Can anybody tell me anything about Goju Kai
What are its strenghts and weakness, what is the emphasis of the art and is there many people practicing.
Any help would be appreciated.

The Goju Kai is the association founded by Gogen Yamaguchi . He was a direct student of the founder of Goju Ryu , Chojun Miyagi Sensei . He was also given permission by Miyagi Sensei to lead Goju Ryu on the mainland , & credited to introducing Jiyu Kumite (free sparring) into Karate . The Goju Kai stresses various types of kumite , along w/ Kata , bunkai , & a set of kihon , or basics called Kihon Ido . It differs from OKinawa Goju Ryu , in that they do very lil' Hojo Undo , & kakie in comparison to that of practiced in Okinawa . However their system is very structured , & is currentlly lead by Goshi Yamaguchi .
There is another group called the JKF Goju Kai , which is lead by a panel , I believe . Koshin Iha Sensei , the former chief instructor of The Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate Do Kyokai-Jundokan , is now part of this group , & is working hard to implement the OKinawan teachings of his teachers Eiichi Miyazato Sensei , & Miyagi Chojun into The JKF Goju Kai .
I hope this answers some of your questions , if I can help you further , please let me know .

Goju has really splintered. There are so many Goju organizations out there! I did the Shobukan organization's version for a while.

Yes , just like any other martial art , including your own , Modern Arnis !

I have to say that, all in all, the Goju groups have managed to maintain some consistency and high standards across the boards better than many of the traditional organizations. Most of the Higaonna (IOGKF) and Yamaguchi associated schools I have visited, and the students from them that visit my dojo, have good karate and good manners. Wado also has done well, and Uechi ryu.

Yes , just like any other martial art , including your own , Modern Arnis !
No argument!

The Goju Kai is the association founded by Gogen Yamaguchi . He was a direct student of the founder of Goju Ryu , Chojun Miyagi Sensei . He was also given permission by Miyagi Sensei to lead Goju Ryu on the mainland , & credited to introducing Jiyu Kumite (free sparring) into Karate . The Goju Kai stresses various types of kumite , along w/ Kata , bunkai , & a set of kihon , or basics called Kihon Ido . It differs from OKinawa Goju Ryu , in that they do very lil' Hojo Undo , & kakie in comparison to that of practiced in Okinawa . However their system is very structured , & is currentlly lead by Goshi Yamaguchi .
There is another group called the JKF Goju Kai , which is lead by a panel , I believe . Koshin Iha Sensei , the former chief instructor of The Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate Do Kyokai-Jundokan , is now part of this group , & is working hard to implement the OKinawan teachings of his teachers Eiichi Miyazato Sensei , & Miyagi Chojun into The JKF Goju Kai .
I hope this answers some of your questions , if I can help you further , please let me know .

Thanks for the info.

I did a little Goju-Kai when I was in high school. They have much more Kata than Goju-ryu of Okinawan, they have for example Ten Ni No Kata, Shiho Uke Kata etc which does not exist in Okinawan Goju-ryu. When I switch to Okinawan Goju, we do just the 11 recognized Kata of JKF (Sanchin, Saifa, Sesan, Tensho etc). Also the Goju-Kai people does their JKF Kata a little differently with Goju-ryu (this may vary according to dojo/senseis). But in essence Goju-Kai and Goju-ryu has many similarities too. Let's say they are just two different views of a same art.

I've never heard of Ten Ni No Kata, or Shiho Uke Kata , in Goju Ryu . Are you sure your instructor didnt teach you a mix of something . Also within traditional Goju Ryu there are 12 Kata , 13 if you do both the Higashionna & Miyagi versions of Sanchin , not 11 .

We had a Ten No kata in Goju-ryu.

The number of kata varies considerably from org. to org.

It may be used in some Dojo that incorporated it from another style , but there is no Ten No Kata in traditional Goju Ryu , or the Goju Kai for that matter .
Within traditional Okinawan Goju Ryu these are the base kata :
Gekisai Dai Ichi
" " NI
Sanchin
Saifa
Seiunchin
Shisochin
Sanseiru
Seipai
Kurarunfa
Seisan
Suparinpei
Tensho
Within the Goju Kai , as taught by the Yamagughi family they've added 10 Taikyoku : Jo Dan Ichi & NI , Chu Dan Ichi & Ni , Ge Dan Ichi & Ni , Kakie Uke Ichi & Ni , and Mawashi Uke Ichi , & Ni . They also have family Kata , which are taught only to those Roku Dan , & up , like Chikaku & Genkaku , not to be confused w/ Gankaku taught within Shotokan .
Some Dojo , like the Meibukan have added a few training kata to the syllabus , however the above are the base , anything else is extra taught by your instructor .

I was in the Shobukan org. of Okinawa, and we started off with the (very boring) Ten No kata. THeir website (http://www.portaskarate.org/shobumain.html) doesn't list it though!

I've never heard of Ten Ni No Kata, or Shiho Uke Kata , in Goju Ryu . Are you sure your instructor didnt teach you a mix of something . Also within traditional Goju Ryu there are 12 Kata , 13 if you do both the Higashionna & Miyagi versions of Sanchin , not 11 .Well it could very well be!! I don't train with my Goju-Kai instructor anymore, so I cannot clarify this with him. I think it's suffice to say that each groups have their own Kata.

This is the list that I got from my last Goju group (after I left Goju-Kai).

Gekisai 1
Gekisai 2
Sanchin
Sesan
Seienchin
Saifa
Seipai
Sanseru
Shisochin
Suparinpei
Kururunfa
Tensho

Oh you are right, there are 12 Kata. Sorry, I must have forgotten that there are two Gekisai. :D

Oh I forgot, I also have seen and practiced a Hakaku Kata, but I guess this is not Goju but Shito-ryu..

Hakaku , from what I remember is not a Goju Kata , but a crane kata . It may be something extra your instructor taught you , as it is not part of the base system . I'd love to see it though , do you have any footage of it ?

I was in the Shobukan org. of Okinawa, and we started off with the (very boring) Ten No kata. THeir website (http://www.portaskarate.org/shobumain.html) doesn't list it though!


What made it boring ?

He could not empty his cup. That is why it was boring.

As I learned it, it was a series of techniques done in a repetitive manner. First a lunge punch on the right; back to a natural stance, repeat on the left. Back to a natural stance, another technique on each side. And so on, through ten or so techniques. It hardly deserved to be called a kata. It was more like a training exercise.

He could not empty his cup. That is why it was boring. Well, there's a theory.

Look it up, or ask someone in a Japanese art what it means. While you are researching, look up "hammering down the nail."

As I learned it, it was a series of techniques done in a repetitive manner. First a lunge punch on the right; back to a natural stance, repeat on the left. Back to a natural stance, another technique on each side. And so on, through ten or so techniques. It hardly deserved to be called a kata. It was more like a training exercise.
The one you are describing is from Shotokan . This is an exercise , which I believe to be of designed by Gichin Funakoshi Sensei . It appears in his book , Karate Do Kyohan , I believe .

Yep. They call it Ten No kata omote. The Ten No I am familiar is like Fukyugata Sho from Shorin. We use the Fukyugata as beginner kata in Shito ryu. I've been in karate for 35 years and I still do them every workout. I'm not bored.

Neither am I , Gene , Neither am I !

Hakaku , from what I remember is not a Goju Kata , but a crane kata . It may be something extra your instructor taught you , as it is not part of the base system . I'd love to see it though , do you have any footage of it ?
Whoa.. I don't have picture of myself or my teacher doing Hakaku. We're not even sure whether we're doing it right or not, because he picked it up so long ago when Shito-ryu of Hayashi-ha were still famous in my country. Now it's kind of inactive. This Hakaku is pretty much like sanchin but the stance is neko ashi not sanchin, and the hands are open. Ever seen that one?

Look it up, or ask someone in a Japanese art what it means.
I'm not that interested. I studied the system 20 years ago. I no longer study Karate.

Your comments are condescending.

Your comments are immature and flip.