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Updated Curriculum Guide
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The term karate is often used to describe any number of the Oriental Martial Arts. However, karate (which means "with empty hand") actually refers specifically to the weaponless Okinawan Martial Arts. GoJu Ryu (translated "hard-soft style") is one of the major karate styles in Okinawa. It was founded by Miyagi Chojun Sensei (1888-1953). As its name suggests, GoJu Ryu combines the strikes and kicks characteristic of the "harder" karate styles with the redirection of force and joint manipulation more common to "softer" styles. Karate begins and ends with Kata, or forms. Kata is the essence and foundation of Karate, and it represents the accumulation of more than a thousand years of knowledge. Formed by numerous masters throughout the ages through dedicated training and research, the Kata are like a map to guide us, and as such must never be changed or tampered with.
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