Master Kanryo Higashionna (1840 - 1910)

The history of Goju-Ryu can be traced back to a man named Master Kanryo Higashionna, approx 1840 - 1910, known as the "Fist Saint  of Naha". Naha city in Okinawa was thriving with martial arts activity in the 1850's. Along with practitioners from the towns of Tomari and Shuri, the Naha karatekas were laying the groundwork for the development of modern karate-do and Kobudo (weaponry). But although Higashionna began his training here, the true seeds of Goju were not planted in Okinawa but in China.

Kanryo Higashionna went to China and studied there under a man by the name of Master Woo (Ruin Japanese), who was a practitioner of Chinese boxing. Higashionna trained under Master Woo for approximately 15 - 20 years. On his return to Okinawa he combined his native fighting system with the Chinese system and became the farther of Naha-Te (Fist of Naha). It didn't take long before his fame spread throughout the island and students started to come to him for tuition. Among them was a student by the name Chojun Miyagi. 

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