Goju Ryu History and Shoshin Kai Goju Ryu lineage 

History of goju ryu and the forerunners is a remarkable one filled with legends that forged ahead and formed Sound Goju Ryu associations that spread around the world.

Today there are many remarkable and note worthy instructors that come from these lineages. Goju Ryu Okinawa spread to Mainland Japan through Gogen Yamaguchi sensei, who in turn adjusted and tweaked the training methods to make it uniquely theirs.

This new brand of karate through Yamaguchi sensei also spread like wildfire across the world. 

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OKINAWAN GOJU RYU

Miyagi established the style in the late 1920,s and registered it with the Japanese Martial arts Association in 1933. 

Goju-Ryu (“hard-soft style”) karate originated in Okinawa, blending Chinese martial arts with local Okinawan traditions to form a close-range self-defense system.

Founded by Chojun Miyagi in the early 20th century, it developed from the Naha-te style taught by his teacher, Kanryo Higaonna, who had studied Chinese martial arts, particularly monk fist (Luohan Quan), in China.

Miyagi named the style Goju-Ryu, emphasizing its combination of hard, powerful strikes and soft, yielding defenses, and continued to evolve it after Higaonna’s death

Goju-ryu history involves an initial post-WWII effort with the Goju-ryu Shinkokai in 1952, followed by prominent organizations like the Okinawa Goju-Ryu Karatedo Kyokai (OGKK) (founded in the 1950s and led by Ei’ichi Miyazato as successor to Chojun Miyagi)

International Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-do Federation (IOGKF), founded by Morio Higaonna in 1979 to spread and preserve the art globally.

Other significant branches and federations also emerged, reflecting the diverse lineage and international spread of the style after the founder’s passing.

THE JAPANESE GOJU influence 

Gogen Yamaguchi went onto train and produce many top Karate ka who in turn were given permission to start their own Goju ryu karate associations .. like  TASAKI , SATO , TAKAHASI – YAMAMOTO, FUJIMOTO, MIYAMA – ISHIHARA

SHOSHINKAI has its lineage connected to the Great Gogen Yamaguchi Sensei and later his Son Goshi Yamaguchi Seiko Shihan that took his fathers teaching one step further and yet still staying with the roots of Goju Ryu. 

My time with The Yamaguchi family was from 1982 to 2000 

Tasaki Hanshi formed the SEIWAKAI group in 1970  and that is where I also received sound training from 2000 to 2025 under Ben Mare Kyoshi 

LINEAGE