He
studied Law at Kansei University in 1928 and Ritsumeikan
University from 1929 to 1937 and received Law Degrees
according to his son, Norimi Yamaguchi. During hiscollege
days as a Law student, Yamaguchi Sensei had established
his first Karate do Dojo at the Ritsumeikan University
in Kyoto. Soon the dojo became famous in the city,
known for its hard training and fierce breathing exercise.
In those days students of karate do practised only kata
(formal movements) and yakusoku kumite (prearranged
sparring) and were unable to have matches between each
other since they always fought with full contact and did
not hold back their techniques. It was during this period
that Gogen Yamaguchi Sensei created the first stages towards
what is known as jiyu kumite (free fighting), and
established rules to decide the winner of a match. Some
of the rules are still in use today in
what
is known as sport or competition karate.
In 1931, at the
age of 22, Gogen Yamaguchi Sensei had been introduced
to the founder of the Goju style, - Master Chojun
Miyagi. This meeting proved to have a profound affect
upon Sensei Yamaguchi's outlook on karate. Previously
he had only considered the hard aspect of Goju
but after his meeting with Master Miyagi he was determined
to train himself spiritually as well as physically. Master
Miyagi thought highly of his new student who seemed
to have mastered the hard aspect of Goju so well
and gave him the nickname Gogen, meaning "Rough". He then
appointed Gogen Yamaguchi as his successor of the Goju
school in Japan.
During the years
to follow, Gogen Yamaguchi Sensei often spent long stays
at Mount Kurama where he subjected himself to ascetic
exercises and hard training with Sanchin, meditation,
and fasting. Between 1938-1945 he was sent to Manchuria
on government and military assignments. On several occasions
during his stay there, he attributed his skills in karate
and his mental training for the fact that he had remained
alive. During the Japanese-Russian war, Gogen Yamaguchi
was taken prisoner of war and sent to a prison camp in
Mongolia. He was kept there under harsh conditions for
two years. Once again his strength and skill were severely
put to the test. During all these years he still continued
to train and develop Goju karate.
After his release
and return to Japan, Gogen Yamaguchi became one of the
most exciting figures in karate history. Known throughout
the world as "The Cat" because of his grace and speed
in movement and because of his favourite fighting stance,
Neko Ashi Dachi (cat leg stance). Many also argue
that he was called "The Cat" because during his time as
a P.O.W. in the Japanese-Russian war, he was locked up
with a tiger and he killed it. (This position has been
discussed further by various karate ka and will be linked
to this page.)
Master
Yamaguchi's contributions to Goju Ryu karate do
and to karate do in general have been enormous. Under
his leadership the International Karate-do Goju-Kai
Association (I.K.G.A) has emerged. The organization
has increased in popularity both in Japan and other Asian
and Western countries around the world. Today there are
about 60-70 countries teaching Goju-Kai karate.
Master Yamaguchi succeeded in uniting all the karate schools
in Japan into a single union which resulted in the formation
of The Federation of All Japan Karate-do Organization
(F.A.J.K.O.) in 1964. The Kokusai Budo Renmei
- (The International Martial Arts Federation) in Japan,
whose chairman is Prince Higashikuni of the Japanese Imperial
Family appointed Master Yamaguchi as Shihan (Master)
of the organizations karate division. He added to the
Goju system the Taikyoku Kata forms, - training
methods for the beginner students to prepare them for
the more advanced kata.
In
combining his religious practices with karate do training,
he incorporated both Yoga and Shinto into
Goju-Kai karate do and founded in recent years
Goju-Shinto. He stated that both body and mind
are interrelated and through proper breathing and concentration
the Karate ka will be able to understand the essence of
the martial arts. This is the reason why the Goju
school uses the unique breathing exercise called ibuki.
Concentrating all the muscular strength at one point,
bringing mind and body into a coherent whole.
Some
have argued that 'Never before has a single man had such
profound effect on the development and propagation of
karate-do.' Master Gogen Yamaguchi, 10th Dan
(level), was a man of intense dedication and determination
can truly be called a karate legend. A master of Yoga
and a Shinto priest, a man that truly has united
both aspects of go and ju into a concerted
union. 1.
Gogen
Yamaguchi and Paul Starling exchanging their countries
flags on the occasion of a training tour to the Honbu
Dojo in Suginammi, for one month in 1980, for over 30
of PaulsGoju Kai students from Sydney Australia. This
was the first of many such training tours to Japan and
Europe.
Grandmaster
Gogen Yamaguchi Hanshi travelled to Australia on two occasions,
1970 & 1972. During both visits he stayed at the home
of Paul Starling Shihan and his parents. The Goju Kai
members from Sydney , and Victorian hold precious memories
of training in the presence of Yamaguchi Kaiso, and many
hundreds of Australian members have since taken the opportunity
to train in his Hombu Dojo in Suginami Ku.
Paul Starling Shihan was the first graduate as Shihan
of Gogen Sensei's prestigious Nihon Karate do Senmon Gakko,
Japan Karate do College, whereby Grandmasters Inoue Motokatsu-
Ryukyu Kobujitsu, Ohtsuka Hironori-Wado Ryu , and
Tamae Sensei-Rembukan, as well as Iwata Manzao-Shito Ryu
, all taught regularly along side Yamaguchi Gogen Hanshi
and his son Yamaguchi Goshi Shihan.
Goju
Kai practitioners throughout the world mourned the passing
of Gogen Yamaguchi Kaiso in 1989. He had been married
twice and had five children, Gosei Norimi Yamaguchi, Gosen
Kishio Yamaguchi, Makiko Yamaguchi, Goshi
Hiroufumi Yamaguchi, Makiko Yamaguchi and Gokyoko Wakako
Yamaguchi. All of his children practiced Karate do. Gosei
Shihan has his own organisation in the United states of
America and Goshi Shihan is the President of the International
Karate do Goju Kai with branches in 60 countries. Gosen
Shihan passed away recently and was fully involved in
the running of the IKGA. Wakako Shihan was an All Japan
Kata Champion and like her brothers a dedicated and inspirational
instructor. Makiko Yamaguchi passed away in the 1980's
.2.
References
1.De
Jong, Ingo, Goju-Kai Karate-do Hard and Soft
in Harmony - Volume 1. [ Sweden, 1989] Jakobsbergs
Tryckeri AB.
In
1966 his Organization counted more than 1,200 Dojo and clubs
and 600,000 members claimed for the Goju Ryu system. Before
passing away of natural causes Yoshimi Gogen Yamaguchi had
trained as a Lawyer, Military officer, a was said to have
been a highly decorated war hero. He was a Shinto priest,
and an influential Yoga Practitioner (aligning the significance
of Karate Do to that of Yoga) He was at the same time a
Karate Master, a father and Husband.