"The Author, it must be remembered, writes from his own standpoint!"
My personal "Interpretive" Lens!

"One thing has always been true: That book ... or ... that person who can give me an idea or a new slant on an old idea is my friend." - Louis L'Amour


"Providing a first step on a path to self-reflection." - C. E. James

"Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider..." - Francis Bacon

"What is true today may be reevaluated as false not long after. Judgements are frequently based upon a set of "temporary" circumstances surrounding them. Conflicting ideologies can exist simultaneously. Antagonistic dualities are complementary aspects of a unified whole: are seen as mutually dependent mirror images of each other." - Nahum Stiskin

Warning, Caveat and Note: The postings on this blog are my interpretation of readings, studies and experiences therefore errors and omissions are mine and mine alone. The content surrounding the extracts of books, see bibliography on this blog site, are also mine and mine alone therefore errors and omissions are also mine and mine alone and therefore why I highly recommended one read, study, research and fact find the material for clarity. My effort here is self-clarity toward a fuller understanding of the subject matter. See the bibliography for information on the books.


Note: I will endevor to provide a bibliography and italicize any direct quotes from the materials I use for this blog. If there are mistakes, errors, and/or omissions, I take full responsibility for them as they are mine and mine alone. If you find any mistakes, errors, and/or omissions please comment and let me know along with the correct information and/or sources.

Kenpo Gokui

The lines of the ken-po goku-i are set from an atomistic aspect simply because it is the manner in which the brain learns. Its nature is completely holistic and like the I Ching must be in a form that promotes learning and understanding so a person can see, hear and grasp the nature of a holistic system. The gokui is a method to teach us how to be holistic. Its terseness is the best that can be done to convey its holistic meaning.

A person's heart is the same as Heaven and Earth while the blood circulating is similar to the Sun and Moon yet the manner of drinking and spitting is either soft or hard while a person's unbalance is the same as a weight and the body should be able to change direction at any time as the time to strike is when the opportunity presents itself and both the eyes must see all sides as the ears must listen in all directions while the mind must grasp all the tactile, olfactory and gustation data not seen on all sides and not heard in any direction


Master Zeng said, "Am I preaching what I have not practiced myself?"

All Bottles are Truly Good

All Bottles are Truly Good

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PDF Books Available


Greetings and Salutations All: I have worked toward compiling two small pdf books as an exercises and learning effort on terminologies for martial arts as well as my interpretation of the karate koan most call the ken-po goku-i. I didn't do this to publish for money and I don't plan on trying to charge for these two pdf books in the future.

I am making them available free to whomever wishes to obtain them for study and reflection. If you would be interested in reading them simply send me an email address that I can send them to as attachments. Please note that I am still editing them both so you will find errors and omissions within as to grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. I have a friend who is an editor who has graciously consented to edit the ken-po goku-i effort. When it is done I plan of notifying those who ask for a copy so they can have an updated and hopefully fully edited final edition.

The terminology pdf book is not what you might normally find as it does not give technical/technique oriented terms but rather terms of a teaching/martial philosophical nature. I had this one as a blog for a while but decided it might better serve those who are interested to have a pdf version available to either read and use via electronic means, i.e. either a computer like the iPad or a kindle reader type thing. 

So, send your email to isshin.do.karate@gmail.com and I will gladly send you one or the other or both for your reading pleasure. I would ask that if you do that you give me your review of them, if you wouldn't mind, when you have read them. - Thanks!

Three is not just a number!


Three is a significant number in the Ancient Classics such as the Analects and the Book of Changes. As a matter of fact mathematics are significant in all of it. Binary numbers are shown to be associated with the eight trigrams as follows:

1. Heaven = 111
2. Lake = 110
3. Fire = 101
4. Thunder = 100
5. Wind = 011
6. Water = 010
7. Mountain = 001
8. Earth = 000

When you want to see balance you would then associate 1 & 8, 2 & 5, 3 & 6, and 4 & 7. One of the more significant pairings is no. 1 & 8, which are Heaven and Earth. The combination of these two forces or non-forces is held to produce the complete human being. (you find this referenced in the first tome of the ken-po goku-i of Isshinryu)

Chinkuchi [チンクチ] or Kokoro to karada zan [心と体残]


The characters/ideograms mean "body and mind balance." The first character means, "mind; heart; spirit," the second character means, "body; substance; object; reality," the third character means, "balance; remainder; leftover."

Chinkuchi or as I translate the approximate English definition "kokoro to karada zan or body and mind balance" when applied to martial technique has a variety of sources trying valiantly and diligently to define the term, which is Okinawan dialect, uchiganuchi, for the western mind. Much like trying to define and explain the ken-po goku-i along with other documents like the I Ching, the Tao Te Ching and other ancient classic texts - difficult at best and most esoterically fluid as dependent on individual interpretations. 

Some of the Okinawan sensei have tried to convey the meaning to the western mind:

Higaonna Morio, 10th dan Goju-ryu Karate has this to say about chinkuchi:

“This expression [chinkuchi] is used to describe the tension or stability of the joints in the body for a firm stance, a powerful punch, or a strong block. For example, when punching or blocking, the joints of the body are momentarily locked for an instant and concentration is focused on the point of contact; the stance is made firm by locking the joints of the lower body – the ankles, the knees and the hips – and by gripping the floor with the feet.
Thus a rapid free-flowing movement is suddenly checked for an instant, on striking or blocking, as power is transferred or absorbed. Then the tension is released immediately in order to prepare for the next movement.”

Arakaki Kiyoshi, Karate writer, said this:

“A simple explanation is, when punching for instance, to contract the muscles used when punching (especially the triceps and the trapezius), increasing the speed of the punch or block from within your own body.”

Karate historian (and practitioner) Tokashiki Iken had to say about chinkuchi:

“When punching, the most important thing is that the “koshi” [hips] are in it, and that chinkuchi is being utilized. Chinkuchi, in a word, means to contract the trapezius, the triceps, the pectorals major, etc. when thrusting the fist out. At that time, the armpit must also be closed when punching or blocking.
This means that a punch with chinkuchi has an instantaneous increase in power. This is called “one cun power” [one inch punch] and causes a great destructive power upon the opponent’s body.”

"Chinkuchi is both a system of ‘conscious’ internal energy management and an experience of moving in sync with a confluence of subtle energies." Hayashi Tomio

"Chinkuchi is synonymous with internal energy cultivation. There are degrees of Chinkuchi control. There are different methods of exerting or expressing this ability. " Hayashi Tomio

Then there are individual interpretations from the western spectrum of the Okinawan karate circles that are just as muddy in their explanations and interpretations with a lot of missing parts, if will allow.

This post is an attempt to convey the complexities and personal interpretations that go with the term "Chinkuchi" or what I have derived in study as "kokoro to karada zan.

Chinkuchi or kokoro to karada zan are concepts that manifest themselves when applying martial systems fundamental principles to technique. I believe this is also very simplistic and leaves out the other more esoterical aspects to the term much like many mistake basics over fundamentals in same. I attribute this view as I connected it to both the fundamental principles of martial systems and the ken-po goku-i as derived from my studies of both the spiritual and physical of karate goshin do. 

Such postings as this must be accepted as a kind of truth that is a part of a whole, an atomistic explanation that must be merged into a holistic whole that would be another atomistic and holistic aspect to karate or martial arts practice, training and applications.

Chin-ku-chi along with shu-ha-ri and others esoteric teachings such as shin-gi-tai pull together various fundamentals of martial systems into a final whole that epitomizes what Asians allude to in mastery of the martial arts. 

We and other martial artists must accept them individually and then allow them to blend, flow and merge into a whole that will influence all aspects of the martial arts. This is why it is explained as a separate entity with the understanding it must be morphed into other entities to make a whole or "one" experience we call karate-goshin-do or simply the "way." 

In its simplest form, a misleading one at that, it speaks to the merging of the mind and heart with the body along with the spirit of practice, training, and application of martial systems. The levels are many much like the levels of human existence along with the simplistic levels or grades of the dan-i system.

We speak of the power derived from proper chinkuchi which is explained simply as body mechanics, limited at that, and can be attributed to more that make up the fundamental principles of martial systems like body alignment, muscle and breath control, body positioning, generation of energy and power, etc. If only it were as simple as that and many tend to leave it at that if it meets their immediate needs.

Chinkuchi along with other models are what carry you throughout your life from the sprint, summer, fall and winter years of life as humans. It is more than strength, more than power and more than simply applying properly executed technique. It is worth exploring from as many sources as possible with an open mind allowing for the differences and leaving right and wrong out in the trash. 

No right, no wrong, just differences to learn from and to apply to life, practice and training achieving proper applications in accordance with all the principles that make mastery of the martial arts achievable.