Ryu Ryu Ko, (also known as Xie Zhong Xiang) - July 1852 - February 1930. Ryu Ryu Ko was born in Chang-le, Fujian. In his early years, he followed in the footsteps of "Pan Yuba" to study Ming He Quan. He was a first generation master (Shi) of Whooping Crane Boxing. The founder of Whooping Crane (sometimes mistaken with its counter part 'Feeding Crane' another Crane style Gung Fu which emphasizes aggressive and offensive techniques). In 1866, Ryu Ko formally started teaching his form of Te. In 1883, he set up a martial arts center and started to receive students and pass on his style of Wushu. His Chinese boxing style Quan Fa had its own special and unique characteristics.

Whooping Crane closely resembles Goju Ryu and definitely plays an important role in many Okinawan as well as Goju Ryu Kata. This resemblance can be seen particularly in Suparunpei, Kururunfa, Saifa, etc.; those Kata brought back to Okinawa from China each demonstrate specific movements from White Crane. Many scholars use this similarity in the kata to trace the line of history of Goju Ryu, which is still somewhat confusing due to the destruction of written materials during the Second World War. RyuKo is given credit for being Kanryo Higashionna's main teacher as well as teacher to other well known turn-of-the-century Okinawan masters.

Kanryo Higashionna, (also spelled Higaonna) - March 10th, 1851 - December 23, 1915. A leading nineteenth century Karate master, combined the techniques of Naha-te and the teachings of Shuri-te plus added different moves from the Chinese art, Shao Lin Chuan to create a new art. He was regarded as the highest authority and foremost masters of Naha-Te as well as Okinawan Karate and regarded as one of the most influential Karate instructors in Okinawan history. Higashionna was a student of Ryu Ryu Ko.

In 1866, at the age of 15 or 16 he sailed from Okinawa to further his studies abroad in Fuzchou China in the arts of Chinese Kempo with Sifu Liu Liu Gung and remained there for 10 to 15 years. It is believed that Higashionna Sensei studied the styles of Hung Gar-Shaolin Chuan, hard style Chinese martial arts of Chi-Chi and/or I-Chi with another Chinese master only known as 'Woo'. He returned to Okinawa during the middle of the Meiji era (1868- 1911) and introduced many new effective hand and kicking techniques, distinguished from other styles by its integration of Go- no (hard) and Ju-no (soft) Kempo into one system. His fame as a martial artist quickly spread and the Okinawans soon realized that the martial art of Higaonna Sensei exceeded anything they've seen before. Higashionna Sensei opened his house as a dojo and continued to teach until his death in 1915 in Naha Okinawa.