This page details the lineage of the Goju-Jitsu system, beginning in the 19th century, and details the evolution from the various origins of the art, up through its many changes until it eventually evolved into the Goju-Jitsu M.M.A. system that is studied at Collins Martial Arts today.
Prounounced Xie Zhonhxiang in Chinese, he was the founder of Whooping Crane Gong Fu. He was a student of Pan Yuba who was in turn the student of Lin Shixian, a master of White Crane Gong Fu.
In 1870 he accepted Kanryo Higaonna as a student. Higaonna trained with him until he returned to Okinawa in 1881.
Master Kanryo Higaonna was born in March, 1853, in Naha, the capital city of Okinawa during the time when Okinawa Island was occupied by the Satsuma Clan of Japan.
Higaonna began his martial arts training in 1867 in Monk Fist Boxing from Seisho Aragaki (1840-1920) of Kume. Aragaki was well known among Okinawans with his favorite Kata called Seisan. In 1870, at the age of 16, he traveled with his instructor to the Fukien province, Fuzhou, China. Once in Fuzhou, he studied the Chinese martial arts under the great Master Ryu Ryu Ko.
In 1881 he returned to Okinawa and began to teach martial arts in and around Naha, which would become known as Naha-te. Unlike Shuri-te, Naha-te represented newly imported Chinese forms from the Fukien Province of China. Higaonna systemized Naha-te with contemporary Chinese arts, thus it was called To-te (Tode), or Chinese Hand.
In October of 1905, Higaonna began teaching at the Naha Commercial High School. When teaching, Higaonna was an extremely hard taskmaster. However, in his everyday life he was a quiet and humble man and one who was renowned for his virtuous character. He was a person who had no need or desire for worldly things. He led a simple life that was devoted to the study and practice of martial arts.
Kanryo Higaonna is now bestowed with the title 'Kensei (sacred fists) Kanryo Higaonna' a title which is eminently fitting. His name is synonymous with Okinawan martial arts and Naha-te, and his spirit is destined to live on forever as a great and valued treasure within Okinawan culture.
Several of Higaonna's students went on to become influential masters of what came to be called karate, among them Chojun Miyagi, Juhatsu Kyoda, and Seiko Higa. Kanryo Higaonna's whole life was devoted to karate. He died in December 1915 at the age of 63.
Master Chojun Miyagi was born in Naha, Okinawa on April 25th, 1888. He began his formal training at age 11, in the dojo of Ryuko Aragaki. At the age of 14, he was first introduced to Kanryo Higaonna, and after a period of doing chores for Sensei Higaonna to earn his place, was accepted as a student.
Training was very severe, with a lot of running and strength exercises. It is said that he sometimes passed out performing Sanchin kata, so demanding was Sensei Higaonna on his student's performance. He trained for 13 years in this manner until the death of Kanryo Higaonna, developing into a powerful karateka.
Sensei Miyagi then traveled to China to locate Master Ryu Ryu Ko, whom Higaonna had studied with. He was unable to locate him, but he did pick up some of the local arts of the Fukien area of China, notable the kata Rokkishu, which was instrumental in his creation of Tensho kata.
In 1921, he was chosen to represent Naha-te in a presentation to the visiting crown prince Hirohito (who would eventually become Emperor), and gave an impressive performance. He repeated this in 1925 for Prince Chichibu. Jigoro Kano (founder of Judo) began visiting Okinawa in 1927, and was so impressed with Sensei Miyagi that he invited him to Japan in 1930 and 1932 to demonstrate at several tournaments. It was at one of these tournaments that one of his senior students, Jin'an Shinzato was asked which school of karate he belonged to. Unable to answer (styles were only known by their geographical reference at that time); he approached Sensei Miyagi, who agreed that a name should be chosen for their unique style.
There is a Chinese text called the Bubishi, a very popular historical reference among karateka of the day, and in it are the Eight Poems of the Fists. The 3rd precept reads "The way of inhaling and exhaling is hardness and softness." Go means hard and Ju means soft. Since his style was a combination of these ideals, he began referring to his art as Goju-Ryu, and in 1933 it was officially registered as such at the Butoku-kai, the Japanese Martial Arts Association.
The Allied occupation of Okinawa was a very turbulent time in the history of Okinawa and the art of karate. Many lives were lost, including one of Sensei Miyagi's sons, two of his daughters, and his senior student, Jin'an Shinzato. He was forced to forgo much of his training while his homeland was restructured after the war. In 1946, he was appointed director of the Okinawan Civil Association of Physical Education, and resumed his training, teaching the Police Academy and opening a backyard dojo, known as the Garden Dojo.
It is here where Seiko Higa, Meitoku Yagi, Ei'ichi Miyazato, Seikichi Toguchi, and An'ichi Miyagi trained, along with many other notable karateka. Chojun Miyagi died on October 8th, 1953 at the age of 65. His legacy lives on through his senior students and the untold karateka whose lives he continues to influence.
Master Seikichi Toguchi was born on May 20th, 1917 in Naha, Okinawa. He began his training in Goju-Ryu in 1932 with Master Chojun Miyagi, the founder of Goju-Ryu. He served with the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II as an electrical engineer. After the war, he returned to Okinawa and assisted in rebuilding his war-torn homeland.
In 1952, Sensei Miyagi named him Executive Director of the Karate-Do Goju Association. Two years later he became the Vice-President of the organization.
In 1955 he founded Shoreikan Goju-Ryu and opened his Dojo in Koza City, Okinawa.
In 1962 he moved to Tokyo and served as chief instructor at Yoyogi Martial Training Society Karate Dojo. In 1962 he opened his Shoreikan dojo in Meguro Borough, Tokyo. Throughout the 70's and 80's he made many trips to the United States, Canada, and Europe for instruction seminars and demonstrations.
Master Seikichi Toguchi died on Aug. 31. 1998. His accomplishments and credits are too numerous to detail but suffice it to say that he was at the center of Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate world. He was the last living Okinawan master to receive the title of 'Bushi' a title also held by his teacher, Master Chojun Miyagi.
Shodai Jay Trombley was born in Bellows Falls, Vermont in 1936. He began studying Goju-Ryu in Okinawa in 1955. He was stationed there while serving as a reconnaissance infantryman in the United States Marine Corps. Over the next five years he trained in traditional Shoreikan Goju-Ryu Karate. A man named Joe White, who was a sergeant in charge of Mr. Trombley's recon unit, introduced him to Goju-Ryu. Mr. Trombley began his karate training with 3 other marines (George Costas, Joe Augustine, and Mike Dikin) along with Joe White and many native Okinawans under Master Seikichi Toguchi.
After his tour ended in Okinawa, Shodai taught karate within a Jacksonville Beach Florida health club. Also in the health club was Jackie Simpson, who taught boxing. While Shodai taught karate, he also learned boxing techniques from Simpson, which would have a pronounced effect on his own style, still in the making. In 1970 he moved to Texas and three years later founded Ketsugo (United) Goju-Ryu.
Ketsugo Goju-Ryu is traditional Shoreikan Goju-Ryu with the addition of kicking techniques to high targets, along with many additions to the original system. Shodai added many kata to the system including Kihon Ichi (a basic kata for beginners), Gikisai San, Genshin, Juhito, Eshoo-Ni-San, Hento Do, Dobutsu San, Bushi Do Rea, and Yuryoku Do. Shodai has continually operated a Dojo in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since Ketsugo Goju-Ryu's inception.
Shodai has been teaching continuously for over forty years and his teaching credentials are quite extensive, beginning with teaching karate to marines and members of the Navy's elite U.D.T. (Underwater Demolition Team). Shodai has also worked with several law enforcement agencies. Since developing Ketsugo Goju-Ryu in 1973, he has trained thousands of students from all walks of life; however he has only promoted 26 students to the rank of Shodan (first degree black belt).
Shodai was also involved in the full-contact kickboxing scene since it started in Texas. He has been a trainer, judge, referee, and promoter in national and international kickboxing events. Shodai and his wife Karen have promoted the biggest full-contact kickboxing events in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area in 1983 and 1984.
Through his many years in the martial arts there are three awards Shodai is most proud of. In November 1985, his students presented him with a 450 year-old signed and dated samurai sword. In 1982 he was inducted into the "Who's Who" in Karate. In 1986 he was awarded the "Legion of Honor" from Official Karate magazine for his dedication, honesty, and service in the martial arts (only one karate person is selected per year out of the entire United States).
Mr. Chris Collins studied under Shodai Jay Trombley for fifteen years. At the age of 16, Chris tested for and received his Junior Black Belt. This required most of the same skills as the Senior (Adult) Black Belts, but was lacking some of the harsher requirements that were needed to obtain the Adult Black Belt ranking. A year later, at age 17, Chris was allowed to test a year early for his adult 1st degree Black Belt. Over the next several years, he advanced to the rank of 3rd Degree Black Belt.
In this time, he dedicated himself to being the best Karate black belt that he could be. However, after a while, Chris felt that on the horizon loomed something larger - something more challenging. Discontent with remaining in the world of traditional martial arts, Chris saw the emerging sport of Mixed Martial Arts (M.M.A.) as the new and ultimately unavoidable challenge he must face if he was to consider himself to be a true, well-rounded martial artist. Now - do not misunderstand - if not for his background in the hard-training of Ketsugo Goju-Ryu Karate, Chris would NOT have been prepared for the step up to M.M.A. This Goju-Ryu training was the base and foundation that gave Chris the skills, both mentally and physically, to go into M.M.A.
Sensing and seeing that this was where the ultimate proving ground for modern martial artists to go, Chris gravitated toward learning the arts of Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Catch Wrestling, and Muay Thai Kickboxing. It is from the combination of these arts along with Goju-Ryu that the Goju-Jitsu M.M.A. Fighting System was born.
Anyone receiving rank (of which Goju-Jitsu has its own particular ranking system), is held to the highest levels of accountability. In Goju-Jitsu, you do not start as a White Belt. You start as a ' non-ranked' student, and must test to even attain the level of White Belt status. The Goju-Jitsu sytem is the current curriculum taught at Collins Martial Arts, where M.M.A. is the focus, but particular parts of traditional Karate are still incorporated as seen fit by Mr. Collins and as are relevant to M.M.A. and/or real street fighting & self-defense. These include many techniques that are effective in the cage, as well as on the street, including weapons self-defense, etc; that are not seen in most modern M.M.A. schools. Anyone obtaining rank under Mr. Collins is earning a legitimate ranking achievement that is simply the combination of Goju-Ryu skills added with a great deal of various other very effective martial arts in order to form a complete rank as an M.M.A. style fighter. Someone's rank in the Goju-Jitsu system can be traced directly back through the lineage listed above, as well as combined with the other training and teachers listed below.
Other Major Influences upon Mr.Collins and the Goju-Jitsu M.M.A. system:
Chris studied (and still does occasionally, when he can find the time), most of his Jiu-Jitsu under the tutelage of Allen Mohler and Mohler's senior students (brown and black belts). Chris spent several years studying at Mohler's academy for Jiu-Jitsu and M.M.A. and learned probably 80% of his ground fighting skills here. Coach Mohler is a black belt under Team Alliance founder and 6th degree Black Belt Romero "Jacare' " Cavalcanti. This made him the first American Black Belt awarded under Team Alliance. It is mostly studying in this environment where Chris was able to develop and improve his ground fighting skills.
Chris studied extensively with Marcus at Mohler's academy, and has since continued to periodically study with and learn from Marcus, a current lightweight contender in the W.E.C. Marcus's numerous credentials also include being a professional boxer, and a black belt in B.J.J. under Coach Mohler.
Chris's time studying under Mr. Clinton was not nearly as extensive as under Mr. Mohler or Mr. Hicks, but with Buddy being the 1st American black belt in B.J.J. under the legendary Royce Gracie, Chris was certainly able to pick up some valuable skills and add them to his repertoire. Buddy remains a friend to this day, and Chris is grateful for the things he was able to learn under Mr. Clinton's tutelage.
Again, although Chris's time studying with Mr. Paulson in person was more brief than Chris would have liked, it was enough to give him a healthy taste for "Catch Wrestling" (see - Mean Jiu-Jitsu, or Dirty, Painful Submission Wrestling), and Chris has continued to study and both learn and develop new techniques in this more brutal form of submission grappling. In fact, the Goju-Jitsu system is comprised as much with these style submissions as it is with traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Chris plans to travel to Fullerton, California more times in the future to allow him to have more time to train with Mr. Paulson in the art of Catch-Wrestling.
The lineage and images provided above must give credit for much of the research to the Ketsugo Goju-Ryu System, which provided the details for the martial arts lineage going from Shodai Trombley back to Ryu Ryu Ko. For more information on traditional Ketsugo Goju-Ryu, please visit www.ketsugogojuryu.com. The lineage and images provided above, for the most part, are due to the research put together and kept at Jay Trombley's Karate Academy. Additional information and images about other styles and individuals that helped influence the formation of the Goju-Jitsu system are courtesy of www.sherdog.com and www.mohlerjiu-jitsu.com.
