Gojuryu and Ryueiryu: The Connection?

When conducting research, it is very hard to sift through what is fact and what is fiction in any Okinawan karate style, the lack of written records, the destruction of Okinawa during World War II and the fact that much of the history was passed down by oral traditions, has most certainly contributed to the issue.  In the past two decades karate historians, such as, misters Tokashiki Iken, Patrick McCarthy, Joe Swift, and Mario McKenna, have continued to bring to light new evidence and theories, opening the doors of history, long thought locked.

For the purpose of my discussion here, I will stick with the most commonly accepted historical accounts and then provide my own thoughts, research and theories.

Higaonna Kanryo

The Goju-ryu style of Karate is considered one of the major styles of karate in Okinawa and Japan, its history is better known, so I will just give a brief synopsis of it here. The style has it’s beginnings with Higaonna Kanryo Sensei.  As a child Higaonna Sensei trained under Aragaki Seisho Sensei (Aragaki Tsuji Pechin Seisho). Later he briefly trained with Kojo Taitei Sensei of the Kojo-ryu. He traveled to China where he became a student of Ryu Ryu Ko (different years have been cited for his training under Ryu Ryu Ko 1867, 1868, 1869, 1873, and 1877), with whom he trained for 15 years (the exact amount of time is up for debate) before returning to Okinawa. After his return to Okinawa he eventually began to teach what became known as Naha-te. The man considered by many to be his successor was Miyagi Chojun Sensei, who took Higaonna Sensei’s teachings and combined them with his own to create Goju-Ryu. Higaonna Sensei also taught several others who went on to form their own ryu-ha, most notable is Kyoda Juhatsu Sensei, the founder of To’on-Ryu (an alternate pronunciation of Higaonna’s name)

Nakaima Kenri

In contrast, Ryuei-ryu is not as well known, so I will provide a little more history. The Ryuei-ryu (劉衛流,) style of karate was first introduced to Okinawa around 1875 by Nakaima Kenri Sensei (sometimes spelled as Namaima Norisato). Born of wealthy parents in Kume, Naha, Nakaima Sensei was a good scholar and, at the age of 19, went to Fuchou, China for advanced studies in the martial arts. There a former guard to the Chinese embassies in the Ryukyu Islands introduced him to a Chinese boxing teacher known as Ru Ru Ko. Nakaima Sensei was accepted as a disciple, and, after 5-6 years of training, received a certificate of graduation from the master. After leaving Ru Ru Ko, he traveled around China and collected several weapons to take back home with him. Back in Okinawa, Nakaima Sensei passed this Chinese boxing style in secret to his son Nakaima Kenchu Sensei, who then went on to teach it to his son, Nakaima Kenko Sensei (founder of the Ryuei Ryu Karate and Kobudo Preservation Society). In 1971, at the age of 60, Nakaima Kenko Sensei realized that in today's world there was no longer a need to keep his family's fighting system a secret, and so, with some hesitation, he took on a group of 20 school teachers as karate students, Nakaima Kenko Sensei passed away in 1989, leaving his son Nakaima Kenji Sensei as his heir and current Grandmaster of Ryuei-ryu, however his most famous student was Sakumoto Tsuguo Sensei

Some historians say that the Ryu Ryu Ko of Ryuei-Ryu is not the same Ryu Ryu Ko of Goju-ryu. Iken Tokashiki Sensei and Patrick McCarthy Sensei have brought forth research that Ryu Ryu Ko was Xie Zhongxiang, born in Changle, Fujian, to a noble family which lost its status in political turmoil of the time. Xie was the founder of Míng hè quán (鳴鶴拳, Whooping Crane Fist), which he based on the white crane he learned from his teacher Pan Yuban (Kwan Pang Yuiba), who’s teacher was Lin Shixian (who was a student of Fāng Qīniáng, the originator of the first White Crane martial art). He had to conceal his name and aristocratic lineage and took on the name Ryu Ryu Ko, under which he worked, making household goods from bamboo and cane. He has been teaching martial arts at his home to a very small group of students, which included Higaonna Kanryō, who they say stayed with Ryu Ryu Ko from 1867 to 1881. Ryu Ryu Ko expanded his class to an actual public school in 1883, running it with his assistant, Wai Shinzan (Wai Xinxian, Wu Lu Chin). It is also said that he had a son named Xie Tsuxiang.  Xie Zhongxiang’s current living direct descendant is his great-grandson, Xie Wenliang.
Some historians do not agree with Xie Zhongxiang identification, it's been suggested that Ryu Ryu Ko taught other styles of southern Chinese martial arts, or even that Ryu Ryu Ko was the name of the place, rather than a person. Higaonna Morio Sensei is one such researcher who disagrees with the Xie theory. Higaonna Sensei has traveled to China several  times and his current research suggests that Ryu Ryu Ko could possibly be one of the “Ten Tigers of Canton”. I for one will be interested to see how his current research unfolds.

Ok, now for my theory, Ryuei-ryu to me is technically a very interesting style, I can see hints of Goju-ryu with some add-mixtures of Shorin-ryu. Both Goju-ryu and Ryuei-ryu have quite a few kata in common, even their execution is very similar. However, I find that it is more than a coincidence that there are several kata in-common between the two styles.

If we look at the years (1867, 1868, 1869 and 1873) that are given for when Higaonna Sensei began his training with Ryu Ryu Ko and then we look at the year that has been Given for Nakaima Kenri Sensei’s introduction of his style to Okinawa, 1875, we see that there is a good possibility that Nakaima and Higaonna were both in China training with Ryu Ryu Ko at the same time. If this is the case then it is easy to see why there are such strong similarities between the two styles.  Regardless of whether or not they were both in China and training at the same time or not; the fact that the dates for both are so close, makes me think that they at least had the same teacher. So, I am not completely sold on the Xie theory either, Iken Sensei and McCarthy Sensei make strong and compeling arguments, but I am curious as to one fact. The kanji used for the first character (劉Ryu or Lui) in Ryuei-ryu was said to have been in honor of Nakaima Kenri Sensei’s teacher. In fact the Nakaima family has constantly manitained the the first kanji was from Ryu Ryu Ko’s name. If this is the case and Ryu Ryu Ko’s name is actually Liu (劉) could he be a relative of the Liu family?  If you look at the character used by the Nakaima family and the charater used by the Liu family, they are the same. Is it possible that instead of Whooping Crane, Goju-ryu and Ryuei-ryu are desendant from Feeding Crane? Could Ryu Ryu Ko be Liu Long Gung?

Due to the lack of written records and the fact that most Okinawan teachers passed there stories down by word of mouth, we may never have a difinative answer on who Ryu Ryu Ko really was or wasn’t, but it is enough to make you go hmmmm….

Now I could be spinning my wheels, it is also possible that Nakaima Kenko Sensei got some forms from Miyagi Sensei.  In an interview given by Arashiro Tomohiro Sensei, he stated that his teacher, Nakaima Kenko Sensei and Miyagi Sensei met with each other now and then. It has also been suggested that the Nakaima and Miyagi families were related.  Is it possible that Miyagi and Nakaima, trained together because they believed that they shared a common lineage?

Miyagi Sensei in his 1934 pamplet "Karate-do Gaisetsu" tells us that the Goju-ryu system was originated from a Chinese Kempo school that was established in Naha around 1828. We know some prominent masters of this school: were Higaonna Kanryō (founder of Naha-te), Arakaki Seishō, Kenri Nakaima (1850-1927) (founder of Ryūei-ryū), Sakiyama Kitoku (1830-1914), Kojo Taitei (1837-1915), Maezato Ranpo (1838-1904), Matsuda Tokusaburo (1877-1931). All who were possibly students of Ryu Ryu Ko.
It is almost apparent that a version of Southern White crane became Naha Te, there is enough similarity in Goju-ryu and Ryuei-ryu that a claim could be made that the differences were solely base on the two different men’s memory. What about the other kata of Ryuei-Ryu you say, it is also possible that Nakaima was in China longer and thus learned more, or that Higaonna choose not to include these kata. But without written documents this is all theory or assumptions. Research will continue and the future is full of possibilities.