A different look at Chinto kata

One of the more interesting things about

Kata Chinto

Is that there are three basic  Okinawan variations of the kata.

 

I am being a little simplistic here,

I realize many different schools have variations on these themes.

 

First is what I refer to as the Itosu lineage.

Where the kata is performed on a straight line back and forth.

An example is

Nakazato Shūgorō 仲里 周五郎 - Chinto kata

Second are the variations of Chinto kata which descended

From the vision of Kyan Chotoku.

The kata is performed on a line of 45 degrees

An example is

 

The kata CHINTO (Tomari, Kyan version) performed at in front of Joen Nakazato sensei  (Shorinji-ryu), by one of his most senior students.

The third variation is that of the Tomari Lineage.

This is relatively rare.

The kata is performed on a horizontal line from the starting point.

An example is

 

Tomari Chinto  of the Gohakukai

The interesting thing to me is that though,

there are 3 different directions in which Chinto is performed,

 

The changes of the form line retained

much the same technique execution in the same order.

Each kata still recognizably Chinto.

So while they may have had different ideas

perhaps in how the techniques of Chinto, could be used,

They did not want to change the movements either.

 

And there are many derivative variations.

Those which became Shito Ryu and Shotokan came from what I refer to as the Itosu line. Likewise the Chinto preserved in the line of Hohen Soken follows that pattern.

Then the Kyan lineage spawned those of Matsubayshi Ryu, Shorinji-ryu and Isshinryu to name a few.

The Tomari lineage can be found in the Gohakukai.