Meibukan

Meibukan (明武舘) is a branch of Gojyu-ryu Karate. It was created by Meitoku Yagi Dai Sensei, a senor student of Gojyu-ryu's founder, Chojun Miyagi. Meibukan means "House of the pure-minded warrior."

 

Yagi Sensei opened the first Meibukan dojo in 1952. He was the first and only student of Master Miyagi to be given permission. He was given the calligraphy (Oku myo zai ren shin). Yagi is the recognised Menkyo Kaden of the Gojyu-ryu style as he was the recipient of Miyagi's gi and obi in 1963.

 

Meibukai karateka practice Goju-ryu kata as well as a set of kata known as the Meibuken.

 

There are several maxims used in Meibukan—some are particular to the style, while others are common to other styles of Goju-ryu and karate. The following are some of the more common sayings.

• Oku myo zai ren shin. "Practice with a good heart."

• Oku myo zai hyaku ren sen tan. "Train a hundred times, train a thousand times."

• Nangi go gokui. "The secrets of training are revealed through hard work."

• Ryu su fu sen kyo. "Running water in a stream faces no barriers."

• Kan chiku fu sho. "The pine tree bends in the wind. The bamboo is hard in the cold."