Our Philosophy

Welcome to the Stillwater Ryūkyū Bujutsu Kenkyūkai, where we are devoted to the practice of traditional Okinawan Gōjū-ryū karate and Yamanni Chinen-ryū kobujutsu. We follow the teachings of Chinen Teruo Sensei (1941-2015), who diligently preserved the philosophical wisdom of his teachers, Miyazato Eiichi Sensei (1922-1999) and the founder of Gōjū-ryū, Miyagi Chōjun Sensei (1888-1953) in the Dōjōkun. These principles have been passed down for over five generations and serve as the moral and ethical foundations of our training.

At our dōjō, we offer more than just techniques of self-preservation. Through dedicated and cooperative training, practitioners will discover the transformative qualities an authentic dōjō environment provides. While karate primarily focuses on self-protection, Chinen Sensei (1941-2015) emphasized the additional benefits of formal martial arts training. These include increased self-confidence, improved physical well-being, balance within society, and the nurturing of meaningful relationships with fellow practitioners.

Chinen Sensei believed that by training properly, individuals would develop into skilled karateka who possess both inner strength and outward gentleness. Such individuals become valuable citizens capable of making positive contributions to society. We share this belief wholeheartedly.

Below is an English translation of Miyazato and Chinen Sensei’s Dōjōkun...