Chojun Miyagi began studying Okinawan martial arts under Ryuko Aragaki at age 11.

His training with Higaonna was interrupted for a two-year period while Miyagi completed his military service, 1910–1912, in Miyakonojō, Miyazaki.

However, it was not until 1929 that Chōjun Miyagi named the system Gōjū-ryū, meaning "hard soft style".

Despite his reputation, his greatest achievements lie in popularization and the organization of karate teaching methods.

The goal of unification of various karate styles which was 'in fashion' at that time (see Gichin Funakoshi for his works in Japan).

[9] Along with other Karate Masters, Miyagi Sensei partook in at least one such meeting with a Japanese bureaucrat, and expressed a partial willingness to go along with the standardization edicts issued from mainland Japan.

[10] In continuation of this, Miyagi Sensei created more Shuri-te-like katas known as Gekisai Dai Ichi and Gekisai Dai Ni in 1940, taking techniques from higher forms (notably Suparinpei, and upper blocks uncommon for Goju-ryu at that time) and incorporating them into a shorter forms.

[12] The family of Chojun Miyagi communicated that the founder of the style wanted Eiichi Miyazato to succeed him.

The Goju Ryu committee, formed by major students of Miyagi (which included among others Nakaima, Madanbashi, Meitoku Yagi, Iha Koshin) at a meeting in February 1954 voted almost unanimously Eiichi Miyazato as the official successor to Chojun Miyagi.