Shotokan Kata · Advanced (Dan grade)
Step through all 32 movements. Use the arrows or press play. These are simplified schematics — pair them with the written sequence below and your instructor.
Chinte is the odd one out of the Shotokan syllabus. Where most Shotokan kata are linear and power-driven, Chinte is circular, close-range and precise — it targets soft, vulnerable points (eyes, throat, pressure points) with small striking surfaces that need accuracy, not strength. That is why it was historically described as favouring technique over power, and why several sources note it was practised more by women than men. Its lessons are pinpoint targeting, circular hand motion, and control of an opponent who is already close.
The name 珍手 means “unusual” or “rare hands,” after those distinctive techniques. Gichin Funakoshi tried to rename it Shōin (松陰) in the 1930s, but — unlike Pinan→Heian or Wanshu→Empi — that name never caught on, and it reverted to Chinte. It is an old kata of Shuri-te / Chinese origin (an alternative theory ties it to an Okinawan folk dance, though that is unproven).
A text reference for the whole kata, following the mainstream JKA form.
| # | Technique | Stance / turn |
|---|
Accuracy note (please read): two genuine version differences here. (1) Kiai: modern JKA competition uses kiai on 28 & 32; the traditional/original listing used 9 & 32 — the first kiai moved from the vertical elbow (move 9) to the scissors punch (move 28) when the kata was renumbered from 33 to 32 moves. (2) Count: JKA standard is 32; older sources say 33, and a few count 34 depending on whether the closing hops are enumerated separately. Techniques and order are stable across sources; fine turn-angles and some left/right assignments are best confirmed against video and your dōjō.
Each links to a full breakdown in the techniques glossary.
Read Chinte as close-range control and precision striking of soft targets.
The nihon-nukite blocks and then thrusts two fingers to the attacker’s eyes — a technique that ends a confrontation without needing power, the essence of the kata.
The nakadaka-ippon-ken concentrates force onto a single knuckle, dropped in a circular “bowling” arc onto a pressure point or the crown/temple.
Read as repeatedly shock-loading a captured wrist or standing joint lock — or dropping body weight to break a grab — while returning to the start point.
The spear-hand and one-knuckle fist are about accuracy on a small target — muscling them defeats the purpose and risks injuring your own hand.
Chinte’s hammer-fists and ridge-hand blocks travel in arcs. Cutting them into straight Shotokan lines loses the kata’s whole character.
Know whether your dōjō uses the modern (28 & 32) or traditional (9 & 32) kiai — kiai-ing on the wrong move is an instant grading flag.
The three hops must be controlled and land you exactly on the start mark — not a throwaway shuffle. They are part of the kata, and examiners watch the finish.
As a dan-grade kata, Chinte is judged on precise, correctly-formed hand weapons (two-finger spear, one-knuckle fist, palm-heel), genuine circular motion rather than linear substitutes, stable transitions through fudō-dachi, kokutsu and the crane posture, the correct kiai for your association, and a controlled three-hop finish landing on the start point. Requirements vary by association — confirm with your dōjō.
The illustrations on this page are study schematics — they show the shape of each move, not a real body in motion. To see Chinte performed at full speed by senior instructors, watch reference footage:
▶ Watch “Chinte” performances on YouTubeOpens a YouTube search in a new tab. Look for JKA / Japan Karate Association or established Shotokan instructor demonstrations for the most standard version of the form.
Or explore the full kata library.