Shuichi Aragaki Okinawa Times May 2019

The following is a translation of an interview with Shuichi Aragaki which appeared in the Okinawa Times May 2019 as part of their weekly feature on karate. There's some interesting information about the time he spent training with Chojun Miyagi. 

Shuichi Arakaki (90) = Urasoe City = who is a direct pupil of Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953), the founder of Okinawa Karate Goju-ryu, inherited the teachings of Chojun's later years and handed down Goju-ryu.  The saying of Miyagi sensei was do not hit people and do not be hit by people. "The important thing about karate is humble feelings and kindness."

Mr. Arakaki was born in Taiwan in 1929 and returned to Okinawa with his family in 1947 after the end of the war.  His grandfather, Ryuko was Chojun's first karate teacher. When Mr. Arakaki became interested in karate, Mr. Ryuko said, "I will guide you to Matsu (childhood name of Mr. Chojun)."

He became a disciple of Chojun Miyagi when he was 22 years old

At that time, Mr. Chojun had no disciples other than Mr. Anichi Miyagi, but when his first teacher, Mr. Ryuko, visited him, he thanked him and immediately allowed him to become a disciple. In 1951, Mr. Arakaki was 22 years old and Mr. Chojun was 63 years old.

As soon as I finished my work, I started going to Mr. Chojun's house in Mihara, Naha City. At first, I wasn’t allowed into the house,  I just took care of the surroundings such as cleaning the garden, drawing water from the well, and chopping (chopping wood?), but in reality, this is also part of the training. It is said that Mr. Chojun was dressed up and sat upright, watching the situation.  I can't say " please tell me". If you ask a question, you will be told, "you don't have enough hardship".  He was quiet and polite, but it was tough when it came to training. Mr. Arakaki is still in awe.

During the Sanchin practice, he was allowed to enter the house. Mr. Chojun looked at the movement of his legs and how to use his muscles, and gave guidance by hitting the bad points by hand. The struck shoulder would swell, and the thighs are squeezed during training. The size of the clothes didn't fit and I was in trouble.

Life and practice

Many dojos now have a fixed date and time for training, but at that time life itself was training. When passing through the stone wall road of Tsuboya, I struck the rugged rock surface with my bare hands to train them. I still remember the teaching that "if you take a day off, it will take three days to get it back."

On the other hand, when the training was over, he also showed a gentle side, saying, "Eat dinner." Mr. and Mrs. Chojun, Mr. Anichi, and Mr. Arakaki surrounded the table on a daily basis. I was told about karate, and before I got home late at night, I was told, "Walk in a bright place even if you take a detour at night."

Three years after the introduction, Mr. Arakaki moved to Tokyo to go on to higher education. It was a month later that Mr. Chojun's news arrived.

Mr. Arakaki says, "I've been taught not to tell people that I'm doing karate" because people started fights to test my skills and the number of enemies increased. In any situation, I faced it with karate, which was placed in the center of my mind and body, saying, "This is karate."

Guidance around the dojo

In Tokyo, he taught karate to fellow students and children in the neighborhood, and later served as a teacher at the dojo of Mr. Chojun's eldest son, Kei.  When he returned to Okinawa in 1972, he taught Mr. Anichi and his juniors. “I started to go around the dojo and teach because I thought that it was one of my responsibilities to spread what I learned from Mr. Chojun”.

Based on Mr. Chojun's teaching, "The important thing in doing karate is socializing. Don't contend with people. The important thing is humble feelings and kindness. "

Karate became an official event at the Tokyo Olympics to be held next year, but Mr. Arakaki said, "Karate is a way to protect yourself. You have to go back to the starting point. It looks like karate is from Japan, but it's Okinawa." He also said that there are many anecdotes left in Okinawa Karate, and he said with a gentle expression, "That's interesting."

Shuichi Aragaki at Kei Miyagi's 
dojo. 

The many faces of Sanseiru

 Sanseiru kata of Goju-Ryu is interesting for many reasons. One of them is that there seems to be more versions and variations of sanseiru than any other kata. The other interesting aspect is the story that only Kyoda learned sanseiru from Kanryo Higashionna because Chojun Miyagi was away on military service during the time the kata was taught.

Today I wanted to go over some of the different versions of the kata that exist, centring mostly on the Seiko Higa lineage. It might be surprising to hear that even just within Higa's lineage, there are multiple variations.  Let's start with the first one.

1.) Juei Tamaki's Sanseiru

Juei Tamaki was a senior student of Seiko Higa, and the oldest one having been born in 1905. The version below is performed by his senior student Zensei Gushiken. 

The key differences from the usual Goju sanseiru is the knee strike at the beginning, and also the absence of the two chudan uke near the end. The final turn is also in a different direction.

2.) Kanki Izumikawa lineage Sanseiru 

This version of sanseiru is performed by Tsubamoto sensei, a senior student of Sosui Ichikawa. Ichikawa was one of the senior students of Kanki Izumikawa. This is a bit closer to the standard sanseiru, with the kensetsu geri at the beginning a major difference. As a side note, when I visited the Komeikan dojo of Toru Miyagi, they had this same kick at the beginning of their sanseiru.  

3.) Seikichi Toguchi's Sanseiru

The Shoreikan sanseiru is a fairly standard version overall. Toguchi was initially a student of Seiko Higa, then later became a senior student of Chojun Miyagi as well. The kata is performed by Hirakawa sensei who was one of his senior students in Japan. 

4.) Chosin Ishimine's Sanseiru

Chosin Ishimine was another long term senior student of Seiko Higa. Here we see one of his students performing Sanseiru. This version is vastly different not just from the usual Goju-Ryu sanseiru, but any other version shown so far. One interesting thing to note is the use of the open hand block in place of the usual chudan uke. This is similar to what is seen in to'on-ryu. 

5.) Seiko Fukuchi's Sanseiru

Seiko Fukuchi was another senior student of Seiko Higa. He assisted Higa teaching karate at the prison as well as at the Shodokan dojo. The kata below is performed by Tetsuhiro Hokama who was one of his most senior students. For the most part this follows a fairly standard pattern. 

So, there it is, five different versions from five different lineages of Seiko Higa. When it comes to the other kata, they are much more similar. The question then is, why is sanseiru so different? Was there in fact more than one version that was taught? I have a feeling it may never be definitively solved but it is interesting to think about. 

Choshin Ishimine's Suparinpei

 Choshin Ishimine was a senior student of Seiko Higa sensei. While not quite as well known as some of Higa's other students it seems he was very well regarded. In Akio Kinjo's karate denshin roku there was an interesting entry on Ishimine: "Sensei Choshin Ishimine was the best among disciples of Sensei Seiko Higa. When he was young, he was devoting all his time and energy to karate training with Sensei Higa. His performance of Suparinpe is so excellent that no one could do better than him. I think that in 1953 there were only five or six karateka who could perform Suparinpe well." 

Below we can see Suparinpei performed by one of his senior students: 

There are a few interesting things going on here. In particular, the crane stepping in the middle of the kata instead of the usual sanchin step. Even within Seiko Higa's lineage there is a fair bit of variety in terms of how the kata are done. 

Notable Books On Goju-Ryu

Taking a little break from translations and history I thought today I would share my thoughts on some of the major books that have been written on Goju-Ryu Karate. For this list I considered books of historical importance, as well as books that made really good technical manuals. I only included books by Okinawan/Japanese authors. The list is not presented in any particular order. 

1.) Okinawa Den Goju Ryu Karate Do - Eiichi Miyazato

The original Japanese edition

It should be no surprise the first book on the list would be by a direct senior student of the founder. This book also represented the first of it's kind written by a student of Chojun Miyagi. Here you will find much of the Goju-Ryu curriculum including: junbi undo, hojo undo, kihon, all the kata and basic applications for the forms. According to Miyazato himself (from the Okinawa Karate Kobudo Jitten) the book was written at a time when the sports karate was beginning to take more of a hold and it represented an attempt to create a clear guide on the traditional Okinawan Goju-Ryu. It's also worth mentioning the book was translated to English by the members of the Jundokan honbu. The pictures however were all replaced by new photos taken at the time of the publication. It's a bit unfortunate, as the original photos certainly had great historical value. The Japanese version is of course long out of print and an extremely rare item. 

2.) Goju Kensha Kyohan - Tadahiko Ohtsuka

2008 Reprint Edition

The Goju Kensha Kyohan was written by Tadahiko Ohtsuka, a notable teacher of Goju-Ryu on mainland Japan. Ohtsuka was a senior student of Sosui Ichikawa, who was himself a senior student of Kanki Izumikawa. The book was originally published in 1977 as a set of 13 individual booklets.  It was reprinted again in 2008 as a single large book. To date, it might be the most comprehensive and detailed book ever written on Goju-Ryu Karate. The book contains essentially everything, from the stretches, warmups, detailed explanations of all kihon waza, applications of the kihon, all the kata, kata applications and a detailed section on vital points and vital point striking. Also included are descriptions on numerous more advanced teachings in Goju-Ryu. The book was intended to act as a teaching manual for the senior instructors, which is one reason it contains more advanced materials.  Sadly the book was never translated to English in it's entirety and even the reprint is hard to come by now. 

3.) Traditional Karate Do 4 Volumes - Morio Higaonna 

Vol 1

These four books are likely not new to anyone and neither is the author. The books were the first of their kind in the English language and revolutionary at the time of release. Today they are still highly sought after. Across the four volumes Morio Higaonna covers essentially the whole Goju-Ryu curriculum. You will find detailed explanations of all aspects of the style including the junbi undo, hojo undo, all kihon (stances, uke, strikes etc..) all the kata (with in between motions) and applications for all the techniques. Included are also detailed descriptions of Sanchin kata, history and numerous other topics.  These four books contain a solid base of knowledge for any practitioner. 

4.) Okinawan Goju-Ryu 1 & 2 - Seikichi Toguchi 

The second book

Rather than writing about the books separately I will include them both together.  These represent another publication by a direct senior student of Chojun Miyagi and as such are highly valuable.  The first one includes history, kihon and a detailed overview of Gekisai Dai Ichi and Sanchin. Both kata are performed by Toguchi himself. Included as well are some of the kumite and bunkai sets Toguchi  devised himself. The second book includes much more history and personal stories about Chojun Miyagi, Seiko Higa and other individuals which are highly interesting. Technically, it continues from where the first book left off with Gekiha kata (created by Toguchi) and Saifa kata. Both books are full of very valuable information, but like the others mentioned above they are also out of print. 

5.) Karate Do Kyohan (I) & (II) - Seikichi Toguchi

Karate Do Kyohan I & II

Unlike the two previous books by Toguchi, these are far less known. In fact, I don't know if these were ever a public release. Rather I think they were largely disturbed among Shoreikan members. They continue to be extremely rare. These books do contain all of the Goju-Ryu kata, as well as the kata created by Seikichi Toguchi such as Gekiha and Kakuha. Included are also demonstrations of the Kiso Kumite sets and Bunkai Kumite for select kata. The 10 main Goju-Ryu kata are all demonstrated step by step by Toguchi himself. As such it presents an invaluable record of kata by a direct student of the founder. The rest of the kata and techniques in the book are demonstrated by his senior students at the Shoreikan

6.) Seito Karate Do Nyumon - Kei Miyagi

 

Seito Karate Do Nyumon

Kei Miyagi was not only the oldest son of Chojun Miyagi, but also one of his senior students. Overall he wrote three books on Goju-Ryu Karate, with this one being the last. It's interesting that a lot of  people don't know that he opened a dojo and taught Goju-Ryu, which is now run by his son Toru (Chojun Miyagi's grandson).  The book covers much of the fundamental areas of the style. You'll find the junbi undo, hojo undo, kihon and the kata Gekisai 1-2, Sanchin, Tensho, Saifa and Seiunchin. Included are also some kumite drills from Goju-Ryu.  This book (and his other two) represent a very valuable addition to any Goju-Ryu library. 

7.) Karate Do no Shinzui - Gogen Yamaguchi

Karate Do no Shinzui

Whether you love him or hate him, there is no denying Yamaguchi was hugely influential in popularising Goju-Ryu karate around the world. For much of the 60s, 70s and even into the 80s he was perhaps the most well known teacher of Goju-Ryu. This book is certainly an interesting one, and packed full of photographs. It contains an autobiography of Yamaguchi, demonstrations of various techniques, certain kata, and select applications for each of the kata. The book has been translated into English, but both versions are very rare. This was one of the very first books to be written on Goju-Ryu. 

8.) The History of Karate Goju-Ryu - Morio Higaonna 

The History of Karate

This represents the most detailed book on Goju Ryu history written by any Okinawan or Japanese master. It is full of information on the history of Goju-Ryu as well as numerous direct students of Chojun Miyagi. Included are also interviews the author has conducted with different students of the founder. While the book has been highly successful and sought after, it hasn't been without controversy. The history is undoubtedly slanted to instructors that were relevant to the IOGKF and as such certain people received very little attention. For example Seikichi Toguchi seemed to receive no mention at all and Meitoku Yagi was spoken about very little. Additionally the book had disparaging remarks about several notable individuals including Chojun Miyagi's son and Seiko Higa. Despite some shortcomings it is still a rich source of information, but it is important to read it critically. 

9.) Okinawa Goju-Ryu Karate Do no Kata - Tetsuhiro Hokama

The cover of the book

While the text itself was written by one of Hokama's senior students (Sakugawa) the work was supervised by Hokama himself. It includes step by step photos of all 12 Goju Ryu kata from Gekisai to Suparinpei.  The book is notable for detailed descriptions and explanations of each part of the kata. Additionally you will also find the applications of the kata techniques explained, with pictures showing the applications in certain sections. Tetsuhiro Hokama was originally a student of Seiko Higa at the Shodokan dojo and then continued his training with Seiko Fukuchi after his death in 1966. This book contains a lot of useful information on the kata, but again there is no translation in English available. 

10.) Koden Goju-Ryu Kenpo vol 1,2,3 - Yoshio Kuba 

The first vol

The final set of books on this list comes from Yoshio Kuba. Kuba is currently one of the most senior and renowned students of Seikichi Toguchi. He is well known for his mastery of the kata applications and showing advanced teachings openly. Across the three volumes you will find all the kata (including the Toguchi created ones), junbi undo, kihon, and of course the applications he is so known for. As a bonus the books also come with a DVD showing the contents of the book. Currently this is another hard to come by set, but very informative and valuable. 

So, those are ten of the most notable books on Goju-Ryu that have been released over time. Certainly there are many other books but I wanted to limit this list to only ten. Did you know about them already? Are there any on the list you just found out about? Did I maybe miss something important? Let me know your thoughts. 

Interview With Sadayuki Taira, Senior Student of Meitoku Yagi

There was an interesting article that just came out in the Okinawa Times. It featured an interview with Sadayuki Taira, a senior student of Meitoku Yagi. I decided to post and English translation I was able to do. Enjoy: 

Sadayuki Taira sensei

Those who practice karate must learn life through karate. Sadayuki Taira (67), Chairman of the Okinawa Karatedo Gojukai, learned from his teacher, Meitoku Yagi (prefectural designated intangible cultural asset holder, 1912-2003). However, he inherits the spirit and practices every day.

Karate has been familiar to me since I was little. When I was 16 years old, I visited the Yagi Dojo in my neighborhood, four or five adults in their thirties who seemed to be strong were practicing karate. With a longing for "I want to be as strong as these people," I entered the Yagi Dojo of Meitoku Yagi sensei.

Yagi sensei’s judgment of kata cannot even be imitated and is described as "an existence like above the clouds." (* Note: It is an expression that means someone’s level is far higher than yours). I learned from Yagi sensei by watching the basics of kata. I repeated the basic movements many times and thought about the application myself. Since everyone has a different body shape, they cannot move in the same way. I repeated the same movements over and over again so that it would soak into my body, and by repeating training, I found a movement that suits me.

Currently he instructs about 15 students three times a week. Through "Sanchin", the practice teaches the basics such as how to stand, how to tighten muscles, and how to breathe correctly. Along with teaching, he is energetically active, such as serving as a referee for the Okinawa Karatedo Gojukai Boys and Girls Championship, in which about 150 people participate every year.

There is no goal in karate. Even if I remember the kata, I forget it, so I keep in mind that it is important to continue my daily training. The goal is "to continue karate until the age of 100". Pursue dreams with the aim of practicing lifelong quests.

Performing a technique
from Seipai kata

Seipai (18 hands) is a kata made by Chojun Miyagi sensei (1888-1953), the founder of Goju-ryu. There is a lesson from Miyagi sensei that says "do not hit people, do not get hit by people". As this lesson implies, Seipai also starts with "kamae" and "ukete" and does not attack first. It is a kata that values peace.  There are many effective self defense techniques for when the opponent approaches such as kogeki waza, hazushi waza, kansetsu waza, and techniques to deal with the opponent’s attacks.  There are many changes in movement, such as changing from fast powerful movements to those with muchimi.

It is also important to do kata with the rhythm of breathing.  Practice A-un breathing (A-un no Kokyu) while imagining that there is a partner. When a person is inhaling, the body is soft. At that moment, he exhales for a short time, "hatsu", and performs a powerful technique. I am always conscious of practicing Seipai according to the flow of breathing.

I learned Seipai when I was 16 years old when I started karate. Even after practicing, he says, "I haven't mastered it yet. It's difficult to apply kata for many years." I will repeat the training every day so as not to destroy the kata that I learned from my teacher, "he said, showing his determination to keep the tradition.

Originally published in Japanese, Okinawa Times Feb 14 2021

Translated by Filip Konjokrad

 

Choyu Kiyuna, the oldest living student of Seiko Higa

Here I wanted to take the opportunity to share a little bit about Choyu Kiyuna, who is currently the most senior living student of Seiko Higa (Today also happens to be his birthday). 

Choyu Kiyuna was born on Okinawa in 1931. He started learning karate in 1948. At first he was training in Shorin Ryu karate. In 1954 he joined the Shoreikan dojo of Seikichi Toguchi shortly after it opened and began to study Goju-Ryu. When the Shodokan dojo opened he was asked to come and train with Higa sensei and this would be his final dojo. In 1965 he received the title of Renshi from Seiko Higa. 

Choyu Kiyuna standing behind Seiko Higa,
while he teaches Seipai.

In 1966 Seiko Higa passed away. Afterwards the Shodokan dojo was inherited by his son Seikichi Higa. Choyu Kiyuna then continued to learn Goju Ryu from Seikichi Higa. Not a long time after he was awarded Kiyoshi in August of 1968. In 1992 he opened his own dojo the Seidokan. Previously he was still active as an instructor at the Shodokan dojo itself.  In the same year he was awarded the Hanshi title. 

Seikichi Higa performs 
Sanchin Shime on Kiyuna.

Today he is not only the most senior living student of Seiko Higa, but one of the most senior Goju Ryu masters in the world. He continues to teach and preserve the traditional Goju Ryu inherited from Seiko Higa and his son.  Kiyuna sensei credits his long life to his karate training. 

Sokan-Ryu: The Kobudo of Busen Arakawa

Sokan-Ryu is a little known style of kobudo founded by Busen Arakawa in mainland Japan. Arakawa sensei was a senior student of Kanki Izumikawa at the Senbukan dojo and later also learned Ryukyu  kobudo from Shinken Taira. In 1960 Arakawa was awarded with a shihan license in Ryukyu kobudo from Taira. In 1966 he received 7th dan from Kanki Izumikawa.  Since there is virtually nothing written on Arakawa or Sokan-Ryu in English I wanted to share some of what I have been able to learn. 

Sokan Ryu has both Japanese and Ryukyu elements. In the late 40s Busen Arakawa was told about the nunchaku on Okinawa by Kanki Izumikawa. This led Arakawa to devise his own version of it based on the descriptions he was given. The Japanese version of it came to be known as sosetsukon and had several differences from the Okinawan version. The sosetsukon was longer and also had a shorter cord. Arakawa had also developed several unique techniques with it not practiced on Okinawa. 

Busen Arakawa (right) practicing kobudo in
his younger years (early 50s)

In 1951 it was shown to the public in Japan for the first time. At the request of Kanki Izumikawa, Arakawa gave a demonstration of his sosetsukon techniques. Afterwards he was approached by numerous people who wanted to learn from him. It's thought Sokan Ryu was the first school outside Okinawa to popularise the techniques of the nunchaku. In 1955 Arakawa founded his own dojo in Suginami Tokyo as a branch of Izumikawa's Senbukan. In 1965 he renamed his dojo to Rinbukan. Arakawa taught both Sokan-Ryu and Izumikawa's Goju-Ryu together. 

While Arakawa sensei's kobudo started out only with nunchaku, Sokan Ryu encompasses a full kobudo curriculum including bo, sai and tonfa. Izumikawa was also a noted expert of kobudo and must have had a great influence on Arakawa. One of the kata preserved in Sokan Ryu is Izumikawa no Sai, which is presumed to have been taught by Kanki Izumikawa. In Taira's encyclopedia of Ryukyu Kobudo Izumikawa was listed as an advisor, and Busen Arakawa was listed as a member of the board of directors and Shihan. 

Kanki Izumikawa demonstrating Sai Jutsu

Over the years Arakawa earned the nicknames "first nunchaku master in Japan" as well as "god of nunchaku". He was so well known for his skills in Kobudo practitioners of other karate schools came to him for instruction. This includes some members from the Shudokan founded by Kanken Toyama and people from Gensei Ryu as well. 

During his lifetime Arakawa sensei continued to research and refine the techniques of  Kobudo. The only two students he authorised to open official branch dojo were Sosen Nanao (Hokushikan) and Soushun Kobayashi (Koshinkan). Today Kobayashi sensei is the head of Arakawa sensei's Rinbukai. 

Arakawa sensei demonstrating
Sokan Ryu in his Rinbukan dojo