CHAPTER 4 NIGHT TIME - GARDEN DOJO Anichi Sensei is finishing sanseiru Kata while Chojun Sensei watches on... Yame. Remember everything I have taught you here tonight Anichi, it is very important that you keep these key points safe and treas The attacker flies through the air and lands in the river! Hai Sensei. Arigato Gozaimashita. Alright Anichi, you can prepare the tea now. Sensei, is everything ok? Anichi Sensei moves into the house. Chojun Sensei remains outside looking up at the nights sky. Anichi Sensei returns after a few moments and comes up behind Chojun Sensei.
Yes Anichi, I m fine. But now I am becoming older, it is important that you continue to strive for perfection even more than you are now. There will come a day when people like you will have to continue what I have spent my life developing and protecting - Goju-ryu Karate. Hai Sensei, I understand. I will try even harder! Chojun Sensei turns around to face Anichi Sensei and smiles. Good boy Anichi. Now come, I will tell you about Ryu Ryu Ko tonight. The two move into Chojun Sensei s house and Anichi Sensei begins serving the tea. As you remember from last night Anichi, Ryu Ryu Ko had extraordinary speed and power, very similar to my own instructor. But he lived a very, very interesting and complex life. However, knowledge about his past his hard to find. I have travelled to China numerous times to try and find out more about this person, but details are very hard to come by. CHINA SHAOLIN TEMPLE
Ryu Ryu Ko was born into a noble class of family. During this time in China we know that only people from this type of family were allowed to practice the martial arts...... and study in the Shaolin temples.
I am unsure who his instructor was, however I do know that the training was very hard and very demanding. So does our Kata come from the Shaolin temples? I believe so Anichi, however I have refined and added to the system I created Gekisai Dai Ichi and Dai Ni and I also added Tensho, or Rokkishu, to our system. Between the work of my own instructor and I, we have refined it what we practice today. I see Sensei. The hard training must have really contributed to making Ryu Ryu Ko as strong as you say he was. CHINA FUKIEN KINGDOM A Castle
Yes Anichi. Ryu Ryu Ko s skill grew so great, that he was selected to become a personal body guard for the Fukien king. FUKIEN KING YOUNG RYU RYU KO My loyal guards, a time of desperation and turmoil is upon us. The people I rule and you protect are going to revolt against us. It is a time of civil war and I know we cannot stop the danger that approaches us all. Your families and your lives are in grave danger and I urge you to do what you can to protect yourselves and your kingdom! You may go now.
The guards walk down some stairs and begin talking amongst each other. The King has endangered our entire lives! We all know what is going to happen if we do not flee. I do not think running away from our problems is going to solve them my friends. But if we continue to protect the king, not only will we lose our own lives, but our families will also be killed. That s right. Look, we ve all devoted ourselves to the loyal service of our kingdom and ruler. But we cannot risk the safety of our families. What are we to do then my friends? If we run or move somewhere else and they find out we were guards, we will be killed anyway.
My friend is leaving for the underground tonight. We can hide with him until after the war. This life is not safe for any of us now! Who is with me? All the other guards raise their hands. Ryu Ryu Ko nods and agrees. So Ryu Ryu Ko really had no choice but to hide underground until the war was over. But afterwards he had to watch his back. It is also said that he chose to live separate from his family to protect them from a dire fate. Ryu Ryu Ko had to survive after the war by working on farms, working as a builder and then eventually by becoming a bamboo craftsman.
He settled in Fuzhou in Southern China. He began teaching and became quite famous in his area. CHINA INSIDE RYU RYU KO S HOUSE Ryu Ryu Ko is sitting in his work shop working with some bamboo. I am not sure where our style was heading until that fateful knock at the door. A knock comes from the door. Ryu Ryu Ko answers it. Who is it?
Master, I have come to recommend a student for the Martial arts. This is Kanryo Higaonna of Okinawa. Ryu Ryu Ko grins. That s incredible story Sensei. And it is just one of many in the history of our style Anichi! Now come, its late, you must go home. Hai Sensei. Thank you for training. Good night. Sleep well Anichi, see you tomorrow. Chojun Sensei watches Anichi Sensei leave the garden dojo and again pauses to look up at the stars... IN THE NEXT GOJU-RYU MASTERS Kanryo Higaonna Sensei returns to Okinawa to face his father s murders. TO BE CONTINUED...