Meitoku Yagi

Meitoku Yagi (八木明徳 Yagi Meitoku, born March 6, 1912 in Naha, Okinawa - died February 7, 2003) was a karate master and teacher. He learned Goju-ryu from its legendary founder Chojun Miyagi. On April 29, 1986, Emperor Hirohito named Yagi a Living National Treasure (ningen kokuho) for his contributions to the martial arts.

Yagi's lineage can be traced back to 36 Chinese families that immigrated to Okinawa in 1392. His family can also be linked to Jayana Ueekata, who was highly respected as a budoka in the Ryukyu Islands in the 17th century. Yagi is the 21st generation from that family.

Yagi began training under Miyagi when he was 14 years old. Miyagi was impressed by his dedication and hard work, and eventually taught him all the kata in the Goju-ryu syllabus. Normally, Miyagi would only teach Sanchin to his pupils for several years, and even then he might only teach them Seisan and Seiunchin. To complement his karate training, Yagi enjoyed many activities including shodo, playing the piano and shamisen, and chinese chess.

After Miyagi's death in 1953, Yagi opened his own dojo in the Daido district of Naha. He named his school of Goju-ryu Meibukan, meaning "house of the pure minded warrior." The name and crest of his school both utilise the first kanji in his given name, 明 (Mei), which has several meanings, including purity. It is made up of the kanji for sun and the kanji for moon, reflecting the duality of nature, which is inherent to Goju-ryu. Today, the main headquarters for the Meibukan school are in the Kume district of Naha. Yagi's number one goal was for his students to promote peace, be good people and contribute to society.

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