The Arrival: Goju-Ryu in the Americas

Friday, September 14, 2012 by C. Michial Jones

The story of Goju-Ryu in the West begins with the founder himself. In 1934, Grandmaster Chojun Miyagi was invited to the American territory of Hawaii by the Yoen Jiho Sha (Okinawan Newspaper). Miyagi Sensei spent nearly a year touring the islands, performing demonstrations and teaching the Okinawan community. While this planted the seeds in the Pacific, it would take another twenty-five years for the art to take root on the American mainland.

The First Wave (1959–1960)

The introduction of Goju-Ryu to the mainland was threefold, arriving through different lineages almost simultaneously:

• Japanese Goju-Kai (1959): Peter Urban Sensei, a student of the famed Gogen “The Cat” Yamaguchi, introduced the Japanese branch of the art to the East Coast. Urban was instrumental in establishing the Goju-Kai in the U.S. before later forming his own “USA Goju” system.
• Toledo, Ohio (1959): Jack Coleman Sensei, a student of Kanki Izumikawa, began teaching in Ohio after returning from Japan. His efforts laid the groundwork for what would become the Gojuryu Karate-do Kyokai (GKK).
• The Great Lakes (1959): John Roseberry Sensei, a student of Seikichi Toguchi, began teaching Shoreikan Gojuryu at the Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois.
• Okinawan Meibukan (1960): Anthony Mirakian Sensei introduced the Meibukan branch to Watertown, Massachusetts. Mirakian was a senior student of Meitoku Yagi.

The West Coast and the Jundokan Connection

By the mid-1960s, the sons of Gogen Yamaguchi—Gosen and Gosei—had established a firm Goju-Kai presence in San Francisco. However, 1964 also marked a pivotal moment for our specific lineage:

Larry Pickel, a student of Eiichi Miyazato (the founder of the Jundokan), returned from Okinawa and founded the Jundokan of Indiana. Pickel began teaching in Chesterfield, Indiana. This dojo would become a cornerstone for traditional karate in the Midwest, eventually spawning one of American Karate’s most influential leaders: Glenn Keeney Sensei.

The Surge of the Jundokan and Shoreikan

The late 1960s saw a significant influx of high-level Okinawan instructors:

• Teruo Chinen Sensei (1969): A student of Miyazato Sensei, Chinen arrived in Spokane, Washington. He remained in the U.S. and eventually founded Jundokan International, becoming a primary influence on traditional practitioners across North America.
• Shoreikan Immigrants: Between 1966 and 1969, practitioners like Shoichi Yamamoto (Kansas), Akira Kawakami (New York), John Roseberry (Nebraska) and Toshio Tamano (California) brought Toguchi Sensei’s Shoreikan methodology to the heart of the country.
• The New York Contingent: Mike Mancuso and Natambu Bomani, both students of Eiichi Miyazato, returned from Okinawa to establish Jundokan roots in New York and Ithaca.
• Boston: Motto Yamakura, a student of Seigo Tada began teaching Seigokan Gojuryu.

A Legacy of Spread

Since those early pioneers, the art has been carried forward by a dedicated group of practitioners who have ensured that the Okinawan flame remains lit in America. Names like Morio Higaonna, Chuck Merriman, Kimo Wall, and Lloyd C. Johnson (both II and III) represent the high standard of technical integrity that followed the first wave.

For those of us training today in Ithe USA, we must remember that we are part of this timeline. We aren’t just practicing a sport; we are maintaining a historical transmission that traveled from Miyagi to Miyazato, then across the ocean to men like Pickel and Keeney, and finally to the dojo floor where you stand today.