This is the primary system of traditional karate taught at Calasanz. Goju Ryu originated on the island of Okinawa, located between Japan and China. Goju Ryu is a blend of a traditional Okinawan fighting art known as Naha-te and Chinese Kung-Fu. The founder of Goju Ryu, Higaonna Kanryo Sensei (1853-1915) traveled to China to study the art of Kempo. Higaonna spent approximately 13 years in Fuzhou, China studying this style which he later integrated it into the native Okinawan arts upon his return. Higaonna’s successor, Miyagi Chojun (1888-1953) changed the name to Goju Ryu, based on a line in a classical martial arts text known as the Bubishi. This particular passage reads “Ho Goju Donto,” or the way of breathing is hardness and softness. Goju, Go meaning hard and Ju meaning soft, is a balanced system of hand-to-hand combat that integrates power and speed and flowing and circular movements. The soft movements emphasize the development of chi, while the hard focus on the development of strength.

Calasanz’s students enjoy the rigorous training that Goju Ryu offers. Grace, who has been studying Goju Ryu with Calasanz since the mid-1980’s is a Goju Ryu enthusiast. “We place great emphasis on developing good, solid basic techniques.” says Grace. “Very often, we inherit students from other systems who learned hundreds of combinations, but are unable to execute a strong horse stance or throw a decent punch. What we do is drill the basics and then introduce our students to the bunkai or the practical application of the movements in the Goju Ryu katas.” says Grace.

Calasanz’s students enjoy competing in kata and point fighting. Point fighting is a non-contact sparring match where the competitor’s goal is to score points as opposed to a knockdown. Don’t let the name fool you. Point fighting is challenging and requires immense skill. Traditional martial arts weapons, such as the staff, nunchaku, and sai are also taught at Calasanz’s schools. Basic weapon movements as well as katas and their practical applications are emphasized. Weapons training is generally reserved for students who are proficient in empty hand movements, as the weapon is viewed as an extension of the hand.