The logo (badge)

The circle of life – Inochi ensō ( 命 円 相 )

The badge of the International Okinawa Goju-ryu Karate-do Organisation wishes to expresses the never ending circle of life, study and one’s life in Karate, therefore paying homage to the opposite elements in nature: hardness and softness.

The upper thinner part of the circle symbolizes the beginning of life, growing thicker and
stronger as life reaches its peak and starting to get thinner again while approaching the decaying of one’s life. Likewise one’s class at the dojo also starts smoothly, getting stronger and more intensive and followed also to the relaxed state when it reaches its end. One’s life in Karate also follows the same pattern, starting is thin and clumsy, getting stronger every day until it reaches full maturity followed by the control of expertise while physical decline prevents karateka to be at physical maximum level like when one’s is at its personal apogee.

On the inner part of the symbol one find’s the family crest of the Miyagi family, the founder of the Goju school of karate, the school of the hard and soft, therefore paying homage our
founder which originated the hard and soft style.
The red and partial similarity to Higaonna’s Sensei organisation wishes to express the personal homage of Hanshi Pieter Harms to his first Sensei in Goju-ryu, Morio Higaonna Sensei.

The objectives of the IOGKO

This organization aims to group as many Goju Ryu practitioners as possible into one large family, regardless of religion, skin color or political affiliation.

Our organization strives for quality and quantity is not an issue here. For this reason, there are no membership fees.

We strive to hold Dangraad exams once a year.

We strive for a solid cooperation with the EGKF and WGKF, so that all member Goju Ryu groups have the opportunity to compete in European and World championships Goju Ryu Karate-do.