Description
The true essence of Goju Ryu karate is to be found in the basic techniques from which the art is constructed. Each is a part of the formula, code, or one could say, the DNA of the style, and their mastery, the key to its inner secrets. It naturally follows therefore that even if a single technique is neglected, ignored, or abandoned, the complete art can never be acquired. Also included are reflex training methods, tai-sabaki evasion movements, and the trademark nerve attacks, grips, and locks that make Goju Ryu so effective at close-range.
For centuries training in basic techniques has been recognised as the path to mastery of the martial arts. Samurai General Yamamoto Kansuke wrote: “Even if you have studied hard in the past to acquire knowledge and ability in the martial arts, it will come to nothing unless you continually practise…I have studied martial arts every day since childhood and have yet to reach the heart of the matter.” This is as true today as when it was written more than four hundred years ago.
