Goju facts

Discussion in 'Karate' started by humblegojuguy, Jan 31, 2004.

  1. humblegojuguy

    humblegojuguy New Member

    Can anyone there give me any little known facts about Goju-ryu ? Facts that not everyone knows for example, not well know things like it means "Hard / Soft". Or just tell me what you like most about Goju-ryu. AS well tell me is there any good Goju sites out there ? List them. Any sites with Goju clips on it ? I want to expand my knowlegde of Goju and the internet is a great place to start. If you can help please do. Thanks from one Goju guy in Canada.
     
  2. humblegojuguy

    humblegojuguy New Member

    Hello ???? Where are my fellow Goju MA ??? No one here has anything to say ??? I am the only Goju MA that comes here or what ? ......... Is that a pin dropping I hear.... lol
     
  3. gojuman

    gojuman Valued Member

    Your question is just too broad for me to answer seriously. I would have to know what you know before I could tell you some thing that you don't know.
    Perhaps the best thing I can tell you is that Goju is so deap that you could never possibly learn it all. Each movement has a layered meaning that can only be disected from thousands of repetitions.
    Check out www.foxdojo.com to see how Goju has gone through an evolution.
     
  4. Andrew Green

    Andrew Green Member

    Miyagi opposed the belt ranking system, it wasn't added until after his death.

    He felt that people would judge others based on there rank, rather then there ability/character.
     
  5. humblegojuguy

    humblegojuguy New Member

    Thanks Gojuman for the site. I'm not looking for anything mind blowing anything interesting is good, ie see Andrew's comments. Thanks Andrew. I don't like testing or belts either, I think they are a bit of a waste, when people see you in class they will know how good you are.
     
  6. Nicholai

    Nicholai New Member

    Hello humblegojuguy

    I am thinking about starting Goju. I can't tell you anything about the style but I have found this forum useful Link Removed
     
    Last edited by a moderator: May 17, 2004
  7. humblegojuguy

    humblegojuguy New Member

    Thanks it looks great. I will look at it. Thanks again.
     
  8. kempocos

    kempocos Valued Member

    I have the Honor to train with Luis Morales of the GOJO RYU kENSHIKAI he is old style OKINAWIAN in his approach. He is currently a 7th Dan and the highest ranking member in the USA. His Instructor is in Okinawa. He is very friendly and if you email him question he will more than likely respond to them. I also like he didi not see the need to start his own version and promote himself to 10th dan as so many do.

    http://www.uskenshikai.com
     
  9. Rhineville

    Rhineville Valued Member

    only little tidbit that I know is the fact that free sparring wasn't started until Gogen Yamaguchi hit the scene.
     
  10. Goju

    Goju Yellow Belt

    its composed mainly of traditional okinawan naha-te and chinese ma like kung fu and tai chi. The Hard coming from the snapping nahate techniques and the soft coming from the soft flowing chinese ma. In traditional goju sanchin kata is the first one you learn and is considered the most important. THe taikyoku katas are not a part of traditional goju, they were created in japan as were gekisai ichi and ni to present a basic kata that would be taught in gym class to students as part of sd training. Due to its dynamic tension in katas and extensive weight training, goju is believed to give an early death to some practitioners. Goju means hard soft, but goju-ryu is far from the only ma to use relaxed (soft) and tensed (hard) techniques...in fact all ma do (except some tai-chi styles). Over the years goju has developed in many ways, there is now traditional okinawan goju ryu (miyagi) (of course), japanese goju (yamaguchi), chinese goju (no idea), and american goju (peter urban).
     
  11. gojuman

    gojuman Valued Member

    [[/B][/QUOTE] Due to its dynamic tension in katas and extensive weight training, goju is believed to give an early death to some practitioners.

    Where did you get this myth from?
     
  12. Goju

    Goju Yellow Belt

    myth???

    maybe you should read more... every book i've read about goju mentions that...it pretty much only applys to people who train goju everyday, as their lifestyle.It can cause muscle defects and other things too. The average karateka should't worry about it though. The original okinawan goju was very tough. It involved extensive, daily, body conditioning, weight training, and sanchin kata. If you want I can scan you the section out of my book, once I hook up the scanner.
     
  13. Megilar

    Megilar New Member

    Myth? Of course, if anybody has trained in Goju Ryu for a considerable amount of time, then you should have indeed heard about the myth. And it's not a myth, either. But that's only if you do it the wrong way. For example, in Sanchin Kata (sorry humblegojuguy if you don't know what I'm talking about), there are intense breathing exercises that need to be done in a specific way. You breath in with all the pressure being around your lower stomach, and out with the pressure in the same spot. Some people, however, do it incorrectly, and put too much pressure on their head or elsewhere when they breath out. Why would people do this? They were taught incorrectly. There was a splash of practioners in the decades after WWII who didn't quite know everything they are talking about. At least, this is what I am told.

    As for other things about Goju Ryu? I suggest you just stay practicing the art and you'll come to know many things. It's kind of hard to just 'say' what Goju Ryu is like...
     
  14. gojuman

    gojuman Valued Member

    Indeed. Doing sanchin breathing incorrectly has the potential for problems , but if you learn and practice properly you will be fine
     
  15. gojuman

    gojuman Valued Member

    Maybe I should read more? Maybe you should learn more and learn not to believe everything you read. Please remeber that you are only a 3rd Kyu. If you continue your Goju studies you will come to realize where this myth has come from.
    This is indeed a myth propegated by people practicing their ikibuki breathing in correctly or witnessing karateka who practice it incorrectly. I have seen plenty of kyus hold their breath and force the ikibuki breathing and it is no wonder that they might hurt themselves.
    It is not a Goju trait that will hurt you it is working on something incorrectly. It is like saying that weight lifting is bad for your back. Sure it is if you lift incorrectly, but if you practice the technique in the proper manner you will be fine.
    There are many benifits to learning the sanchin and tensho kata. Practicing them back to back three times in a row can give a strong work out plus revitalize your mind and body if you are fatigued.
    Keep practicing, and listen to how your sensei is breathing very carefully.(hopefully he/she does it right). Be sure that you do not create a reverse pressure on your self by stopping the breath with a closed throat or with your tongue. The breath is controlled from your lower abdoman and by working the ikibuki breathing you will develop strong muscles and increase your endurance for fighting.
     
  16. Goju

    Goju Yellow Belt

    ok.....I think its time you calmed down. I wasn't even talking about that. The reason it was written about goju only is because of goju ryu traditions. These include hours of nigiri gami, maki wara, weight training, ibuki, and sanchin kata testing. Remember, I was talking about over in Okinawa where karate is life for many people. Some are sanchin tested weekly, even daily when first learning. A combination of the strikes to the stomach, kicks to the legs and groin area, ibuki breathing, and other things are very dangerous to your health, if they are practised everyday. Other karate ryu don't practise sanchin kata this way. It has nothing to do with doing it incorrectly or else it would apply to any ma. It's about over doing it, and doing it the way traditional goju karateka do it. And you don't have to get all defensive alright. I train goju because its my favourite ma, Im not here to say its going to kill you, or that its bad for you, It was just something I remembered and added to the post.
     
  17. okinawagojuryu

    okinawagojuryu Banned Banned

    The kicks to the legs , strikes to the stomack , etc . ; are more a thing practiced in mainland Japan . The Shime as practiced in Okinawa is used more as a tool to fix your Sanchin , then to see how much you can withstand .
     
  18. humblegojuguy

    humblegojuguy New Member

    Thats all great stuff guys. Does anyone know who made each Kata in Goju-ryu and what year it was made. I know some are very old and knowbody knows who made them but some are known.
     
  19. gojuman

    gojuman Valued Member

    I study USA Goju which was created by Peter Urban after he left Yamaguchi and Japan and started his own style in New York. While the Kata are similar to Goju Ryu there are very significant diferences. To answer your question though, the kata that I know were really re-created in the 1950's from the original Goju Ryu kata which were created sometime in the 30's or 40's by Yamaguchi.. There are older kata such as Sanchin and Tensho that would have been created by Miagi sometime in the early 1900's.
    I practice the following kata. I have listed the creator in parenthese, but this is not guarenteed to be totaly accurate because I can not say for sure that either Yamaguchi or Urban created the kata, but I am pretty sure that if they did not create it then someone in their direct lineage did. Some of the Kata have the same name in USA Goju as in Goju Ryu, but the kata is completely different. Kururunfa that I know is nothing like the kururunfa that I have seen Goju Ryu karateka perform.
    Teki 1, 2and 3 (Yamaguchi)
    Tekioko 1,2,and 3 (Yamaguchi)
    Soft Tekioko (Urban)
    Empi ha (Urban)
    Saifa (Yamaguchi)
    Gekesai sho (Yamaguchi)
    Gekisai dai (Yamaguchi)
    Sanchin (Yamaguchi)
    Tensho (Yamaguchi)
    Gengaku te (Urban)
    Tekioko empi go(Urban)
    Kururunfa (Urban)
    Genshoi (Urban)

    There are more kata in USA Goju, but they are not learned until Yo Dan and above.
     
  20. KenpoDavid

    KenpoDavid Working Title

    Is this related to Lou Angel and Tenshi Goju at all?

    What is the impression you goju people have of Mr. Angel and his style?
     

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