“The only detail we can be sure of is that around the year 1828 a Chinese system from Fujian was being taught and studied.” (Miyagi Chojun, 1936)

Very little is known about the early development of To-Te (China Hand) in Okinawa.

It is generally agreed that the Chinese martial arts first arrived in Okinawa with Chinese immigrants. During the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) Chinese families were often sent on cultural and diplomatic missions all over South-East Asia to strengthen trade relations and to make China’s many civilized advantages available to the kingdoms which paid homage to the Emperor.

Such an exchange occurred in Okinawa in 1392, when 36 Chinese families immigrated to the port city of Naha from Fujian Province, China. These families settled in the district which would latter become known as Kumemurra village. Today this district in Naha is better known as Kume.

Along with their language, art, food, technologies, and other cultural art forms, the Chinese settlers would also bring their rich martial arts traditions. This Chinese origin for Goju Ryu Karate is mentioned by Miyagi Chojun Sensei when meeting with other masters in 1936, to discuss the future of Karate. At that historical meeting, Miyagi was asked about the origins of the style which he taught, to which he replied:

“The only detail we can be sure of is that around the year 1828 a Chinese system from Fujian was being taught and studied.” (Miyagi, 1936)

It is important to note that the date mentioned by Miyagi precedes by several decades the date of his own teacher’s (Kanryu Higaonna’s) trip to China in 1873. This is because Kanryu Higaonna had teachers in Okinawa before his trip to China. His first To-Te teacher was a Kume born man named Aragaki Seisho (1840-1918) and Aragaki’s teacher was a Chinese man named Wai Xianxian. Though the date of Wai Xianxian’s birth is unknown, it is possible, if he was Aragaki’s senior by many years, that he was the one who had “unfolded” the teachings which would later become Goju Ryu in 1828. It is therefore probable that Miyagi Chojun Sensei was referring to Wai. It is also interesting to note that both Gichin Funakoshi Sensei and Soshin Nagamine Sensei were of the opinion that Wai was the original source of the Naha-Te system.

Very little is known about the life of Wai Xianxian and what we do know can be summed up in three very general points:

1. He was a military attaché serving as an official military representative for the Chinese Emperor in Okinawa.
2. He taught the martial arts to several students linked to the Okinawan court.
3. He left China around 1870 and would eventually teach at the Kojo Dojo; a dojo supported by the family of one of his students (Kojo Tatei) and which was located in the Okinawan district of Fuzhou city in the province of Fujian, China.

In addition to this, oral history preserved within the Meibukan lineage, as taught by Anthony Mirakian Sensei (Hanshi), recounts that after many arduous attempts Wai would finally succeed in becoming a Shih,
or Chinese Knight, at the ripe old age of 73.

As to the specific name of the style of Chinese martial arts Wai taught, no concrete evidence has ever been found. Gichin Funakoshi however proposed that the style was called Zhao Ling or Shorei Ryu. A name meaning “Enlightenment style” and that the differences between the Shuri-Te and Naha-Te systems could be explained by their differing root styles: Shorin Ryu (Shaolin) for Shuri-Te and Shorei Ryu (Enlightenment Style) for Naha-Te. However, it is possible that this distinction was simply taken from a similar one used in the Chinese martial arts between Buddhist and Taoist based styles.

Legendary Prowess:

Wai was known for his superhuman griping power. Morio Higaonna reports that Wai was once challenged by a young martial arts upstart who proudly displayed his strength by crushing a bamboo pole with his bare hands. In response to this challenge, an elderly Wai is reported to have simply ripped a bamboo pole apart in the same manner. The structure of bamboo makes this feet extremely difficult. The young upstart was so impressed that Wai avoided any further confrontation.

Wai had several students including: Shimabuku of Higashi no Uemonden (1800s), Higa of Kunenboya (1800s) and Matsumura Sokon (1798-1890). But perhaps more importantly the two students which continued teaching his system in Okinawa were: Aragaki Seisho (1840-1918) and Kojo Tatei (1837-1917).

              
Aragaki Seisho

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