Goju v. Uechi Ryu My goju ryu history starts back in 1972 when I trained under the Goju-Kai (Gosei Yamaguchi) banner in Massachusetts. My first sensei was one of his students.
Being bored with my training progress, I started training with my current Sensei, Teruo Chinen in 1984.
Additionally, I had started training in kobudo, Shorin Ryu and some Uechi Ryu with my current Shorin Ryu Sensei from NH. After serving 2 tours in Vietnam, he studied with such notables as Tomiyose Ryuro Sensei of Uechi Ryu, Fusei Kise & Hohan Soken of Shorin Ryu and Masanobi Shinjo of Goju Ryu to name a few of the Okinawan greats.
Goju kata has a lot more flow
and whipping action than what is portrayed by the JKF Goju Kai, Seiwa
Kai, and other tournament kata of today.
The kata of Goju Ryu have been "tournament-ized" as of late, which
means that they have slowed down and are somewhat posed at points for
the judges' edification.
Kururunfa:
My sensei performs the same kata at the end of this ditty, you can see the flow of the kata:
Both Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu are "cousins"; to coin a term of my Sensei.
Both originated from the same area of Fujian Province. Miyagi's teacher
Kanryo Higashionna studied with Ru Ryu Ko (whose real name is in
dispute) Ru Ryu Ko is the equivalant to "Senpai" or "Older Brother".
Ru Ryu Ko taught a conflux of styles including White Crane Kung Fu,
Monk Style Boxing and Tiger Boxing. All of which Higashionna mastered
before returning to Okinawa.
Miyagi Sensei started training in Naha-te from Higashionna when he was 15 (1903) until the latter's death in 1918.
Miyagi visited Fujian Province on 2 occassions; once with the White
Crane stylist "Gokenki", who was a Chinese trader/martial arts teacher
working in Naha.
For the link between Gokenki & Kanbum Uechi sensei go to:
Even though the area where Higashionna & Uechi Sensei studied were approx. 25 miles apart, the kata were quite different.
Both styles share Sanchin, Seisan & Sanseru. It was said that Uechi
sensei once taught a version of Suparenpai (108) that has been lost.
It was Miyagi Sensei that brought
the "ibuki" (strong breathing) to Sanchin and closed the open hands
after his 2nd trip to China. He also developed Tensho (Revolving Hands)
kata from the Chinese form "Rokku-go-ikishu" or simply slurred as
Rokkishu. The Chinese form moved sideways like Naifanchi. Sanchin
represents the "Go" or hard while Tensho represents the "Ju" or
gentle/flexible/pliable. (I don't say 'soft' but the kanji used is the
same and it is not an acurrate nomenclature). Like Judo the "gentle'
way.
I posted the following on another thread recently and you may find it helpful:
Motobu-Ryu Sanchin
Please note 2 versions.
One with closed fists and the second w/ open hand, as practiced in Naha-te and taught by Kanryo Higashionna, Miyagi Sensei's teacher. Miyagi later closed the fists and hardened the breathing:
The following is an excellent version of Okinawan Goju Ryu Sanchin
done by Peter Savoy. Please note the tension level of the body; the
coordination of the breathing v. hand maneuvers.
Interesting Blog. I studied Uechi-ryu for many years and Okinawan Goju for 2 years and was aware of much of this except the reason why the fists became closed in Goju. Also, was the way that Goju was taught in China, was this still open hand at the time?
