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HOME ABOUT US ORDERING INFO BOOKS CFA BACK ISSUES DT BACK ISSUES DOJO SCROLLS EMBROIDERY FAI MAGAZINE KARATE VIDEOS MEDITATION BEADS MEIJIN UNIFORMS BELTS POLO SHIRTS SHOTOKAN ITEMS TSUNAMI VIDEOS ORDERING INFODRAGON OUTLET STORE CFA HOME BACK ISSUES ORDERING INFO TSUNAMI HOME GOJU RYU KARATE OKINAWAN KARATE COMPETITION JAPANESE KARATE UECHI RYU KARATE GUNG FU & MORE DISTRIBUTORS ORDERING INFO DT HOME BACK ISSUES ONLINE ARTICLES SEARCH THIS SITE Copyright © 2025 Dragon Associates Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Dragon Associates Inc. is prohibited. Chitose Tsuyoshi A Bridge Through Time by Michael Colling (History: A knowledge of the past based upon Testimony) Chinen Tsuyoshi, later to be known by the name Chitose, among others as was custom to his culture, was born in an era where the Okinawan fighting arts were quietly taught to those who knew the right people. His lineage can be traced back to Chinen Yamagushiku (aka: Chinen Peichin and Aburaya Yamaki) 1791-1881. He is a grandson of Matsumura Soken, well known into modern times as one of the most notable of his era. It seems with this family background Chitose was destined to follow the path he spent a lifetime studying. As a boy Chitose saw the entrance of karate into the school system in Okinawa by Itosu Anko (1830-1915) in a regimented form for mass instruction, to Funakoshi Gichin, a school teacher he had in grade school, introducing this art to Japan as a middle aged man to the Crown Prince Hirohito in 1922 at the First National Athletic Exhibition in Tokyo, to the opening of worldwide acceptance when U.S. servicemen began learning the art under different sensei and taking it home to open dojo in the states. Chitose's birthday was October 18th, 1898, in the Kumochi area of Naha City. His father, Chinen (Masuo) Chlyoyu, took on his wife's family name as was custom at the time but never took up the study of the Okinawan martial arts. In his son we would see a life dedicated to the study and research of the old ways, and his founding in later years his method of karate we now understand as Chito Ryu. During his early years in Okinawa he was known as Chinen Gua and in later years when living in Japan he adopted the Chitose name for personal reasons, becoming Chitose Gochoku, among others that he used. Chitose, through family connections, had access to the finest teachers Okinawa had to offer. He began his study at the age of seven (1905) under Aragaki Seisho, a teacher of Tode and extremely skilled in the use of bo (staff) and kama (sickle). His grandfather, a senior official with the Naha Government had begun taking a very young Chitose with him when visiting Tode seniors and eventually was the one to set up the Aragaki connection in 1905. Young Chitose spent over seven years with Aragaki Sensei (teacher) until a disagreement had him leaving Aragaki for other instruction around 1913/1914. Chitose had spent most of his time on the kata Seisan though he also was taught Sanchin and Niseishi and the skills of walking on coral and being able to reverse himself while climbing trees. Other noted seniors at this early stage of his training with Aragaki were Funakoshi Gichin and the teacher of Miyagi Chojun, Higashionna Kanryo. Funakoshi Gichin was also Chitose's grade school teacher, and Funakoshi's eldest son, Giei, a fellow classmate. This early connection would last a lifetime, until the elder Funakoshi passed away in 1957. His next teacher was Higashionna Kanryo, though it would only be for a short period as Higashionna passed away in 1915. One fellow student would become the founder of modern Goju Ryu, Miyagi Chojun. Under Higashionna he learned the katas Saifa and Seipai. In Shuri he studied under Motobu Chotoku gaining knowledge in Unsu and Wansu. In Kadena (Nakigami District) he learned Chinto and Kusanku, and, along with Aragaki Ankichi, the katas Bassai (Potsai) and Ananko under Kyan Chotoku. Aragaki Ankichi, not to be confused with Chitose's first teacher, was a close friend and Chitose was deeply grieved when Aragaki passed at a young age in 1927. At the Sogen Ji he learned the katas Jion, Jitte, Shihohai and Ryusan under Hanashiro Chomo. He also spent time studying the kobudo of Chinen Sanda, and the old style grappling and submission techniques from Kanagushiku Peichin, along with a future karate leader Chibana Chosin. He furthered his kobudo under two noted experts Kogushiku Ufuchiku and Maezato Shinken. Teruo Chinen related a story he had heard many times as a young boy when living in Okinawa. His grandfather and Chinen Masami and a young Chitose (Chinen) were boyhood friends and this connection lasted into the budo years with Chinen Masami. As we can now see Chitose was well grounded in the knowledge that was available during the early years that the "public" in later years would access as "karate". The list of teachers and fellow students he was acquainted ...