Motobu Chōyū and Miyagi Chōjun

The other day I heard the following story from a Japanese karate practitioner living in the United States. There is a theory abroad that Motobu Chōyū taught Miyagi Chōjun Sēpai and Kururunfa.

It has long been argued that the kata of Gōju-ryū is a mixture of the kata of several schools. Apparently, when Chinese martial arts experts look at the Gōjū-ryū kata, they get that impression. Some of the kata of Goju-ryu were also found in Kumemura-te, as can be seen from the program of a presentation held at the Uchaya Udun (royal villa) in 1867. The names of the kata such as Sēsan, Chishōkin (Shisōchin?), and Ippyakureihachi (108, Sūpārinpei) are mentioned there. Therefore, some researchers have argued that the theory that Higaonna Kanryō learned all the kata from Rū Rū Kō is erroneous. In other words, the theory is that Higaonna Sensei learned kata from teachers other than Rū Rū Kō.

However, I think the theory that Miyagi Sensei learned several kata from martial artists other than Higaonna Sensei is more reasonable. This is because the number of Tō’on-ryu kata in the same Higaonna lineage is much smaller than in Gōjū-ryū. For example, Murakami Katsumi, who once studied with Kyoda Jūhatsu, writes:

Becchūrin kata is the best kata in Naha-te. The founder of Naha-te, Higaonna Kanryō Sensei, trained [his students] thoroughly in Sanchin, then proceeded to the higher kata of Sēsan, Sansērū, and finally taught them this Becchūrin kata. (note)