Grandmaster Chojun Miyagi was born on April 25, 1888. He began training in karate under Kanryo Higaonna at the age of 14, in 1902. Like his teacher before him, because of his great natural talent and fierce determination, he progressed very rapidly. The training was severe beyond belief at times but he practiced ever... more »
Kanryo Higaonna (March 10, 1853 – December 1916), also known as “Higashionna West”, was a native of Nishi-shin-machi, Naha, Okinawa. He was born in Nishimura, Naha to a merchant family, whose business was selling firewood, an expensive commodity in the Ryukyu Islands. He founded the fighting style later to be known as Gōjū ryū... more »
The Saifa kata has been introduced by Kanryo Higaonna from China, although some claims have stated that Chojun Miyagi (Goju Ryu) may have introduced it. “Saifa” can be translated as, ‘Smash and Tear’, i.e. to Rend. The folding techniques contained in the kata reflect the name with its joint manipulations used to smash bone and... more »
Sanchin was brought back from China by Kanryo Higaonna, and means “three battles”, the three generally accepted as being the body, mind and spirit. The physical principles that provide the strength of Sanchin are: 1) centering of the body’s energy; 2) lowering the body’s center of gravity; 3) controlled breathing into the abdomen, which... more »
Sanseiru is one of the 4 “core” kata brought back from China by Kanryo Higaonna. The standard kanji of Sanseiru mean “36”. The pronunciation is an Okinawan rendering of the Fujian dialect. “San” means 3, “sei” means 10, and “ru” means 6. The number has siginificance in Buddhist tradition. Traditionally Fujian quan fa schools would... more »
Seienchin kata is a traditional Japanese/Okinawan style kata. The name Seienchin is generally defined as either “the calm before the storm” or the “storm within the calm.” Seienchin was one of the many kata handed down by Kanryo Higaonna, a famous Okinawan karate master. It is a very old kata and its roots may... more »
Sepai is a Shito Ryu Karate Kata. The standard kanji of Seipai mean “18”. The pronunciation is an Okinawan rendering of the Fujian dialect. “Sei” means 10, and “pai” means 8. It is thought that this name was given because the kata originally had 18 types of movements. Seipai contains a variety of unusual... more »
Shisochin translates as “Four Gates” or “Four Directions of Conflict”. To leave it at that discounts a truer understanding. The third kanji is the same found in Sanchin and Seiyunchin, which translates as “battle” or “conflict”. This lends to a deeper definition of its meaning. The idea of four directions can come from the... more »