Ryu RyuKo

July 1852-February1930

Previously pictured is Xie Zhong Xiang, the founder of Whooping Crane (a system sometimes mistaken with its counter part ‘Feeding Crane’ another Crane style Gung Fu which emphasizes aggressive and offensive techniques). Xie Zhong Xiang, sometimes referred to as "Rusi" by locals of his village was born in Chang-le, Fujian. In his early years, he followed in the footsteps of "Pan Yuba" to study Ming He Quan.  In 1883, he set up a martial arts center and started to receive students and pass on his style of Wushu. His Chinese boxing style Quan Fa had its own special and unique characteristics.  He was a first generation master (Shi) of Whooping Crane Boxing.  In 1866, RyuKo formally started teaching his for of Te. Many believe that Xie was the teacher of Higashionna Kanryo and other turn-of-the-century Okinawan.

He was also called RyuKo.  Weather this was truly his real name and picture or his actual birth and death date.  Whooping Crane which strikingly resembles Goju Ryu definitely plays a generous role in many Okinawan as well as Goju Ryu Kata.  Defined particularly in Suparunpai, Kururunfa, Saifa, etc; those Kata brought back to Okinawa from China each demonstrate specific movements from White Crane.  This would explain as back up evidence to the current line of history, which is still somewhat fuzzy due to the destruction of material during the Second World War.  RyuKo is given credit for being the teacher of Kanryo Higaonna.

Kanryo Higaonna

March 10th, 1851 - December 23, 1915

Having been born to a poor family (the family line actually had carried much wealth) reputed to have earned a living transporting firewood from the Kerama Island, Kanryo was born in Naha, Okinawa, now a prefecture of Japan.  He stood very small in size however had unparalleled speed and agility.  His last name also pronounced as Higashionna,

Kanryo Higaonna is known as the founder and highest authority of Naha-Te and was a student of RyuKo. He is considered one of the earliest and foremost masters of Okinawan Karate and regarded as one of the most influential Karate instructors in Okinawan history.

Higashionna-Sensei was noted for his powerful Sanchin Kata. Sometimes he would permit four men to attempt to push him out of his stance, but they were always unable to move him. It is said that after finishing his Sanchin Kata, the wooden floor would be hot from the mere gripping of his toes. His most prominent and best student was Chojun Miyagi, the founder of Goju-Ryu.

This Monument was dedicated to Kanro Higaonna and ChojunMiyagi and is located in Naha

He sailed from Okinawa in 1866, at the age of 15 or 16 to entertain his studies abroad in Fuzchou China in the arts of Chinese Kempo with Sifu (instructor) Liu Liu Gung and remained there for 15 to 20 years.  He returned to Okinawa during the middle of the Meiji era (1868- 1911) and introduced a new effective school of Karate there, distinguished from other styles by its integration of Go- no (hard) and Ju-no (soft) Kempo into one system notwithstanding his small statue. It is believed that Higaonna Sensei studied the styles of Hung Gar-Shaolin Chuan, hard style Chinese martial arts of Chi-Chi and/or I-Chi as well with another master named ‘Woo’. 

  • Chojun Miyagi

‘Do not be struck by others’

‘Do not strike others’

‘The principle is the peace without incident[1]’

 

April 25,1888-October 8th, 1953

 

Chojun Miyagi was born April 25th1888 in Naha Okinawa of a wealthy family in the import export business, which enabled him to travel to China from 1904 to 1908 to study the style of his instructor and develop the style of Karate we call Goju Ryu today. However his original Martial Arts training started with his neighbor RyuKo Aragaki (one of the very few fighters ever to beat the legendary Choki Motobu) at 11 years old. RyuKo Aragaki Sensei, before moving his family to Taiwan, later introduced him to Kanryo Higaonna, and he began training at the age of 14 in the fall of 1902 after fulfilling a host of chores (the traditional way of being accepted by an instructor).  In October 1915, Higaonna Kanryo Sensei died (at Nishiishin-Machi, 2-chome, Naha Okinawa).  Miyagi Sensei paid for his funeral.

After training for 13 years training with Higaonna Sensei, Miyagi sailed to China in search of his teacher’s teacher.  Upon his quest he studied Chugoku Kempo in Fouchow, Fukien Province, from 1915 to 1917.

When he returned to Okinawa, he began to teach his Karate at a number of places in and around Naha, and to lecture and demonstrate throughout Japan Miyagi-Sensei subjected the art of Naha-te, as received from Kanryo Higashionna, to scientific examination. He studied the basic Go (Sanchin) and the six rules and created the Ju (Tensho) form, combining soft and hard movements. He also organized the auxiliary movements to strengthen the body through calisthenics. He organized these exercises in preparation for practicing the classical Kata. It can be said, he formulated the theory for the practice of Karate and organized it as an educational subject, an art of self-defense, and as a spiritual exercise. From the old Chinese book Wu Pei Chih (Army account of Military Arts and Science) published in 1636, Miyagi took the expression Goju Ryu for the name of his school as it appears in the sentence: The successful methods required both give and take (Go and Ju).  Miyagi Sensei was the first instructor to officially give his style a name in 1927 apart from the city in which it was practiced (See Historical review of Goju Ryu), and organize a school of Karate.    Miyagi often used the slogan Nanji Kyokuden, meaning to “apply all one?  Strength, to be determined in everything that one does; defeat is not the end; losing is not the end of everything.”  He was called the last great samurai warrior of Okinawa because of his legendary strength and skill as well as his intense dedication to the martial arts.

 Although a somewhat quiet man he was noted for his very large and muscular hands (the Goju Ryu Fist may be found of the original cover of this paper and was sketched of his hand) as well as being the senior most student of Kanryo Higaonna.  On his pilgrimage to the Chinese mainland he studied not only the building blocks of his teachers art Hung Gar-Shaolin Chuan Chi-Chi, but also I-Chuan, Pa Kua Chang and Tai Chi Chuan.  All softer however highly skilled and effective styles.  It was at this time he learned the Kata or Quan (Chinese for Kata) Rokkishu which later became the building block on Kata Tensho.  With this additional martial art training Okinawa-te, Naha-te and the Chinese arts Sensei Miyagi developed a refined form of empty hand, and even today its Whooping Crane Chinese Gung Fu roots can still be seen in its forms or Kata. A story is told that while visiting a temple in China, Chojun Miyagi noticed a crane sitting on a roof, which was made of tile. As he approached the huge bird, the crane became alarmed and flew away. As it was flying away, the frightened crane flapped its wings against the tile roof, breaking some of the tiles in the process.  Miyagi was amazed that the soft feathers of the crane were able to break something as hard as tiles. With that as the beginning, he devised a whole new approach to Karate, mixing in with the hard techniques many soft ones to be used in countering hard blows and kicks.

In 1929 Gogen Yamaguchi invited Mr. Miyagi to visit Japan and he later named Mr. Yamaguchi the leader of the Goju Ryu schools in mainland Japan. That same year he was named as Shihan of the Okinawan Police and of the Naha School of Commerce (the general education program of Okinawa). Chojun Miyagi was named Karate Division Chairman of the Okinawan Prefecture Athletic Association in 1930 and became a permanent officer of the Dai Nippon Butokukai (Japan Martial Virtues Association). 

 

 

On March 23, 1934, Chojun Miyagi wrote the document Toudijutsu Gaisetsu (‘An Outline of Karate-Do’) very rare to find and very technical on the almost spiritual training associated with Karate-Do.  By 1936 Mr. Chojun Miyagi is truly recognized by the Government of Japan with being awarded the medal for “Excellence in the Martial Arts” from the Japanese Ministry of Education.  That same year he went to train at the Chinese martial arts in Shanghai at the Seibu Dai Iku Kai or Great Gymnastic Association - Pure Martial Spirit.  Following what is now known as the Meeting of the Masters in 1935, Mr. Miyagi along with others who attended formed the ‘Great Japan Martial Arts Karate Teachers Association’ or ‘Dai Nippon Butokukai Karate Juk-KyOshi’, in 1937.  That same year he received the first doctorate degree in Karate.  After returning to Okinawa Mr. Miyagi, now teaching in his Dojo again as well as teaching Okinawan school Children, creates the Kata Gekisai Dai Ichi (1) and Ni (2). Chojun Miyagi’s students primarily studied four Kata: Sanchin, Sesan, Seiunchin and Tensho. These Kata are called the Kaishu forms but the Kata Sesan and Seiunchin were actually considered the training Kata of Goju-Ryu. These are very important Kata and must be thoroughly studied to understand Goju-Ryu. In 1940 1Chojun Miyagi and Shoshin Nagamine (Founder of Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu) created the Gekisai Kata to standardize Karate, make it easier to learn and to prepare young Okinawans for war. For this latter reason Gekisai Dai Ichi ends with a forward step instead of a backward one.

Master Miyagi had four boys and five girls. Tsuru was the oldest daughter and first born. Master Miyagi taught at his home, outside in his Garden Dojo. But he didn't teach regularly outside his own personal students.  He would occasionally Go to the Butoku-den in Naha (The Butoku-den was one of the few buildings that survived the World War II battles on Okinawa). Naha's Central Police buildings were rebuilt near the Butoku-den, which was torn down in the late l980's. A bronze bust of Chojun Miyagi was put up in the Butoku-den and was moved to the Naha Police Headquarters in 1987. Miyagi never awarded anyone a Black Belt. He was in the process of formulating requirements for the Black Belt however he died before he completed this. Leaving an unprecedented mark in the world of Karate-do and from his famous Garden Dojo and enough legendary students to carry his name into the history books of Martial Arts as the ‘Master”. Shihan Chojun Miyagi died October 8th, 1953.  He dedicated his entire life and fortune to Karate.

Meitoku Yagi

1912-

Born March 6, 1912 Meitoku Yagi is the highest ranking and most thoroughly knowledgeable party on Goju-Ryu. On a personal level, he is highly unpopularized on an International basis and humble in presence.

He inherited Chojun Miyagi's Belt and Uniform from the Miyagi family. After Master Miyagi passed away his family members had a meeting to decide who should be his successor. They made their decision based on loyalty, character, heritage, knowledge and formally presented the Master's Belt and Uniform. I displayed the Uniform and Belt at the 33rd anniversary Demonstration.                   Meitoku Yagi in 1997

In 1986 the late Emperor Hirohito awarded this man the Fourth Order of Merit for his outstanding contribution to Karate.  (The same Hirohito decorated Yamaguchi earlier in 1968 with the Fifth Order of Merit as well as Ranju-Hosho, the Blue Ribbon Medal). These recognigitions recognize the recipient as a National Living Treasure and are entrusted on to the most distinguished persons for their contributions to Japans Society.

Gogen Yamaguchi, former head of Japanese Goju-Ryu, recognized Yagi Sensei rightful heir to Miyagi's Okinawan system. Yamaguchi visited Okinawa many times (as well as Yagi visited Tokyo) to compare Kata and receive instruction in the advanced methods of Goju-Ryu.  Yagi Sensei has said “When I used to Go used to Tokyo I would train at Gogen Yamaguchi's Dojo and teach Goju-Ryu to his youngest sons and daughter. I should say that if you study in the modern day IKGA of their Dojo you can have confidence that you are learning the advanced methods of Goju-Ryu.”

Before the twenty-fifth anniversary of the death of Chojun Miyagi, Gogen Yamaguchi and Kanki Izumigawa went to his Dojo in Okinawa to receive instruction in Kata in March of 1978. Yamaguchi-Sensei studied with Master Miyagi for a short period of time and represented his system of Karate on mainland Japan.

Izumigawa-Sensei was a student of Seiko Higa (An Original student of Chojun Miyagi and classmate of Sensei Yagi) and began studying with Higa after the war. Izumigawa-Sensei taught in Kawasaki City, Japan. Both wanted their Kata to coincide with the Okinawan Kata.

Currently Meitoku Yagi is active, healthy, and sharp after studying Karate since age 13 when his grandfather took him to Miyagi's Dojo garden in 1925. After Miyagi's death, Meitoku Yagi founded the MeibuKan School of Okinawan Goju-Ryu, as well as the Okinawan Goju-Kai, an Association that includes all Okinawan Goju-Ryu styes.

Meitoku Yagi was known as "the Makiwara breaker" however he now plays the piano and recently learned to play the violin. And most recently in 1988 he was the Japanese National Champion of Chun-ji, the game of Chinese chess. In 1989 the Japanese champion as well as world champion. To this very day each morning health permitting, before the Children pass by his house on their way to school, Meitoku Yagi sweeps away the litter and dirt alongside the street of his home and Dojo.

Meitatsu Yagi and Meitetsu Yagi, the two sons of Meitoku Yagi, speak perfect English and are expected to walk in their fathers’ footsteps. Meitatsu Yagi is Hanshi 10th Dan, and President of the All Okinawa Goju-Kai Association. His younger brother Meitetsu Yagi is a Kyoshi 9th Dan, and one of the vice-presidents of the association.

[1] The copy of this Scroll written by Chojun Miyagi is used hare by permission from the Okinawan Budo Research Center, 1997

Japan & the Spread of Karate

To date, Goju Ryu Yamaguchi-ha is legitimately practiced in 74 different countries.  There are 33 countries associated in the Goju Ryu Kai International.  The primary spread of Goju Ryu world wide can be directly associated with the---

  • Yamaguchi Family

  • Gogen Yamaguchi

January 20th, 1909-May 20th, 1989

‘One Strike’[1]

 

Gogen Yamaguchi was born oshimi Yamaguchi on January 20th 1909, in the city of agoshima on the southern end of Kyushu Japan.  His father Tokutaro Yamaguchi was a merchant and later a schoolteacher and Superintendent, his mother Yoshimatsu was his fathers’ assistant.  Gogen Yamaguchi was also known in the world of Karate as ‘the Cat’. Yamaguchi was a small man, just over five feet and a mere 160 pounds, however he projected the impression of great bulk and solemnity and was first dubbed “the Cat” by American GI’s for his gliding walk and flowing hair.  He alone is primarily responsible for the spread of Goju Ryu in the world today.

Before training in the in Karate he studied Kendo (Japanese fencing). His first taste of Goju Ryu Karate-do however wasn't until his large family moved to Kyoto while he was in his teens that he began the serious study of Karate. With Sensei Takeo Maruta at the Maruta Dojo in Miyazai Kyushu.  Mr. Takeo Maruta was a carpenter by trade and student of Chojun Miyagi.  Mr. Yamaguchi later studied directly with Mr. Miyagi in 1929 after he and his then current teacher and friend Jitsuei Yogi wrote (1929) to Miyagi and invited him to come to Japan. In 1929 Gogen Yamaguchi invited Mr. Miyagi to visit Japan after a long wait he was introduced to Chojun Miyagi by Jitsuei Yogi (September 27, 1912 - November 1997). Upon Chojun Miyagi’s visit to the Japan to the schools of Kansai, Osaka, Ritsumei, Kyoto, and Doshisha Universities while Gogen attended Ritsumei Kan University.  There he studied law and of course in 1930 Sensei Yogi, together with Gogen Yamaguchi as the primary, co-founded the Ritsumei-Kan Dai-Gaku Karate Kenkyu Kai, the first Karate club at Ritsumei-Kan University.  The Ritsumei-Kan Karate-do Kenkyu Kai was the first University Karate club in western Japan and was infamous for its hard style training and fierce Karate fighters. Both Yogi and Yamaguchi attended Ritsumei-Kan University during which time Chojun Miyagi visited and Chojun Miyagi stayed in Sensei Yogi’s apartment. Until his death, Yogi was a close friend and advisor to Morio Higaonna and the IOGKF. Chojun Miyagi later named Mr. Yamaguchi the leader of the Goju Ryu on mainland Japan. In the early 1930’s Mr. Yamaguchi sketched out what would become the legendary signature Goju Ryu fist.  It is modeled after the right hand fist of Chojun Miyagi.

 

After graduating for Ritsumei Kan University in Kyoto (1934) That same year Yamaguchi Sensei invented Jiyu-Kumite which has become known today as sport and tournament Kumite; In 1935 he officially formed the All Japan Goju Kai Karate-Do Association (now today’s I.K.G.A.). Also in 1935: Mr. Yamaguchi began his travels with the Japanese Government as an intelligence officer and the first son of Mr. Yamaguchi (Norimi Gosei Yamaguchi) is born (June 25th, 1935).  During his military tour in Manchuria Yamaguchi was seized by the Russian military (1942) and so begins the fabled tales of Gogen Yamaguchi’s infamous time in the Russian Concentration camp and he battle and defeat of a live Tiger.  Gogen Yamaguchi had been slated for hard labor in the Russian POW camp. But the man impressed even his Russian captors. When they found out who he was, they had him give Karate lessons to the Russian troops. And so the captive became the master of the captors, who became his students. In 1945 after coming out of the Manchurian war camp and finishing his tour from World War II, he returned to Japan where he reopened his Karate Dojo and posted a sign outside reading Goju Ryu Kai.  Many people thought his school was forever closed and that he had been killed in the war. He decided to hold big weeklong exhibitions in Tokyo featuring all the various Chinese arts he had discovered during his years there as well as the traditional Japanese arts.   His school reopened and began a rapid expansion through a network of independent Goju Ryu schools that had went on to teach without formal leadership.  Through this expansion and with his unmistakable flair that, if it were in any other field, he would have to be described as a showman he built it into a powerful, sprawling Karate empire Mr. Gogen Yamaguchi established Goju-Kai Headquarters to Tokyo, Japan next to the legendary Giho-Kai Judo Institute. Shihan Yamaguchi effectively had Goju-Ryu formally registered into the Butoku-Kai, the official governing body and ‘Government’ Headquarters for the Japanese Martial Arts, similar to our own pentagon. 

Though a calm, sensitive person, Midori Yamaguchi displayed during that period the quiet strength and strong will characteristic of her.  Many have said that if Gogen Yamaguchi hadn't had Midori at his side during all these years he wouldn't have been able to organize his system. Some students have felt greater affection for Midori Yamaguchi than for the Gogen Yamaguchi. During the years of vigorous training at the height of Goju Ryu Kai’s influence Midori Yamaguchi played the part of a virtual Dojo Mom.  

Mr. Yamaguchi was actually awarded his rank of Renshi in 1940 although not returning to Japan for residency until 1945.  In 1950 Goju-Kai Headquarters was officially relocated to Tokyo Japan which contributed to an almost triple in membership to 450,000.   Five years later he officially chartered the I.K.G.A.  Later in 1964 Mr. Yamaguchi unified all the Karate Dojo in Japan to form the All Japan Karate Federation which is still in existence today as the Japan Karate Federation (JKF).

Prior to his death (in 1968), he was decorated by the Emperor of Japan with the Ranju-Hosho (Blue Ribbon Medal) and the fifth order of merit for his contribution to the martial arts.  In his most pictorial fame Yamaguchi produced and distributed a short film on training in Taikgyo or Waterfall training. In the winter of 1965, the outdoor excursion was held on the slopes of Mt. Nagano Ontake. Each day started off with Yamaguchi and his followers pouring ice water over themselves. During one of his mountainside excursions in the dead of winter heading a group of followers, without shoes and clad only in a thin Gi. This ‘waterfall’ involves practicing the Kihon Gata Sanchin and or Tensho as well as SanchinTensho, utilizing the Yo and In practice of Ibuki breathing. The power of the water fall forced the performers to maintain themselves there by when the film was mass distributed it marked the image of Goju Ryu Kai players as being close to invincible as was their reputation. In 1966 his Organization counted more than 1,200 Dojo and clubs and 600,000 members claimed for the Goju Ryu system.  Before passing away of natural causes Yoshimi Gogen Yamaguchi had become a Lawyer, Military officer, a Highly decorated war hero, a Shinto priest, an influential Yoga Practitioner (collaborating the significance of Karate Do to that of Yoga) as well as a Karate Master, father and Husband.[2]

Gosei Yamaguchi

June 29th, 1935-

Gosei Yamaguchi was born Norimi Gosei Yamaguchi on June 29th, 1935 in Kyoto - Japan, and is the eldest sibling of Gogen Yamaguchi who train Karate-Do.  He began his Karate training at age four with his father.  He spent his early Child hood (1939-1945) living in Manchuria China while his father was on duty serving in the Japanese military. 

Mr. Yamaguchi (as he prefers to be called by those who are not his students) earned the rank of Sho-Dan in Judo at the Kodokan nearby the home of his father while in High School.  He later studied Shotokan, Russian, and Commerce while attending Takushoku University (1952-1954) for two years and transferring.  On to Meiji Gakuin University (1954-1956) he graduated with a BA in English Literature at age 21.  Mr. Yamaguchi was sent to the USA by his father and began teaching in 1964 at San Francisco State University Karate club where his younger brothers Gosen Kishio Yamaguchi had already established a club and his youngest brother Goshi Hirofumi Yamaguchi assisted in promoting and teaching.  N. Gosei Yamaguchi officially became a staff instructor there in 1967.  On a Side note Kishio Yamaguchi (Gosen) returned home to help teach at the Honbu Dojo assisting his father and to continue his college studies.  He returned to San Francisco in 1966 with his new bride.  Then followed by returning to Japan and went on to become employed and later the Vice-President of the now Major Airline Japan Airlines (JAL) which would explain the sponsorship success of the Goju Ryu Kai by JAL through out the 1970’s.

In 1965 Mr. Gosei Yamaguchi formally established and was appointed head of the Goju-Kai Karate-Do, U.S.A and at the time of its conception was a formal part of the I.K.G.A.  Although now the Goju Ryu Kai USA has very few Shibu Dojo, the association at one time boasted Eighty six (86) schools and about Fifty thousand (50k) students in the USA (20 Thousand in New York / New Jersey area alone).  In 1972 Mr. Gosei Yamaguchi was named as ‘Instructor of the Year’ by “Black Belt Magazine” today’s most popular Martial Arts Magazine in the United States. 

At the time of the writing of this section (1997-98), Mr. Yamaguchi still teaches Kinesiology and self defense (not commonly called Karate in the eyes of Universities) at S.F.S.U and still heads the Goju-Kai Karate-Do, U.S.A. located at 97 Collingwood Ave. San Francisco, California (Due to close its doors on April 30th, 2000).  At almost 60 years in the study of study Goju Ryu, his current rank is 9th Dan Hanshi, Shihan. Mr. Gosei Yamaguchi still remains one of the legendary Karate-Ka in the United States today and still teaches Goju Ryu in its most classical form. He idealizes the martial arts as educational tools and approaches Karate from the points of view of psychology, physiology, physics, ethics and aesthetics, applying them to everyday life.   

 

Goshi Yamaguchi

September 28th, 1942-

Goshi Yamaguchi was born Hirofumi Goshi Yamaguchi September 28th, 1942 in Shinjing, Manchuria, to his mother Midori Yamaguchi and is the third son of Gogen Yamaguchi.

In 1951 at the age of eight Goshi Yamaguchi began his formal

Seceding his father, he was appointed the President of the All Japan Karate-do Goju-Kai Association (J.K.G.A.) and the International Karate-do Goju-Kai Association (I.K.G.A.) in 1990.

 

  • Kenzo Uchiage

Mr. Kenzo Uchiage is Studied jointly under Chojun Miyagi in Okinawa and Gogen Yamaguchi while at Ritsumikan University in Japan. Under their direction he was one of the early Goju Ryu karate ka to have received Menkyu from the Butokukai and to date has been involved in the study and spread of Goju Ryu for over 63 years and was elected to the Nippon Budokan Budo Koroh-Sho (Japan Martial Arts Award) in 1987. Kenzo Uchiage was born (1920) eldest son to Naojiro Uchiage. Naojiro Uchiage was originally born Naojiro Imata however at an early age his parents passed and he was adopted by the Uchiage family. Originally, the Imata family politically controlled five villages of the Kawachi District of Osaka spanning 400 years.

 

Just as Chogun Miyagi, Kenzo Uchiage was succeptable to athletics. Martial Arts training started with Judo (3rd Dan) and Sumo while he still attended Imamiya high school. Instead of pursueing a career as a professional Sumo wrestler (as asked by Grand Yokozuna Champion Tamanishiki) he persued his education at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto (1937) studing Law (post Gogen Yamaguchi having done so at the same School) and joined the University Karate club (originally founded by Jitsuei Yogi and Gogen Yamaguchi). In his fourth year he became the Ritsumeikan University team captain. (Shozo Ujita Sensei, former J.K.F. Vice-President and President of the J.K.F. Goju-Kai, was captain of the Ritsumeikan team one year senior of Kenzo. Uchiage Sensei and his classmate T. Kizaki Sensei later became Chairman of All Japan University Karate Federation). During his attendance at Ritsumeikan University, Mr. Kenzo Uchiage joined the Japanese Imperial Army from 1941 to 1945 during WWII, as an officer leading an airforce ground crew. He eventually returned to Ritsumeikan University and finished his Law Degree and to revive his activities in the Karate Club. Later he would coached at the University for two years and build his own dojo next to his house on his estate in Osaka. During this time the Rutsumeikan University Karate team again selected Gogen Yamaguchi to coach them. The University competition team included previous class/team mates Shozo Ujita and T, Kizaki. It was at these "last man standing" University competitions that Mas Oyama (Goju Ryu / Kyokushinkai) witnessed and decided to begin his own style of Karate Do specializing in Knock down type training .

[2] Of his Children there were five (5).  Three sons; Norimi Gosei Yamaguchi, Kishio Gosen Yamaguchi, Hirofumi Goshi Yamaguchi, and two daughters Wakako Gogyoku Yamaguchi and Makiko Yamaguchi.