Chinkuchi - a hogan term for what?

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Victor Smith
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Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 2:17 am
Location: Derry, NH, USA
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Post by Victor Smith »

Hi Bill,

I understand your comments about Charles' article. I think we have to place it in context. When he returned home from his tour on Okinawa about 73 the training he had in chinkuchi was not something anyone else knew about, and very shortly there after he entered a Christian Semianary to become a minister (one of the professions he's had).

His use of illustration was what he had as a young man to draw upon trying to describe what he experienced for himself. He never intended it for others. I read his words and see him trying to describe something he experienced.

When I entered the internet age the topic came up for internet discussion. I asked and got Charles permission to share his notes and I find they continue to travel far. I think they are useful if their purpose is kept in context.

Entering Seminary to become a Pentacostal Minister he literally stepped away from karate, except for private training.

I met him when I was a beginner and had to face him in kumite demonstration (I was a blue belt and he was a 2nd Black). It was a most interesting experience because I didn't know to keep it down, (as a 17year old he had narrowly lost to Howard Jackson (then number one I think)) and he was a fericous fighter. Somehow I lived <GRIN>.

Several years later when I had moved to Scranton he got a church very near to me and before the phone call from him concluded I was already on my way over to that church to inform him he was going to be training me. (Scranton had no Isshinryu and I was then training in Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan). I drew him back to training and he proceeded to work me over for several years in turn.

From his training I passed my Sho Dan in Mr. Lewis' organization, and he was literally shoving the Isshinryu system into me, kata by kata because as it turned out a few months later, becauase he couldn't provide for his family he returned to the USAF, OCS and a career retiring as a Colonel several years ago.

He demonstrated the chinkuchi training for me, but his focus to make sure I had all of our kobudo kaka, he didn't begin the training. In fact the last day he was teaching me a bo kata outside his home, and when thunderstorms and lightening began returned inside to pack, while I remained practicing what I was shown in the middle of the storm, then it would stop training and he'd come back outside until the next storm. I only had that one shot to get Shi Shi No Kon No Dai from him.

Over the years our visits have been too infrequent and too short, but I was able to view what he was doing with his personal Chinkuchi study. I never tried to teach it to myself but believe I understand what he was doing a little.

Funny thing about 30 years ago I had just started studying Yang and he showed up just as I returned from class. He had me demo what I was studying and in the middle of what I was showing he asked me to stop and begin again. I did so and he had me stop again on the same movement.

He told me "Vic, each time you did that move I felt a wave of energy wash across me." then he showed me his Chinkuchi work and we decided it had perhaps sensitized him.

BTW I experience Chi, but I can't turn my hat around with it, nor use it for anything special, but training with my tai chi instructor I can feel something like Charles described too.

Personally I see it just a sensitizing our body to work efficiently and perhaps our senses also understand others who can do the same.

I won't wax poetic, just tried to describe the little I've experienced.
Victor Smith
bushi no te isshinryu
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