CCChhhiiinnn NNNaaa by Richard Kay, Goju-Kensha Karate-do

chin = seize na = control

Chin Na is the Chinese art of ‘restraining and immobilising’. Chin means ‘to seize or catch’; Na means ‘to hold and control’. Therefore, chin na can be translated as ‘seize and control’.

The methods of applying chin na techniques include:

1. Grabbing – Control and lock joints or muscle/tendon to immobilise 2. Pressing – Applying pressure to qi cavities or nerve endings to cause pain, unconsciousness or death 3. Striking – Applied to vital points or qi cavities

The categories of chin na techniques are:

a) Dividing the muscle/tendon (fen jin)

Action: Techniques which tear apart the opponents muscles or tendons Results: Immobility, pain and unconsciousness Methods: Twist and bend the joint; Split and tear the muscle/tendon apart

b) Misplacing the bone (cuo gu)

Action: Techniques which tear put bones in the wrong positions Results: Pain, ligament torn off bone, bones pulled apart Methods: Twist and bend the joint in wrong direction; Bend joint against natural range of motion

c) Sealing the breath (bi qi)

Action: Techniques which prevent opponent from inhaling Results: Pain, unconsciousness, death Methods: Direct sealing of windpipe (grab throat, compress throat with arm, press/strike throat

cavity); Strike muscles surrounding lungs; Cavity press or nerve strike

d) Pressing (dian mai) or sealing/blocking (duan mai) the vein/artery

Action: Techniques which strike or press a blood vessel Results: Disrupt blood flow, causing pain, unconsciousness, death Methods: Striking; Pressing (fingers, knuckles)

e) Cavity press (dian xue) or pressing a primary qi channel (dian mai)

Action: Techniques which disturb or effect opponent’s qi circulation Results: Disrupting qi flow causing pain, unconsciousness, death Methods: Press with fingers

The key points for proper application of chin na techniques are:

Power is soft and gentle so technique is fast and effective Feel correct mutual angle between you and opponent Proper expression of ‘martial power’ (jin) to make technique powerful and penetrating

The levels of chin na techniques can be divided according to:

I. Experience

How a person understands the technique and the technical difficulty of the technique. A beginners’ power is slow and stagnant, so techniques are executed slowly and poorly. Also, a beginner cannot catch correct locking angle through feel of contact, and usually the opponent feels the angle as technique is applied

II. Martial Syle

Same technique varies in terms of results and effectiveness due to variations in the training methods of a style and the understanding of teacher and student.

III. Categories

The easiest to learn and apply is ‘dividing muscle/tendon’ and ‘misplacing the bone’; next is ‘grabbing the tendon’; next is ‘sealing the vein/artery’; the hardest is ‘pressing cavity’.

IV. Training Pocedures

Regulate your body (for accuracy of technique; includes locking angle, body positioning and controlling posture), your breathing (helps manifest your power at higher level) and your mind (control the flow of qi to generate more power).

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