History of Chito Ryu 
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The history of Chito-ryu karate begins with our founder, Tsuyoshi Chitose (1898-1984). He was born in the Kumochi area of Naha City on the island of Okinawa on October 18, 1898. It was the 29th year of the Meiji era in Japan. Here on this small island, known as the cradle of karate-do, Tsuyoshi Chitose grew up and spent his early formative years.
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His original birth name was Chinen (Gochoku) Masuo. His father Chinen (Masuo) Chiyoyu, married into his wife's last name and was not a practitioner of karate. Chitose Sensei changed his name to Tsuyoshi Chitose for personal reasons after he moved to Tokyo in 1922 to attend medical college.

In tracing the history of Chito-ryu, we must also look into the historical influences that shaped Chitose Sensei's martial arts experiences and impacted our art of today. The old karate and martial arts teachers were responsible for influencing future generations of karate practitioners with the ideas they developed during their lifetimes. Some of these ideas were passed to Doctor Chitose and aided him in his creation of Chito-Ryu.
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Chitose Sensei's mother's grandfather was a very famous karate master. His name was Sokon (Bushi) Matsumura (1797-1889). Matsumura Sensei was considered one of the great karate (Tode) figures of the nineteenth century. Matsumura Sensei started his karate training when he was thirteen years old. His father, Sofuku Matsumura, took him to see a seventy-eight-year-old karate teacher named Tode (Karate) Sakugawa. Sakugawa Sensei (1733-1815) was born in Akata Cho, a small section of the city of Shuri, Okinawa. When Sakugawa was a young man he had been a student of Takahara Peichin (1683 - 1760). He had also studied for six years (1756 to 1762) with a Chinese military envoy (Kusanku). It is from this part of our history we get the kata - Seisan, Niseishi, Sochin, Sakugawa No Kon Sho, and Kusanku. Years later Bushi Matsumura had an opportunity to train with a Chinese trader named Chinto. When Chinto returned to China, Matsumura Sensei developed a kata from the many movements he had learned and named it Chinto in his teacher's honor. This kata is presently required for Sho-Dan (1st-degree black belt) by the U. S. Chito-Ryu Karate Federation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In 1886 Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo established the kyu/dan belt system. In 1907 he designed the Judo uniform from which the karate uniform is taken, except that the karate jacket is much lighter in weight.
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In 1895 the Japanese government created the DAI NIPPON BUTOKUKAI to oversee the martial arts and provided two titles - HANSHI, the highest award, and KYOSHI. In 1934 the DAI NIPPON BUTOKUKAI created a third title, RENSHI, which was below that of Kyoshi. On April 12, 1924, Gichin Funakoshi became the first karate teacher to award black belts when he adopted Jigoro Kano's practice of awarding this rank to advanced students. Experiments in Kumite training were initiated between 1924 and 1927 at Tokyo University. By 1927 these students were practicing tournament type sparring. All these elements played major roles in the development of Chito-Ryu.

Chitose Sensei started his Tode (karate) training when he was seven years old (1905). His first teacher was a sixty-year-old man by the name of Unchu (Nigaki) Kamade Arakaki (1840-1920). Arakaki Sensei taught the young Chitose his first kata - Seisan. The method of teaching karate in those days was to teach kata. The practice of basics and Kumite, which is common today, was unknown. In the olden days, many karate teachers refused to have or claim a style. They said that they just taught karate (Tode), style or Ryu was never an issue. For years the young Chitose practiced the one kata, Seisan. Only after he reached the age of fourteen did Arakaki Sensei teach him his second kata.
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When young Tsuyoshi Chitose entered high school he had the opportunity of further training with Sensei Anko Itosu (1832-1916). Itosu was born in Yamagawa Village, Shuri, and was a student of Sokon Matsumura. It is believed Itosu Sensei developed the Chinese corkscrew punch into its present form, and also originated the Pinan (Heian) kata. In April 1901, Itosu Sensei introduced karate training to the Shuri Jinjo Elementary School as part of the physical fitness training. During 1905 he introduced karate training into the Prefectural Teachers Training College. Three years later, under his guidance, karate training was introduced into all Okinawan schools.
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One of Chitose Sensei's young school friends was Shoshin Nagamine, who would one day found the Matsubayashi Shorin-Ryu style of karate, and become president of the Okinawan Karate Federation. One of their school teachers, later recognized as the greatest karate master of the twentieth century, was Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957), the father of modern karate and founder of Shotokan. Another of Chitose Sensei's classmates was Funakoshi Sensei's son, Gikko (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi.  Other katas taught to Doctor Chitose were: Shihohai, Niseishi and Sanchin from Arakaki Sensei; Chinto, Bassai, and Kusanku from Chotoku Kiyan Sensei (1870-1945); Ryusan from Chiyomu Hanagusuku; and Rohai from Kauryo Higashionna (1851-1915). Also training there at this time with Higashionna Sensei were Mr. Chojun (Miyagi) Miyagusuku (1888-1953) founder of Goju Ryu karate and Mr. Kenwa Mabuni (1888-1953) the founder of Shito-Ryu karate.

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From 1922-1932 Chitose Sensei went to college, practiced karate in his spare time, and assisted his old school teacher Gichin Funakoshi with his college karate classes. In 1931 Chitose Sensei assisted a new student at the Takushoku University karate club. His name was Masatoshi Nakayama (1913-1986), who would one day be the head instructor of the Japan Karate Association (Shotokan). During this time Dr. Chitose also established his medical practice. During the war, he served in the Army Medical Corps and spent some time in China. While serving in a small village in China Dr. Chitose befriended the local citizens. As a result of his assistance to the local population, he came into contact and was trained by an old Chinese Gung-fu teacher. In 1936 O-Sensei was present at a meeting of Okinawan karate authorities in Naha, Okinawa. This was the meeting in which the translation "Empty Hand Way" was adopted for Karate-do in place of the original todejutsu or "Chinese Hand Method".

In March 1946 Doctor Chitose opened a small karate dojo Yoseikan (training hall) in Machi, Kirkuchi-Gun, Kumamoto 
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Prefecture (presently called Kirkuchi City). He later held an Okinawan Kobudo Taikai (Tournament) at the Kubukiza in Kumamoto City to help raise relief funds for Okinawa. In 1948, O-Sensei organized the All Japan Karate-do Federation (Zen Nihon Karate-do Renmei) along with Gichin Funakoshi, Mabuni, Higa Seko, and Toyama Kanken and served as president for some time. It was around this time that O-Sensei named his style Chito-Ryu. Although it may seem obvious that "Chito" is a derivation of Chitose, this is not the case. "Chi" is derived from "thousand" and "to" is from the Chinese "Tang", hence the translation of Chito-Ryu is "The thousand-year-old Chinese (Tang dynasty) way", signifying the ultimate origin of Karate as being from China during the Tang era roughly one thousand years ago.

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At this time the practice of most martial arts (kendo, judo, and others associated with the nation of Japan) had been forbidden by the allied powers under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. Karate was considered an Okinawan art form and was not subject to the scrutiny given to Kendo and Judo. Nevertheless, Doctor Chitose and other martial arts teachers were very secretive in the teaching of their respective arts. Much of the martial arts training was camouflaged as physical fitness exercises and dances. In most instances, the occupying powers just looked the other way. This was the existing political climate when Masami Tsuruoka received his first-degree black belt in karate from Doctor Tsuyoshi Chitose. The year was 1949.
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Chito-Ryu Diversity
By: Michael Colling
with contributions by Don Schmidt
United States Chito-kai
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Before World War II there wasn't any style of karate known as Chito-Ryu. What existed at that period was a gentleman we now know as Chitose Tsuyoshi, also known by the name Chinen Gua when he resided in Okinawa, who was an extremely gifted individual who had access to most of the senior teachers Okinawa had to offer. With his intelligence and the ability to perform the skills he had been taught by such seniors as Aragaki Seisho, his first sensei (1840-1920), Higashionna Kanryo (1853-1917), Kyan Chotoku (1870-1945), Hanashiro Chomo (1871-1945)and Motobu Choyu (d.1926) Chitose advanced quickly. 

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Some of the students he trained along with during this early period were Miyagi Chojun, Kenwa Mabuni, and Chibana Chosin who become the next generation of karate leaders. By 1946 Chitose was ready to open his dojo which he named Yoseikan. All his teachers were gone, either passing on before the war or as causalities of this conflict. ( Some have mentioned that Chitose quit one style or another to start his Chito-Ryu but he was now on his own due to natural occurrences). He began teaching at his first dojo in Kikuchi City, Kumamoto. Out of this beginning would come the first generation of Chito Ryu students.
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A few that we would become familiar with were Masami Tsuruoka, one of the first students, and still active in teaching 57 years later, who was there when Kempo was the term used by Chitose to describe his art. William J. Dometrich, the first non-Japanese Chitose accepted and still teaching today in the USA, where he was also the first to bring Chito-Ryu outside of Japan. Thomas Morita, who brought Chinese art to Hawaii in the early '60s. Michael Foster, a direct student of Chitose's top fighter in the '60s, Mamoru Yamamoto, who brought the Yoshukai organization to North America.

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Thomas Morita (Hawaii)

Masami Tsuruoka (Canada)
​William J. Dometrich (USA)
​Mamarou Yamamoto
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Michael Foster

Two other servicemen who passed on Chitose's teachings in the USA in the '50s were Wallace Reumann and Henry (Hank) Slomanski. Wallace Reumann returned to the New Jersey area to open his dojo. He created the American Karate Federation, which grew to a 27 dojo membership. One of his top students was James Cheatham (now deceased) who in turn produced two well-known fighters from the east coast, Kareem Allah and Prentiss Newton.

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Wallace Reumann

James Cheatham

Henry Slomanski

 

The second gentleman, Henry Slomanski, after serving in Japan returned to Fort Campbell, Kentucky around 1958. Elvis Presley studied karate in Germany in the late 1950s when he was serving in Germany in the Army as part of a tank unit. Elvis left the Army and Germany with a kyu rank and returned to the states in 1960. On July 21, 1960, Elvis received his shodan rank from Slomanski Sensei. On October 17, 1963, Elvis received his Nidan rank from Slomanski Sensei.

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Slomanski also gained another very notable student, Dan Inosanto, who later followed Bruce Lee and, in time, took over as Lee’s senior instructor. Slomanski Sensei also instructed Reumann and promoted him to godan, which Chitose Sensei accepted at that time. He retired from the US Army as Sergeant Major.
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William J. Dometrich returned from Japan to West Virginia, his birthplace, in December 1954, and taught his first Chito-Ryu class at Fairmont State College, in January of 1955.

Masami Tsuruoka, Sensei, returned to Canada in 1956 and opened his first dojo in 1957 at Frank Hatashita's Judo Dojo, at the request of a few friends. This was one of the first karate dojos in Canada. By 1960 he had a large enough student body to open his dojo on Queen Street East. 

This group comprised the first generation of Chito-Ryu students all having Chitose Sensei as their teacher. From this small first core, we see the second generation starting to form and bring out many names we are familiar with today as our direct sensei in one manner or another. Some of the students Tsuruoka Sensei taught were Frank Baer, Monty and Nathan Guest, Shane Higashi (Tsuruoka Sensei's first shodan), Tran Quan Ba, Andre Langelier, and Fred Boyko. (The list has many names to be added but these gentlemen stand out in Canada from this period).
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The mid-'60s saw rifts forming in the Chito-Ryu family. In 1965 Tom Morita left to join Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu under Nagamine Shoshin, Sensei, a well-respected teacher in Okinawa. With the departure of Morita Sensei Chito-Ryu quickly ended in Hawaii and Chitose Sensei transferred the U.S. Headquarters to the Yoseikan Dojo in Covington, Kentucky, with Dometrich Sensei as the head instructor during 1967. It was at this time that the United States Chito-kai was formed at O-Sensei's request. 
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A small group in the Ottawa-Hull area broke ties with Tsuruoka Sensei to form the Canadian Karate Association. This group and Tsuruoka Sensei had differing opinions on how karate should be run in Canada, with this group deciding to leave and run their dojo as they saw fit. 
In 1971 the Yoshukan became the Yoshukai and went independent of Chitose Sensei and the International Chito-kai. With this move, Yamamoto Sensei formed another independent organization.  In 1979 Tsuruoka Sensei went his own way and Shane Higashi became a counselor for Canada, and David Akutagawa was appointed vice-counselor. 

Shane Higashi
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David Akutagawa
In 1984 Chitose Sensei passed away in June and his son, Chitose Yasuhiro, became head of the International Chito-kai. At this time he also took on the name Chitose Tsuyoshi, as is Japanese custom, and is known to many in Chito-Ryu as "Soke"- meaning "from the founding family". 
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Yasuhiro (Soke) Chitose
In the mid-'80s Michael Foster branched out from his Sensei to form his organization, Yoshukai International Karate Association, now giving two large groups of the Yoshukai teachings, Yamamoto Sensei and Foster Sensei. 
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On August 14, 1994, the United States Chito-Ryu Karate Federation became independent of Japan and the International Chito-Ryu. Dometrich Sensei stayed on as Chairman and Chief Instructor. In August 1996, Lawrence Hawkins became the new U.S. Chairman with Dometrich Sensei still serving as the Chief Instructor.  By the end of 1996 David Akutagawa, Sensei, had passed in his written resignation to the International in Japan, and in 1997 he formed Renbukan, which now is known by the name Renshikan.  In 1997 Ken Sakamoto would leave, forming Ryusei Chito-Ryu, and a few other seniors in Japan would also go their separate ways. 
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Other small bodies claim Chitose O-Sensei as their founder through lineage but aren't that large to be overly concerned about, though I am researching as many as I find. All the seniors mentioned above-no matter what direction they may have taken-are all direct descendants of Chitose Tsuyoshi, O-Sensei. Each man received senior ranking directly from O-Sensei. This small group brings together well over 50 years of Chito-Ryu growth and has produced many fine karate students and teachers coming into the next millennium. This evolution of Chito-Ryu reminds me of a tree with O-Sensei as the trunk, the source for our knowledge, and all these Sensei as the branches sprouting from that trunk, each having a personal take on O-Sensei's teachings but with their shape (interpretation). As they studied at different times they each saw a change, evolution, of Chitose's methods. 
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Who is to say who is Chito-Ryu? And who is not? Do you go by a style's name or do you look at the teaching hierarchy—who taught whom? Where does the knowledge base we are discussing come from? Who brought the kata into what we call Chito-Ryu? I just want what one other individual mentioned--to study what Chitose Tsuyoshi, O-Sensei, left to us--his Chito-Ryu, in whatever flavor it is. If I can train with, or take to, all these Sensei then won't I get a better understanding of our founder? 
All the above seniors share in part of that history, each is an individual who has his own story to tell about his journey with O-Sensei. If we can focus on the knowledge each has to pass on, then I feel we honor O-Sensei's memory and we all can benefit. 
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https://www.athleticscholarships.net/history-of-karate.htm

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Chito Ryu karate is broken down into three categories to teach a class. They are Kinon, Kumite and Kata. These basic tenets are then sub broken down into exercises and specific things within each one. 

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Kinon-Basics
Kinon is your basic practice of moves. Over and over again of doing upper block or a down block to the point that it is redundant but it becomes second nature. It is the true portion of the art. It is said that 1000 blocks do not make good karate person but 10 perfect blocks. To get to the perfection you have to go through a process of self-refinement within yourself to learn what it feels like and it looks.

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Kumite-Sparring
Kumite is the basic equivalent of sparring. You have to at some point learn how to physically apply the skills that you are learning. This actual physical application is a vital part of learning what you are doing wrong and what is working. The air is not going to hit back. It’s the art of timing, distance, speed, and finesse that you build in this area. 

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Kata- preset movements
The final piece of the puzzle is the application of what is known as katas. Katas are preset movements that are designed to teach movement, physical space, and hid the art from people who wanted to stop its transmission. Katas were and are still used to transmit the knowledge of the art through the movements. Master Domenitrich was taught Shi ho hai for a year and learned nothing else because there is so much buried in katas that as students you have to unpack and learn. Most of the time the masters would not answer your direct question about a kata but would only come over and move your arm or leg. Comments like breathing bad, no focus were, and are common in the evaluation phases of these katas. Katas represent a truly remarkable piece of time and knowledge that was transmitted for nearly 200 years. 

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