SHURI-TE KARATE

The roots of Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu™ dates back to the 17th century to origins of Karate in Okinawa. The style’s ancestry is rooted in both the Imperial fighting arts of the Shuri Castle Royal Palace guards, as well as the Southern Shaolin Five Ancestor Fist gung-fu. Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu is result of 60+ years of training and research by the founder Hanshi Takamiyagi Hiroshi. (1940-2019)

Goshukan-Ryu is the synthesis of two of the oldest classical fighting arts in Asia. Okinawa Shuri-Te Karate (the predecessor of all Shorin-Ryu Karate) and Wu Zu Quan/Five Ancestors Fist Kung Fu– A hard-hitting Fujian/Southern style of gong fu that many martial arts historians and researchers believe to be the Chinese roots of Okinawan Karate. The art of Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu is the hybrid of two separate yet very old, respected, and effective martial arts, taught side-by-side, and we offer instruction exclusively at the Columbus Dojo.

* Several variances are used to describe Five Ancestor Fist Kung Fu, depending on the region and dialect.

• Nan Shaolin Wu Zu Quan
• Wu Zu Quan
• Ngo Cho Kun
• Ngo Cho Kung Fu
• Go So Ken
• Goso Kenpo
• Five Ancestor Kenpo

Well rounded, the two martial arts systems that make up Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu utilizes the principles of balance points (Kuzushi), timing, evasive defense, body shifting (Tenshin/Tai Sabaki) Vital point offense (Kyusho-jutsu), immobilization defenses (Tuite/Tuidi),  joint manipulations and trapping (Quin Na), Iron body/Iron Shirt training (Advanced conditioning), traditional weapons training (Ryukyu Kobudo), and much more!

The founder of Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu is Takamiyagi, Hiroshi (b. 1940). After several years of training in Goju-Ryu and other styles, Takamiyagi Sensei began his serious karate training in 1960, and was a senior student of Nakamura Ankichi (Kobayashi-Ryu and Shuri-Te Karate), before he began training in Wu Zuu Quan in the 1980’s. Takamiyagi Sensei traveled to Philippines to train with Sifu Alexander Lim Co, and Singapore to train with his teacher, Koh Nai Kheng. Takamiyagi Sensei developed the art of Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu in 1986 and teaches these two styles along with Ryukyu Kobudo  (Ancient Okinawan Weaponry).  Takamiyagi Sensei was a contemporary of Nakamura Masahiro – a top student of Shinken Taira, the founder of Ryukyu Kobudo.

• Hanshi 10-Dan: Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu Karate (1st Soke)
• Kyoshi 7 -Dan: Okinawa Shuri-Te Karate-Do
• President: Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu Karate-Do Kyokai™
• Kaicho: Zen Okinawa Goshukan Karate-Kobudo Renmei (IOGKA)

The Columbus Dojo, under the guidance of Garry Parker, was the first authorized branch dojo for Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu outside of Okinawa-Japan, and is currently the United States Honbu (HQ) for Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu.  Sensei Parker is the senior American student in Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu, and is the United States Director for the style. Mr. Parker is also the President of the IOGKA (Zen Okinawa Goshukan-Ryu Karate Association)- the global governing body for Okinawa Goshukan Karate, formerly led by Takamiyagi Hiroshi Hanshi, in Okinawa – Japan.