Analysis of Shaolin Chin Na: Instructor's Manual for All Martial Styles

As the title of this fantastic tome describes, this material really is applicable to all styles. I primarily study Goju Ryu, an Okinawan form of karate that, while somewhat influenced by Chinese kung fu historically, is much closer to Japanese martial arts then it is to any of the Chinese styles. Regardless, while the terminology is a little different, the principles and techniques herein are directly applicable to my art as well kung fu, aikido, jujitsu, and many others. Chin Na is the art of controlling an opponent, a practical and important skill. It is relevant to striking arts as well as grappling arts. Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming covers joint locking, vein/artery sealing, muscle dividing, and bone displacing in a comprehensive and easy to understand manner. His vast experience really shines throughout this outstanding work. He also offers an excellent series of exercises for strengthening the joints to protect them from damage as you integrate these techniques into your training regimen. Applications include finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck, waist, and leg manipulations, along with muscle grabbing and cavity press (pressure point) techniques. He also discusses how to use Chin Na in a real fight, including defense against knives, kicks, and punches. One of the most unique and important aspects of this book is the section on injury treatment which covers joint, ligament, cartilage, muscle, and tendon injuries, artery, capillary, as well as organ ruptures, sealed breath veins/artery in the neck, and even "stagnant" chi (ki). This section isn't particularly long but it is very insightful. There is also an appendix on Chinese herbs. Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming is a prolific author as well as one of the world's foremost kung fu experts. Highly skilled in Shaolin White Crane (Bai He), Shaolin Long Fist (Changquan), and Taijiquan and other forms, he has spent more than thirty years teaching his art to others. He has published 35 books and 75 videos on the martial arts. Dr. Yang is currently president of Yang's Oriental Arts Association headquartered in Boston, MA. Lawrence Kane Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction

This book provides a good reference for Chin-Na, the art of seizing and holding. Most of the techniques that appear in this book appear to come from Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming's White Crane background. Chin-Na can be deceptively difficult to understand and implement, since what makes a technique successful is the solid body mechanics behind it, and that only comes after years of practice. Additionally, I believe that books are not a good primary learning method for martial arts, so to get the most from this book, plan on attending a seminar or finding a good local school. Having said that, Dr. Yang's material is the best reference I've seen on the subject.

Bob Spear Publisher and Chief Reviewer Heartland Reviews The author, Dr. Yang, a physicist with a doctorate from Purdue University, one of the tougher engineering schools in the nation, is also considered one of the top trainers and theoreticians of Chinese martial arts in the world. An author of over thirty books, Inside Kung Fu Magazine voted him as one of the ten people who have made the greatest impact on the martial arts in the past 100 years. He brings all his expertise to his latest book on the Chinese grappling and nerve pressure point martial art of Chin Na. This style is the ancestor of Japanese Jujitsu and Aikido, as well as the Korean art of Hapkido. The author's scientific education comes to the forefront of his technique presentations and explanations. This is a book for true aficionados, those who have delved deeply into the arts and yet have more to learn. He is able to bridge the conceptual gap between Eastern allegorical terms and concepts to American English and scientific understanding. The section on striking and pressure points was a true eye opener. His contribution to the Western world's understanding of the Eastern one is fantastic. I rated this book a high five hearts.

I bought this book a couple months ago and I was pretty impressed. Not only does it cover plenty of Chin Na techniques (and even the rarer finger chin na), but also counters for them. Of course these counters are not set and once an understanding of chin na and human anatomy is understood one can employ various different methods for both grappling and countering. Also, he explains alot of the Dim Mak methods and techniques (not in great detail as it is one of the most dangerous aspects of advanced kung fu), but just enough so you know whats out there and how dangerous it is, including the rupturing of the internal organs (or even death) through concentrated chi strikes with fingers. He also shows some cavity grabs. This is not every Chin Na technique imaginable as someone said, In fact the only con of the book is that Ming mostly shows (if not all) White crane Chin Na, which is why there is so much complicated coiling in his pictures and techniques he shows. They are not always very practical and should not even be practiced until one has been taught the funndamentals of SHaolin Chin Na by a qualified instructor. I dont know about the practical applications book (which I saw, and it is alot thicker and has ALOT more than this one), but there are many different more practical styles of Chin Na. Most notable and VERY powerful are the Eagle Claw( which is pretty much all Chin Na) and Tiger Claw. Nevertheless, this is one of the only books like this, and Ming is an amazing kung fu practicioner.

A very complete follow up to Dr. Yang's first book, "Shaolin Chin Na: The Seizing Art of Kung Fu", I consider this manual to be complex enough that it will probably be best understood by peole who have studied a grappling/locking art of some sort for at least a year (Kuk Sool, Jujutsu, Shuai Jiao). Like most of Yang's other books, there is so much information here it borders on being exhaustive...and we all know that is not a bad thing! Yang explains the principles of Chin Na, and builds upon this foundation by offering strengthening exercises for joints which often bear the brunt of punishment in this type of training. His treatment of techniques is thourough. Those with the patience to read this manual and practice the locking and siezing techniques contained within will undoubtedly gain further insight to the workings of their (respective) arts. Yang also offers an important chapter (page 168) on correcting injuries sustained in practice, in addition to six special herbal formulas for martial arts training (bruise remedies, dit Da Jau, etc.) at the end of the volume (page 185).