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Tai Chi Chin Na: The Seizing Art of Tai Chi Chuan
SEIZE AND CONTROL SKILLS FOR TAI CHI CHUAN
Hundreds of chin na grappling techniques are hidden within tai chi movements. You can achieve these seize and control skills by including Tai Chi Chin Na in your training regimen.
Here’s your chance to take the next step in your tai chi journey. Once you have attained proficiency in the bare-hand form and have begun pushing hands, you are ready for tai chi chin na.
The effective martial skills of traditional tai chi chuan. Tai chi chin na will help you include martial art skills in your tai chi training. Chin na, along with punching, kicking, and wrestling, is one of the four categories that are required in a traditional martial art.
This book provides a solid and practical approach to learning tai chi chin na
accurately and quickly. You will learn specific techniques that flow from each
movement, the proper hand forms to use when striking or pressing cavities, and the locations for targeting cavities on the body. Includes 858 photographs with motion arrows!
• General concepts of chin na
• Basic chin na theory and training
• 51 chin na techniques for peng, lu, ji, and an
• 41 chin na techniques for cai, lei, zhou, and kao
• 103 chin na applications for the 37 primary tai chi postures
• 17 chin na techniques for tai chi pushing hands
No matter your age or martial prowess, tai chi chin na is a necessary and
enjoyable way to explore the depths of tai chi—a formidable martial art.
Hundreds of chin na grappling techniques are hidden within tai chi movements. You can achieve these seize and control skills by including Tai Chi Chin Na in your training regimen.
Here’s your chance to take the next step in your tai chi journey. Once you have attained proficiency in the bare-hand form and have begun pushing hands, you are ready for tai chi chin na.
The effective martial skills of traditional tai chi chuan. Tai chi chin na will help you include martial art skills in your tai chi training. Chin na, along with punching, kicking, and wrestling, is one of the four categories that are required in a traditional martial art.
This book provides a solid and practical approach to learning tai chi chin na
accurately and quickly. You will learn specific techniques that flow from each
movement, the proper hand forms to use when striking or pressing cavities, and the locations for targeting cavities on the body. Includes 858 photographs with motion arrows!
• General concepts of chin na
• Basic chin na theory and training
• 51 chin na techniques for peng, lu, ji, and an
• 41 chin na techniques for cai, lei, zhou, and kao
• 103 chin na applications for the 37 primary tai chi postures
• 17 chin na techniques for tai chi pushing hands
No matter your age or martial prowess, tai chi chin na is a necessary and
enjoyable way to explore the depths of tai chi—a formidable martial art.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 21, 2015
13 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
December 9, 2014
A martial arts practitioner can quickly get stuck in a rut. Doing the same kata week after week for months on end, learning to kick with precision and strike with exactness, going through the motions to learn various one-step training forms, and sweating through self-defense moves over and over, can rapidly bring one to think they’re learning all there is to a particular martial style. But a moment’s plunge into the 2nd edition of “Tai Chi Chin Na: The Seizing Art of Tai Chi Chuan” will expose the shallowness of such a perception. Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, renowned author and teacher of Chinese martial arts and Qigong, has reworked this 432 page paperback. He carefully explains the methods and metaphysics of tai chi chin na, and shows how chin na can be “adopted easily by almost all martial arts styles and blended into their own techniques” (xix).
The first two chapters of “Tai Chi Chin Na” cover the general concepts of chin na, which means “seize and control” (1), and the basic fighting theory of tai chi, which is “to use the soft against the hard, and to use the round to neutralize the straight or square” (Ibid.). The author works out the five categories of chin na; dividing or grabbing the muscle or tendon, misplacing the bone, sealing off the breath, pressing or sealing the artery or vein, and pressing the primary qi channel or cavity (5). These five categories build the framework for the later portions of the book. Dr. Yang explains the importance of the three fighting ranges – long, medium and short (31), as well as the way of circles in chin na – large, medium and small (32). By the reader grasping the ranges and circles early on will add to the execution of the moves explained later in the book, especially as they are applied to the eight technical moving patterns and five strategic directional movements. By the end of the second chapter it is clear that this is a fairly technical book; technical with emphasis on technique and mechanics, but also the inner logic of positions and movements.
Chapters three through six take the reader deeper into the eight fundamental methods, from which “hundreds of techniques can be derived and developed” (63). Though these chapters can seem exhausting, they are not exhaustive, as the author is only introducing the reader to “some of the possible techniques” with which he is familiar (Ibid.). What this means is that there is plenty of material to work on in “Tai Chi Chin Na” that will last a learner a long time, and as they master the material they will find other ways and other uses for each procedure. To aid the reader through these chapters, Dr. Yang carefully describes each step of the position or movement, the theory behind it, and attaches very clear pictures with directional indicators that are well-defined. The author expresses, explains and exhibits with such lucidity that, as he promises in the beginning of the book, “it can be learned easily, even by a martial arts beginner” (1).
“Tai Chi Chin Na” at first appears daunting by its sheer size, yet in relation to the number of pages there is a minimal amount of reading after the first two chapters. Most of this book revolves around the instructive pictures and the Spartan verbal descriptions. It is easy to grasp the point of any given technique and apply it without much difficulty. This would be an ideal book for anyone serious about martial arts, whether they’re newbies or veterans. And for those who may be sliding into a numbing rut in their martial arts style, this volume will likely refresh and rekindle a renewed interest. This paperback is a keeper; get a copy as quick as you can!
Thanks to YMAA for providing a free copy of "Tai Chi Chin Na" for this review.
The first two chapters of “Tai Chi Chin Na” cover the general concepts of chin na, which means “seize and control” (1), and the basic fighting theory of tai chi, which is “to use the soft against the hard, and to use the round to neutralize the straight or square” (Ibid.). The author works out the five categories of chin na; dividing or grabbing the muscle or tendon, misplacing the bone, sealing off the breath, pressing or sealing the artery or vein, and pressing the primary qi channel or cavity (5). These five categories build the framework for the later portions of the book. Dr. Yang explains the importance of the three fighting ranges – long, medium and short (31), as well as the way of circles in chin na – large, medium and small (32). By the reader grasping the ranges and circles early on will add to the execution of the moves explained later in the book, especially as they are applied to the eight technical moving patterns and five strategic directional movements. By the end of the second chapter it is clear that this is a fairly technical book; technical with emphasis on technique and mechanics, but also the inner logic of positions and movements.
Chapters three through six take the reader deeper into the eight fundamental methods, from which “hundreds of techniques can be derived and developed” (63). Though these chapters can seem exhausting, they are not exhaustive, as the author is only introducing the reader to “some of the possible techniques” with which he is familiar (Ibid.). What this means is that there is plenty of material to work on in “Tai Chi Chin Na” that will last a learner a long time, and as they master the material they will find other ways and other uses for each procedure. To aid the reader through these chapters, Dr. Yang carefully describes each step of the position or movement, the theory behind it, and attaches very clear pictures with directional indicators that are well-defined. The author expresses, explains and exhibits with such lucidity that, as he promises in the beginning of the book, “it can be learned easily, even by a martial arts beginner” (1).
“Tai Chi Chin Na” at first appears daunting by its sheer size, yet in relation to the number of pages there is a minimal amount of reading after the first two chapters. Most of this book revolves around the instructive pictures and the Spartan verbal descriptions. It is easy to grasp the point of any given technique and apply it without much difficulty. This would be an ideal book for anyone serious about martial arts, whether they’re newbies or veterans. And for those who may be sliding into a numbing rut in their martial arts style, this volume will likely refresh and rekindle a renewed interest. This paperback is a keeper; get a copy as quick as you can!
Thanks to YMAA for providing a free copy of "Tai Chi Chin Na" for this review.
October 12, 2023
Another great resource for those studying Tai Chi, giving insight into an aspect of the art that is seldom discussed, much less practiced. Whilst generally informative, the best use of this will be to supplement in-person training and practice of the techniques with a qualified instructor.
June 12, 2017
Dr Yang is without doubt an accomplished Master of the highest order. I highly recommend this work few people have this degree of skill and are able to teach it as succinctly as Dr Yang
January 18, 2015
Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming's Tai Chi Chin Na Revised: The Seizing Art of Tai Chi Chuan is exactly the type of book that Okinawan karate needs for its forms.
Over the past several years, I have been working with my karate instructor to develop extensions on the basic applications of each of the forms in my style. These extensions incorporate locks, holds, throws, chokes, sweeps and the like.
In Japanese terms, then, we are moving beyond the omote bunkai and into the ura bunkai and perhaps even the honto bunkai.
(Personally, I'm not huge on relying on a foreign language to describe martial arts techniques. I've read too many blogs and heard too many instructors say we as Westerners continue to fudge up the term when we translate it to English, hence we I'll refer to "extensions" over "ura bunkai" and "honto bunkai.")
All that is to say that the extensions in Okinawan Shuri-ryu karate, from my understanding, are not readily apparent.
This books gives clear options for a certain posture or set of movements.
For me, the most significant portion of this book is when Dr. Yang goes through the Yang-style tai chi chuan form. He shows the basic postures, then gives a few possible applications for each. Despite showing the pictures, often times the details are hidden in between frames.
Dr. Yang also explains and explains the eight basic moving patterns to give us possible chin na applications, and he also gives us some pushing hands exercises to try.
I have no doubt the applications would work. However, my only real complaint with the book is the attacker in the picture often looks like he would be in a position that doesn't seem realistic for an aggressive person to be in. He's got a deep stance and is generally square with the attacker. I've never been in a fight, but all accounts I've noticed point to them being messy affairs. In short, the pictures seem "too nice."
This book is a phenomenal resource for anybody practicing the Yang style of tai chi chuan.
(Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book.)
Over the past several years, I have been working with my karate instructor to develop extensions on the basic applications of each of the forms in my style. These extensions incorporate locks, holds, throws, chokes, sweeps and the like.
In Japanese terms, then, we are moving beyond the omote bunkai and into the ura bunkai and perhaps even the honto bunkai.
(Personally, I'm not huge on relying on a foreign language to describe martial arts techniques. I've read too many blogs and heard too many instructors say we as Westerners continue to fudge up the term when we translate it to English, hence we I'll refer to "extensions" over "ura bunkai" and "honto bunkai.")
All that is to say that the extensions in Okinawan Shuri-ryu karate, from my understanding, are not readily apparent.
This books gives clear options for a certain posture or set of movements.
For me, the most significant portion of this book is when Dr. Yang goes through the Yang-style tai chi chuan form. He shows the basic postures, then gives a few possible applications for each. Despite showing the pictures, often times the details are hidden in between frames.
Dr. Yang also explains and explains the eight basic moving patterns to give us possible chin na applications, and he also gives us some pushing hands exercises to try.
I have no doubt the applications would work. However, my only real complaint with the book is the attacker in the picture often looks like he would be in a position that doesn't seem realistic for an aggressive person to be in. He's got a deep stance and is generally square with the attacker. I've never been in a fight, but all accounts I've noticed point to them being messy affairs. In short, the pictures seem "too nice."
This book is a phenomenal resource for anybody practicing the Yang style of tai chi chuan.
(Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book.)
November 24, 2014
This book is chock full of wonderful illustrations and explanations of the seizing art of tai chi chuan. It took me quite a long time to read through and study all the concepts, theories, postures, movements and applications. This book explains how to take tai chi training and to turn it into martial arts skills. There is also a section chin na techniques for pushing hands. The glossary is also helpful for translation of Chinese terms. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to advance the tai chi practice into martial arts skills.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews