Okinawan Fighting Art "Ti": Use Chinkuchi

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

“At Stone-lifting contests, Okinawan’s demonstrate physical strength by lifting bijuru (ビジュル lifting stones). In Japanese they are called chikaraishi (力石), power stones. Some of these stones are round and very awkward to lift. When lifting these stones, one must use chinkuchi.” - Uechi Kanmei of Uechi-ryū

Before I address the subject extracted from the above quote one must define what chinkuchi is so I will start with the leading proponent of the Isshinryu system’s explanation as follows.

What is chinkuchi?: Chinkuchi (チンクチ) is a Okinawan word (Hogen dialect). “Chin” means “muscle/sinew”; “ku” means “bone” and “chi” means “energy or controlled energy” through the use of muscle and bone, tensing and locking specific muscles. Chinkuchi is emphasized in the sanchin kata where are muscles are checked through “shime (締め tighten/tensing).” - Arcenio Advincula, Facebook entry dtd December 11, 2016 at 11:50 hours

First, as I have said many times in previous articles, this definition is lacking in clarity and completeness because I have found that a lot more is involved in the application of chinkuchi in its manifestation in application. More than simply the bones and muscles and a lot more that merely dynamically tensing and relaxing the muscle even in specific ways.

Second, when analyzing the first quote or meme I have more questions than answers at least from this particular point of view, perceptions of Uechi Kanmei of Uechi-ryu. I fail to see how simply locking or tensioning the muscles and exerting energy accomplishes the lifting of round, heavy and difficult stones represents chinkuchi as it is currently explained. Chinkuchi and its definition is just not enough and it relies on assuming and not questioning where many just say, get on the dojo floor and just practice, it will come to you. I did just that and it didn’t just come to me, I had to do a lot of research and analysis along with accumulating data and experience.

I also have issues with this shime testing used especially without a fuller and more comprehensive explanation on how that translates to it use in applying combative skills be it in sports, social encounters or asocial self-fense situations. It just doesn’t jive, at least as stand alone explanations to date as provided.

I don’t like being left to assume especially since I know that one persons skills and experiences are very biased ones so it takes a diversity of people, experiences, knowledge and understanding to achieve a more comprehensive synthesis of what is transpiring even in lifting odd, difficult and awkward objects such as heavy, smooth and awkward stones.

What does it take to life a heavy round add stone such as the Chikaraishi, power stones (by the way stones don’t have power unless they are in movement and movement isn’t likely except by acts of God, etc.). Too literal, maybe but to understand you have to consider all sides as seen, heard and felt.

The awkwardness simply means adjusting certain physiokinetic factors in the human body and mind to achieve success. You have to be fit, you have to have strength and you have to know a bit about physics to move and lift the stone. To give that accomplishment credit toward a certain concept derived and described by the term chinkuchi is limited to say the least.

What does it truly take to lift those stones and to achieve power and force using the body-mind pair?

Muscles strength.
Muscle ability to stabilize.
Muscle ability to move.
Bodies structure.
Bodies alignment of the skeletal system.
The ability of the muscular system to use energy efficiently.
The ability to control the skeletal and muscular systems.
The proper breathing techniques to maximize the efficient application through the skeletal and muscular system.
The ability to find, maintain and use your center and centeredness along with balance, leverage and movement to grasp, hold and life awkward heavy objects.
The ability to sequential lock and unlock while maintaining positive relaxation along with the above dynamically and in synchronicity of the body-mind.
The ability to root the body for stability, balance and movement.
The tactile sensitivity to detect weight, balance, centeredness of the stone, etc., before, during and while lifting the heave awkward stone.
The ability to move economically and efficiently.
The ability to use and regulate timing, speed, rhythm and the natural/unnatural motion of the stones in the lifting process as well as that of the body-mind.
The mind-set and mind-state with confidence, etc.

These are just off the top of my head and all seem to be required to lift awkward, heavy and smooth round stones. This type of lifting is excepllent to test and condition the body and mind but how that is to be applied in the chaos of violence is another topic and question. I also considered the demonstration and exercise of chinkuchi as I see it in sanchin as merely a teaching tool, not a way to apply self-defense methodologies and required levels of force.

None of this or the application of “Chinkuchi” deals with the chemical cocktail and the application of methods and forces to achieve goals in conflicts and violent situations of a social and asocial nature.

The practice of chinkuchi sanchin gets your body prepped but in truth it may or may not apply to combating violence when the violence hits but than again, it might serve us in that way.

In the end, all bottles are good for they all serve a purpose as do the many interpretations and explanations provided, just collect, collate, analyze then synthesize what applies to you and gets you to the level necessary to apply it realistically.

p.s. I would not use the term at all except in explaining is current explanation and interpretation but I would use this, “Use Physiokinetics, i.e., fundamental principles, in your karate and martial arts.

Bibliography (Click the link)

“In order for any life to matter, we all have to matter.” - Marcus Luttrell, Navy Seal (ret)

Use Chinkuchi

No comments:

Post a Comment