all Okinawan’s. It was a difficult environment to have to grow up in. Many things
today’s youth take for granted, the Okinawan’s did not. Using the bottom half of
Coca-Cola can for a drinking glass was just one of the small everyday practices
that Higaonna Sensei and his family were faced with during this trying period. It
was perhaps these hard early years that began to forge the impenetrable spirit of
our Master.
There was an interest of martial arts in Higaonna Sensei from a young age and
after seeing his father training at home in Karate with friend he was inspired to
learn himself. He joined the Karate club training at the Naha commercial High
School and worked hard to earn the clubs student Vice-president position. He
also struck up a friendship with Tsunetaka Shimabukuro and the two began training Shimabukuro’s front garden regularly. Shimabukaro Sensei taught Higaonna
Sensei Seiyunchin Kata and seeing the promise and potential in his friend, suggested that he present himself for training at the famous garden Dojo of Chojun
Miyagi Sensei, the founder of the Goju-ryu Karate style .
Chojun Miyagi Sensei had passed away a few years earlier, but a number of students were still teaching in his place. A young Morio Higaonna was very nervous
and clutching the training fee money his mother had given him tight in his hand,
he made his way to the Garden Dojo with Shimabukuro Sensei’s introductions.
Once the formalities were over he took his first steps in the Goju-ryu circle to
which his mastery would become legend. A man a few years older than he
quickly caught his eye. With lightning fast techniques and precise timing, Higaonna Sensei quickly decided this was the man he wanted to learn from.
Anichi Miyagi Sensei was only 24 at the time and up until his teachers death, had
studied in private under Chojun Miyagi Sensei daily. Anichi Sensei was taught all
the Kata and Bunkai by the founder and he understood the principles and teaching methods of the founder better than most.
Higaonna Sensei wanted his instruction and it did
not take long until his extreme effort and
determination stood out and Anichi Sensei
quickly picked him up as an outstanding pupil.
The two forged a relationship as student and
teach and history had begun to written. Higaonna
Sensei also came to know Chojun Miyagi
Sensei’s wife, as he would often arrive early to
clean the Dojo and do chors prior to training. She
would often tell him of Chojun Miyagi and the
high morals he should adhere by.
As time progressed and the popularity and modernisation of Karate began, the senior students of
the Dojo decided it was time to move on from the
Garden Dojo and set up an indoor location and
thus the Jundokan Dojo was built. Anichi Miyagi
Sensei was one of these seniors and as a loyal