Ei'ichi Miyazato
Successor to Chojun Miyagi
and Founder of Jundokan
(1922 - 1999)
Ei’ichi Miyazato (1922-1999) was recognized as the highest authority on Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do in the world after the death of of his teacher. He served as the senior most technical advisor for the Japan Karate Federation Goju-Kai, the governing body for all Okinawan and Japanese Goju-Ryu Karate. He was on the technical examination committee. Presently the JKF is amending the Kata for all Goju-Ryu schools to follow that as taught within the Jundokan. Additionally, he was the chairman and technical director for the World Jundokan Association, All Okinawa Karate-Do Federation. Additionally, he held a 7th Dan in Judo through the Kodokan and was the president of the Okinawa Judo Federation until his passing.
Miyazato Sensei began his training with Master Miyagi at the age of 13. Miyazato Sensei’s father had himself studied with Kanryo Higaonna and therefore Miyagi accepted the young Miyazato as a student. Except for a brief time during WWII, Miyazato Sensei studied continuously with Master Miyagi. He was but only of a handful of the original students that continued their training with Master Miyagi after the war.
The same year that Master Miyagi passed away, a group of Miyagi's senior students that included Nakaima, Madanbashi, Meitoki Yagi, Iha Koshin and Ei'ichi Miyazato came together to elect a successor for Goju-Ryu. The consensus of the group was that Miyazato was the most qualified to succeed Chojun Miyagi due to his qualifications and because he had spent the most continuous training time with Miyagi in the dojo and in the police department. Kei Miyagi, the second oldest son of Master Miyagi was called to testify. He testified that Master Miyagi always said thst Miyazato was the only one he could depend on for everything in the dojo. Miyazato accepted the responsibility and has dedicated his entire life to preserving and spreading Okinawan Goju-Ryu throughout the world as taught by his teacher.
In 1957, he opened the Jundokan, the first free standing building exclusively designed to teach Okinawan Goju-Ryu. Jundokan, which means, "Center for the study in the father’s footsteps", reflects Miyazato Sensei’s devotion for his teacher. The Jundokan has students the world over and is responsible for training some of the world’s greatest Goju-Ryu practitioners.
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