Miyagi Chojun and His 'Goju Ryu' Disciples - at the Height of His Power! (c. 1936)
Translator’s Note: As a forensic translator of (written) Chinese language texts into contemporary (British) English – I am trained to place the modern (Mainland Chinese) Pinyin in brackets next to the Chinese ideograms together with a ‘word for word’ (succinct) translation in English. These ‘Goju Ryu’ texts are a little different as they involve a Chinese language text which is itself a ‘translation’ from the original Japanese! This being the case, unless the Okinawan individuals involved are deliberately writing in the Chinese language (as many sometimes opt to do) - nothing is added for the general reader once the Chinese ideograms are deciphered using Japanese pronunciation - if the Chinese pronunciation is also added! This being the case, I have used a slightly different approach involving ‘selective’ further elaboration as a means to retain the ‘flow’ of the extract in English.
Furthermore, as I am becoming more familiar with the primary Japanese and Chinese language sources surrounding this subject, I am now appreciating how different historical accounts vary quite radically despite the events under question not happening that long ago! For instance, in other accounts Miyagi Chojun develops the Geksai Katas in 1937 to coincide with the official start of the Japanese war in China – whilst in this text he develops these Katas in 1940 – for no apparent reason! In another account, Miyagi Chojun learns the basis of ‘Tensho’ during his 1936 visit to Shanghai – whilst in this account he learns this during his visit to Fuzhou in 1917! Most other accounts state that Miyagi Chojun visited Fuzhou in 1916 – whilst this account states that martial artists from Fuzhou visited Miyagi Chojun in Okinawa to ‘mourn’ the passing of Higaonna Kanryo in 1916 – which sounds much more plausible to me.
I am left considering how many of these differences in historical interpretation boil down to faulty or incorrect translations from Japanese and Chinese language sources into English – brought about by a general lack of understanding concerning these primary languages. Once errors of interpretation are made and then published in the West they circle (like Haley’s Comet) – with readers being unable to break the cycle by checking the primary sources for accuracy! This might well be complicated by misconstrued Western sources being re-translated back into the Chinese and Japanese languages – thus ‘legitimising’ these errors as if they are true and original! We must carefully pick through all the available data and slowly but surely establish the most likely timeline and realistic historical narrative! ACW (1.10.2022)
During 1933-1934 Miyagi Chojun (宫城长顺) worked within the ‘Dai Nippon Butoku Kai’ (大日本武徳会) - a ‘Nationalist’ martial arts association closely linked with the Imperial Japanese Government. This organisation was abolished in 1946 by the Occupying Allied Forces following the defeat of Japan at the end of 1945. Between 1895-1945, however, this organisation was the over-arching Japanese Governmental Department responsible for ensuring that all martial arts training throughout the Japanese Empire conformed to a certain technical standard of ‘effectiveness’ and ‘aggression’. People living in Okinawa had no choice but to conform to its dictates. Around 1934-1935 – Miyagi Chojun was appointed the ‘President’ of the Okinawan Branch of this organisation for Life (although this post was abolished in 1946) and awarded the title of ‘錬士’ (Ren Shi) or ‘Refined Warrior’. He used his status to popularise his style of Goju Ryu and managed to get this style registered with the Japanese Government – a move that helped other Karate-Do styles to also become registered and accepted in Japan.
During 1934, Miyagi Chojun wrote a text entitled ‘Ryukyu Fist Law Tang Hand Way Historical Developmental Overview’ (琉球拳法唐手道沿革概要 - Liu Qiu Quan Fa Tang Shou Dao Yan Ge Gai Yao). This might translate into the Japanese language as a book referring to ‘Ryukyu Kempo Kara-Te Do – Historical Overview’. Miyagi Chojun uses the ‘Chinese-Hand’ ideograms of ‘唐手’ (Tang Shou) to express the term ‘Karate-Do’ - instead of the post-1901 ‘Empty-Hand’ (空手 - Kong Shou) ideograms. During 1935 - Miyagi Chojun was granted the ‘Sports Person of Merit’ Award issued by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports. He presented for the first-time in public – the information recorded in his 1934 ‘Tang Shou’ text - during a lecture he gave in Osaka during 1936. The ‘Dai Nippon Butoku Kai’ awarded Miyai Chojun the title of ‘教士’ (Jiao Shi) or ‘Doctrinal Warrior’ during 1937 – Miyagi Chojun was one of the first person to be granted this title – alongside other Karate-Do practitioners such as ‘Konishi Yasuhiro’ (小西康裕) and ‘Ueshima Sannosuke’ (上鳩三之助), all of whom were empowered by the Japanese Government to arrange and hold Karate-Do competitions. This development ‘normalised’ the practice of Karate-Do in Japan and elevated Karate-Do onto the world stage of sport. This was the due to many years of hard-work carried-out by Chojun Miyagi, Mabuni Kenwa (摩文仁賢和), Otsuka Hironori (大塚博紀) and Funakoshi Gichin (船越義珍), etc, amongst many others.
As well as propagating Goju Ryu Karate-Do in Mainland Japan – Miyagi Chojun also taught Karate-Do in Hawaii (USA) between 1934-1935! This came about through an invitation via the ‘Ocean State Times’ (洋國時報社) issued by ‘金城珍荣’ (Jin Cheng Zhen Rong)! Whilst visiting Hawaii – Miyagi Chojun encountered for the first time the numerous pieces of bodybuilding (and body-conditioning) equipment used by the local Hawaiian people during their indigenous martial arts training! So impressed was he that he decided to incorporate one of these devices into his teaching of Goju Ryu Karate-Do in Okinawa! This was the ‘金剛圈’ (Jin Gang Quan) or ‘Metal Strength Elongated Ring’ ('Kongoken'). After returning from Hawaii in 1935, Miyagi Chojun then travelled to Japan to teach once again at Ritsumeikan University. At that time, those training in Goju Ryu Karate-Do at Ritsumeikan University under Miyagi Chojun included ‘Yamaguchi Gichen’ (山口刚玄) and ‘Cao Ningzhi’ (曹宁柱).
The ‘金剛圈’ (Jin Gang Quan) or ‘Metal Strength Elongated Ring’ ('Kongoken').
During 1936, Miyagi Chojun travelled with Aniya Seisho (安仁屋正昌) to Shanghai in Mainland China. During this visit, Miyagi Chojun visited numerous (and varied) martial arts schools in China. This included a visit to the well-known ‘Jing Wu Athletic Association’ (精武体育会 - Jing Wu Ti Yu Hui) situated in Shanghai. Due to his status, Miyagi Chojun gained an audience with the Grand Master of the Jing Wu Athletic Association - ‘Zhao Lianhe’ (赵连和)! Here, both Masters participated in a positive exchange of views!
During 1937 - ‘Yabu Kentsu’ (屋部宪通) passed away. In April 1938 – Miyagi Chojun accepted the post of ‘Karate-Do’ Instructor at the Okinawa Prefectural Normal School – replacing ‘Yabu Kentsu’.
During 1940 – Miyagi Chojun developed the two ‘Katas’ named ‘Gekisai Dai Ichi’ (击碎第一 ) and ‘Gekisai Dai Ni’ (击碎第二).
Chinese Language Source:
宫城长顺先生生平介绍（转载）
2018-12-03 16:15
大武德会是第二世界大战之前负责全日本武道教育管理的机构，而1933年~1934年间 宫城长顺先生等人争取到的不光是让日本社会正式认可空手道，同时也是开通了让各空手道流派能正式传入日本的途径。作为空手道的代表人物 同期间(1933年~1934年间) 宫城长顺先生被大日本武德会任命冲绳县支部的负责人，一直到二战结束大日本武德会终止为止。
从此宫城长顺先生通过大武德会更积极的推 广刚柔流以及其他流派的空手道。1934年宫城长顺先生成为了武德会的终身成员同时被该会颁发“錬士”资格。就在这年，宫城长顺先生写了“琉球拳法唐手道沿革概要”。此文章他在1936年大阪的一次演讲中呈献於世。
1935年，宫城长顺先生被文部省（教育部）颁发“体育功劳者”表彰。
1937年宫城长顺先生接受了大日本武德会颁发的“教士”资格，成为第一批被日本武道界认可持有教士资格的空手道家（同批的有小西康裕先生，上鳩三之助先生）。 大日本武德会颁发给宫城长顺先生（和其他空手道家）的各种荣誉与头衔不但代表了宫城长顺先生（与其他空手道家）在空手道界的地位，同时也是空手道在日本武道界里逐渐被推广开并且被认可的迹象。这是宫城长顺先生，摩文仁賢和先生，大塚博 紀所先生，富名腰義珍先生等，多个空手道先驱者多年努力后的成果。
宫城长顺先生除了在日本推广刚柔流空手道以外，在1934 年~1935年 宫城长顺先生受报社“洋國時報社”金城珍荣氏的邀请去了美国夏威夷推广空手道。在夏威夷他看到了当地人练武的器具，决定将它纳入剛柔流的系统内。这器具就是补助运动中的的金刚圈。1935年从夏威夷回来后，宮城長順先生又到了日本的立命館大学授课，而当时立命館大学的空手道社員包括了山口刚玄与曹宁柱。
1936年 宫城长顺先生（与安仁屋正昌同行）去了中國上海，拜访了中国各门派的武术，并且拜访了“精武体育会”，与总教练赵连和氏交流。
1937年 屋部宪通先生去世后，在1938年 4月 宮城長順先生接受了沖縄県師範学校空手師範一职接替了屋部宪通先生。1940年宫城长顺先生又先后创了击碎第一和击碎第二。 作者：猫爷习 https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv1652712/ 出处：bilibili
2018-12-03 16:15
大武德会是第二世界大战之前负责全日本武道教育管理的机构，而1933年~1934年间 宫城长顺先生等人争取到的不光是让日本社会正式认可空手道，同时也是开通了让各空手道流派能正式传入日本的途径。作为空手道的代表人物 同期间(1933年~1934年间) 宫城长顺先生被大日本武德会任命冲绳县支部的负责人，一直到二战结束大日本武德会终止为止。
从此宫城长顺先生通过大武德会更积极的推 广刚柔流以及其他流派的空手道。1934年宫城长顺先生成为了武德会的终身成员同时被该会颁发“錬士”资格。就在这年，宫城长顺先生写了“琉球拳法唐手道沿革概要”。此文章他在1936年大阪的一次演讲中呈献於世。
1935年，宫城长顺先生被文部省（教育部）颁发“体育功劳者”表彰。
1937年宫城长顺先生接受了大日本武德会颁发的“教士”资格，成为第一批被日本武道界认可持有教士资格的空手道家（同批的有小西康裕先生，上鳩三之助先生）。 大日本武德会颁发给宫城长顺先生（和其他空手道家）的各种荣誉与头衔不但代表了宫城长顺先生（与其他空手道家）在空手道界的地位，同时也是空手道在日本武道界里逐渐被推广开并且被认可的迹象。这是宫城长顺先生，摩文仁賢和先生，大塚博 紀所先生，富名腰義珍先生等，多个空手道先驱者多年努力后的成果。
宫城长顺先生除了在日本推广刚柔流空手道以外，在1934 年~1935年 宫城长顺先生受报社“洋國時報社”金城珍荣氏的邀请去了美国夏威夷推广空手道。在夏威夷他看到了当地人练武的器具，决定将它纳入剛柔流的系统内。这器具就是补助运动中的的金刚圈。1935年从夏威夷回来后，宮城長順先生又到了日本的立命館大学授课，而当时立命館大学的空手道社員包括了山口刚玄与曹宁柱。
1936年 宫城长顺先生（与安仁屋正昌同行）去了中國上海，拜访了中国各门派的武术，并且拜访了“精武体育会”，与总教练赵连和氏交流。
1937年 屋部宪通先生去世后，在1938年 4月 宮城長順先生接受了沖縄県師範学校空手師範一职接替了屋部宪通先生。1940年宫城长顺先生又先后创了击碎第一和击碎第二。 作者：猫爷习 https://www.bilibili.com/read/cv1652712/ 出处：bilibili
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