Morio Higaonna

'Within the text fo the Bubishi there are eight Kenpo Kaku (martial art periods). A line from one of these poems reads:

Ho goju donto-the way of inhaling and exhaling is hardness and softness.

Given the nature of Chojun Miyagi's karate, a style containing hard and soft techniques with the emphasis on breathing, Goju seemed to be an ideal name.'

This voume results from more than three decades of intense research Okinawa, Japan, and China. The magnum opus of prominent karate master Morio Higaonna, it is the only definitive and historically accurate account of Goju Ryu karate.

Contents

1 An historical perspective of the Ryukyu Islands
2 Kanryo Higaonna
3 Back in Okinawa
4 Chojun Miyagi: The early years
5 Training Marriage Military service
6 Final years with Kanryo Higaonna Sensei
7 Chojun Miyagi's research
8 The Karate Kenkyu Club era and the naming of Goju-Ryu
9 Miyagi travels abroad
10 Kyoto (Japan) period
11 The war and its aftermath
12 An'ichi Miyagi
13 An'ichi's training continues
14 Jin'an Shinzato
15 Trainng continues
16 Chojun Miyagi's final years
17 My training begins
Biographies and interviews
China
Appendix
Glossary
Index… (altro)

Master Morio Higaonna, 8th dan and Chief Instructor of the International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do Federation, was born in 1938, in Naha the capital city of Okinawa. He began his Karate training at the age of 14, and in 1954, at the age of 16 he began training in Goju-Ryu under the guidance of Master An'ichi Miyagi, the most knowledgeable and devoted student of goju-Ryu founder, the late Master Chojun Miyagi.

Through long hours of arduous training and with a ferocious dedication which is rare in even the greatest of Masters, he quickly established himself as one of the island's top karate men.

In 1960, at the age of 22, he moved to Tokyo, mainland Japan to study commerce at Takushoku Unversity. He was invited to teach at Tokyo's mainland Japan to study commerce at Takushoku University. He was invited to teach at Tokyo's yoyogi dojo where he soon attracted a large following of dedicated Karate-ka, sometimes teaching as many as 1,000 students a day. Students travelled from all over the world to train with Master Higaonna and as a result the International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do Federation (IOGKF) was established in 1979. This federation is now established in over 25 countries world-wide.

Training has always been the central theme of Master Higaonna's life. He has never sought the limelight in the martial arts and his reputationis simply a reslult of his superb skills and mastery of his art; a mastery which is only exceeded by his genuine modesty and humility.

The kata of Okinawan goju Ryu are thoroughly pracitcal. Each movement has meaning. This volume contains 1,000 photographs taken by a motor-driven camera, capturing each movement moment by moment, and clearly illustrating why kata is the backbone of Master Higaonna's karate.

Traditional Karate-do represents a Master's attempt to preserve the practical wisdom accumulated in 35 years of karate training. Volume 3 contains applications from the first two kata, as well as a demonstarion of Tensho kata and the advanced kata, Sepai through Suparinpei. It will be a useful guide to martial artists at all levels and of all styles.

Contents

Foreword Xing Yan-Ling
Acknowledgements-Higaonna Morio
Introduction About the bunkai-Higaonna Morio
Part One Sepai
1 Key points
2 Performance of the kata
Part Two Kururunfa
1 Key points
2 Performance of the kata
Part Three Sesan
1 Key points
2 Performance of thekata
Part Four Suparinpei
1 Kata characteristics
2 Key points-Stances; Foot movement; Sanchin Stance in suparinpei
3 Performance of the kata
Part Five Tensho
1 Performance of the kata
Part Six The applications of Gekisai Dai Ichi
Bunkai (applications) of the kata
Bunkai No. 1, No. 2
Variations of Bunkai No. 2
Variations of Bunkai No. 2
Bunkai No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6
Part Seven The applications of gekisai dai ni
Bunkai (applications) of the kata
Bunkai No. 1, No. 2… (altro)

Master Morio Higaonna, 8th dan and Chief Instructor of the International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do Federation, was born in 1938, in Naha the capital city of Okinawa. He began his Karate training at the age of 14, and in 1954, at the age of 16 he began training in Goju-Ryu under the guidance of Master An'ichi Miyagi, the most knowledgeable and devoted student of goju-Ryu founder, the late Master Chojun Miyagi.

Through long hours of arduous training and with a ferocious dedication which is rare in even the greatest of Masters, he quickly established himself as one of the island's top karate men.

In 1960, at the age of 22, he moved to Tokyo, mainland Japan to study commerce at Takushoku Unversity. He was invited to teach at Tokyo's mainland Japan to study commerce at Takushoku University. He was invited to teach at Tokyo's yoyogi dojo where he soon attracted a large following of dedicated Karate-ka, sometimes teaching as many as 1,000 students a day. Students travelled from all over the world to train with Master Higaonna and as a result the International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do Federation (IOGKF) was established in 1979. This federation is now established in over 25 countries world-wide.

Training has always been the central theme of Master Higaonna's life. He has never sought the limelight in the martial arts and his reputationis simply a reslult of his superb skills and mastery of his art; a mastery which is only exceeded by his genuine modesty and humility.

Traditional Karate-do represents a Master's attempt to preserve the practical wisdom accumulated in 35 years of karate training. Volume 4 contains applications from the katas, Saifa through Suparinpei, as well as introducing 'iri' kumi, 'shiai kumite and yakusoku kumite. It will be a useful guide to martial artists at all levels and of all styles.

Contents

Acknoweldgements
Introduction
Part One The applications of saifa
Bunkai (applications) of the kata: Bunkai No. 1 through 6; Variation of bunkai No. 6
Part Two The applications of seiyunchin
Bunkai (applications) of the kata: Bunkai No. 1 through 5; Variation of bunkai No. 5; Bunkai No. 6 through 10; Variation of bunkai No. 10; Bunkai No. 11 and No. 12
Part Three The application of shisochin
Bunkai (applications) of the kata: Bunkai No. 1 through 3; Variation of bunkai No. 3; bunkai No. 4 through 8
Part Four The applications of sanseru
Bunkai (applications) of the kata: Bunkai No. 1 through 3; Variation of bunkai No. 3; Bunkai No. 4 through No. 8
Part Five the application of sepai
Bunkai (applications) of the kata: Bunkai No. 1 through 10
Part Six The applications of kururunfa
Bunkai (applications) of the kata: Bunkai No. 1 through 7; Variation of Bunkai No. 7; Bunkai No. 8 and No. 9
Part Seven The application of sesan
Bunkai (applications) of the kata: Bunkai No. 1 through No. 12
Part eight The applications of suparinpei
Bunkai (applications) of the kata: Bunkai No. 1 through No. 5; Variation of Bunkai No. 5; bunkai No. 6 through No. 8
Part Nine Iri kumi
Iri kumi
A brief history of 'Iri kumi'
An example of 'Iri kumi'
Part Ten Shiai kumite (Tournament sparring)
Part Eleven Yakusoku Kumite (Pre-arranged sparring)
Combination 1, 2, and 3
Goju-Ryu history
Historical accounts-Grandmaster Kanryo Higaonna
Jichaku Hill
'Kaki-dameshi' (a test of skill)
Manju bashi (Manju bridge)
Historical accounts-Grandmaster Chojun Miyagi
Miyakko no Jo Army training camp
Kinjo Jipo… (altro)

Morio Higaonna was born in 1938 in Naha, the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture. He began practicing karate when he was 14 years old at his junior high school. At the age of 15, in 1953, he became the student of An'ichi Miyagi, a student of Master Chojun Miyagi, the founder of Goju Ru Karatedo. From this stage on Morio Higaonna dedicated himself to the training and practicing of Goju Ryu Karatedo. Afer having been taught by good instructors, his fascination with karate led him to devote his entire life to the enrichment of the spiritual depth and virtue of karate.

In 1960 Higaonna sensei entered Takushoku University in Tokyo. He began his training at the Yoyogi Dojo, however he was simultaneously engaged as an instructor (sensei) there teaching four classes a day totaling 1,000 students. Higaonna sensei taught at Yoyogi Dojo until May of 1981. During this time he established the International Okinawa Goju Ryu Karatedo Federatn (IOGKF) which has trained over 20,000 students in 21 countries up to the present. Higaonna sensei is respected throughout the world as 'Master of Karate', a master who is born only once every 50 years.

The six thousand photos, taken with a motor drive camera, show you the secret of Higaonna Karate.

Contents

Preface by Miyagi An'ichi
Introduction by Higaonna Morio
Acknowledgements by Higaonna Morio
Terminology
Part One: About kata
Part Two: The characteristics of Okinawa Goju Ryu
1 Kamae (Combative position)
2 Kiai (Yagui)
3 About teh eyes
4 Circular movement and straight movement
5 Special Okinawan termionology for Goju Ryu Karate
a Muchimi
b Chiru no chan chan
c Shimeijurasan
d Chinkuchi kakin
e Nujisashi
Part Three: The Sanchin kata of Miyagi Chujun Sensei
1 Why he changed the kata
2 Posture and foot movement
3 Posture for sanchin kata
4 Basic breathing
5 Points of concentration in Sanchin kata
6 Checking for proper muscle control and concentration in the student
7 Things to be aware of while assisting Sanchin kata training
8 Assisting sanchin training using two or more instructors
9 The importance of sanchin kata and training method
10 The effects of sanchin training
11 The meaning of Heishugata and Kaishugata
12 Performance of the kata
Part Four: Gekisai Dai Ichi Kata
1 Key points
2 Performance of the kata
Part Five: Gekisai Dai Ni Kata
1 Key points
2 Performance of the kata
Part Six: Saifa Kata
1 Key points
2 Performance of the kata
Part Seven: Seiyunchin Kata
1 Key points
2 Performance of the kata
Part Eight: Shisochin Kata
1 Key points
2 Performance of the kata
Part Nine: Sanseru Kata
1 Key points
2 Performance of the kata… (altro)