Miyagi Chojun

I read the following on Mario Mckenna’s excellent blog which can be found at http://okinawakarateblog.blogspot.com/

I strongly recommend everyone to take a look at Mckenna Sensei’s site, there is some excellent information from this well established karate historian.

Miyagi Chojun and GojuThe following article about Miyagi Chojun was originally published in Japanese in the November, 1983 issue of Gekkan Karate-do. It was reprinted in 1998 in Karate-do Sousei Densetsu (also published by Gekkan Karate-do), pages 36 to 39. The article itself details the life of Miyagi Chojun as seen by four people: Nagamine Shoshin, Yagi Meitoku, Miyazato Eiichi and Higaonna Morio. I have only included the comments made by these teachers as written in the article and have not translated the commentary.

Chojun’s Teaching Method

Nagamine Shoshin:
He taught in a scientific, organized and fixed manner. He taught neko-ashi dachi by not simply advancing and retreating or turning to the right and left in this stance, but by also by moving in a ‘wave’(1). He also had students hold their stance until they could no longer stand.

Higaonna Morio
(Commenting on when Miyagi sensei taught Seiunchin kata at Naha Commerical High School) He would walk around and make corrections on each students weak point(s) while we would stand in shiko-dachi for 20, sometimes 30 minutes.

Kata teaching method

Yagi Meitoku
He wouldn’t teach San Chin entirely, he broke it down into its parts. For example, one day he would focus on stepping, on another day he would focus on how to move the hands, etc. It was difficult to make progress.

San Chin Kata

Yagi Meitoku My grandfather also knew a little karate and I saw him practice San Chin kata with his hands held open. Even though he would not strike us hard, there would be three black marks left where his fingers had struck us. When I went to the bath house, this old man I didn’t know looked at my shoulders and said, “You’ve been going to Machu’s place haven’t you?” “Yes”, I answered. Later that man went to Miyagi sensei and said, “You’re doing a good job of teaching them. That’s how Toudi should be taught!” Later, Miyagi sensei told me, “Some old man came by today and praised me for the way I teach. Looks like people are beginning to know me.” When I heard this I was so happy.

Practice location

Yagi Meitoku
We practiced in the garden at Miyagi sensei’s home and during summer vacation we would sometimes rent one of the classrooms at school.

Practice time and number of students

Nagamine Shoshin
At the Police Academy he taught twenty students time for a period of six months, twice a year. This was a compulsory course for all new cadets.

Yagi Meitoku
Usually there were three or four students and on busy days about ten students.

Miyazato Eiichi
He [also] taught preparatory and supplementary exercise.

Practice Content

Yagi Meitoku
He only taught supplementary exercises and San Chin [to new students].

Nagamine Shoshin
At the Police Academy, Miyagi sensei only taught basics and kata (Seiunchin).

Miyagi Chojun’s Health

Yagi Meitoku
When Miyagi sensei was a student in junior high school, he would deliberately take the long way to school and choose a path then went up hill. He also gave up drinking in his 30’s.

Higaonna Morio
(With respect to walking from the Naha Police station to his home (about 1 km) in his later years) He would stop three or four times to rest. Miyagi sensei also complained about the iron dumbbells that Miyagi An’ichi made. “These are too heavy for me”, he said.

Favorite Kata

Yagi Meitoku
He never showed kata in front of his students, but when he did he would simply perform Tensho or San Chin. He only taught kata a peice at a time.

Miyagi Chojun’s Teachings

Yagi Meitoku
Not to tell anyone that we were training in karate.

Miyazato Eiichi
That our behviour should be modest. Not to stand out. Not to grow our hair or beards long. To always be alert and cautious.

Miyagi Chojun’s Secret Teachings
Yagi Metoku
I did the same things over and over again. Those are the “secret” teachings.

Miyagi Chojun’s Personal Training

Standing up to his neck in the ocean or on top of mountains and training his breathing methods (kokyuhou).

Using the crest of wave as an ‘opponent’ to practice his combative engagement distance (maai).

Practicing his kiai on the sea shore.

Practicing nukite against tatami and kakete against the arms of chairs.

Performing push ups using only his index fingers.

Using a mosquito net in place of a makiwara to practice punching and kicking.

Footnotes

(1) Nagamine Shoshin uses the term ‘hashoukei’ or wave-like form, which is most likely referring to the diagonal advancing and retreating techniques found in ‘Tenshin’ practice in modern Goju-ryu schools.