
Chojun Miyagi was born on April 25, 1888 in Naha, Okinawa and was the adopted
son of a wealthy businessman. He began his martial arts training at the age of 9
with Aragaki Ryuko Sensei who then introduced him to Naha-te Master Kanryo
Higaonna when Miyagi was 14. Under Higaonna Sensei, Miyagi underwent a very long
and ardous period of training. Higaonna Sensei was very demanding of his
students so much so that Chojun Miyagi Sensei would pass out during class from
overexertion.

After the death of Master Kanryo Higaonna, Miyagi travelled to the Fukien
Province in China as his teacher had done before him. In China he studied the
Shaolin and Pa Kua forms of Chinese boxing. Whilst in China, Chojun Miyagi
noticed a crane sitting on a roof, which was made of tile. As Miyagi approached
the huge bird, the crane became alarmed and flew away. As it was flying away,
the frightened crane flapped its wings against the tile roof, breaking some of
the tiles in the process. Miyagi was amazed that the soft feathers of the crane
were able to break something as hard as tiles. Inspired by this, he devised a
whole new approach to Karate, mixing in the hard techniques with many soft ones
to be used in countering hard blows and kicks.
From the blending of these systems, the hard linear/external form of Shaolin,
the soft circular/internal form of Pa Kua, and his native Naha-Te style emerged
a new system. However, it was not until 1929 that Chojun Miyagi named the system
Goju-ryu, meaning hard-soft style. He named the system “goju-ryu” (hard-soft
style) from the Old chinese book Wu Pei Chih (Army account of military and
science) by Yuan-I Mao published in 1636 and from his earlier experience of the
crane. Miyagi travelled several times to China after Higaonna Sensei died and
remained a few years at a time to train in the Chinese martial arts. Miyagi’s
unusual dedication to the martial arts earned deep respect from the Chinese
kempo Masters. He was considered an outstanding karate Master of great skill,
strength and spirit. Miyagi further improved and developed the theory and
techniques of Naha-Te before renaming the style and scrutinized it
scientifically for martial arts training in Okinawa.
In addition to his personal training and development of Naha-te, Miyagi Chojun
Sensei spent a great deal of his time promoting the art. In 1921, he performed a
demonstration of Naha-te in Okinawa for the visiting Prince Hirohito, Emperor of
Japan, and in 1925 for Prince Chichibu.

As the Naha-Te styles exposure increased, many became interested in Miyagi
Chojun Sensei’s art. One of Miyagi Chojun Sensei’s senior disciples, Shinzato
Sensei, gave a performance of kata at a Japanese martial arts tournament.
Afterwards, a master asked the name of his school. Shinzato Sensei had no answer
for him, upon his return to Okinawa he told Miyagi Chojun Sensei about this
encounter. In order to promote his art as well as cooperate with other schools
of Japanese martial arts, it was then that Miyagi Chojun Sensei decided it was
necessary to name his art. It became known as “Goju-Ryu” karate, meaning “hard
and soft.” He was the first among different schools of karate to name his art
and in 1933 his art of Goju-Ryu was formally registered at the Butoku-kai, the
Japanese Martial Arts Association.
During the 1930’s, Miyagi Chojun Sensei actively developed and promoted
karate-do in Japan and throughout the world. In 1934, a Hawaiian newspaper
company invited him to Hawaii for the purpose of introducing and populating
karate. In 1936, Miyagi Chojun Sensei spent two months in Shanghai, China, for
further study of Chinese martial arts. In 1937, he was awarded a commendation by
the Butoku-kai for his kata and is also known as employing scientific methods in
the development of goju-ryu. In 1940, he created the kata “Gekisai Dai Ichi” and
“Gekisai Dai Ni” with the purpose of popularizing karate and improving the
physical education of young people. He also created “Tensho” kata emphasizing
the softness of the art whereas “Sanchin” kata emphasizes the hardness.

A tragic period ensued in the 1940’s as a result of World War II and Miyagi
Chojun Sensei stopped teaching. During this period he lost a son and a senior
student while enduring the devastations of war and poverty. After the war,
Okinawan karate spread rapidly throughout mainland Japan with Miyagi Chojun
Sensei teaching karate in Kansai, Japan, for a short time. In 1946 however, he
started teaching karate at the Okinawan Police Academy as well as in the
backyard of his home in Tsuboya where his son still lives today.
From the beginning, Miyagi Chojun Sensei recognized karate as a valuable social
treasure of Okinawa. He devoted his entire life to the study, development and
transmission of Okinawan karate for the sake of future generations and is truly
known as the founder of Goju-Ryu karate-do. During his lifetime, Miyagi Chojun
Sensei was known and respected by everyone not only in Okinawa but also
respected throughout the world as one of karate's greatest authorities.
Miyagi Chojun Sensei also used the “Eight Precepts” of traditional Chinese Kempo
found in the document “Bubishi” when he renamed Naha-Te to Goju-Ryu that reads
as follows:
- The mind is one with heaven and earth.
- The circulatory rhythm of the body is similar to the cycle of the sun and the moon.
- The way of inhaling and exhaling is hardness and softness.
- Act in accordance with time and change.
- Techniques will occur in the absence of conscious thought.
- The feet must advance and retreat, separate and meet.
- The eyes do not miss even the slightest change.
- The ears listen well in all directions.
These eight precepts are the essence of the Goju-Ryu way of Karate till this
day. Chōjun Miyagi was a man of extremely mild temperament and it is said that
he was a very humble man. He lived according to the principles of martial arts
(i.e. that of non-violence). Master Miyagi died in Okinawa on October 8, 1953
from a second heart-attack (the first took place in 1951).
Some of his more notable students were Seiko Higa (also a student of Kanryo
Higaonna), Seikichi Toguchi (founder of the Shorei-Kan dojo), Ei'ichi Miyazato
(founder of the Jundokan dojo), Meitoku Yagi (founder of the Meibukan dojo) and
in Japan, Gogen Yamaguchi (founder of Goju-kai).
Miyagi was teaching and promoting goju-ryu karate-do up to the time of his death
at the age of 66. He was called the last great samurai warrior of Okinawa
because of his legendary strength and skill as well as his intense dedication to
the martial arts. His legacy lived on through his followers, most notably
through one of his best students Gogen Yamaguchi of Japan.