Dear Students, Teachers and Parents,

This coming Saturday we will be hosting a Jujitsu seminar taught by 2-
time world Champion Shihan Johnson. Mr. Johnson is currently the
training officer for the Colorado Springs Police Department and is a
great teacher. I hope you take advantage of training in Jujitsu with
him which will start at 9:00 on Saturday morning. To register, please
see Sensei Mary or Sensei Dawn.

For those attending the tournament on Sunday in Louisville, please
drop by Sensei Madani's web site for all the information.
www.imamadani.com

On Saturday the 22nd of March Sensei Scott Richardson will be
teaching a bo seminar (bo 7 I believe). If you do not already have a
bo, please register early so that we can have time to order you one.
Seminar starts at 9:00 am.

If you are interested in going to training with Kyoshi Kennedy in
Kansas over April 25th,26th, and 27th please let me know as we are
currently making plans at this time.

Lesson Of The Week

Chinkuchi – Focused Concentration

The first time I saw Zenpo Shimabukuro perform his kata, I was amazed
at the power generated when he moved. Since that time I have seen a
lot of students that try to mimic his motions, but there is just
something missing. The ability to concentrate all the motions in the
body to generate maximum force on a specific target is a crucial
skill in martial arts training.
While serving in Viet Nam, I learned the value of a concentrated
pinpoint attack. My job as a patrol dog handler was to detect the
enemy and then arrange the proper response depending on the threat.
Being by yourself with a limited resource of only a few hundred
rounds of ammo, sometimes miles from the closest friendly forces,
meant that once you were detected, your chances of escape were
limited only by the amount of cover fire you could call in, or
eliminating the threat as quickly as possible. Survival meant being
able to deliver superior firepower to a specific target right away.
In empty hand combat, this principle is equally important. This type
of response is dependent on two major factors – speed and power.
Speed is enhanced through relaxing the muscles and yet the power of
the impact of the strike is dependent on the tightening of all muscle
groups right upon impact. This concept is called Kime in Japanese
martial arts and chinkuchi in Okinawan terminology. Chinkuchi is
achieved when someone uses their mind and body in a spontaneous
action that creates maximum power from the body. To achieve this
power, all the muscles, tendons, breathing and mental intention must
be in perfect unity at the exact moment needed. Once this action is
learned, the degree of power is dramatically increased, allowing a
small person to deliver sufficient force to disable a much larger
opponent.
Chinkuchi is achieved by being perfectly aware of the situation
(zanshin) and you must focus the correct intention of the response.
Proper chinkuchi is also dependent on proper timing combined with
using the appropriate weapon at the correct distance. This means that
chinkuchi cannot be achieved if one is trying to use a kicking
technique from too close a distance or a punching attack from too far
away. This concept is often overlooked in sport karate when a
competitor is awarded a point as long as he touches the opponent,
without regard to whether the technique contained chinkuchi, and
could have totally disabled the opponent if the technique had not
been controlled.
To achieve maximum power with minimum energy is the foundation of
chinkuchi. The technique is very relaxed and fluid up until impact
and at that instant every muscle tightens for a split second. The
speed of the technique is increase by whipping it towards the target
and locks into the target at the last second. This allows for the
energy transference into and through the target.
A quality martial art is like a fine wine. From a distance, you can
see two different glasses, one filled with colored water and the
other with a quality wine. Only by picking them up and tasting them
can you tell the difference. Quality martial arts are the same. Once
you have felt a technique delivered with chinkuchi you will know the
difference.
Anyone that has seen Zenpo Shimabukuro of the Seibukan dojo perform
kata can immediately see this principle in action. You can actually
feel the power of the techniques as they whip into place for the
decisive blow. Zenpo Sensei has said, "Through constant practice and
doing the technique correctly you will realize chinkuchi"." If you
are looking for chinkuchi you will not find it", and "chinkuchi comes
from natural movement, it just happens."
You can witness chinkuchi when you see a master carpenter drive a
nail into wood or a swordsman slice through a stack of bamboo with
one clean sweep. While the apprentice takes several "taps" to achieve
the desired result, the carpenter or the master swordsman with proper
body mechanics achieves their goal with one concentrated motion.

Respectfully,

Terry Bryan