cheesefrysamurai

Kanryo Higashionna, the creator of the predecessor to Goju absolutely trained in fuzjou

My first time sparring, I blocked every single shot he threw. . . . . with my face!

Part of me wants to say someone like Morio Higaonna. I know I am partial because I train goju but there is something about someone who dedicates his life to the practice and perfection of his art and if anyone knows about him, they know serious he really is.. Another part of me wants to say Ueshiba, for evolving, and surpassing himself. He took his art to a new level and created something special. Bruce Lee also evolved. I know he was wise beyond his years. He transcended the systems he trained in. He became something different. He gets much attention from his movie star status which blurs things for me a bit and he died way to young, I am afraid his contributions were cut short. I like Mr Miyagi - wax on wax off

Harkon, your right of course. But again this is a system hes been practicing for 25 years. I am sure that many of you blackbelts senseis dont have 25 years ma experience let alone in one system! Its not the "a wise man can learn something from anyone" thing. Its disrespectful. This is not about humility, its about not respecting his hard work. I have been in the dojo several times where a sensei (who very well may be a lower rank) in a different or same system visits, my old sensei would bow to him and call him sensei xxxxxx, and introduce him to the class. Like I said, my sensei respects my prior training and I was no blackbelt. Bahrain wasnt asking to take the class over, wasnt trying to show up their sensei, he was simply visiting.

It's not the belt- I agree with you, but to me it's more about aligning him in the dojo with the lowest rank, imagine your sensei wanting to get a work out in on vacation and they have him stand in the back of the rank with a whitebelt on. It would only be one step before they have him doing pushups because he crossed in front of sensei or something. Itsunnecessary, it's disrespectful. There's no need for martial artists to treat each other that way. At most he should have told him "no coaching, no teaching, no correcting". I have only had 2 real sensei's, I believe neither would have acted that way, especially regarding someone inthe same system. Heck my teacher respects my prior training and treats me as a martial artist and I was no blackbelt and my training was in a different system.

Come on guys, he has been living goju for close to a quarter of a century! Many of us only know what its like to own a technique, only very few knows what it feels like to reach that level, goju is in his blood. Shodan shows significant dedication in the right school, He probably showed that level of dedication 20 years ago. MY BOTTOMLINE Any respectable instructor (IMO) would allow him to not only wear his rank but not make him line up with the students, He or she would see you as a peer. I do not worship my sensei but if he went to visit a goju school and they told him to wear a white belt, I would lose any respect I had for them. He has been training since 1993 My Sensei always says that what he loves about goju ryu is that you can take it anywhere. Though there are slight variations goju is for the most part goju. I don't blame Bahrain one bit. After 20+ years, goju is his system as much as anyones. I know it sounds like ego but its not, its more like pride, he earned the right. He may hold no rank in TKD or pancration but in goju, he's earned his rank. He should have been introduced an an honored guest visiting from another school. I know many of us like to think putting the whitebelt back on is a form of humbleness - it is, but not in this case. Its like Michael Jordan trying out the highschool team, or a professional writer in an intro literary course, I am pretty good at my job. . . once in a while someone questions my skill, or knowledge and I have to teach them a lesson, usually by the end of the day they are picking my brain about what stumps them. The dojo is supposed to be above this petty nonsense. Someone elses wise words - "proof is on the floor"

I was pretty nervous, though there was no reason. Sensei has awesome control. I really stink at it though so every time feels like the first time all over again. I have sparred several times and dont really know what its like to hit someone. I just cant get in and when I close enough, i have to defend and back out. Its going to be years before i get pleasure our of it. Randori and grappling are enjoyable

wow these guys give such great advice I would just reread the previous replies. If you are happy, stay. The best piece of advice i could give is KEEP ON FIGHTING! good luck

WOW! Congratulations - sounds like a rare opportunity! Enjoy!

wow - beautiful stuff Good luck

Bahrain, I appreciate what you are saying and I agree with you to some extent. In todays martial arts, affiliation is important to some people. I know when I was hunting for a dojo, I researched my senseis affiliation and his teachers, they seemed very legitimate to me and I based part of my decision on it. The martial arts isn't that big a world in a sense. I see it all the time here, someone speaks highly of their sensei, someone else asks who it is, and often others know of him or know of his lineage. I know people grow, BUT there is a limited lineage, Higaonna Kanryo Sensei ---> Miyagi sensei. (simplified) I think these governing bodies help keep the system strong, help with uniformity. I don't see this splintering as beneficial to the art

So I guess you didn't need that luck after all. congrats

It is sad. I was definitely under the impression that it was about ego. I was under the impression that they left by choice. when my teacher was in Okinawa he trained with Taira Sensei at the Jundokan. He knows people who jumped ship and left the Jundokan to join his group. My view on for this, is that Goju focuses on creating strong characters with a lot of self-belief who are prepared to go there own way, and do so on a regular basis.

Damn you Harkon - I got class in an hour and you distracted me with this video!

I've read over some of his accomplishments. Impressive man.

thank you. i surely hope so!

trying to understand this is nuts. From what my sensei told me, Morio Higaonna is really a top goju guy. He tells me watching is is watching someone doing it properly and fully respects him. He's a beast. My sensei went to Japan and trained with Eichi Miyazato when he was alive at the jundokan, at that time he was a top goju guy getting the system from Chojun Miyagi. He also trained with Taira Sensei there. At some point Higaonna and Taira left the Jundokan (separately) and formed their own organziations and the person who took over when Miyazatos was very young and unqualified. The old guys who were on the board of \of Miyazatos jundokan werent happy and formed their own. Thats the one he belongs to. If anyone knows about this stuff I wouldn't mind being corrected. This is the organization he (we) belongs to http://ogkk.jp/e/

I noticed that there are quite a bunch of these. It seems like every master broke off and made their own. Is there one that is considered the most legitimate? Are there ones to stay away from? My teacher is sticking with the one his teacher belongs to, as loyalty is more important to him then anything. I would like to hear opinions. Thanks

wow - great answer Bahrain! I like the way you break down the technique. I have to reread it several times. thanks

Wow - welcome to the forum I for 1 am jealous as heck. Remembering Kata comes with repetition for me. Done people notate in books, others buy books, and others look at YouTube. As far as the stomach thing, it's something we may not do in the west, but your there and you know what they say....when in Rome Good luck and please keep us updated

There have been strikes since caveman times, people using bones as clubs since the beginning of time and yes. . . . when someone feigns or tries to hurt us we instinctively protect ourselves but yes, I believe there are blocks in karate. Its not about enhancing or reenforcing instincts (IMO) its about improving upon them, and creating new superior ones. These techniques were born, not from the knee jerk reaction when someone tries to strike your groin, but by analysis, trial and error and systematization. My instinct pre training was not a chudan or jodan, the fact is my natural reaction often it leaves me totally vulnerable to attack - ie blocking my face exposing everything, or protecting my groin, again leaving everything but my groin unprotected. I am not thinking to defend/attack when a buddy jokingly feins a groin strike (yes i have some idiot friends), i cringe and protect. I think there are multiple purposes to the way the karate blocks are designed. They range from protecting vital areas to blocking with proper parts of the arm so as not to get hurt, not to leave yourself vulnerable . They also may redirect so you don't break the momentum of the opponent and it can be used against them. And like said before, they are often the bridge to the next technique I don't feel karate is an extension of our instinct,(as much as I would like to think otherwise) I believe we train as hard as we do to make it instinct.

wow thanks guys. Those are some great concepts that will help me absorb and own this kata

Any advice, key points, or insights? The system I train in is Okinawan Goju Ryu thanks

I wish i had recommendations like that when i was looking. Instead I had to do alot of googling. A good recommendation can really make a difference

you make sense. Rank is all relative . . . in a sense the belt is meaningless - its the journey that's everything 1 could "buy" a blackbelt tomorrow. Experience and wisdom that comes along with the training is priceless Very true, but that was not my point. Someone stated that Boxing has no "belt system" and I stated that was not really true, they have a "Different" kind of "belt" system...its called rankings. You can take up ANY endevour and NOT partake in the ranking system. I know of a few people that run for themselves and dont enter foot races, I know of a lot of body buiders that do it just to keep "big" and not compete and I know of a few people that do boxing and Muay thai and never compete. Personally I dont really put much weight in ranking anymore. I have met 8th dans in TKD who were horrible and I have seen Shodans in Karate that were amazing, I have met Rokudans in Karate who were morons and had horrible form and could not teach their way out of a wet sack...and Judo brown belts that were "master teachers" in my mind. Ranking has become rather relevent to the individual and organization. I have kept plugging away at Karate for darn near 40+ years and really dont care what the paper on my wall says I am...if you come to one of my classes you get a mental and physical work out, you have fun and at the end of the day I love training for trainings sake. The fact that I have a black peice of cloth holding my jacket shut...well that just keeps me from having to explain the tattoos!