An adjunct study to increase your martial effectiveness

 

 

 First make it clear I am not a Chin Na expert by any means.

 

For about 5 years after Shodan I trained with as many people to learn a bit about their arts.

 

Among my studied I trained with Ernest Rothrock first to learn the Yang Long Fist T’ai Chi Chaun form, and then to study a variety of mostly Northern Chinese forms to better understand what their forms were doing. Studying those systems applications was not my focus with him. I did learn a few things but that about sums it up.

 

I also trained with Tristan Sutrisno in his family Shotokan, his use of aikido principles to prepare for his Shotokan bunkai and a few other things. This presentation of aikido for karate did give be a basic understanding what aikido could do.

 

At that same time I became aware of the writings on the Chinese arts by Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming .  His texts on T’ai Chin Na were so well done  that it is likely he set the template for many to follow in their own application work (a different use of bunkai than I had been taught from the Sutrisno tradition. Even more impressive were his works on Chin Na, where he incorporated the Chin Na of several different systems and then presented the material in a very progressive manner.

 

So many books he wrote, so many video tapes then dvd’s on so many things. He recognized karate could use what he was presenting.

 

 

Most if not all, Chinese systems have their own chin na aspects. Some more and some less. But they are all ways to work an opponent’s openings against the opponent.

 

After I moved to NH and had reestablished my program, a friend invited me to a 3 style clinic where Dr. Yang was one of the presenters. I recognized what he was showing because of my earlier aikido studies. ( That is not to suggest aikido is chin na, rather they share some similarities.)

 

My wife, Maureen, was partnered with my friend. He was having difficulty understanding how to perform the tecunique. Dr. Yang was wandering around assisting various peoples when he saw his difficulty. He came to attempt to show the lock more detailed to assist, and he asked my wife to try and apply in on him, so he could explain what was happening. My wife had been trained in the Sutrisno Aikido version of the technique. Dr. Yang had huge, quite red, forearms and wrists from decades of work at his own chin na. My wife applied the lock and Dr. Yang immediately dropped to his knees.

 

Now long story short, my friend, contracted to have Dr. Yang teach two courses (each one a 9 month course once a week in Yang Tai Chi and Chin Na. My wife signed up for both of them. Because of work I could not be home in time for the classes. The first class was Chin Na, and when Dr. Yang saw my wife come in, he laughingly backed away from her.

 

She enjoyed those classes immensely. And as I was home when she came from class, I was nominated as her practice dummy. (Not that I had any choice.) she learned to apply those moves with extreme pain, mine. But I came to really appreciate what Chin Na study was about. Especially learning not to ever grab my wife.

 

But I also found that from his books and videos, the techniques were so clearly shown, I could immediately apply them.

 

I always had so much to teach there was no time in include formal chin na study.

 

 

But once a year, in my adult class, with long term students, I would take the Comprehensive Applications of Shoalin Chin Na to class. Then randomly select a page, and we would work whatever techniques were on that page. To let everyone see and feel they could also use that for a reference for other study. My idea was not to have them self study Chin Na, rather to intimately understand what else there was, to feel how much was in common with our training. And an idea where self-growth could come from.

 

Let me give one example, now you may already have this in your studies, but this can be seen as an adjunct study to your karate.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA_rFAs_Q-E&list=PL6A5147A54B8802E3

 

There are so many books by Dr. Yang and so many YouTube videos to choose from. Some videos are long, some are quite short.

 

More possibilities to consider.

 

 These are but two youtube videos I might suggest.

 

Shaolin Chin Na  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXWIBlXuOec&t=582s

Tai Chi Chin Na  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf94qpZFOuQ