Goju-ryu

Histoire

Goju-ryu, the "hard-soft style", comes from Naha in Okinawa. Kanryo Higaonna studied Chinese boxing in Fuzhou and taught it in Okinawa; his student Chojun Miyagi organised the style and gave it its name around 1930.

Goju-ryu combines hard, straight attacks with soft, circular blocks, close-range fighting and deep breathing. Gogen Yamaguchi, nicknamed "the Cat", spread a Japanese branch of the style.

Le saviez-vous ?

• The Sanchin kata, done with tense muscles and loud breathing, is the heart of the style.
• Traditional tools such as stone weights (chi ishi) and jars (nigiri game) build grip and strength.
• The name comes from a line of a Chinese text: "the way of inhaling and exhaling is hardness and softness".

Glossaire des techniques

Sanchin-dachi

hourglass stance

Kakie

sticky-hand pushing drill

Ibuki

powerful breathing

Mawashi-uke

circular block

Formes

Gekisai Dai Ichi, NiSaifaSeiyunchinShisochinSanseiruSeipaiKururunfaSeisanSuparinpeiSanchinTensho

Armes et équipement

Chi ishi

stone weight on a stick

Nigiri game

gripping jars

⚔ In the Arsenal

MakiwaraChi ishi e nigiri game

☯ Philosophy and quotes

KimeSee all →

Figures clés

• Kanryo Higaonna (1853–1915) — brought the Fuzhou teaching to Naha
• Chojun Miyagi (1888–1953) — founder of Goju-ryu
• Gogen Yamaguchi (1909–1989) — "the Cat", leader of Japanese Goju-kai

Sources: International Okinawan Goju-ryu Karate-do Federation · Encyclopaedia Britannica