Xie Zhongxiang a.k.a. Ryu Ryuko (1852-1930)
Note that I use the term Tou di instead of Karate. When O-Sensei began training in martial arts, the word Karate had barely been invented yet and Tou di was the common term in Okinawa. "Tou di" literally means "China-hand" and refers to any martial art passed from China to Okinawa, and more commonly refers to an eclectic blend of many Chinese styles.
Perhaps one of the most talked about figures in the Chinese-Okinawan
Tou Di connection, Xie Zhongzing (Ryu Ryuko) has been variously described.
He is said to have been the son of a noble family whose fortune was lost
during political unrest, a priest, a former military official in exile,
a stone mason, a craftsman, and even a medicine trader. Perhaps he was all.
Until recently little was known about what art Xie Zhongxiang taught. Some
claimed he taught White Crane, others believed it was Five Ancestors Fist,
perhaps even Monk Fist Boxing. However, what has been proven is that he
was the founder of Whooping Crane Kung Fu. He was a student of Pan Yuba,
who in turn was taught by Lin Shixian, a master of White Crane Kung Fu.
Xie Zhongxiang may be a link to the transition of the scholar warrior text
The Bubishi's transition from China to Okinawa.
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