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KANRYO HIGAONNA 

(1853-1916)

Kanryo Higaonna, was borned on March 10, 1853, was a native of Nishi-shin-machi, Naha, Okinawa. He was born into a merchant family, whose business was selling firewood, an expensive commodity in the Ryukyu Islands. He founded the fighting style later to be known as Goju Ryu Karate.

The characters of his family name are pronounced "Higaonna" in Okinawan, and "Higashionna" in Japanese. In Western articles the two spellings are often used interchangeably. His older relative is Higaonna Kanryu (Kanryu of the East, Kanryo was of the West).

In the early 1860s he began studying the Okinawan martial arts under a teacher named Arakaki Seisho. At that time the word karate was not in common use, and the martial arts were often referred to simply as Te ("hand"), sometimes prefaced by the area of origin, as Naha-te, Shuri-te, or simply Okinawa-te.

In 1869 Kanryo sailed to Fuzhou in the Fukien province of China. He spent at least several years there; accounts range from five to twenty, though the latter seems unlikely. He spent his time studying with various teachers of the Chinese martial arts, the first four years he probably studied with Wai Xinxian, Kojo Tatai and or Iwah at the Kojo Dojo. Kanryo then trained under Ru Ru Ko (a.k.a. Ruru Ko, Ryu Ryu Ko, To Ru Ko, or Lu Lu Ko, his name was never recorded as Kanryo Higaonna was illiterate. His real name was probably Xie Zhongxiang founder of Whooping Crane gongfu). According to oral account[1], Kanryo spent years doing household chores for master Ru Ru Ko, until he saved his daughter from drowning during a heavy flood and begged the master to teach Kung-fu as a reward.

In the 1880s Kanryo returned to Okinawa and continued the family business. He also began to teach the martial arts in and around Naha. His style was distinguished by its integration of both go-no (hard) and ju-no (soft) techniques in one system. He became so prominent that the name "Naha-te" became identified with Higaonna Kanryo's system.

Kanryo was noted for his powerful Sanchin kata, or form. Students reported that the wooden floor would be hot from the gripping of his feet.

Several of Kanryo's students went on to become influential masters of what came to be called karate, amongst them Chōjun Miyagi, Kenwa Mabuni, Kyoda Shigehatsu, Koki Shiroma, Higa Seiko, and Shiroma Shinpan (Gusukuma).

 

Version 4.13   Last Updated on March 10, 2010

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Shoseikan Karate (Vancouver, Richmond, Canada) is a school which teaches traditional Japan Goju-Ryu Karate. We have locations in Vancouver and Richmond, BC, with varies program schedule for different age groups.

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RECENT NEWS

 

2010 Promotion Test #1

 

37th Steveston Tournament

 

Zone 5 Tournament

 

They will be back!

UPCOMING EVENTS

2010

 

Mar 19-21

2010 National Black belt Karate Championships

May 15

KBC AGM

Nov 6

2010 Victoria International Tournament

Nov 19-21

WKF World Cup

Please check our calendar for details of training sessions and events.

RECENT TOURNAMENT RESULT

37TH STEVESTON TOURNAMENT
2010.1.9

Gary Wong
1st Place (Men Kata, novice)
1st Place (M.Men Kata, novice)
1st Place (Men Kumite, novice)
2nd Place (M.Men Kumite, nov.)
3rd Place (Men Kata, int.)

Vincent Wong
3rd Place (Men Team Kata, all level)

Andrew Chan
3rd Place (Men Team Kata, all level)

Henry KC Chan
2nd Place (Men Kata, Int.)
2nd Place (Men Kata, Adv.)
2nd Place (Men Kumite, Int.)
3rd Place (Men Kumite, Adv.)
3rd Place (Men Team Kata, all level)

Nikkie Yu
2nd Place (Boys 10-11 Kumite, Int.)
2nd Place (Mixed Team Kata, Int.)

Jeffrey Yu
3rd Place (Boys 12-13 Kumite, Int.)
2nd Place (Mixed Team Kata, Int.)

Gavin Hui
2nd Place (Paddle Kumite)

Terry Zhang
2nd Place (Boys 12-13 Kumite, Nov.)
3rd Place (Paddle Kumite)

Fred Zhang
3rd Place (Boys 15-16 Kata, Int.)
2nd Place (Mixed Team Kata, Int.)

 MEDAL STANDING

HIGHLIGHTS

WE ARE NCCP CERTIFIED!

Shoseikan Canada is proud to announce that beginning September 2008,  all of its instructors are NCCP certified. NCCP is the recognized national standard for certification in 65 different sports including karate.  Our aim is to continually provide our instructors the tools to deliver a karate program of the highest callibre.

CHILDREN FITNESS TAX CREDIT

Starting with the 2007 tax year, the Government of Canada allows a non-refundable tax credit based on eligible fitness expenses paid by parents to register a child in a prescribed program of physical activity. For more information, please visit Canada Revenue Agency website.