CHAPTER 4

The attacker flies throughthe air and lands in the river!

NIGHT TIME - GARDEN DOJOAnichi Sensei is finishing sanseiru Kata whileChojun Sensei watches on...

Yame. Remember everything I have taught youhere tonight Anichi, it is very important thatyou keep these key points safe and treas

Anichi Sensei moves into thehouse. Chojun Sensei remainsoutside looking up at the nightssky. Anichi Sensei returns aftera few moments and comes upbehind Chojun Sensei.

Hai Sensei.Arigato Gozaimashita.

Alright Anichi, you canprepare the tea now.

Sensei, is everything ok?

Chojun Sensei turns around to face Anichi Sensei and smiles.

Yes Anichi, I’m fine. But now I am becomingolder, it is important that you continue tostrive for perfection even more than you arenow. There will come a day when people likeyou will have to continue what I have spentmy life developing and protecting - Goju-ryuKarate.

Hai Sensei, I understand.I will try even harder!

Good boy Anichi. Now come,I will tell you about Ryu Ryu Kotonight.

The two move into Chojun Sensei’s house and Anichi Sensei begins serving the tea.

As you remember from last nightAnichi, Ryu Ryu Ko hadextraordinary speed and power,very similar to my own instructor.But he lived a very, veryinteresting and complex life.However, knowledge about hispast his hard to find. I havetravelled to China numeroustimes to try and find out moreabout this person, but detailsare very hard to come by.

CHINA – SHAOLIN TEMPLE

Ryu Ryu Ko was born into a noble class of family. During this time in Chinawe know that only people from this type of family were allowed to practicethe martial arts...

... and study in the Shaolin temples.

I am unsure who his instructor was, however I do know that the trainingwas very hard and very demanding. So does our Kata come

from the Shaolin temples?

I believe so Anichi, howeverI have refined and added tothe system

I created Gekisai Dai Ichi and Dai Ni and I also added Tensho, or Rokkishu, to oursystem. Between the work of my own instructor and I, we have refined it what wepractice today.

I see Sensei.The hardtraining musthave reallycontributed tomaking Ryu RyuKo as strong asyou say he was.

CHINA – FUKIEN KINGDOM – A Castle

Yes Anichi. Ryu Ryu Ko’s skill grew so great, that he was selected to become apersonal body guard for the Fukien king.

FUKIEN KING

YOUNGRYU RYU KO

My loyal guards, a time of desperation and turmoil is upon us. The people I rule and you protect are going to revoltagainst us. It is a time of civil war and I know we cannot stop the danger that approaches us all. Your families and yourlives are in grave danger and I urge you to do what you can to protect yourselves and your kingdom! You may go now.

The guards walk down some stairs and begintalking amongst each other.

The King has endangeredour entire lives! We allknow what is going tohappen if we do not flee.

I do not think running away from ourproblems is going to solve them my friends.

But if we continue to protect the king, notonly will we lose our own lives, but ourfamilies will also be killed.

That’s right. Look, we’ve all devotedourselves to the loyal service of ourkingdom and ruler. But we cannot riskthe safety of our families.

What are we to do then my friends?If we run or move somewhere elseand they find out we were guards,we will be killed anyway.

My friend is leaving for the underground tonight.We can hide with him until after the war.

This life is not safe for any of us now!Who is with me?

All the other guards raise their hands. Ryu Ryu Ko nods and agrees.

So Ryu Ryu Ko really had no choicebut to hide underground until the warwas over.

But afterwards he had to watch his back. It is also saidthat he chose to live separate from his family to protectthem from a dire fate.

Ryu Ryu Ko hadto survive afterthe war byworking onfarms, workingas a builder andthen eventuallyby becoming abamboocraftsman.

He settled in Fuzhou in SouthernChina. He began teaching and becamequite famous in his area.

CHINAINSIDE RYURYU KO’SHOUSE

Ryu Ryu Ko issitting in hiswork shopworking withsome bamboo.

I am not sure where our stylewas heading until that fateful

knock at the door.

A knock comesfrom the door.Ryu Ryu Koanswers it.

Who is it?

Ryu Ryu Ko grins.

Master, I have come torecommend a student for theMartial arts. This is KanryoHigaonna of Okinawa.

That’s incredible story Sensei. And it is just one of many in the history of ourstyle Anichi! Now come, its late, you must go home.

Hai Sensei. Thank you fortraining. Good night.

Sleep well Anichi,see you tomorrow. Chojun Sensei watches Anichi

Sensei leave the garden dojoand again pauses to look up atthe stars...

IN THE NEXT GOJU-RYU MASTERSKanryo Higaonna Sensei returns toOkinawa to face his father’s murders.

TO BE CONTINUED...