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Goju Karate - The "Martial Art Gateway" From China to Japan

Author: Damian Ross
Date Posted: November 08, 2008

Goju ryu karate is a style of Okinawan karate that combines both hard and soft Chinese martial arts styles, in fact in the Japanese language "Go" means hard; "ju" means soft and when put together it literally means hard-soft karate. The style uses a number of hard hitting strikes with the hands and feet, but also has softer techniques like blocking, joint locks, grappling, and throws and takedowns like those found in Judo. Like other styles of karate correct breathing is stressed along with body strengthening and conditioning. Goju-ryu use both circular and linear movements, and has many different katas. While the katas aren't useful in an actual street fight they allow an instructor pass down techniques and concepts as well as giving him or her a tool to evaluate the student's progress.

Okinawa's history has periods of both Chinese and Japanese suppression. During these periods conventional weapons were banned. Like any repressed culture, the Okinawan natives still found a way to fight back and that would lead to the creation of their own martial arts system that utilized both empty handed combat techniques and farm tools as weapons. Many martial arts weapons that people know today were traditional farm tools first and are still part of karate training today.The people of Okinawa and the other islands of the chain that sat between Japan in China didn't come up with the early forms of Karate all on their own though.

Early Okinawa martial artists had many Chinese influences from sailors and merchants who visited the island which was part of a lucrative trade route. The wealth nobles in the islands would also make the trip to mainland China to train with the legendary Shaolin monks. Like today, the monastery will teach anyone of good character who is willing to learn and follow the rules. These martial arts were kept hidden from the Japanese overlords, but eventually the secret got out and the style would make its way to mainland Japan. In the beginning, traditional karate was all about self defense, there was no sport.

Goju karate was development by Kanryo Higaonna who grew up on the island of Okinawa. As a teenager Higaonna trained with an Okinawan master named Arakaki Seisho. Arakaki taught a number of famous martial artists in hand to hand combat and weapons training. Arakaki Seisho's techniques and teaching methods appear in many styles. Higaonna would also travel to China and study many different Chinese martial arts including Kempo, Wushu, and traditional Kung Fu. When he got back home to Okinawa, he would work in the family business selling firewood during the day and taught karate in the evening. He would build up a devoted following of students. It would only be through the efforts of his students that Higaonna would receive the credit he deserved not only for developing the martial art, but for also helping to bring it to mainland Japan.

Karate as we know it today is a result of thousands of years of refinement and has been influenced by several cultures with their own distinct ideas when it came to self defense and combat sports. These diverse views have led to the development of different styles with different goals, but at the core they have the same values. All styles include punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques though. The only problem is when instructors mix competition techniques with traditional Karate which could get someone killed when it comes to self defense. Old style karate training was brutal. This was to reflect the purpose and the intent of the style. Today the much watered down version of its former self is practiced.

Goju-ryu Karate emphasizes soft circular blocking techniques with quick strong counter attacks delivered in rapid succession. The common misconception is that you're learning to wait for the attack. This is not the case, in a fight you can't wait for someone to strike. The attack is never one punch or a single kick but a barrage of kicks. Not looking for a fight and having a "self defense" attitude should never be misinterpreted as letting your attacker take the first punch. For real Goju-ryu street application, focus on the continuous attacks.

We all need ethics to guide you through life. As a martial artist you should set the example. You should never be a bully, but hat doesn't mean you can't teach the realities of Self Defense with your regular karate instruction. Karate instructors and martial artists in general need to teach more self defense. It's you're real responsibility. Don't settle for just sport karate, because when you're in a life or death situation it isn't a game. Pure Karate has a "whatever works," attitude but with increased attention being paid to tournament style martial arts this belief has decreased. It is up to you to bring back real combat Karate regardless of what style you practice.

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Martial Arts
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Self Defense

Article Source: JKD Street Combat - online collection of Karate articles.

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