Pavel Demyanov

A note about a small observation related to the history of Godzû-Ryu and Toon-Ryu.

The url can be no longer found where this was from.

 

 

I chose the article name to attract the attention of respected karate researchers, as at the time the photograph was taken, there was neither Goju-ryu nor Touon-ryu.

Looking at this photo I want to touch on two questions.

Firstly, if you ask the old masters about whether the Bunkai of kata were taught in the old days, all as one answer that this was not. In my opinion, the language barrier works here, because the concept of bunkai in Westerners mind most often implies techniques enclosed in kata, and in the concept of Japanese people, Bunkai is an “analysis” of kata or an explanation of kata. But in the photo we clearly see the technique from kata Sanseru. In Japanese, there are concepts of Oyo or Imi, meaning application or meaning. Thus, it turns out that even if Higaonna Kanryo Sensei did not explain the kata step by step (bunkai), he still gave the students pair work, including techniques from kata (Oyo) and there is no contradictions.

Secondly, many sources report that Miyagi Chojun did not study kata Sanseru from Higaonna Kanryo and it was only transmitted to Kyoda Juhatsu Sensei, but in the photo we see a technique that is 100% similar to the movement from kata Sanseru, which is currently being taught in Touon-Ryu school as it is. Pay attention to the position of Miyagi Sensei’s hand, which makes the knee joint pressure; this is exactly the position of the hand in Touon-ryu kata (in the Goju-ryu kata, the hand is turned 180 degrees). One can, of course, appeal to the fact that the techniques have variations, but think for yourself, in the photo there are Miyagi, Kyoda at the age of 18-20, and Higaonna Kanryo Sensei, who was alive at that time, leads them. Thus, in the photo dated the beginning of the 20th century, we probably see Miyagi Sensei performing Oyo from Touon-ryu Sanseiru kata, which he did not study.

Nowadays Touon-Ryu sensei also puts students in pairs and offers them to work out a particular technique, which, of course, is present in the kata, even if they themselves do not know the kata.

After 100 years, I make guesses, which, of course, cannot be 100% true, but suggestive.

It is interesting to see such speculation on Toon Ryu. Mario McKenna (the only instructor outside of Japan) was once in the area and spent time training with me sharing much about how Toon Ryu functions.. He also shared a great deal of video recotd of Toon, requesting I keep that private. Which of course I have done for decades.

 

Toon Ryu is a system like Miyagi’s goju that descended from Hiagonna Kanryu. The same yet different, two divergent paths from the same source. As it is clearly an older system keeping older traditions alive I find it interesting. Not to influence my karate studies, but more from historical intrest.

 

The system is so rare that I find it interesting how others speculate about it.

 

I am going to attach two Meibukan Magazine pdf’s where my friends contributed articles. I believe these articles explain why I frequently reference them.

 

Mario McKenna Meibukan Matazine 5 

Fred Lohse Meibukan Magazine 8