East Bay Karate-Do

Most Americans think that karate comes from Japan, but in Japan, Okinawa is known as the “home” of karate. Goju-ryu is one of the four original systems of Okinawan karate, regarded as a national art by the Okinawan people. Tracing its roots to southern China, Goju-ryu karate training is geared toward developing internal “chi” and external power. This elegant and effective martial art is taught in the traditional way with emphasis on physical and mental conditioning, strong basics and proper attitude.

In 1983, I entered the dojo of Sensei Anthony Mirakian and the U.S. Headquarters of the Okinawan Goju-ryu Karate-do Meibukan Association. Upon observing the class, it became immediately clear that this was no ordinary dojo, nor was Sensei Mirakian an ordinary teacher.

As the years went by, I came to understand that Sensei Mirakian was not only a pioneering force in the martial arts found in the West, but also was a living embodiment of the “golden age” of Okinawan karate, teaching the art of Okinawan Goju-ryu exactly as it had been practiced in the 1950s. This became even more apparent when I traveled to Okinawa in 1990 as part of the U.S. Meibukan delegation to the 30th Anniversary Celebration of the Okinawan Goju-ryu Association and the Uchinan-chu Festival, a gathering of more than 20,000 martial arts practitioners from all over the world. As we trained in the honbu dojo of the Meibukan as well as other schools, I began to further understand how Goju-ryu differs from other styles, and how the Goju-ryu practiced in the Meibukan differs from other schools.

Okinawan Goju-ryu karate, with its unique emphasis on development of external power and internal chi, represents for me a lifelong discipline integrating physical fitness, self-defense, spiritual nourishment, and a philosophy that one can live by in an evermore complicated world. As practiced in the Meibukan way, it is a discipline that not only reflects the rich cultural heritage of Okinawa and its people, but also the essence of one’s self.

I consider myself very fortunate to have learned Okinawan Goju-ryu from Sensei Anthony Mirakian, who embraced the philosophy, honored the standards, and made a lifelong commitment to extend the legacy created by Goju-ryu founder Chojun Miyagi, passed on to the late Meitoku Yagi, and carried forward as Sensei Yagi’s most senior active student.

At East Bay Karate-Do, my goal is to continue training in the spirit as I was taught, and to honor the philosophy and standards exemplified through this honorable lineage.

Mark Allio

Godan 5^th Degree, Renshi