The Main Students of Seiko Higa

I spoke before about some of the notable students of Chojun Miyagi. Today I thought it would be interesting to go over Seiko Higa's notable and senior students. Interestingly, many of his students were about the same age as Miyagi's, if not a little older. 

One of the best sources for finding out who Higa's students were is the memorial book that was published for him and his son Seikichi Higa by the Goju-Ryu Kokusai Karate Kobudo Renmei (Higa's organization). Near the back, there's a lineage chart showing his key students: 

Right to left, the names are: Juei Tamaki 玉城 寿英 1905-1997, Kanki Izumikawa 泉川 寛喜 1908-1967, Choboku Takamine 高嶺 朝睦 1908-2006, Seiko Fukuchi 福地 清幸1919-1975, Seikichi Toguchi 渡口 政吉 1917-1998, Yohena Tomoshige 饒平名 知繁 1923, Seikichi Higa 比嘉 世吉 1927-1999, Choshin Ishimine 伊志嶺 朝信 1931-1996, Choyu Kiyuna 喜友名 朝有 1931, Eikichi Fukumoto 福元 英吉 1936-1995, Eiki Kurashita 蔵下 英喜 1941, Yuzuro Oshiro 大城 譲 1945, Seiki Gibo 宜保 成喜 1939.

The only ones from this list that are still living are Choyu Kiyuna, Eiki Kurashita, and Seiko Gibo. 

Seienchin Kata

Seienchin (Seiunchin) is one of the core Goju-Ryu kata and usually one of the early ones you'll learn. Typically this comes after Saifa, although the Meibukan seems to have it later in their curriculum. With most of the Goju-Ryu kata, there's not a whole lot of historical information that's been published and most of it boils down to "Kanryo brought in back from China". 

I thought today I'd share a translation I did on Seienchin from Akio Kinjo's book, Karate Denshin Roku. Kinjo trained with Seiko Higa and Chosin Ishimine before later going to China to study various kung fu styles and the origins of karate. I still think his book is probably one of the most detailed but sadly it's never received an English translation. 

セイインチン (青鷹戦) Seienchin (Blue Hawk Battle)

This kata is a kata of Goju Ryu that Kanryo Higaonna has transmitted, but after the transmission, it has been Okinawanized. The pronunciation has changed slightly depending on the kai-ha (school), such as `seiinchin'`sēenchin' `seiyunchin' and so on.  「セイインチン」「セーエンチン」 「セイユンチン」

In this kata as well as other kata before the war, they were expressed in katakana characters, but after the end of the war, various types of kanji are used.

Depending on the kai-ha the kanji: 「清栄戦」「征遠鎮」「制引戦」「制引鎮」can be used. 

Correctly it is "青鷹戦" and " Chieiinchin" 「チエイインチン」 in Fukkien-Go.

It is a kata created by incorporating the conflict and movements of the "hawk".

An analysis of the contents of the Goju Seienchin kata shows the first photograph is a posture in which the wings are spread and inflated to intimidate the opponent when confronted with a strong enemy. The second figure is a posture in which the opponent’s forearm is gripped by a claw. The third picture is the last technique of Goju Ryu Seienchin, This is exactly the appearance of a hawk after its activity, landing on a tree branch and resting with a cool breeze by opening the wings to lower the body temperature, which means the end of the kata.

Seienchin postures from Kinjo's book

So, for the most part, Akio Kinjo believes this was a hawk related kata. As a side note, this kata also seems to have the most variety in how it's written/spelled.  In my lineage of Goju (Higa Izumikawa) we say Seienchin, others sometimes say Seiunchin or Seiyunchin.