Instructors

Chojun Miyagi Sensei, one of Higaonna Sensei’s top disciples, was born in 1888 in Okinawa. In 1899, he began his formal training under Ryuko Aragaki. Three years later, in 1902, he was introduced to Higaonna Sensei for formal instruction. Miyagi Sensei came from a wealthy family involved in the pharmaceutical business. After three years of formal instruction from Higaonna Sensei, he traveled to China to pay his respects to his predecessor’s teacher, Ryu Ryu Ko. This is one of his two trips to China for research. The first tenure lasted approximately two months, the latter was more fruitful. In 1921, Miyagi Sensei performed the Naha-te style for crown prince Hirohito. Five years later, in 1926, he along with Chomo Hanashiro (Shuri-te), Choyu Motobu (Tomari-te), and Kenwa Mabuni founded the Okinawa Karate Kenkyu-Kai-Okinawa Karate Research Club. Three years later, in 1929, he was supposed to attend a martial arts symposium in Kyoto, Japan. Miyagi Sensei could not attend the function. In his place, he sent Master Shinsato to the function. Having no formal name for Naha-te, Shinsato called the art Hanko-Ryu-half-hard style.

In 1933, he renamed the system to Goju-Ryu Karate—taken from the poem titled Bubishi-“Everything in the universe is breathing hard and soft” That same year, Karate was formally accepted to the Dai Nippon Butokukai—All Japan Martial Arts Association. A year later, in 1934, he demonstrated Goju-Ryu in Hawaii. Two years later, Miyagi Sensei, along with Okinawa-masters—Chomo Hanashiro, Chotoku Kyan, Choki Motobu, Chosin Chibana, and Juhatsu Kiyoda officially changed the name of the art from Toudijutsu to Karate-do. In 1940, Miyagi Sensei created one of his crown jewels-Geki-Sai Dai Ichi and Geki-Sai Dai Ni. He died in 1953.

Goju-Ryu in America

Sensei, enlisted in the United States Navy. While stationed in Japan, Urban Sensei began his studies of Goju-Ryu under the direction of Gogen Yamaguchi Sensei-the cat He spent the next 7 years training under the direction of Japan’s greatest Karate-ka Yamaguchi Sensei, Masutatsu Oyama Sensei, and Richard Kim Sensei, respectively. After his discharge, Urban Sensei left Japan, and in 1959 opened his first studio in Union City, New Jersey. In 1967, he left the Japanese and incorporated USA Goju-Ryu. He has trained or supervised some the United States greatest Karate practitioners, and has been instrumental in the development of a myriad of GojuRyu organizations. Some of these organizations are among the largest and most respected in the world. He is singularly responsible for propagating Goju-Ryu in the United States.

We do not "SELL" belts, but rather follow the philosophy that promotions should be earned through hard work.  the best reason for learning karate is to develop character to  make a good person first and a strong  person second this must be understand to advance in karate