was an Okinawan martial artist who founded the Gōjū-ryū school of karate by blending Okinawan and Chinese influences.
Life
Early life and training
Sensei Miyagi was born in Higashimachi, Naha, Okinawa on April 25, 1888. One of his parents was a wealthy shop owner. Chojun Miyagi began studying Okinawan martial arts under Ryuko Aragaki at age 11. At age 14, Miyagi was introduced to Kanryo Higashionna (Higaonna Kanryō) by Aragaki. Under his tutelage, Miyagi underwent a very long and arduous period of training. His training with Higaonna was interrupted for a two-year period while Miyagi completed his military service, 1910–1912, in Miyakonojō, Miyazaki. Miyagi trained under Higaonna for 15 years until Higaonna's death in 1916.
Training in China
In May 1915, before the death of Higaonna, Miyagi travelled to Fujian Province. In China he visited the grave of Higaonna's teacher, Ryū Ryū Ko. In this first trip he travelled with Eisho Nakamoto. After Kanryo Higaonna's death (in Oct, 1915) <!-- This date conflicts with the one above, which is directly from the source. What year did he die? -->he made a second trip to Fuzhou with Gokenki. In this second trip he studied some local Chinese martial arts. It was in this second trip that he observed the Rokkishu (a set of hand exercises rather than a formal kata, which emphasizes the rotation of the forearms and wrists to execute offensive and defensive techniques), which he then adapted into the Tensho Kata. From the blending of these systems, and his native Naha-Te, a new system emerged. However, it was not until 1929 that Chōjun Miyagi named the system Gōjū-ryū, meaning "hard soft style". He introduced karate into Okinawa police work, high schools and other areas of society. He revised and further developed Sanchin—the hard aspect of Goju, and created Tensho—the soft aspect. These kata are considered to contain the essence of the Goju-ryu. The last kata taught in most dojos, Suparinpei, is said by some to contain the full syllabus of Goju-ryu, although this assertion is disputed. Shisochin was Miyagi's favorite kata at the end of his years.
The goal of unification of various karate styles which was 'in fashion' at that time (see Gichin Funakoshi for his works in Japan). The Japanese government sent envoys to Okinawa to promote that goal. Along with other Karate Masters, Miyagi Sensei partook in at least one such meeting with a Japanese bureaucrat, and expressed a partial willingness to go along with the standardization edicts issued from mainland Japan. In continuation of this, Miyagi Sensei created more Naha-Te-like katas known as Gekisai Dai Ichi and Gekisai Dai Ni in 1940, taking techniques from higher forms (notably Suparinpei, and upper blocks uncommon for Goju-ryu at that time) and incorporating them into shorter forms. It is said he created these kata to bridge the gap between Sanchin and Saifa, which contains much more complex moves compared to Sanchin, as well as to have forms to teach to his students in the Prefectural Teacher's College.
Death
Miyagi had his first heart attack in 1951, and died in Okinawa on October 8, 1953, from a second heart attack. However, Seikichi Toguchi is quoted as saying “Let me first say that I was not named the successor of Goju-Ryu by Miyagi, but nor was anyone else. There are some Goju-Ryu teachers who claim to have been privately appointed successor by Miyagi. These claims are ludicrous and disrespectful of his memory. He never publicly named anyone as successor. Common sense would dictate that if he were to appoint someone, it would have been a longtime student and it would have to be of public record to have any value."
Later other students would proclaim themselves Miyagi's successors like An’ichi Miyagi (a claim supported by Morio Higaonna, who claims An'ichi as his main teacher) or Gōgen Yamaguchi,
The character of Mr. Miyagi in the Karate Kid film series, written by Robert Mark Kamen (a Goju Ryu student of Toguchi - Kayo Ong lineage), was inspired by Chōjun Miyagi. In the sequel television series, Cobra Kai, it's established that they're actually distant relatives.
Writings
- Miyagi, Chojun. "Karate-Do Gaisetsu. Outline of Karate-Do". March 23, 1934 (Showa 9). Reprint published in 1999 by Patrick McCarthy. Translated by Patrick and Yuriko McCarthy, 1993. Also in: Higaonna, Morio. "The History of Karate: Okinawan Goju-Ryu".
- Miyagi, Chojun. "". January 28, 1936. Translated by Sanzinsoo. In Japanese: "Ryukyu Kenpo Karatedo Enkaku Gaiyo", essay appeared in "Okinawano Karatedo" by Shoshin Nagamine (1975, Shinjinbutsu Oraisha) and "Okinawaden Gojuryu Karatedo" by Eiichi Miyazato (1979, Jitsugyono Sekaisha).
- Miyagi Chojun et al. "The Meeting of Okinawan Karate Masters" Fragment of the 1936 meeting records. Published as an Appendix of "Karatedo Dai Hokan", by Kanken Toyama. Pages 377-392 (Tsuru Shobo, 1960). (translated by Sanzinsoo)
- Miyagi Chojun. "Breathing In and Breathing Out in accordance with Go and Ju, a Miscellaneous Essay on Karate". First published in "Bunka Okinawa" Vol.3 No.6, August 15, 1942. Republished in "Chugoku Okinawa Karate Kobudo No Genryu" written by Masahiro Nakamoto, April 1, 1985, by Bunbukan. Translated by Sanzinsoo.