Ryu Ryuko (Xie Zhonghxiang)

July 1852-February1930

Ryu Ryuko (Japanese), was a mysterious Gung-fu Master from the Fujian Province, China, who played a vital role in contribution to Goju Kai history. Ryu Ryuko was the founder of 'Wushu' or the White Crane Chuan-Fa technique (a system sometimes mistaken with its counterpart, 'Feeding Crane' -a more aggressive and offensive Gung-fu 'Crane' fighting style). Know by the Chinese as 'Xie Zhonghxiang', Ryu Ryuko was a shoemaker by trade who studied Chinese fighting methods in the mountains of Southern China beneath the Shaolin Monk and Boxing Master, 'Pan Yuba'.

Born in the village of Chang-le in 1852, and during his formative years, Ryu Ryuko pledged himself as a loyal student of 'Pan Yuba', continuing the tradition of the Chinese Martial Art form of 'Ming Chuan Fa'. At age 29, he went on to establish a Martial Arts training centre, which gradually began to receive students and specialized in Ryu Ryuko's own unique Chinese boxing style of Chuan Fa.

In light of today, White Crane strikingly resembles Goju-Ryu techniques and definitely plays a generous role in many Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate 'Kata' - particularly the Suparunpai, Kururunfa, and Saifa. This is attributed mostly to the influences on forms and Kata brought back to Okinawa from China by Ryu Ryuko's Japanese predecessor, 'Kanyro Higaonna'.

Ryu Ryuko mentored Higaonna in the uses of herbal medicine along with the use of weapons, such as the Daito (long sword), Shuto (small sword), Sai and Bo.