Chinese Language (2012) Newspaper Article Featuring Lin Jingfeng and His Lifelong Pursuance of the 'Great Way' Through Karate-Do - Reintroducing a Chinese Martial Art to the Chinese People!
Dear Tony
Interesting that no one has been chosen to replace Lin Jingfeng as a IOGKF Representative for China! This looks to me like a situation has developed over a) the IOGKF refusal to recognise Lin Weigong's 1989 (Xie Chongxiang) research and b) the bizarre comment Lin Jingfeng made stating that there is no evidence of Goju Ryu originating in Fuzhou! I believe this is why no new official IOGKF Representative is being currently allowed in China. The IOGKF are boxing clever by 'doing nothing' - which prevents them being 'banned'. I also noticed a Chinese netizen stating that Lin Jingfeng is not the first or only Chinese person to attempt to popularise Karate-Do in China. I will look into this!
For your records.
This is the educational site of Lin Jingfeng (d. 2018) which although published in the Chinese language - also presents in English.
沖繩剛柔流空手道 沖繩古武道
Traditional Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate and Kobudo
It contains many of the old Okinawa Goju Ryu photographs we were discussing (and more) together with dates and quite often the names of those featured. It follows the law of China but ignores the 1989 research carried-out by Lin Weigong which was endorsed by the Fuzhou Wushu Association and the Japanese Goju Ryu Association (Goju Kai?) - which resulted in the raising of a memorial stone in 1990!
Lin Jingfeng states in a 2012 interview (carried-out in China - which I have translated into English) that during 1980 he was sent to Fuzhou by his Master (Miyagi Anichi) to seek-out the Chinese martial origins of Goju Ryu - but found 'nothing' - suggesting the following conclusions:
a) No person(s) living in the Fuzhou area practices any form of physical martial arts.
b) No person(s) living in the Fuzhou area possesses any knowledge relating to the practice of physical martial arts.
c) No person(s) living in the Fuzhou area possesses any memories of the practice of physical martial arts.
In the official biography of Lin Jingfeng included on the above website (and repeated on websites throughout China) - this episode is entirely omitted. Instead, the preferred line pursued by the IOGKF is this:
'1979年 国际冲绳刚柔流连盟 （IOGKF） 在英国正式成立。1980年 联盟委任林竞峰先生作为它香港与中国地区的代表和支部长。1980年 林竞峰先生去冲绳参加了连盟成立后的第一次合宿训练。1981年林竞峰先生取得连盟五段资格认定 （由东恩纳盛男先生主持考核，由东恩纳盛男先生与宫城安一先生联名签发）。'
'During 1979 the International Okinawa Goju Ryu Federation (IOGKF) was formally established in the UK. In 1980, the Alliance appointed Mr Lin Jingfeng as its Representative and Branch Supervisor for Hong Kong and China. In 1980, Mr. Lin Jingfeng went to Okinawa to participate in the first resident training programme held after the establishment of the Alliance. In 1981, Mr Lin Jingfeng was awarded his 5th Dan by the Alliance (The Grading was presided over by Higaonna Morio and the Certificate signed by Higaonna Morio and Miyagi Anichi).'
What a busy year 1980 was have been for Lin Jingfeng! With all the developments and accolades he was receiving at this time, how long did he spend in Fuzhou and who did he speak to? Whatever the reality of the matter, (as I might discover more data at a later date), this situation does not look good and feels very odd. On the one hand the IOGKF is superficially appearing to tow the legal line by being careful how it and its members behave in China - and yet deliberately challenges the government of China by 'defying' and 'questioning' the conclusions of one of its best academic experts (Lin Weigong) regarding Fuzhou language, history and culture! This is a very interesting situation which I will continue to investigate.
Thanks
Adrian
PS: In 1973, Lin Jingfeng resigned from the International Karate Organisation (IKO) and the Goju Kai Dojo in Hong Kong - and travelled to Okinawa. In 1974, Lin Jingfeng was introduced to Miyagi Anichi who accepted him as a student. The first few weeks of training evolved around Miyagi Anichi 'correcting' all the technical errors Lin Lingfeng had been taught in Hong Kong. This suggests that the earliest Dojo (1964) in Hong Kong was from the Goju Kai lineage of Japan - but at some point in its history - the control of the Hong Kong Dojo switched to IOGKF. Unless, of course, there is more than one such Dojo - but as Hong Kong is small, I doubt this. Perhaps it is a simple case of Lin Jingfeng returning to Hong Kong (c. 1979) and teaching the IOGKF version he had learned in Okinawa and abandoning the Goju Kai lineage - but again, this would seem odd. What this observation might do is explain why certain individuals state that Goju Ryu Katas taught in the Hong Kong Dojo are 'different' to those encountered outside of China! In other words, Goju Kai Kata are different from Goju Ryu (Okinawan) Kata!
Interesting that no one has been chosen to replace Lin Jingfeng as a IOGKF Representative for China! This looks to me like a situation has developed over a) the IOGKF refusal to recognise Lin Weigong's 1989 (Xie Chongxiang) research and b) the bizarre comment Lin Jingfeng made stating that there is no evidence of Goju Ryu originating in Fuzhou! I believe this is why no new official IOGKF Representative is being currently allowed in China. The IOGKF are boxing clever by 'doing nothing' - which prevents them being 'banned'. I also noticed a Chinese netizen stating that Lin Jingfeng is not the first or only Chinese person to attempt to popularise Karate-Do in China. I will look into this!
For your records.
This is the educational site of Lin Jingfeng (d. 2018) which although published in the Chinese language - also presents in English.
沖繩剛柔流空手道 沖繩古武道
Traditional Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate and Kobudo
It contains many of the old Okinawa Goju Ryu photographs we were discussing (and more) together with dates and quite often the names of those featured. It follows the law of China but ignores the 1989 research carried-out by Lin Weigong which was endorsed by the Fuzhou Wushu Association and the Japanese Goju Ryu Association (Goju Kai?) - which resulted in the raising of a memorial stone in 1990!
Lin Jingfeng states in a 2012 interview (carried-out in China - which I have translated into English) that during 1980 he was sent to Fuzhou by his Master (Miyagi Anichi) to seek-out the Chinese martial origins of Goju Ryu - but found 'nothing' - suggesting the following conclusions:
a) No person(s) living in the Fuzhou area practices any form of physical martial arts.
b) No person(s) living in the Fuzhou area possesses any knowledge relating to the practice of physical martial arts.
c) No person(s) living in the Fuzhou area possesses any memories of the practice of physical martial arts.
In the official biography of Lin Jingfeng included on the above website (and repeated on websites throughout China) - this episode is entirely omitted. Instead, the preferred line pursued by the IOGKF is this:
'1979年 国际冲绳刚柔流连盟 （IOGKF） 在英国正式成立。1980年 联盟委任林竞峰先生作为它香港与中国地区的代表和支部长。1980年 林竞峰先生去冲绳参加了连盟成立后的第一次合宿训练。1981年林竞峰先生取得连盟五段资格认定 （由东恩纳盛男先生主持考核，由东恩纳盛男先生与宫城安一先生联名签发）。'
'During 1979 the International Okinawa Goju Ryu Federation (IOGKF) was formally established in the UK. In 1980, the Alliance appointed Mr Lin Jingfeng as its Representative and Branch Supervisor for Hong Kong and China. In 1980, Mr. Lin Jingfeng went to Okinawa to participate in the first resident training programme held after the establishment of the Alliance. In 1981, Mr Lin Jingfeng was awarded his 5th Dan by the Alliance (The Grading was presided over by Higaonna Morio and the Certificate signed by Higaonna Morio and Miyagi Anichi).'
What a busy year 1980 was have been for Lin Jingfeng! With all the developments and accolades he was receiving at this time, how long did he spend in Fuzhou and who did he speak to? Whatever the reality of the matter, (as I might discover more data at a later date), this situation does not look good and feels very odd. On the one hand the IOGKF is superficially appearing to tow the legal line by being careful how it and its members behave in China - and yet deliberately challenges the government of China by 'defying' and 'questioning' the conclusions of one of its best academic experts (Lin Weigong) regarding Fuzhou language, history and culture! This is a very interesting situation which I will continue to investigate.
Thanks
Adrian
PS: In 1973, Lin Jingfeng resigned from the International Karate Organisation (IKO) and the Goju Kai Dojo in Hong Kong - and travelled to Okinawa. In 1974, Lin Jingfeng was introduced to Miyagi Anichi who accepted him as a student. The first few weeks of training evolved around Miyagi Anichi 'correcting' all the technical errors Lin Lingfeng had been taught in Hong Kong. This suggests that the earliest Dojo (1964) in Hong Kong was from the Goju Kai lineage of Japan - but at some point in its history - the control of the Hong Kong Dojo switched to IOGKF. Unless, of course, there is more than one such Dojo - but as Hong Kong is small, I doubt this. Perhaps it is a simple case of Lin Jingfeng returning to Hong Kong (c. 1979) and teaching the IOGKF version he had learned in Okinawa and abandoning the Goju Kai lineage - but again, this would seem odd. What this observation might do is explain why certain individuals state that Goju Ryu Katas taught in the Hong Kong Dojo are 'different' to those encountered outside of China! In other words, Goju Kai Kata are different from Goju Ryu (Okinawan) Kata!
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