In the Nafadi tradition, two of Higashionna’s most notable students were Kyoda Juhatsu and Miyagi Chojun. Kyoda Juhatsu went on to found To'on-ryu, named after the onyomi (Chinese) reading of the Chinese characters of Higashionna’s name. In Kyoda’s To'on-ryu the following kata/xing are taught: 1) San Chin 2) Seisan 3) Sanseru 4) Pechurin / Suparempei 5) Jion, learned from Kentsu Yabu 6) Neipai, learned from Gokenki 7)Rokkishu - similar to Miyagi’s Tensho and created by Kyoda Juhatsu. In contrast, Goju-ryu founder Miyagi Chojun taught: 1) San Chin 2) Seisan 3) Sanseru 4) Pechurin / Suparempei 5) Saifa 6) Seiunchin 7) Seipai 8) Shisochin 9)Kururunfa 10)Tensho and later on in 1941, developed the 11) Geki-Sai kata/xing series (I / II) with Nagamine Shoshin.
Comparing the two lists of kata/xing, which the respective teachers taught, we see that only kata/xing 1 – 4 are common. These four kata/xing are what is generally held to be what Higashionna taught his students (Tokashiki, 1991). There is some corroborating evidence to support this argument. Murakami Katsumi, a direct student of Kyoda Juhatsu and author of “Karate-do and Ryukyu Kobudo,” has stated that, [sic]…Higashionna Sensei, after mastering San Chin, taught Seisan, Sanseru and finally Pechurin; also alternately known as Suparempei (Murakami, 1975: 194).
Some may argue that it that Miyagi was favored by Higashionna and learned all the advanced kata that he knew which now comprise modern Goju-ryu, but the math just doesn't add up. As my good friend Joe Swift has stated, "...Miyagi learned them from Higashionna when Kyoda was posted elsewhere in his teaching position. This seems unlikely to me, however, as Miyagi was gone for two years in the military and Kyoda only got one kata (Sanseiru), whereas Miyagi got 5? Just doesn't sit right with me..."
Furthermore, in an interview conducted in 1991 by Tokashiki Iken of Gohaku Kai, testimony by the last surviving student of Higashionna Kanryo, Ura Soki (then 96 years old) is reported as stating the following, "There are too many kata in modern Goju-ryu in my opinion. When I was learning [Karate] (around 1912) there were only three or four katas (Tokashiki, 1991: 123)".
This would suggest that, excluding the kata/xing that he specifically developed himself (Tensho and Geki-Sai) the other kata/xing taught by Miyagi Chojun (5 – 9) came from alternate sources.
Comparing the two lists of kata/xing, which the respective teachers taught, we see that only kata/xing 1 – 4 are common. These four kata/xing are what is generally held to be what Higashionna taught his students (Tokashiki, 1991). There is some corroborating evidence to support this argument. Murakami Katsumi, a direct student of Kyoda Juhatsu and author of “Karate-do and Ryukyu Kobudo,” has stated that, [sic]…Higashionna Sensei, after mastering San Chin, taught Seisan, Sanseru and finally Pechurin; also alternately known as Suparempei (Murakami, 1975: 194).
Some may argue that it that Miyagi was favored by Higashionna and learned all the advanced kata that he knew which now comprise modern Goju-ryu, but the math just doesn't add up. As my good friend Joe Swift has stated, "...Miyagi learned them from Higashionna when Kyoda was posted elsewhere in his teaching position. This seems unlikely to me, however, as Miyagi was gone for two years in the military and Kyoda only got one kata (Sanseiru), whereas Miyagi got 5? Just doesn't sit right with me..."
Furthermore, in an interview conducted in 1991 by Tokashiki Iken of Gohaku Kai, testimony by the last surviving student of Higashionna Kanryo, Ura Soki (then 96 years old) is reported as stating the following, "There are too many kata in modern Goju-ryu in my opinion. When I was learning [Karate] (around 1912) there were only three or four katas (Tokashiki, 1991: 123)".
This would suggest that, excluding the kata/xing that he specifically developed himself (Tensho and Geki-Sai) the other kata/xing taught by Miyagi Chojun (5 – 9) came from alternate sources.
References
Bishop, Mark (1999) Okinawan Karate: Teachers, Styles and Secret Techniques 2nd Ed. Boston: Tuttle.
Kinjo Akio (1999) Karate-den Shinroku. Naha: Okinawa Tosho Center.
McCarthy, Patrick (1999) Ancient Okinawan Martial Arts: Koryu Uchinadi Volume 2. Boston: Tuttle.
Tokashiki Iken (1988) Gohaku (Yearbook Vol 3). Naha: Gohakukai.
Tokashiki Iken (1991) Gohaku (Yearbook Vol 4). Naha: Gohakukai.
Tokashiki Iken (1995) Okinawa Karate Hiden Bubishi Shinshaku. Naha: Gohakukai.
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