It was the 1980s. Karate in the NE began thinking
about what was in Karate that they had not been shown.
Perhaps Oyata Seryu was a first cause, or George
Dillman was such a force.
In Boston a Chinese Instructor who also had a Phd in
Engineering background noticed what was happening, Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming.
Both noticed and felt he could make a contribution
to that occurring.
In addition to his own students classes, he also was
a student of many Chinese arts. Applying his Engineering Logic to a question he
must have posed to himself, and began another facet of his live, One that would
eventually lead to a publishing and seminar business for himself.
He realized that within many Chinese arts there was
a grappling tradition, one called Chin Na. And realized that it had something
to offer those karate people wanting to learn more about the potential of
karate, and of course they would pay for it.
Thus began an entire series of books about Chin Na,
and eventually viderseries about those books, And then in time on to many other
things.
I remember showing one of those books to an
instructor I was working with in his own family study of Shotokan, Aikido and
Tjimande.I remember how amazed he was looking at that book and showing he had
almost the same techniques in his art. Remarking that it was as if his dad had
written the book.
At the same time I was also in other studies I was
doing in a variety of Northern Chinese tradigions (Sil Lum, Tai Tong Long, Faaz
Tzi Ying Jow Pai) and knew of what Chin Na they contained.
What Dr Yang accomplished was to take the Chin Na he
had, and restructure what was presented logically. A way others could look and
learn those potentials and perhaps find ways to relate some of it back to their
karate.
When I moved to NH, I first met him at a clinic
where he was a member, one a friend had invited me and my wife to attend.
When the active part of his demonstration was taking
place, my wife was working with my friend.
And he was experiencing some difficulty with the
movement, having trouble applying it on my wife.
Dr. Yang was walking around helping people and saw
my friends problems.
He started to help show what he was doing wrong and
asked my wife to perform the lock on him,
Now he had interesting hands, for one thing his
wrists were very red, from continual practice and teaching I am sure.
So Maureen applied the lock being worked. Of course
she had plenty of prior practice on the movement from my other instructors over
the years.
Maureen applied the wrist lock, precisely.
Dr. Yang felt the application, and immediately went
to the floor from the lock.
The look on his face was priceless of course.
Somewhat later my friend enter an nine month
agreement with Dr.Yang to host several 9 month weekly seminars, one on Chin Na,
one on Yang Tai Chi.
I was working and the timing was inconvenient for
me, but my wife thought they might be interesting, so she signed up for them
The first night she went there, the second she
entered my friend’s dojo, Dr Yang remarked “Oh no, she is here!” :-)
There began months of pain.
For when I returned home from work, and my wife was
back from the seminar, she used me for her practice dummy, again and again.
I can attest how painful each of those Chin Na
techniques are on the receiving end. Fingers, Hands, Weists and on. All of them
work.
So in addition to his own schools, he continued his
outside sharing program, more detained analysis of Chin Na as well as other
books.
Dr. Yang
Jwing-Ming
The interesting
thing is that in addition to his many books he shared his arts on video, many
of there are available on You Tube.
Here are several
suggestions.
Shaolin Chin Na
An early example of how he structures
Chin Na instruction
Tai Chi Chin Na
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