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Shirokai
Arts
Martial
History Chart of Goju-Ryu Karate
Larry Davenport began studying Goju-Ryu under Larry Pickel in 1965.
He then became Mr. Keeney's student when Mr. Keeney became the sole owner of the Komakai Academy. Mr. Davenport earned his black belt
June 7, 1970 from
Master Robert
Trias.
Mr. Curt Jones started
studying under
Mr. Keeney in 1967.He
earned his black belt
in October of 1979. In
1989 Mr. Jones opened His own dojo "Komakai Academy of Marion". He is a recipient of the Large Double Bladed Axe. He is very good at self defense work. Mr. Jones started teaching
Mr. Andrew White
in 1989.
Mr. Andrew White
began karate in 1989 under Mr. Curt Jones at the Komakai Academy of Marion. He earned his black belt in 1993. Mr. White was most recently promoted to 6th degree black belt in 2019 by Mr. Davenport. On November 9, 2019, Mr. White opened Shirokai Martial Arts in Marion, IN. Shirokai means
"House of White".
Goju-Ryu
was named
in 1930
Robert Trias is the one who brought karate to the United States in 1946. He is known as the "Father of American Karate". He established and systemized the Shorei Syle in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1947 he started the United States Karate Association (USKA). Master Phillip Koeppel was his second in command.
Higaonna's
student, Chojun
Miyagi, took over
after Higaonna died
in 1915. Miyagi added
on to Naha-Te to
create Goju-Ryu. Miyagi is the founder of
Goju-Ryu. Goju-Ryu means "Hard and Soft". He taught Goju-Ryu in his garden dojo.
Kanryo Higaonna went to China and learned Chinese Kempo from Master Ryu-Ryu-Ko. He later returned to his home in Okinawa. He then began to teach Naha-Te. Naha-Te was the combination of the Chinese Kempo he learned and the Ancient Art of Te. Naha-Te was named after Higaonna's hometown of Naha.
Karate began in China in 517 A.D. with an Indian prince named Dharma.
Start
Here
Larry Pickel was
a US Marine stationed
in Okinawa. While there, he studied Goju-Ryu from Ei'ichi Miyazato and earned his black belt. When he returned to the USA, he established a karate school in Anderson, Indiana.
The school was later
renamed to Komakai
Academy of Karate.
Mr. Miyagi's
student, Ei'chi
Miyazato took over Miyagi's garden dojo after Miyagi's death in 1953. In 1957 Miyazato built the Jundokan Dojo because the garden dojo was too small. Jundokan means "House of Father's Way", honoring Miyagi and showing Miyazato's intentions to pass on Miyagi's teachings.
Glenn Keeney started studing Goju-Ryu with Mr. Pickel in 1963. By 1969, he had become the sole owner of the Komakai Academy. Mr. Keeney was very well known in the karate community. He competed in many tournaments and earned many awards. Some of them include: Top Ten US Fighter(for 9 years), ranked #4 by Black Belt Magazine 1974, Instructor of the Year 1977, as well as Promoter of the Year. Mr. Keeney founded the Professional Karate Commission (PKC) in 1986 with the help of Joe Corley and Don Willis. After Mr. Trias died in 1989, Mr. Keeney founded the PKC Point Circuit. Mr. Keeney sadly passed away in 2021.
End
Meanwhile in
1922,Gichin Funakoshi
(a retired schoolteacher) was chosen to introduce karate to the Japanese mainland. He was chosen because he was an educated gentleman. His involvement helped establish karate as a major martial art in Japan. He is known as the "Father of Modern Karate".
Karate came from three villages in Okinawa.
Shuri
Tomari
Naha
(Goju-Ryu)
-
18 I-Chin (Sanchin) Exercises became the first recorded kata.
-
They became a self defence system called Chinese Kempo
-
Kempo means "Fist Way"
Dharma crossed the Himalayan Mountains on foot, arriving in China. He taught Buddhist Monks the 18 I-Chin Exercises, a series of hand and breath movements.
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