Chinto / gunkaku

[ronryu]

In Shi-to ryu we do a kata called chinto (in shotokan it is called gunkaku) . I have researched this kata a little and have found that there are 3 versions the itosu type done in a straight line another type done in a left to right pattern and the one that i do tomori type done in a diangle. pattern . i was wondering if anyone has any other information or knowledge of this amazing kata.

 

 

[Tobias_Reece]

I practice Gankaku, and I do it in a straight line.

 

I didn't know that there were several ways to do it.

 

Oh well......thanks for the info

 

 

[Jiggy9]

"This kata's name is composed of two kanji. The first is rock, and the second is crane (a stork). The common interpretation is a crane standing upon a rock, but it could also be taken to simply imply a species of crane or stork.

 

This kata is supposed to be related to the kata Chinto practiced in many systems of Shorin-Ryu on Okinawa. There are two different Chinto that we can identify in Okinawan karate systems. One Chinto kata is the Shotokan Gankaku kata, and the other is reminiscent of Gankaku, but not really. The two kata are obviously different versions of one another. Kanazawa Hirokazu, the ex-JKA champion and SKIF chief instructor, has learned and begun teaching the other version of Chinto under the name Gankaku-Sho. You can see the other Chinto in Nagamine Shoshin's book about Shorin-Ryu Karate "The Essence of Okinawan Karate-do."

 

Gankaku is an interesting kata composed of techniques unique to it. In Shotokan Karate, there are not many kata in which you are expected to balance upon one leg, but Gankaku requires this action throughout. Another interesting feature is the use of side snap kicks after the one legged posture. The opening technique of Gankaku implies blocking with both hands, either grabbing or merely pressing the incoming technique away. The double level kick of Kanku-Dai is in Gankaku, but in mirror image. The right leg is the first off of the floor rather than the left. Practice of Gankaku could perhaps be viewed a balancing action for this technique in Kanku Dai, but it's importance is much more than that.

 

The author of this kata is unknown. The date of origin of the kata is unknown. However, the original name of the kata was "Chinto" which means Battle East. Funakoshi successfully changed the name to Gankaku not only to present a Japanese language name that would appeal to his market, but also to remove the connotations of war and battle that the name Chinto carries.

 

Gankaku is not unique among karate kata for imitating the one legged stance of a water fowl to produce a combat motion. Another kata unpracticed in Shotokan but very popular among ****o-Ryu and other Japanese styles is Rohai. Rohai has four different versions, one from Matsumura, the other three from Itosu, all four of which are reasonably popular in other styles of karate. Rohai means "Symbol of the Heron", and it contains one legged postures as well. One of the Itosu versions is the one that Meikyo is thought to come from. The Matsumura version is the most commonly seen among ****o-Ryu groups."

[Jiggy9]

Here is a video of the shotokan version :

 

http://www.ctr.usf.edu/shotokan/mpeg/Gankaku-new.mpg

[ronryu]

Thank you for your information the chinto that we preform is the tomori chinto it has no cran stances in it and is done in an dianangle pattern . it does have several cat stances and diffacult turns in it . we also do the shuri verison which is more like the shotokan gankaku . with the crain stances. i am very interested in any other information you can grant .

 

 

 

 

[SaiFightsMS]

I looked around for information on those katas. I did not find anything to add to what Jiggy allready shared. Jiggy did a good research job.

 

It is really fun though to research a kata. And interesting to see how other people do the same kata with different variations.

 

 

[AnonymousOne]

Gankaku is a 5th Dan Kata. I am amased how low ranks want to practise what their bodies cannot handle.

 

 

[SaiFightsMS]

In their love of the art many try to learn as much as they can as quick as they can. Some think that if they don't learn a new kata every 3 months or so they are not learning and their teacher is not teaching them anything new.

 

 

[ronryu]

Yes i am a shodan however i have also been praticing for 17 yrs . I have moved around so and so have not had the opurtunity to be in a class setting my whole martialarts life. i have been running Chinto for about 3 yrs now. I am not writing this to anger anyone however i am upset in soemones response when they know nothing about me .

 

 

[ZakariRu]

Gankaku a godan kata? I don't know where you got that, several shotokan orginazations allow you to test for shodan with it.

 

And as for the whole advanced kata thing (flames here i come) usually the most challenging part about higher katas like gankaku, chinte, sochin,unsu even gojushiho (the jka sho more then the dai) is getting your instructor to allow you to practice them.