Tsuyoshi Chitose

(Okinawan: Chinen Gua) was an Okinawan martial artist who founded the Chitō-ryū school of karate by blending Shuri-te, Tomari-te, and Naha-te.

Life Early life and training Chitose was born on October 18, 1898, in the town of Kumochi, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture. He would first begin his training under the tutelage of Seishō Arakaki in 1905 at the age of seven. During this his first seven years he was taught the basics and just one single kata Sanchin. He would continue training under Arakaki further learning the kata Unsū, Niseishi, Seisan, and possibly Shihōhai; until around 1913 or 1914 when they split seemly over a personal dispute. Following this he would train under several other masters most notably Higaonna Kanryō (learning Saifa, Sepai, Kururunfa, Tensho), Chōtoku Kyan (learning Ananku, Chintō, Kūsankū, and Passai), Choyu Motobu (learning Wansu), Hanashiro Chomo (learning Jion), and Sanda Chinen (learning Bōjutsu, and Kobudō). While under these masters tutelage he was a co-student to many future greats of the karate world including Kenwa Mabuni (Founder of Shitō-ryū), Chōjun Miyagi (founder of Gōjū-ryū), Juhatsu Kyoda (founder of Tōon-ryū), Ankichi Arakaki, and Masami Chinen (Founder of Yamanni ryu). During his formative years another karate great Gichin Funakoshi (Founder of Shotokan) was his elementary school teacher and also in this class were schoolmates Gigō Funakoshi and Shōshin Nagamine (founder of Matsubayashi-ryū).

Time in Tokyo In March 1921 the Crown Prince of Japan Hirohito made a visit to Okinawa. During this visit Chitose was asked to be a part of a karate demonstration along with several other respected masters of the day. After this Chitose would move to Tokyo to study medicine at University of Tokyo. He would remain in Tokyo until 1932 when he join Imperial Japanese Army Medical Corps.

In China From 1932 until the end of WWII Chitose would serve in the Imperial Japanese Army Medical Corps where he would retire as a Major. Most notably during this time he was stationed in a small village in China. While there he would treat and befriend many of the local people. When they discovered that he was a martial artist they introduced him to an old kung fu teacher from the neighboring area. He would later host a karate and kobudo tournament at the Kumamoto Kubukiza to raise money for the impoverished people of his homeland in Okinawa. In 1948 Chitose would help to found the ; along with Gichin Funakoshi, Kenwa Mabuni, and Sekō Higa, and Kanken Tōyama; serving as the President of the Kyushu region. It was around this time that he would finally settle on a name for his style Chitō-ryū, the name of the style translates as: chi (千) - 1,000; tō (唐) - China; ryū (流) - style, school, "1,000 year old Chinese style." The character tō (唐) refers to the Tang dynasty of China. former International Commissioner of Karate in the United States), Wallace Reumann (founder American Karate Federation), Robert Wightman, Warren Pochinski, Arby Edwards, and Roger Warren among several others. With the servicemen returning home as well as a few of his other senior students such as Masami Tsuruoka (father of Karate in Canada) and Thomas Morita, the teachings of Chitose quickly began to spread in North America. Tsuruoka headed up things in Canada while initially Morita would lead Chito-Ryu in the U.S.A. before Chitose decided to hand the reins to Dometrich.

In late fall 1961 Dr. Chitose would make his first of several trips outside of Japan. Tom Morita, James Miyaji, and Wilfred Ho were part of the group to sponsor this 4-5 month visit to Hawaii but disagreements among them caused the trip to be cut short by April 1962. Later that same year Chitose would visit Canada for the first time, visiting his student Tsuruoka's Hombu Dojo. While there Dometrich would come up from Kentucky to visit his sensei for the first time in nearly eight years. In 1967 for the Canadian Centennial it was decided that the government would sponsor the Canadian Karate Championship. Tsuruoka (then president of Karate Canada) invited Dr. Chitose, along with Dometrich, Mamoru Yamamoto (All-Japan Karate Champion 1958-1960 and later founder of Yoshukai Karate) and some of his students including Mike Foster, to Canada, where they conducted demonstrations, a clinic, and presided over the Karate tournament. The event was held at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre's Nisei Karate Club. After this Chitose and Yamamoto toured the US and Canada meeting and training many Chito-ryu students.

Latter years and death In 1975 Chitose would move his Sohobu dojo to its current location in Tsuboi, Chūō-ku, Kumamoto, Japan. He would continue to travel and dedicate himself to the training of Chito-Ryu practitioners around the world. By the early 1980s it was clear that his health was in decline, but he remained steadfast in his training and teaching, though he would need somewhat frequent rests. Dr. Tsuyoshi Chitose would pass away on the 6th June 1984 at the age of 86. He would leave behind his wife, seven children, and many grandchildren.

Successor In August 1984 Chitose's son Yasuhiro Chitose would become the second generation Soke of Chito-Ryu Karate taking on his father's name. Though this was near universally accepted early on several senior instructors chose to break away from the International Chito-Ryu Karate Federation (ICKF) with examples including William Dometrich (United States Chitō-ryū Karate Federation), Shane Higashi (World Chito-Ryu Karate-Do Federation), and Brain Hayes (Australian Chitokai Karate Association); while others chose to create totally new styles of Karate with Chito-Ryu as a base such as Masami Tsuruoka (Tsuruoka Karate), and even Dr. Chitose son in law Ken Sakamoto (Ryusei Karate).

Legacy At its peak Chito-ryu had over 40,000 practitioners on four continents.

Writings Kempo Karate-dō — Universal Art of Self-Defense (拳法空手道一般の護身術) by Tsuyoshi Chitose.