Isshin-ryū karate Chinto kata history, "Fighting on a bridge"

 

Tokumura Kensho explains what Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei taught him about the bunkai for Chinto kata: Tatsuo San tell me. Hija (Hija river bridge). (after) party finished, your walking on a (narrow) bridge, see someone looking suspicious so I turn around but another persons come from the other direction. OK. (Tokumura demonstrates fighting in two directions from and back). Tokumura then demonstrates fighting in the two directions.

Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei taught Tokumura Kensho and me that Chinto kata was fighting on a (Narrow) bridge) with opponents coming from both ends of the bridge.

Often we would place two bo parallel to each other at a 45 degree angle // simulating a narrow bridge or pathway. The idea was to stay on the bridge (enbusen). Today, I use a single line for my enbusen and stay centered on that line.

Many have said I was wrong. This video clip was made on my first Okinawan Cultural and Martial Art Tour, early (Jan/Feb) 1994 where I brought 14 people with me to Okinawa.

This video clip was taken at Tokumura Kensho's dojo.

Video clip taken Jan/Feb 1994

 

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Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei often talked about Kyan Chōtoku Sensei practicing Chinto kata on the Hija river stone bridge.

It was at the Hija river stone bridge that Tatsuo Sensei studied karate from Kyan Chōtoku Sensei. According to Mrs. Shimabuku, her husband began training with Kyan Chōtoku Sensei in 1932.

According to Shimabuku Shinsho (Ciso), one of Kyan Chōtoku's nicknames was Kyan Chinto because Chinto kata was one of his favorite kata.

 

Here we have Jeremy Johnson performing a very good Chinto kata on a bridge.

Often at the Agena honbu dōjō we would place two bo parallel to each other at a 45 degree angle // simulating a narrow bridge or pathway. The idea was to stay on the bridge (enbusen). Today, I use a single line for my enbusen and stay centered on that line.

It would be nice to see others performing Chinto kata on a bridge, narrow path or between two parallel // bo to keep the tradition Shimabuku Tatsuo Sensei taught.

 

I was taught Chinto this way by Charles Murray and this is how I passed it on. Then working out the logic of fighting on a bridge, a narrow pathway, worked on more and more exacting turns and footwork to keep one as close to the center of that bridge or pathway to not allow oneself to be forced off where the fight was taking place. The logic was if you kept to the centerline you would stay safer away from the edge. This led to more exact turns and stepping. And then to working on turns as a weapon system in their own right.

 

Of course that does not limit Chinto technique potential, just shows that following the ‘story’ can yield many things.