higaonna
Sensei also studied the styles of Hung Gar-Shaolin Chuan, hard style
Chinese martial arts of Chi-Chi and/or I-Chi as well with another
master named ‘Woo’. He began his studies with Ryuruko in 1876
at the age of 23 in Fujian Province, China, and he remained in there
under the severe instruction of his teacher for approximately 13 years.
After he came back to Ryukyu, he combined both techniques and created
a new style called To-dei 
. This martial arts was the beginning of Karate.
During this transitional period of time when this martial art was
becoming more popular in mainland Japan, called “Karate Kempou” 
which meant Chinese Hand Fist System. Later during 1930s
Japanese practitioners changed the written characters to Karate 
. The First word “ 
” means “empty” and the second word “ ” means hand. Its implication is to symbolize a pair of
bare hands in combat for the sake of self defense against the armed
hands. However, it was a Japanese political attempt to transform the
body of the art with metaphysical insinuation so that the name can
eliminate its national identity. The word “ 
” literally means “way” as for “a way of life.”
Back to Karate History
