On Chinsu kata

 

Several years earlier I joined the internet age, and discovered among other things I could communicate with individuals around the world.  There were many credible individuals there, there were also many less credible individuals pushing their own agenda's.


Not I started my karate studies in 1975, so this was about 25 years later. Along my way I found many who had inflated their arts histories, even to push those inflated arts at open tournaments, stating they were doing traditional karate. Of course in time I realized many of their arts were something else.


Back then the internet of the day were karate magazines, and of course they also had their own agenda. Meaning even then you had to take what was written with a grain of salt.


Gradually VHS tapes became available to purchase, then DVD. This was all before You Tube came about.

So one day an individual, Paul Hart, claiming he was teaching a very secret Okinawan karate system tried to prove it by sharing the form CHINSU on a file server for a few days. I downloaded that video and saved it in my files. I did not recognize the form and never had seen is previously talked about anywhere.

Chinsu Kata - Sakugawa Family
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5BKTfHue5g

This was the discussion from those days.



Paul,

I would like to see a clear version of this kata. I have never seen it before. It comes from the Matsumura lineage but who teaches it now in Okinawa?

Frank


Unknown Kata

Frank, I did not know that this was available on tape. Most of the people who practice the old Kata's will not record them and I was rather surprised to see this on You Tube in this version. I know of only a few who do it, as well as the whole of the Sakugawa Family who still practice the original form from tode sakugawa.


Paul



Paul,

Thanks for the info. If there is anyone still practicing his kata on Okinawa I have never seen it in the 13 years I lived there. I went to hundreds of demonstrations in the Budokan as well as in many very small villages.

I will write to Zenpo Shimabukuro adn a few others in Okinawa and see what they can tell me of Chinsu.


Sincerely, Frank




Re: Unknown Kata

The Sakugawa Family does a version very similar to this. The Family art, not the public version. I believe that may be Toshio (Satnley) Sakugawa doing the Kata but it is very poor and I cannot tell for sure.


Paul



Re: Unknown Kata


There are many version of Chinsu done by different groups. Zenpo would do Kyan's version I believe. Lots of history there that I wont get in to. Stay away from the tatemae version of history to find the truth behind Kata such as this.


Paul

P.S. If anyone is ever interested in talking about history, i am always up for a talk about Karate history. Gives me new research material when I talk with others. My number is 253-653-2780.

Paul



Discussion of :


The Chinsu kata. It's one of the old original Tode Jitsu katas from Bushi Matsumura's Tode system (later Shorin Ryu). This kata was one that was broken into pieces like the Channan kata, and many people practice pieces of it and don't even know. Modern day, kata that resemble Chinsu are Shotokan's Sochin, and the Seito Shorin Useishi kata.


Chinsu kata.

1. Standing feet together - draw hands up through center fingers open palms up
2. Push toes out then follow with heels out - end in a shizen tai (Natural Standing Posture)
3. Step forward left leg out - stop in Shiko Dachi, while doing this circle both hands out so that they end up straight out to the sides, hands are open and fingertips are up.
4. Turn 90 degrees to the left (pivoting on right foot) into left back stance with left down block and right upper-level backfist to the rear (simultaneously). (W)
5. Step forward into right sochin stance with right down block and left rising block (simultaneously). (W)
6. Step forward into left sochin stance with right sweep block. (W)
7. Left mid-level punch. (W)
8. Right mid-level punch. (W)
9. Spin 180 degrees behind (pivoting on right foot) into left back stance with left down block and right upper-level backfist to the rear (simultaneously). (E)
10. Step forward into right sochin stance with right down block and left rising block (simultaneously). (E)
11. Step forward into left sochin stance with right sweep block. (E)
12. Left mid-level punch. (E)
13. Right mid-level punch. (E)
14. Spin 180 degrees and Stand up with feet together, and then draw left foot out into horse stance with spreading the clouds block. (W)
15. Bring right foot back to your left, and then step forward with left foot into left forward stance with left high bent wrist strike (goose neck strike) (N)
16. Bring left foot back to your right, and then step forward with right foot into right forward stance with right high bent wrist strike (goose neck strike). (N)
17. Left face-level ridge hand strike. (N)
18. Left front kick, chambering the leg after the kick into crane stance. (N)
19. Pivoting on right foot turn 180 degrees behind, still in crane stance with right outside forearm block across your body. (S)
20. Bring left foot back into right forward stance with left mid-level punch. (S)
21. Pivoting on right foot turn 180 degrees behind into left forward stance with right face-level ridge hand strike. (N)
22. Right front kick, chambering the leg after the kick into crane stance. (N)
23. Pivoting on left foot turn 180 degrees behind, still in crane stance with left outside forearm block across your body. (S)
24. Bring right foot back into left forward stance with right mid-level punch. (S)
25. Bring left foot back to right into feet together stance with double down blocks out to your sides. (S)
26. Spin 180 degrees behind (pivoting on left foot) into right back stance with knife block. (W)
27. Step forward at a 45 degree to your left into left back stance with knife block. (SW)
28. Spin 135 degrees behind (pivoting on right foot) into left back stance with knife block. (E)
29. Step forward at a 45 degree angle to your right into right back stance with knife block. (SE)
30. Turn 45 degrees to your right (pivoting on left foot) into right back stance with knife block. (S)
31. Step forward into left back stance with knife block. (S)
32. Bring right foot up to left into modified cat stance, press block with left hand and follow with right hand mid-level horizontal spearhand attack (left hand ends open and under right bicep). (S)
33. Left front kick, return left foot back to right. (S)
34. Right front kick, left mid-level backfist to the front, right inside forearm block to your right (simultaneously). (S)
35. Land in right back stance with left inside forearm block to your left and right mid-level backfist to the front (simultaneously). Kiai!!! (S)
36. Stand and step forward into left sanchin stance while simultaneously performing double open hand circular blocks and immediately following with U-type palmheel strikes. (S)
37. Step forward into right sanchin stance while simultaneously performing double open hand circular blocks and immediately following with U-type palmheel strikes. (S)
38. Pivoting on right foot, turn 180 degrees behind into left forward stance with rising block. (N)
39. Right mid-level punch. Kiai!!! (N)
40. Bring left foot back to right into feet together stance with double down blocks out to your sides. (N)
Yame.


:D



 
Where did you get this from? It starts off right, then is all messed up. Chinsu is a shorter kata, and has a feel of Hakaku and Chinto. If you want I can post the correct one.


John



When doing this imagine a compass. You start in the North position facing south. The east is to your left, and the west is to your right.

Chinsu Kata   (2nd version)

Begin at north facing south.
1. Rei
2. Step Left Shiko Dachi
3. Circle hands so arms are straight and fingers are pointing up
4. Pull left leg up to right leg (Tsuru Dachi), right arm in ude uke, left arm gedan barai
5. Shove left leg down to Zenkutsu Dachi, left morote uke
6. Returning wave kick from left leg, then right gyaku tsuki
7. Step south with right Shiko Dachi, circle both hands out so arms are straight fingers up
8. Pull right leg up to crane stance (Tsuru Dachi), left arm in ude uke, left arm gedan barai
9. Shove right leg down to Zenkutsu Dachi, right morote uke
10. Returning Wave kick with right leg, left gyaku tsuki
11. Move left foot back into Shiko Dachi turn your body so you are now facing east
12. Push both hands out head level (like grabing someone's head)
13. Pull hands to left hip
14. Push hands back out
15. Pull hands to right hip
16. Step through (going north) and stop in Shiko dachi facing west
17. Push hands out to head level
18. Pull hands to right hip
19. Push hands out
20. Pull hands to left hip
21. Move left foot to sanchin dachi facing south circle hands in unsu motion
22. step back sanchin dachi and circle hands again
23. step forward with left foot zenkutsu dachi double first knuckle strikes (kiai)
24. step forward right foot to shiko dachi both hands out fingers up
25. pull right foot into left facing south hands still out
26. step forward left zenkutsu dachi, left empi uchi
27. step back hands out
28. step forward right zenkutsu dachi, right empi uchi
29. step back
30. put right foot behind left foot and about face movement, right hand in gedan barai on turn
31. pull right foot back to neko ashi dachi, move hands to reverse chicken head position
32. shift forward strike with finger tips
33. shift forward strike with finger tips
34. shift forward strike with finger tips (kiai)
35. turn on hips so now facing south, feet together stance with both arms out fingers up
36. Rei


We still practice this kata a lot, especially under Sensei Boyd White. Hope this gets everyone on the right foot, because the one above is kind of off.

==============================================

Outside of this discussion, I never found any other discussion on Chinsu.


Years later when You Tube became available, I posted in on a private You Tube group, later I shared it openly. It seems that I was the only one who ever shared Chinsu. I guess that says something there.


The existence of Paul Hart is another matter. Of course as he passed away there is little reason to open that can of worms.


To date, this is the only version of Chinsu kata that I have ever seen.