Chin na
If I concentrate while he
divides,
I can use my entire strength to attack a fraction of his.
(Sun Tzu)
Chin na
This is the art of
seizing the opponent abruptly and painfully during grappling.
Chin na is intended to break bones, tear muscles/tendons/ligaments and inflict
pain through sudden leverage.
Locks and holds are not used because they require commitment.
Sensitivity
Chin na cannot be used forcefully; it is a subtle skill.
No sane person would allow you to break their arm, so you must become very sly
and spontaneous.
Brute force, strength against strength is not chin na.
Chin na skills
Students learn:
Cavity press
Dividing the muscle
Misplace the bones
Sealing the breath
Seizing
Finger chin na is only taught one-to-one.
Flowing chin na
Once the principles are familiar, students will learn how to flow from one chin
na to another.
This can be useful should one prove unsuccessful and a good striking opportunity
is not available.
Ultimately the application of a chin na should feel like a strike.
This is practiced using controlled contact.
Techniques
The danger with learning specific chin na applications is that you may come to
see them as techniques.
This is not the approach advocated by Sifu Waller.
Techniques have their place as a learning tool but are not a good approach to
use in actual self defence.
A technique involves a series of steps employed against a particular attack.
Should your opponent deviate from the anticipated course of action, a technique
could easily fail.
Adaptation
For chin na to work, you must concern yourself with the underlying principles
rather than technique.
Once you understand how the principles work, you can use them spontaneously in
accord with the requirement of a given situation.
This is more realistic.
Adaptation is essential; you change what you are doing relative to what is
happening.
If your chin na is countered by your opponent, you move into a different one or
adopt a different strategy entirely - such as stepping or striking.
Page created 2 May 1994