Chinkuchi and Pushups

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In the past I have taken a slight difference to calling a set of challenging pushup bars as demonstrative to the application and having the proverbial "chinkuchi." Add in the lack of a definitive definition that actually explains the concept, except for my personal perception as previously explained in other articles, of chinkuchi. 

First, the ability to perform pushups no matter what type of mechanical device used does NOT indicate the ability to generate and apply power often referred to as chinkuchi by means of sinew, bone and muscle. It just isn't that simple and considering the times and limitations of those who use and coin the term in those very early days of karate on Okinawa the best they could create to explain the ability was chinkuchi, i.e., sinew, bone and muscle, etc. 

In truth, the ability to generate and deliver power and force from one body to another has a lot to do with physiokinetic's where muscles and tendons and ligaments, etc., are a small, small part of the whole that results in power and force. 

Take a look once again at the physiokinetic's principles: 

Dai-ni-genri [第二原理] Second principle; Principles of Physiokinetic’s [物理的な動力学の原理] (Breathing, posture, triangle guard, centerline, primary gate, spinal alignment, axis, minor axis, structure, heaviness, relaxation, wave energy, convergence, centeredness, triangulation point, the dynamic sphere, body-mind, void, centripetal force, centrifugal force, sequential locking and sequential relaxation, peripheral vision, tactile sensitivity, rooting, attack hubs, attack posture, possibly the chemical cocktail, Multiple Methodologies [actual tactics and attack methodologies of impacts, drives (pushes), pulls, twists, takedowns/throws and compression, etc. are best for stopping a threat]

To explain further how I believe these principles explain chinkuchi lets take a look at them:

Direct Principles:

• Breathing: 
• no matter what you think or feel or what looks good and powerful or bad and useless one must properly breathe to achieve any results regardless of what term is used to describe things. 
• Posture: 
• posture is the proper culmination of body parts that provide you with that which in any given situation and action the ability to act with power and force. Posture broken or disrupted simply removes any and all possibility of achieving such force and power to any given situation and circumstances until that posture is returned. 
• Spinal Alignment: 
• Like posture, spinal alignment is about bringing all facets of the body into a whole holistic like chain that allows power and force to be generated and circulated with minimal loss or bleed off of power and force or energy. If the spine is misaligned then most of our power and force and energy is bled off reducing the effectiveness of any methodology used in karate for self-protection. 
• Structure: 
• bones, these are the framework of any body and without the skeletal structure all we are as humans are bags of liquid and meat. Bones when properly aligned are how we attain structure and posture, etc., that allows us to create, generate and utilize energy for power and force. All the dynamic tension applied to the shoulder, arm and fist in the world will have a very limited power and force without all the other principles as a whole. Actually, the dynamic tension you see as powerful in karate is actually a misuse of energy within the body that DOES NOT get used against another body in self-protection. 
• Sequential Locking/Sequential Relaxation: 
• This is one small aspect of what people believe is chinkuchi and when demonstrated in kata appear to be strong and powerful because they muscle it then tighten the muscles and bones and such to apply a certain powerful looking demonstration of the punch or strike as if all that muscling were being transmitted into the other person. 
• The sequential locking and relaxation are those milliseconds that the entire body works appropriate to any given situation and utilized methodology to transfer appropriate power and force that will stop an attacker. It is a momentary thing while the body actually remains in a positively relaxed state to better server movement, handling of adrenal stressors, handling of environmental stressors and free energy flow with minimal bleed off to achieve maximum effective objectives regardless of what those may be at any given moment. 
• Rooting:
• this one is often mistake as making a solid connection with the ground to apply the dynamic tensions and relaxations to make a kata and technique look good and powerful. Rooting is actually achieving the ability to remain in control of one’s body in any environment while applying principles through multiple methodologies so that power and force can be applied even when we are moving and especially when structure and posture and surprise are used against is in an attack. It is the ability to root our minds so that our bodies can perform as we desire to achieve results that mean our survival. Rooting the feet to the earth are training tools and my perception of rooting goes beyond the simplistic feet to earth into rooting the mind, body and spirit regardless where our feet may be in the heat of battle. 

Then the ones that are a bit more indirect:

• centerline, 
• that which is around the core of our bodies in the center in front of our spines. 
• axis, 
• works on our structure, posture and ability to root, etc. and our axis must control the adversary’s to be successful. This is the invisible line down the center of the body in front of the spinal cord or back bone. Our legs position move this axis. It effects full body rotation. 
• minor axis,
• this one is about how the rotation and hinge actions of our limbs that our methods should control in us and in the adversary. 
• heaviness, 
• balance is about taking our mass, our attackers mass, and controlling it so that the whole of principles can be applied to our advantage and against any advantage the attacker seeks against us. 
• relaxation, 
• to move quickly; to remain in control of the adrenal effects; to control our environment and to allow energy, force and power to move freely we must stay in a state of positive relaxation until the dynamics of tension are required and applied in mere milliseconds. 
• convergence, 
• Convergence reconciles the fact that two opposing forces produce force and power enhancement so when our structure, alignment, posture and other factors work properly and in unison we have superior ability to apply force and power while the disruption in the adversary bleeds off their power and force. 
• centeredness, 
• keeping our bodies in control through movement from our core, our center, and removing our tendency to rely on strength, especially of arms and hands or legs and feet while moving and generating energy from our center.
• Then there is centering our minds so that our spirits move, a calm and controlled mind is relaxed, as combat allows, so that our abilities achieve maximum efficiency while under some of the greatest stresses we can encounter in modern times. 
• body-mind, 
• nothing functions at its best or at all when the mind and body are disconnected and energy along with power and force are applied first and foremost in our minds and through training and practice convey all knowledge and understanding into actions thus a part of the foundation that is manifest of chinkuchi. 
• void, 
• ensuring the natural space, etc., that happens between events as explained in the OODA process. 
• centripetal force, 
• using a rotational methodology to bring an adversary toward a center.
• centrifugal force, 
• using a rotational methodology to bring an adversary away from a center. 
• peripheral vision, 
• observation of an indirect nature. 
• tactile sensitivity, 
• touch in feeling the physiokinetic’s of an adversary so as to achieve dominance over them and expanding our abilities and methodologies.
• attack hubs, 
• our main hubs, all humans have them, are the two shoulder joints/areas and the two hip joints/areas. Then he (MM) adds in sub-hubs such as the elbows and the knees. If a human moves those four main hubs will telegraph, tells, the movements. 
• attack posture
• a hallmark of the chinkuchi principles or concept in that improper posture results in a significant loss of a percentage of power because they don’t create proper alignment in their own bodies. Chinkuchi concepts and applicable methods require power and force maximized through these principles enacted or triggered as a whole rather than individually. 

The remaining principles under the law of the whole vs. the singularity of any one principle applies in that to achieve power and force one must achieve the whole rather than the singular. In other words, one must do more than develop and apply a concept involving only bone, sinew and muscle to achieve chinkuchi that is defined as the power and force applied to others in sport or self-protection. 

All of these kind of indirect principles still have to be there dependent upon the situation, environment and status of our minds, bodies and spirit according to the moment, the moment when the attack began physically assuming one failed to avoid. 

So, what this tells me is that using devices to test a small part of our bodies abilities to achieve what is termed chinkuchi is inefficient. Regardless, of the two devices… chinkuchi pushup bars and challenge bars… I have personally found that if I were to consider which one demonstrates alignment, structure, strength, etc., as indication of possible chinkuchi the challenge pushup bars do a better job of testing our ability to achieve those principles in our arms, shoulders, wrists and hands. 

Neither bars should be called chinkuchi as if they indicate one has that ability BECAUSE no demonstration or test actually can indicate that ability. The only way to test and achieve the proverbial chinkuchi is in the wild through being attacked and applying the principled methods that would convey, transmit and conduct energy and power and force into the body. One of the reasons many say you can’t explain it but must experience it fail to realize that even in the dojo, under training and practice, you cannot explain or teach it unless you first explain, teach and practice applying physiokinetic’s through its principles singularly then at least to some small degree through things like competitions can you in some very small way determine if you are on the right track and not completely in the realm of chinkuchi. 

Note: true power is not achieved by muscling it or doing chinkuchi/challenge pushups but is achieve by one’s mass, body weight, and movement… proper movement coupled with the application of physiokinetic physiological and mental psychological methodologies to get-r-done. 

For reference and sources and professionals go here: Bibliography (Click the link)