Chin Na, Martial Arts Styles and Types

What it is and what its about!

Chin Na..what it is and what its about, its use and imapct on types of martial arts and martial arts styles.

What it is and what its about!

Chin Na or Qinna as it is sometimes called is a term in Chinese that describes Chinese martial arts techniques that are used to lock or control opponent's muscles/tendons or joints so that opponents are rendered unable to defend themselves by neutralizing their fighting ability.

Another word for Chin Na is Chin Na Su for which the literal translation in Chinese means "technique of catching and locking".

However, there are some martial arts academies that just use the term Na when they are describing these kinds of techniques.

Standing and ground based grappling techniques are also features of Chin Na.

While all Chinese martial arts instructors train their students in the use of Chin Na techniques, there are some instructors who tend to place a higher value on them than others. Thus, these instructors will tend to focus on their teachings of Chin Na Techniques more so than some of their other peers do.

This attitude towards the teaching to their students is advantageous for them since fighting styles like the White Crane have more than 700 traditional Chin Na techniques. Some bear a striking resemblance to standing Rou Dao in the martial art of judo.

Although Chin Na techniques are taught to some degree to martial arts students, there are several martial arts styles that are famous for their specialization of Chin Na applications.

You can really see this in the Tiger Claw, Eagle Claw, and the Praying Mantis Kung Fu fighting styles.

There are also other martial arts fighting styles outside of China that incorporate their own version of Chin Na within their training as well like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Capoeira also from Brazil, the Russian art of Sambo/Systema, and the Israeli art of Krav Maga just to name a few.

The Chinese generally group Chin Na into five categories and these categories are as follows.

1-"Zhua Jin" or "Fen Jin" which translates into grabbing the muscle/tendon and dividing the muscle/tendon. This refers to techniques designed to tear apart the muscles and tendons of an opponent.

2-"Bi Qi" which translates into sealing the breath. Bi Qi basically restricts or prevents an opponent from being able to draw a breath or inhale and can be applied to muscles surrounding the lungs as well as the windpipe.

3- "Cuo Gu" which is translated into misplacing the bone or more specifically the dislocation of an opponents bones and joints.

4- "Dian Xue" or "Dian Mai" which when translated means acupressure cavity or sealing the vein/artery. Like dim mak, which is Cantonese it means to strike or seal blood vessels as well as chi points.

5-"Rou Dao" that in translation refers to the soft techniques of Chin Na and are considered safe for the purposes of training and sparring.

There is absolutely no Chinese martial arts instructor that will stress the importance of either teaching or learning the Chin Na techniques that are unique to their individual fighting styles as well as those that are common in all fighting styles.

The other thing that is almost sure to be stressed by martial arts instructors is that Chin Na techniques are not used solely for lethal purposes, but to simply incapacitate your opponent as well.

The truth about Chin Na techniques as well as for martial arts is that you will never stop learning to perfect these techniques as long as you continue to study martial arts.

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