Gōgen Yamaguchi
Jitsumi Gōgen Yamaguchi (山口剛玄; January 20, 1909 – May 20, 1989), also known as Gōgen Yamaguchi, was a Japanese martial artist and student of Gōjū-ryū Karate under Chōjun Miyagi. He was one of the most well-known karate-dō masters from Japan and he founded the International Karate-dō Gōjū Kai Association.
| Gōgen Yamaguchi | |
|---|---|
Historical photo of Gōgen Yamaguchi | |
| Born | January 20, 1909 Miyakonojō, Miyazaki, Japan |
| Died | May 20, 1989 (aged 80) |
| Style | Gōjū-ryū |
| Teacher(s) | Takeo Maruta, Jitsuei Yogi, Chōjun Miyagi |
| Rank | 10th dan |
| Notable students | Mas Oyama, Kenji Kurosaki, Paul Starling, Peter Urban |
Prior to his death, Yamaguchi was decorated by the Emperor of Japan in 1968 with the Ranjū-Hōshō, らんじゅほうしょう(藍綬褒章), the Blue Ribbon Medal of the fifth order of merit, for his enormous contribution to the spread worldwide of the Japanese martial arts. For many years he was listed in the Guinness Book of Records regarding his rank and achievements. According to an obituary:
His name was a household word in Karate circles, and he appeared in all the major Martial Arts magazines and publications, both in Japan and the western world.
— Paul Starling, The End of an Era, Obituary Gogen Yamaguchi in Australasian Fighting Arts, Aug/Sept Issue 1989 pp.68-70