Eight Precepts of Goju Ryu

Chōjun Miyagi and the Way of Goju-Ryu

Karate, as we know it today, is a tapestry woven from multiple Okinawan traditions. Among its most influential threads is Goju-Ryu, a style that blends the soft (go) and hard (ju) approaches to combat into a single, harmonious system. This balance of yielding and striking power was codified in the early 20th century by Chōjun Miyagi (1888–1953), a martial artist from Naha, Okinawa, whose deep training in Naha-te and Chinese martial arts shaped Goju-Ryu’s unique character1.

Miyagi’s system stood out for its combination of dynamic, full-power techniques and controlled, breath-centered internal training. Its kata, from the explosive Seisan to the meditative Tensho, embody this fusion of internal calm and external decisiveness.

Miyagi and Funakoshi — Different Paths, Shared Purpose

Chōjun Miyagi and Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate, were contemporaries and allies in the broader mission of bringing Okinawan karate to mainland Japan. While Miyagi hailed from the Naha-te tradition and Funakoshi from Shuri-te, both men shared the belief that karate was more than a fighting art — it was a vehicle for personal growth and moral education.2

Their methods differed. Funakoshi focused on standardization for schools and physical education programs, while Miyagi retained a strong emphasis on breathing methods, conditioning, and preserving Okinawan kata in their original form. Still, they moved in overlapping circles, participating in exhibitions, martial arts gatherings, and working toward karate’s official recognition by Japan’s martial arts governing body, the Dai Nippon Butokukai.3

The Eight Precepts of Goju-Ryu (Hachi Jutsu Kun)

Miyagi left behind not a rigid code, but a set of eight guiding principles that reflect the spirit of Goju-Ryu. These precepts are still recited and displayed in many dojos today:

1. Karate begins and ends with courtesy (Rei).

2. Karate is a lifelong pursuit (Shugyō).

3. Karate is the way of sincerity (Makoto).

4. Karate is the way of law and order (Kenpō).

5. Karate is the way of effort (Doryoku).

6. Karate is the way of self-restraint (Sesshu).

7. Karate is the way of truth (Shinjitsu).

8. Karate is the way of seeking perfection (Kyūmei).

These precepts mirror the ethical codes found in other Okinawan and Japanese martial arts — from Funakoshi’s Twenty Precepts to the Bushidō ethos — but they carry the distinct Goju-Ryu flavor: a blending of softness and hardness not just in technique, but in life.

Conclusion — The Balance of Hard and Soft

Chōjun Miyagi’s Goju-Ryu stands as a living reminder that strength is not measured solely by force, but by balance — between power and control, action and stillness, hardness and softness. His relationship with Gichin Funakoshi shows that karate’s future has always been strongest when its diverse traditions work side-by-side, not in competition.

Whether you practice Goju-Ryu, Shotokan, or any other style, Miyagi’s Eight Precepts offer a timeless guide: approach training with courtesy, persevere for a lifetime, act with sincerity, uphold justice, work diligently, practice restraint, seek truth, and strive toward perfection.

The “hard” may shatter, the “soft” may yield, but together they endure.