KINJO KENSEI: THE OTHER 9TH DAN (1989)

Kinjo Kensei is the "other" Hanshi 9-Dan that was promoted by Chibana Choshin. He was like a "puppy" and always followed Chibana around. He was also called Chibana's enforcer and would fight at the drop of a hat. He and his school friend, Ankichi Aragaki, joined Chibana at the same time in 1921. They were both the same age and very strong.

Kinjo had very large knuckles on both hands and he loved to practice on the makiwara (punching board) every day. He was a school teacher by trade and just before the war he moved to Osaka in mainland Japan. Around that period of time he would often demonstrate his karate at the various Okinawan festivals with Okinawan dancers. People saw his art as just a "hard and stiff" dance form. He received no response for students. Later, he changed his form from hard to soft (concentrating on speed) but would then demonstrate breaking techniques afterward. After that, he was able to find students.

As Chibana's "puppy" and enforcer he would "talk" to anyone who did not agree with or showed disrespect for Chibana. He liked to fight and Chibana was the only one who could control him.

One time Kinjo was challenged to a roof tile breaking contest. The only problem was that there were only about ten roofing tiles available. Kinjo quickly said that that is really all you need if you know how to perform tamashiwara (breaking). Kinjo said that the idea of real breaking would be to take one tile and to try and break a piece out of the center. This would show a tremendous amount of power and speed. He then volunteered to go first and with a snapping backfist technique succeeded in knocking a piece out of the center of the first tile. The others just looked at each other and jointly conceded the breaking contest.

Another time his students bragged to a kendo master that Kinjo was stronger than his sword's "naked blade." The instructor just laughed at the students and stated that they were all talk but that he was a man of action. The kendo master then sought Kinjo out and repeated what the students had said. Kinjo then stated (because of pride and because he did not want to kill his students belief in him) that what his students had said was true and that he would be glad to show him why it was true.

The instructor was taken aback with this statement and quickly put on his bogu (body armor) as he advised Kinjo that he found that very hard to believe. Kinjo then stated, "Ok, I'll show you. But I've never hit a kendo bogu before. Can I please hit it before we start. I'll only use half power so as not to hurt you."

The kendo instructor said, "Sure, please go ahead. You can also use full power because kendo bogu is very strong and is capable of taking a lot of punishment." Kinjo said, "No, I'll just use half of my power." He then punched the kendo bogu so hard that it cracked and knocked the kendo instructor down.

The instructor got up and looked at the crack in his bogu and asked if that was only half power. Kinjo quickly apologized and said that the punch was truly only half power. The kendo instructor then said, to save face, that the bogu was old and that he hadn't brought an extra one with him. He then apologized for wasting Kinjo's time and left. He never returned.

A bojutsu student one time tried to bait Kinjo with a discussion centering around the combative techniques of a bo versus sai. The student was known as a strong practitioner of bojutsu and simply stated that he believed that he could easily defeat a sai practitioner with his bojutsu. He was a firm believer in his own prowess.

Kinjo said, "maybe you could but you would have a very difficult time with someone who had good heiho (strategy)." The student was quick to take advantage of the statement and said that that was hard to believe and even harder to see. Kinjo then said, "No problem, if you don't mind, I'll be more than glad to show you."

Still in the living room, Kinjo said, "We can go outside if you like and I'll gladly show you my heiho unless you are not ready." The student then stated, "I am always ready to show one my skill." Kinjo then asked, "Are you sure you mean what you say." The student then became angry and felt that Kinjo was trying to get out of the contest and stated that he was ready now and would equally be ready at a different time if Kinjo was "too tired."

Kinjo then picked up his sai and attacked the student while he was still talking. He took the sai and with a vicious snap brought it across the student's wrist and slid the yoku (the wings of the sai) inward and trapped the wrist in a painful lock. The student was quick to yell as his wrist was turned against "the grain" in an Okinawan grappling technique.

While the student yelled, Kinjo calmly stated, "I guess you must have been mistaken when you said that you were ready!? But I am glad that you apparently like and appreciate my heiho. And unless you want to see some more of my heiho, I suggest we sit down and have some sake." The student agreed.

Kinjo always practiced awareness. People use to say that Kinjo was like a wild dog, always alert and always ready.

Kinjo Kensei always spoke of and lived "awareness." Students and friends often said that Kinjo had the sharp senses of a wild animal, one who was always on guard. One who never seemed to lower his guard or to rest. This was Kinjo.

His whole essence and living showed the awareness and readiness of his being. When he met some one he would eye him up for his weaknesses and strengths. He would always look for a way out of a building or a conversation if it did not benefit him. He did not believe in wasting time for pleasure or for relaxation.

His concentration was intense and frightful. He disliked sleep because it could cause a stoppage of his awareness. He slept very little and very light.

Kinjo Kensei constantly practiced on the makiwara. He had huge knuckles on both hands and always practiced breaking techniques. Due to the fact that he practiced on the makiwara so much, he could hardly open his hands. His punches were so strong that very few people were capable of blocking them.

When fighting, he would often just punch his opponent in the arm to set him up for the finishing techniques. Since he was capable of hitting so hard, it did not matter where he hit you because it would hurt anyway.

One time when he was an old man, Kinjo had gone to the Koza area of Okinawa to visit his family. The family lived by a bridge that was also a hangout for young toughs that roamed the post war period. The toughs would stop a passerby and try to collect a "toll" for crossing the bridge. One day, two of them made the mistake of stopping Kinjo. They made another mistake by demanding a "toll" for letting him pass unmolested. They then made their third mistake by threatening him with bodily harm if he refused to pay.

Kinjo, an old street-fighter, decided that these young men appeared to be strong and in good shape and he wanted to "test" their fighting spirit and his old street-fighting skills. He then bowed to them and asked them if they wanted to "exercise a little." Both of them looked confused and then asked Kinjo "do you mean you want to fight?"

With this, Kinjo kicked the first one in the thigh and punched the other so hard that he fell into the river. He then told the one that he had injured that "young people should not threaten old people." He then told the young tough that he would try to come by every day for a walk across the bridge and that he would welcome a chance to "exercise" with all of his friends but that next time it would be to the death.

He then told the young tough that he now had a choice of volunteering to jump into the river or being punched into the river. Kinjo then stated that he would give the young man five seconds to make up his mind. The young tough quickly dragged himself to the bridge rail and threw himself over.

For several months afterwards, Kinjo continued to take a little walk across the bridge. It was later learned that all of the ruffians from that area moved to another bridge after learning who and what Kinjo was. The name of Kinjo Kensei is still well known and feared in the Koza area of Kadena.

Kinjo Kensei went to Korea just before the beginning of World War II. There, he often fought Korean "karate" men who were known for their head-butting techniques. His favorite defense for the head-butting techniques was to turn his shoulder and catch the head-butt with his deltoid and perform a "tiger claw" technique to the face.


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