James Rousseau, Bakkies Laubscher, Tomiaki Tadano, Kazuo Terauchi, Masakazu Kuramoto, Yonekazu Uehara, George Andrews, Leon Pantanowitz Takashi Masuyama, Morio Higaonna (東恩納 盛男, Higaonna Morio, born December 25, 1938) is a world renowned Okinawan karate master who is the founder and Chief Instructor of the Traditional Okinawan Goju-Ryu Karate-do Federation (TOGKF 2022).

[8] It was Shimabukuro who recommended that Higaonna learn Goju-ryu karate, introducing him to Chojun Miyagi's garden dojo in 1954, one year after the founder's passing.

In April 1967, Morio Higaonna Sensei assumed the position of karate Shihan (Teacher) in the Nihon University College of Humanities and Sciences.

In the following decades, this dojo has become the port of call for many senior black belt members of the TOGKF and other schools and styles seeking to train in the traditional Okinawan way.

)[11] In September 1987, Morio Higaonna Sensei established the IOGKF Honbu Dojo in San Marcos, California, USA.

[15] With San Marcos as a base,[15][17][18] he began hosting budo festivals while continuing to research, practice, and travel worldwide to teach, such as in the former Soviet Union.

In the following decades Higaonna Sensei would continue to support this event by conducting seminars or gasshuku sessions on behalf the organizers during the festival.

[11] On 18 October 1991, the IOGKF held a Goju-Ryu Karate Technical Seminar and All America Tournament in Arkansas in the US, with Morio Higaonna Sensei presiding over the event as the Chief Instructor and lecturer.

Morio Higaonna Sensei was awarded a commendation by the Governor of Arkansas, Mr. Bill Clinton (later the President of the United States of America).

[11] On the 31st of March 2001, The Venezuelan President presented Morio Higaonna Sensei with the Order of Vicente Emilio Sojo (A Cultural Award) for his achievements in introducing and developing karate in Venezuela.

[11] On 22 June 2007, The Chairman of the Naha City Cultural Association (那覇市文化協会) awarded Morio Higaonna Sensei a commendation for his immense contribution to the preservation and development Okinawan karate.

[11] July 2012 Okinawa, in order to free up time working to have Karate recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, Higaonna Sensei stepped in to the position of "Saiko Shihan".

[11] December 2018, in recognition to his services to traditional Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate Higaonna received a formal invitation to the Japanese Emperor's 30th Anniversary from the Prime of Japan, Abe Shinzo.

August 2022, after expressing dissatisfaction with the direction the International Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate Federation was headed, Higaonna asked Nakamura to step down from his position of Shuseki Shihan of the IOGKF.

Sept 2022, after political upheavals within the IOGKF Higaonna announced he would be starting a new organization called the Traditional Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate-do Federation (TOGKF).

Bakkies Laubscher, Kazuo Terauchi, Juichi Kokubo, Masakazu Kuramoto, Yonekazu Uehara, George Andrews, Yoshinori Yonesato to name just a few followed Higaonna Sensei to his new Federation.

Higaonna currently resides in Naha, Okinawa where he is still working to see Okinawan Karate recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

He remains actively involved in spreading Okinawan Goju Ryu to any and all at his TOGKF Honbu dojo, in Tsuboya, Naha, Okinawa.