Last night was a good Chin Na class. We started out with some new exercises including some crazy stuff with the Chinese staff (gun). All of what we did where grip, wrist, and forearms exercises. One drill had use hold on one end of the 5′ staff and try to maintain the other end on an imaginary spot in the air. Then we had to make the end we were holding circle while not losing the imaginary spot. There was also a side-to-side exercise that was similar and both were worked clockwise and counter clockwise as well as right-to-left and left-to-right. Let’s just say my forearms are sore.
Good stuff! 
Then we really focused on the proper techniques of wrap hand 1 & 2 which I really liked. Right now it’s still all so new to me so having these senior students taking the time to break it all down was greatly needed and appreciated. The first thing I learned (another ah-ha!) is that on both wrap hands I need to drop my elbow as I’m rolling to the left or right. I have this tendency to want to struggle with the person but that’s a losing game if they are stronger. Instead, if you drop and go with the flow it does not matter if they struggle. By dropping that elbow as you lock you sort of ride their resistance into getting their arm in the magic 45 degree angle where the Chin Na is best.
One of the seniors saw me tensing up again. Sigh. It was a problem in taekwondo where some tenseness is allowed. It’s an even bigger problem in Chin Na. Anyhow, he took me to the point of Wrap Hand 1 where the lock starts. Then he just relaxed and let gravity push down. When he did that I could just start to feel the point before the pain! Ah-ha! Then he had me try it with out tensing my shoulders. Sure enough I could feel it. Then he had me do the snake over the log part but point my index finger along an imaginary line that ran through his stomach and out his back. Bang! He was kneeling! A really good lesson and something I can practice with my wife without pissing her off from the pain.
He also helped my straighten out my footwork muddle so that’s another thing I can practice. In the above video the guy takes the attackee all the way to the ground which is one way to do it. However, the attacker is bent back so far he’s not in a position to follow-up with much. Well we were taught to maintain a 60 front leg and 40 back leg stance. This way when the attackee bends or drops you can come back with a “kill shot” (e.g. knee strike, certain kicks, etc.).
Another thing that was drilled is the lesson of speed. Though good technique is emphasized–especially when we are practicing–speed trumps this in a live setting. For example, it someone grabs you and your technique is sloppy but you still grab some fingers continue with speed to the lock. You’ll still disrupt them and likely cause pain which makes an opening for a strike. And if it fails look for another opening for Chin Na or start punching and kicking!
Us newbies even received a “battle field” explanation of Chin Na. Back in ancient times Chin Na was developed for the battle field where you did not have time to wrestle with someone like you do in Judo, Brazilian Jujitsu, etc. So most all of the techniques are quick and with the intention of being used in a situation where there’s multiple attackers. If you grapple with someone too long and don’t disable or follow-up with a punch or kick your doing it wrong. On the battle field while you farted around with making someone “tap” you’d end up with a broadsword in your back. Take that to modern times in a street setting with multiple attackers and it still makes perfect sense!
Finally, we learned one new technique which I really liked. At 1:10 you can see Two Children Worshiping Buddha.
This video does not do the technique justice. First, we were taught this as a counter to a cross grab. So first when grabbed you roll your wrist and grab the attacker’s arm, then you step in. We were shown four things you can do with just this one basic technique.
First, at the point where your shoulder is in their arm pit if you push back with your left arm and torque to the right with the rest of your body you can break or hyper-extend their elbow.
Second, when you bend them over you can do the same. However, you can also put your left hand on their inner knee. While pushing against that knee torque to the opposite direction for added arm breakage. Finally, from the bent position you can grab the knee closest to yours and throw them by cranking right.
Even at the clunky beginner stage this is one of those techniques that I can just tell I can make flow and fast if I have time to practice it.
Oh and one last thing…
That last video is showing Chin Na slow so the techniques can be learned. If he was really doing that technique to speed he’d just step in and pop the elbow. I thought I’d better throw that out there before someone complained or asked why he’s doing it slow, if I said it’s done fast!
Incidentally, after researching it I’ve determined that the YouTube clips of Dr. Yang are coming from his video series. If you really like what you’re seeing why not give him a little business and purchase a few of his tapes, DVDs, and books?
~BCP
