Differences between Gojukai Karate and Goju Ryu Karate?

[Dr. Flem]

Hi there.... As some of you know, I'm quite new to the martial arts so I'm gonna keep on asking the questions I need the answers to.

 

Can anybody please tell me the main differences between Gojukai Karate and Goju Ryu Karate?

 

Can't seem to find anything on the net so I just thought I'd ask you guys. Thanks alot.

[cross]

Can anybody please tell me the main differences between Gojukai Karate and Goju Ryu Karate?

 

In a basic sense, Goju Ryu is the style of karate and Goju Kai is an organisation within that style.

 

Goju Kai was founded by Gogen "the Cat" Yamaguchi.

[Dr. Flem]

Ahh, ok. So the fighting style has to have some subtle changes from what I can gather. I'm just not sure how it works.

 

I noticed that you're in Australia. Which state? I'm in Melbourne and the only Karate school I can find in my area is a Gojukai Karate Dojo which is based in Balywn North. Do you know of any good sites that will have dojo listings in Australia? I'm looking to start up with karate but I'm not sure as to which style I want to do.

[jedimc]

Ahh, ok. So the fighting style has to have some subtle changes from what I can gather. I'm just not sure how it works.

 

I noticed that you're in Australia. Which state? I'm in Melbourne and the only Karate school I can find in my area is a Gojukai Karate Dojo which is based in Balywn North. Do you know of any good sites that will have dojo listings in Australia? I'm looking to start up with karate but I'm not sure as to which style I want to do.

 

http://www.martialartsworld.com.au/anzsites.htm

 

theres a heap there and if you go on M theres a few in melbourne.

[Dr. Flem]

Thanks for the link jedimc but the Melbourne links don't seem to work. Could be a problem on my side but still....

 

Thanks anyway.

[Master Jules]

Hey Doc.....

 

Lemme give you a rundown on Goju Ryu lineage...

 

Traditional Okinawan Goju Ryu was founded by Chojun Miyagi.

 

His top students founded several "kans", or houses of Goju on Okinawa.

 

A few main ones are :

 

Shoreikan--Seikichi Toguchi

 

Meibukan--Meitoku Yagi

 

Jundokan--Eiichi Miyazato

 

Shodokan--Seiko Higa

 

Shobukan--Masanobu Shinjo

 

These are the main, Traditional Okinawan Goju Ryu practicioners.

 

Gogen Yamaguchi was a sporadic student of Miyagi for 12 years, and was appointed by Miyagi to represent Goju Ryu in Japan. He did make changes to the system, and since he didnt "get the whole system" from Miyagi, there are parts where he had to "fill in the blanks", which is why there are many glaring differences from Okinawan Goju compared to Japanese Goju. Yamaguchi named his organization "Goju Kai".

 

To further all this, one of Yamaguchi's students was a UDT/SEAL team member named Peter Urban.

 

When he returned to the USA, he founded a system called USA/Urban Goju Ryu, and when some of his top students (Frank Ruiz and Ron Taganashi) "broke away" back in the late 60's, they in turn founded there own version of the system, and called it "Nisei Goju Ryu", which means "second generation"

 

Then there is also Ron Van Clief, who founded the system he now practices, called "Chinese Goju Ryu"

[Dr. Flem]

Fantastic post Master Jules. Thank you very much for the help. I'm just curious but does Goju Kai involve kicks that are above the waist line? I've heard that it's mostly a striking MA. Can you confirm this?

 

I think it'd be better to stick to the original but unfortunetely, there aren't any Okinawan Goju Ryu schools in my area from what I can tell.

 

Another MA I'm looking at would either be Zen Do Kai or Hapkido so any information you can give me would be most helpful. Especially in reference to Zen Do Kai. You seem to be quite knowledgable in the ways of Karate.

 

Thanks again.

[Master Jules]

In regards to kicks, yes, the Goju Kai does practice a lot of kicking above the waist line, whereas Okinawan Goju Ryu mostly kicks waistline and below.

 

As far as Goju Kai being mostly striking oriented, that is true. The reason for this, as I mentioned in my earlier post, was because Yamaguchi didnt get the opportunity to really "get" the "whole" of Okinawan Goju Ryu. The Traditional system of Goju Ryu, while it is a "stand up punch and kick" system, also relies HEAVILY on grappling skills, a part of the system that many practicioners overlook. The grappling part of Okinawan Goju Ryu descends from the Chinese system of Shaolin Chin Na (seizing and grabbing) techniques. If you really study the blocking methods of Okinawan Goju Ryu, you will find them to be more "circular", rather than linear. This allows for the incorporation of the Chi Sau (sticky hands) techniques. The idea behind the Okinawan Goju blocks, is to (basically) meet the incoming technique, blend with it, and then trap and control the limb. A good example of this is the middle block.....As opposed to other systems which have a middle block that snaps across the body, and essentially smashes the incoming punch away to the side (the power of the block going in a linear fashion across the body), the Okinawan Goju block is more circular in nature, and the idea is to blend with the incoming punch, and bring your opponent CLOSER to you, so you can then grab and control the limb with a lock of some sort.

 

Hapkido is a Korean art, which is generally taught side by side with TKD for example. This is because TKD is roughly 70% feet, 30% hands....Hapkido is roughly the opposite, and it contains all of the joint manipulations and locks and throws.....long and short of it is that it's kinda like Korean Jujitsu.

 

Zen Do Kai.....

 

Lets break that down, and itll be easier to understand.

 

Zen is a school of Japanese philosophy, which was derived from the Chinese "Chan", which in turn was derived from Buddhist beliefs. In Japan, it was influenced by the Shinto religion, which holds nature in the highest regards.

 

Do is the Japanese word for "way"

 

Kai means "organization", as in "group"

 

So, the Zen Do Kai is basically an organization that focuses on the philosophies of Zen.

 

Doc......you say that you cant find any Traditional Okinawan Goju dojos in your area....where do you live ? Maybe I can help.

 

Anyway.....thanks for the compliments, and dont hesitate to ask about anything youre curious about or interested in.....Feel free to contact me privately as well, and Ill do all I can to help.

[cross]

I noticed that you're in Australia. Which state?

 

Im in NSW, about 4 hours drive from sydney.

Do you know of any good sites that will have dojo listings in Australia?

 

I dont do goju myself, but there is a goju school in my area.

 

http://www.gojukai.com.au/gojukai7.html << that site has most locations through-out australia listed.

 

Goodluck finding a school.

[informer]

Happy New Year Everybody and All The Best In 2005

Edited December 26, 2004 by informer