Chinto Kata and Tai Chi Chaun 6-1-2001

Sunday, September 22, 2024

Chinto Kata and Tai Chi Chaun 6-1-2001

I’ve made another interesting discovery concerning Kata Chinto (my old friend) and Yang Tai Chi Chaun.

The segment shown in Nagamine Shoshin’s “The Essence of Okinawan Karate-Do” Pics. 23 to 26, represent the same techniques utilized in Tai Chi’s Da Lu practice.

I no longer have the ability to make screenprints from that book. however I found a Matsubishi video of their chinto kata and this is the motion of that section I am describing.

This was written prior to You Tube. Here is a Montaigue video

Tai Chi: Da-Lu V. 2 (The Great Repulse) Montaigue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5piEh2WSKI

Da Lu (Ta Lu and other spellings) is not part of the formal Yang Practice I’ve gotten from Ernest Rothrock. But as I’ve come across it many times in Tai Chi literature, it has always remained a background topic of interest for myself. Last week I stumbled across an article on Erle Montaigue’s web site and printed it out to review. [Disclaimer, on 05/30/01 Mr. Montaigue discountined the hundreds of free articles he posted at his site as it was costing him $1,600 a month for people to download them. Now he will sell you a CD of the entire group for $35.00, a most reasonable cost, but alas, to be a long time till I spring for it myself.]

Now I’ve worked the Lu (Pullback) of Tai Chi with great success in the past, and always recognized it as a potential application for this section of Chinto. On the other hand, Mr. Montague’s article and accompanying pictures (which will NOT scan in from my print out) clearly explained how Da Lu differed from my previous practice. In practice where I was stepping back ( as in Chinto Kata) in Da Lu you are side stepping, which removes you from an interior line of defense to an exterior line of defense, which also helps remove yourself from the fast linear attack of your opponent, into a much more advantageous position.

Yes Da Lu is slightly different in the footwork for several movements, but still covers the essential Chinto movement.

Allow me to try and describe this as a two person set.

Attacker 1 – Right foot forward with a right punch to the face (towards 6 o’clock)

Defender 1 – Left foot steps out to 9 o’clock as both hands rise in front (palms up) on the exterior of the punch. (minor variation on movement 23). Pay particular attention to body alignment to deflect the punch upwards and to the right almost effortless as you step back.

Defender 2 – Right foot circles to 9 o’clock (clockwise) as both hands turn over, right hand slides down to grab wrist and left hand presses down across the triceps tendon (paralleling movement 24). This is the pull back of Da Lu. [to maximize the effectiveness utilize the knee release here).

Attacker 2 – To counter the Da Lu in part, step out with the left foot towards 6 o’clock, and drop your grabbed arm down towards the floor. Your body continues to rotate clockwise.

Attacker 3 – Step to 9 o’clock with your right foot and deliver a shoulder strike towards the attackers center, likewise utilizing the knee release.

Defender 3 – Keeping your weight on the balls of both feet, use the knee release to rotate your body counter-clockwise to counter the shoulder strike.

- Now the sides reverse - -

Defender A1 – Step with your right foot towards 3 o’clock (toes facing 1 o’clock) and your right arm rises circling counter-clockwise to begin the heaven and earth throw. (paralleling movement 25 – 26)

Attacker D1 – Step with your left foot to 5 o’clock as both hands rise in front (palms up) on the exterior of the punch. (minor variation on movement 23). Pay particular attention to body alignment to deflect the punch upwards and to the right almost effortless as you step back.

Defender A2 – Right foot circles to 5 o’clock (clockwise) as both hands turn over, right hand slides down to grab wrist and left hand presses down across the triceps tendon (paralleling movement 24). This is the pull back of Da Lu. [to maximize the effectiveness utilize the knee release here).

Attacker D2 – To counter the Da Lu in part, step out with the left foot towards 12 o’clock, and drop your grabbed arm down towards the floor. Your body continues to rotate clockwise.

Attacker D3 – Step to 5 o’clock with your right foot and deliver a shoulder strike towards the attackers center, likewise utilizing the knee release.

Defender A3 – Keeping your weight on the balls of both feet, use the knee release to rotate your body counter-clockwise to counter the shoulder strike.

- Sides reverse and continue - -

While not 100% Da Lu, this becomes a very interesting exercise.

You get to re-enforce correct alignment, use of the knee release offensively, defensively and for rotational counter, you can replace the shoulder strike with an elbow strike/shoulder strike, and you can replace the heaven and earth throw, with an outer wrist lock to provide variety in the movement too.

Start slowly and have the partners work with each other, trying to feel and neutralize the attacks. As the skill increases work to increase the speed, always trying to keep alignment and balance centered.

Enjoy,

Victor

Several other Da Lu tai chi videos which demonstrate what I am describing.