Chin Na in Three Easy Words
by Justin Liu - Shaolin Instructor

"Follow the twist." These were Sifu Wing Lam's three simple words of instruction to me. We both knew, however, that they came too late; at that moment any attempt on my part to counter his joint locking attack would end in futility. Hopping about on one foot, with one arm pinned behind my back in a distinctly unnatural manner, I was once again a victim of Sifu's Chin Na technique.

Often incompletely described as "joint locking", the term Chin Na can be more accurately defined as "locking and seizing". Chin Na techniques may attack the joints, the tendons, or the body cavities (pressure points) of the opponent. Regardless of the technique or the target area, though, the principle of China Na is always the same: control the opponent through locking and seizing the weak points of his body. Because Chin Na attacks the weak points of the opponent's body, it is a particularly effective method for self-defense.

Chin Na is not a distinct style of Chinese martial arts. Rather, Chin Na techniques are contained within the movements of the traditional sets of all styles. As Sifu teaches, any effective fighting style must be complete; it must contain techniques in the four different ranges of combat: kicking, punching, grappling, and throwing. The sets that we practice day after day, here at Lam Kwoon, contain all of the techniques of our respective systems. Some of these techniques are relatively easy to understand. For example, the block and counterattack combinations in Tan Tuy, the second set in the Northern Shaolin curriculum, are fairly straightforward. Requiring deeper study, however, are the Chin Na techniques that are "hidden" within the sets. These Chin Na techniques often comprise the secondary, or even tertiary, interpretations of the movements.

Likewise, it is perhaps easier to understand that the effective application of kicking and punching techniques requires an ability to react to the opponent's movements, to counterattack, and to adapt to changing circumstances. The application of Chin Na is no different. This is the concept contained in Sifu's characteristically pithy instruction to me, to "follow the twist". Clearly, this is a case of the concept being easier to understand than to do, for if it were indeed that easy, I wouldn't still be studying Sifu's six-videotape series on Chin Na or our various Chin Na instructional books (Illustrated Shaolin Grappling Kung Fu or Practical Chin Na). However, following the twist is the key to understanding how Chin Na would be applied in a real combat situation.

Like many of my fellow students here at Lam Kwoon, I came to Sifu with quite a few years of previous martial arts training. (We often think of Lam Kwoon as the "graduate school" of martial arts.) Among my earlier instructors was the famous grandmaster of another style who taught literally hundreds of joint locking techniques. These techniques were all taught for use in static situations: "if the opponent grabs your wrist, use technique #6". When I began training Chin Na with Sifu, it became apparent within the first few minutes that I had not yet grasped the essential principle of Chin Na. Sifu grabbed my wrist; I used #6. Just as I had practiced, it worked perfectly…until…Sifu somehow followed the force of my technique, converting my movement into his own lock. I was finished. But I quickly saw that if Chin Na is to be used effectively in a real-life dynamic situation, it must be fluid and reactive. To "follow the twist" means to use the opponent's movement against him-to follow the momentum of his attack and utilize it to mount your own counterattack.

Sifu is also fond of saying that you simply can't memorize all of the possible counterattacks to all possible attacks. Instead, focus on understanding the principles involved until those principles are naturally embodied in your movements. In order to apply kicking and punching techniques, for example, the concepts that we must understand include blocking our centerline and attacking the opponent's opening. Similarly, the skill, or "kung fu", of Chin Na is not the memorization of hundreds of "if…then…" scenarios; it is the ability to feel the opponent's movement and to react intuitively. If you have to think about what to do next, it's probably too late.

Of course, good kung fu of any kind does not come easily. Skill in Chin Na can only come by following a step-by-step training progression. First, we must learn simple techniques for single attacks. These must be practiced slowly, cleanly, and with control, both to understand the movement and to avoid injuring our training partners. Next, we can learn more advanced techniques, involving complex footwork, body movement, or multiple joint manipulations. After both partners have mastered the basic techniques, simple combinations can be practiced: if you attack with a wrist grab, and I counter with a wrist lock, what is your next counter? The final stage is much like free sparring: both partners are free to attack, counter, or respond with any technique. However, because Chin Na techniques are applied to vulnerable areas of the opponent's body, controlled force must always be used throughout all stages of partner training. In an actual combat situation, Chin Na techniques are applied with a snapping power, or sudden force, which can cause serious and disabling injuries.

Sifu has more than once mentioned to me that superfluous analysis is an all too common problem among Western practitioners of Chinese martial arts. Back in the "old days" in China, he says, people spent 95% of their time practicing and only 5% of their time talking. Here, because we Westerners are prone to thinking that knowledge resides in the brain and not the body, we often reverse those percentages. With that in mind, perhaps it's time for all of us to head back to the mat, and work on practicing what it means to "follow the twist".