Higaonna Kanryu (1849-1922) was a Ryukyuan

karateka (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

well known for his

calligraphy Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

and Chinese studies as well as his martial arts. He learned his martial arts under Wai Shinzan and not under Ru Ru Ko as some believe. His relative

Higaonna Kanryō , also known as Higashionna West, was a Ryukyuan martial artist who founded a fighting style known at the time as Naha-te. He is recognized as one of the first students of Fujian White Crane Kung Fu masters, namely Ryū Ryū Ko, in the Fuzhou r ...

studied under both these Chinese

kung fu Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...

masters. Because of the similarity of their names, Higaonna Kanryu ("East Higaonna") and Higaonna Kanryō ("West Higaonna") are frequently confused with each other.

References

1849 births 1922 deaths Okinawan male karateka {{Japan-karate-bio-stub