Variations of this kata are taught in many ryu. One origin myth is that Chinto was the name of a shipwrecked Chinese sailor who taught the kata to Matsumura Sokon or Matsumora Kosakku, but it is also held that Chinto means "fighting to the East."

There is a kung fu form called Chen Tou (Mandarin) in Wu Zho Quan (also Ngo Cho Kuen), "Five Ancestors Fist," but its connection to Chinto remains unproven.

There are 3 distinct "families" of Chinto in modern Okinawan karate: Matsumura/Itosu lineage (performed front to back), Matsumora Kosaku lineage (performed side to side), and Kyan Chotoku lineage (performed on a 45 degree angle). Looking at technical content, we can see that the Matsumora and Kyan versions are nearly identical, which is only natural since Kyan learned this from Matsumora (Joe Swift)

In Shotokan, Chinto is known as Gankaku 岩鶴 ("Crane on a rock") as a result of Funakoshi Gichin's systematic renaming of kata.

Videos

Fukuzawa Hiroji (Wado ryu)

Matsubayashi ryu

Chito ryu

Soken Hohan (Shorin ryu Matsumura Seito Karate-do)

Kanazawa Hirokazu (Shotokan) doing Gankaku

Luca Valdesi, 2004 World Champion, doing Gankaku

Vintage JKA Gankaku

Valdesi, Figuccio & Maurino, bunkai for Gankaku