Taiji Chin Na: The Seizing Art of Taijiquan (Chinese Internal Martial Arts) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

This work by Dr Yang is a suberb addition to any Taiji fighters library and from the outset I would recommend this and his other work, Tai Chi Chuan Martial Applications, as a companion work, both of which I have. As with most books on Taijiquan it is recommended as an adjunct to your class work or personal training and it is clear from the outset that much of what applies in these volumes relate specifically to the Yang Style of Taijiquan.

In order for this book and the other work mentioned to be of real use to the reader, it is implicit that you already have a very solid grasp of the forms as well as the applications inherent in the forms by way of personal guidance. You would not buy this book and expect to get any real benefit without prior knowledge and guidance from a teacher. What this book allows you to do is break down the applications even further and begin to apply even smaller detailed work such as Chin Na and begin to incorporate it into your continuing study of the applications and martial aspects of Taijiquan.

It is also recommended that you have a partner to work with in applying these, otherwise you'll be attempting the awkward as well as near impossible. The key to much of these techniques is to actually work them real time with another person, only then will the detail and reality of what is required to apply these techniques securely and effectively can come to light.

If all of the above applies to you and you are a fair way down the road of Taiji as a combat art, I'd say you've found an invaluable work. It will be the source of hours of training and application sessions which can only enhance and further your journey towards refining techniques and internalising your Taiji.

Critically speaking, as usual with Dr Yang's books, you have the odd picture here and there where is difficult to decipher which person belongs to which limb. This is common in most of Dr Yangs books but if you read the text and then follow the movements most ambiguities are resolved in short order. I would love to see colour plates instead of the b&w shots but this would make the purchase price quite prohibitive I'm sure.

Another minor bug bear I have is that there is often no clear beginning and ending in the photographic lay out of techniques. Often these can end or begin mid page and other times go over the page and they are not numbered in the most logical fashion. I have had to renumber various techniques in pencil in my own logical fashion for the fastest reference so I know which techniques are which and where they begin and end.

These are only small issues though and with future editions it would be greatly apreciated if the above flaws could be better tended to. In short I own all of the Yang Jwing Ming Taijiquan volumes and a few others in his collection and can't fault the man or his excellent work. If you want to understand the nature of Chin Na and joint locking, seizing, take downs, throws and Taiji applications I couldn't do more than to highly recommend this volume.

This is one of the books where Dot. Yang shows his incredible knowledge on Tai Chi. The book start teaching about Chin Na theory in Tai Chi. Then the following chapters discuss (and clearly show with clear and detailed pictures) Chin Na in: Peng, Lu, Chi, Ann, Kao, Lie,...... covering all the Tao Chi patterns.
Further more Chin Na in Tai Chi postures (including the use of din mak points) and pushing hands are explained. This is really a book that helps you to make deeper and deeper you knowledge on Tai Chi and its application. A book every Tai Chi intermediate and advanced practitioner should have. It's really a pity there are only five stars to rate this book.

This is another excellent book from Dr. Yang. I have several of his other chin na books, including the big Chin Na Applications book with the pink cover, and this makes a great companion to that book also. Dozens of useful techniques are presented, covering the complete range of chin na applications from wrist, elbow and sholder locks to knee, neck, and head holds and locks.

Chin na is a fascinating art, and several kung fu styles, such as various tiger styles and eagle claw kung fu, are famous for their chin na. But all kung fu styles have some chin ha, as well as tai chi styles. Chen style tai chi is especially well known also for its chin na. At the Shaolin temples, students first learned the punching and kicking arts of kung fu, later progressing to chin na, which was practiced by only the more advanced monks.

That leads to my next comment, which is that compared to the percussion arts, or punching and kicking arts like TKD, karate, and kung fu, chin na is definitely a grappling art and is even more difficult to learn from a book. Dr. Yang's books usually have very good photo sequences, and this one is no different, but it's still hard to do it from a text. Therefore, this book is recommended more for somewhat who already has at least a basic background already in the techniques (or another form of locking or grappling) in order to get the most from it. You don't have to be a chin na student either, jujitsu, aikido, and even the Indonesian arts of pentjak silat (especially the Rikesan and Mande Muda silat styles) have many similar holds and locks.

If you're going to try to seriously learn from the book, I have a recommendation for you to aid your learning. Another thing you can do is use the book in conjunction with a good video on chin na. Several masters, including Kwong Wing Lam, have done this and I've seen them and they're excellent. Dr. Yang has a video where he demonstrates over 100 techniques in one video, making it an excellent tape for the price.

You can often find these tapes relatively inexpensively used on e Bay. Just do a search for "chin na." The chin na tapes aren't as common as some of the other martial arts videos you see, but if you monitor e Bay for them for a month or two you should be able to find some, which is how I got mine. You can usually get a good video for ten to twenty dollars plus a few dollars shipping. The combination of the book and the video is about the next best thing to having a real teacher, if you live in an area where none is available.

I am a chin na teacher myself, and my chin na derived from what is known as square wu style tai chi, although I have studied Yang style also. I teach the holds and locks which I integrate with the punching and kicking arts, which gives you both outfighting and infighting grappling arts for both ranges, and chin na is great for that. I find I prefer it to aikido in some ways since the circles and movements are smaller in chin na and designed to flow from the other hand and foot techniques.

As another writer here commented, you'll also need a training partner, which is essential with any grappling art. It's easier to train on your own doing kung fu or karate, but with chin na a partner is essential. Also, be sure to go slow and easy at first and avoid any powerful or jerky movements. Remember that chin na holds and locks apply maximum leverage and extension to the joints and serious injury can result if you go too far. Be sure you and your partner understand to let up immediately when someone taps out. Move into position slowly at first and then speed up as you get better, but always take care of your partner. In 20 years of doing chin na I've never hurt anyone seriously, but other people have hurt me occasionally who weren't as careful or skilled as I, so be careful. With each lock there's a point where you will feel resistance and you can't go any further without damaging the body. Learn to feel for that and to stop at that point. Still, a little bit of pain and soreness and getting your elbows and wrists especially "tweaked" a bit is normal in chin na. But it's important to observe normal safety precautions to avoid more serious injury. Remember, if you get hurt you won't be able to train. And if you hurt your partner, he won't be able to train with you.

Overall, another great book from Dr. Yang, who is much respected in the Chinese martial arts community for the breadth and depth of his knowledge in several Chinese arts, which includes Shaolin White Crane, Eagle Claw kung fu (which is a very rare style to find these days) and chin na.