In written records, there are a few mentions of Kyan Chōtoku demonstrating his Karate in front of audiences. One widely recognized instance was the demonstration during the opening of Nagamine Shōshin Dōjōs in 1942, where Kyan showcased Passai and Bō-Jutsu. More recently, it has become known that during the Okinawa Butokuden opening in 1939, Kyan demonstrated his Chintō Kata.
According to Nakazato Jōen, there was another demonstration where Kyan showcased Chintō and Bō-Jutsu:
The Story of Yomitan Air Base Construction Demonstration
In January 1944, amid World War II, Kyan Chōtoku visited the construction site of Yomitan Air Base, a strategically important base in Japan. Despite being 75 years old, he delivered a memorial demonstration, featuring the Chintō kata and Bō-Jutsu, specifically the „Tokumine no Kon.“ This left a lasting impression and provided courage to laborers from across Okinawa, as recounted in an interview with Nakazato Jōen (1997).
The New Discovery of an unknown newspaper article
During my Okinawa trip last year (2022), I came across a newspaper article from the Taishō era, documenting an unknown demonstration where Kyan Chōtoku exhibited multiple Karate Katas. This article, previously widely unknown, is now fully detailed in a Martial Arts Magazine for the first time.
While there may be more demonstrations by Kyan, unfortunately, many are unknown due to the destruction of written sources during the bombing in World War II. We must recognize that most of these records are lost forever. The Taishō era demonstration, featuring Kyan as a leading participant, is only accessible due to fortunate circumstances, as outlined in the article. With the known demonstrations, we can now compare the various Katas demonstrated by Kyan over a 20-year period. Additionally, the article provides substantial information on the connection between Kyan Chōtoku and the masters from Shuri Sanka. The missing pieces are now available, waiting to be explored.
I aspire to publish this article in English along with other material in the future. However, for now, only the Japanese version is available. The response received so far has been overwhelmingly positive.
Gekkan Hiden, 2024/1, page 48-53.