Many Okinawans traveled to China to learn about the Chinese methods of fightning. They then would return to Okinawa and combine their new learnings with the existing Okinawan fighting arts. This method became the basis for many of the styles which exist today. Any time a person studies more than one style, becomes skilled enough to teach, and begins to teach a combination of those styles, he has the dilemma of what name to call his teachings. To be totally correct, he cannot call his method by the name of only one of the styles he is combining, but must create a new name.
Shorei came from Hsing Yi and Kosho Karate Kempo, or Shuri-te. Hsing Yi was a combination of six Chinese arts; three hard, or external, and three soft, or internal, arts (external: Shaolin-chun, Chuan Pei, Hung Kun – Internal: Chaua-Fa, Ti Chi-chuan, Pa-kuan). Shuri-te was the existing Okinawan art taught by Choki Motobu.
Goju Ryu came from two Chinese systems, Shaolin Chuan (Hard) and Pakua Change (Soft) taught by Chojun Miyagi.
Robert A. Trias learned Shuri-te and later Goju Ryu. In 1946 he incorporated some of the Goju Ryu katas into Shuri-te, which was the beginning of our system as we know it today. Grand Master Trias appointed Herb Johnson as style head of Shorei Goju Ryu in 1979. In December of 2015, Herb Johnson passed away and Phil Morgan was named as the new style head.
Most of our basics can be traced to three different origins. One such origin, the study of basic science and anatomy – learning to apply the maximum number of muscles and maximum body weight into each technique – enables us to use the strength of our entire body against the weaknesses of our opponent. The second origin is a period in China when monks studied animal movements and tried to duplicate these movements. The third origin was the period in Okinawa when all weapons were confiscated, forcing Okinawans to use their hands and feet as their knives, spears and clubs.
In Shorei Goju Ryu, body type and how athletic you are doesn’t matter. It is adaptable to every size and personality.
