SHAOLIN SEVENTY-TWO CHIN-NA TECHNIQUES
Single-Leg Lift Guitar
Revealing a Well-Known but Little-Understood Shaolin Art
Shaolin Kungfu is famous for its “Seventy Two Chin-Na Techniques”. “Chin-na” literally means “hold-grip”. It refers to a special way of fighting where by holding and gripping opponents in some specialized ways, you disable them from further action but without hurting them unnecessarily.
Chin-na is a compassionate way of fighting. Instead of injuring opponents seriously, like breaking their bones or damaging their internal organs, so that they cannot continue fighting, you put them out of action temporarily. They can seek medical help later on — not from conventional doctors as they would not know the nature of injury involved, but from kungfu masters or chi kung healers — to restore their health and normal functioning.
Chin-na is often mistaken to be the same as holds and locks. They are quite different. When you release your holds or locks, your opponent can continue to fight, but not in "chin na".
Traditionally, injuries from chin-na are classified into three main categories:
- “fun khern” or separating tendons (including meridians)
- “chor jit” or wronging joints
- “na yuit” or gripping vital points
Some masters, however, refer to five categories, adding the following two:
- “chit mak” or blocking meridian
- “pai hei” or stopping energy
In the traditional classification, “blocking meridian” and “stopping energy” can be caused by separating tendons (including meridians) or gripping vital points.
Shaolin Seventy-Two Chin-Na Techniques
Due to its long history, there are different versions of the Shaolin Seventy-Two Chin-Na Techniques. The ones I practice are as follows. The names are in Cantonese pronunciation, followed by their English translation.
Golden Cockerel Locks Throat
-
Single Tiger Emerges from Cave
Tan Fu Chuit Toong -
White Tiger Presents Claws
Pak Fu Hein Jow -
Lead Horse Back to Stable
Tai Ma Kwei Choe -
Golden Dragon Shoots Tongue
Kam Loong Thow Lea -
Lohan Tames Tiger
Lo Han Fok Fu -
Circling Hands Eagle Claws
Wan Sau Yin Jow -
Single Leggedly Lift Guitar
Hou Tze Thou Thow -
Beautiful Girl Turns Shuttle
Mei Lui Kow Sar -
Cross-roads Hand Locks
Sap Tze Khow Sau -
White Ape Grips Branch
Pak Hou Man Chi -
Grand Old Man Catches Fish
Tai Kung Tiew Yu -
Kwan Pheng Carries Insignia
Kwan Pheng Pou Yein -
Hungry Tiger Leans against Fence
Ngo Fu Pang Lan -
Pull a Tiger's Tail
Phat Fu Mei Sei -
Running with a Hidden Tiger's Tail
Chow Chong Fu Mei -
Hand Technique of a Balance
Thien Pheng Sau Fatt -
Old Eagle Catches Snake
Lou Yin Kham Seai -
Lohan Strikes Drum
Lo Han Khaik Ku -
Immortal Tames Tiger
Kam Kong Fok Fu -
Block the Big Boss
Lan Kong Chit Pa -
Enter Sea to Catch Monster
Yap Hoi Kham Kow -
Small Soldier Carries Umbrella
Siew Ping Tham San -
Immortal Carries Sticks
Sin Yein Tham Chai -
Nun Carries Umbrella
See Ku Tham San
Embrace Moon in Bosom
-
Sitting Double Lifting Palms
Chor Seong Thok Cheong -
Double Dragons Subdue Monster
Seong Loong Fok Kow -
Jade Girl Plucks Flower
Yok Lui Choi Fa -
Bending Willow in the Wind
Yein Foong Whet Lou -
Cocoon Hand Technique
Chin See Sau Fatt -
Counter against Cocoon Hand
Fan Chin See Sau -
Squatting to Pluck Flower
Fok Teai Choi Fa -
Immortal Plays Clappers
Kok Kow Kap Pan -
Golden Boy Worship Buddha
Kam Tong Lei Fatt -
Squatting to Bend Lotus
Fok Teai Ow Lin -
Golden Cockeral Locks Throat
Kam Kai Sor Hou -
Eagle Claw Catches Dragon
Yin Jow Kham Loong -
Double Dragons Carry Pearl
Seong Loong Pou Chui -
Rotten Tree Exposes Roots
Ku Shue Fan Kein -
Golden Thread Hangs Gourd
Kam Sin Thiew Lou -
Squarting to Lock Throat
Fok Teai Sor Hou -
Golden Bird Grips Eye-Brow
Kam See Phan Mei -
Hungry Eagle Charges at Prey
Ngo Yin Pok Shek -
Old Monk Grinds Rice
Lou Chang Mo Ma -
Spiritual Monkey Plucks Fruit
Ling Hou Chak Kor -
Double Bows Carry Moon
Seong Kung Pou Yuit -
Double Dragons Play with Water
Seong Loong Hei Shui -
Reverse Showing ofBull's Tail
Tou Seet Ngo Mei -
Riding a Dragon to Pull Tendons
Khay Loong choi Keing
Cross-Road Hand Lock
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Two Tigers Subdue Dragon
Yi Fu Hong Loong -
Fierce Tiger Crouches on Ground
Mang Fu Fok Teai -
Hungry Tiger Retreatfrom Den
Ngo Fu Thui Chow -
Little Devil Removes Shoes
Siew Kwai Thuit Heur -
White Ape Ascends Tree
Pak Yun Sheong Shue -
White Monkey Catches Boar
Pak Hou Kham Chi -
Monkey Steals Plum
Hou Tze Thou Thow -
Stealing Plums Under Leaves Claws
Yip Tai Thou Thow -
Immortal Plucks Tomatoes
Sin Yein Chak Kair -
Bail Moon from Sea Bed
Hoi Teai Lau Yuit -
Catch Tiger in Mountain
San Choong Kham Fu -
Under Leaf Pluck Lotus
Yip Teai Choi Lin -
Near Body Tiger Claw
Khan Sun Fu Jow -
Second Auntie Grips Crab
Yi Ku Na Cham -
Embrace Moon in Bosom
Whai Choong Pho Yuit -
Fierce Tigers Cleanses Claws
Mang Fu Sai Jow -
Black Tiger Guards Door
Hak Fu Tong Moon -
General Leads Horse
Cheong Khun Tai -
Lohan Embraces Buddha
Lo Han Pou Fatt -
Tang Soldier Keeps Guest
Tong Ping Lau Hak -
Tame Tiger Listen to Winds
Fok Fu Thean Foong -
Fierce Tiger Crouching at Cliff
Mang Fu Foo Yu -
Fierce Tiger Descends Mountain
Mang Fu Ha San -
Fierce Tiger Catches Goat
Ngo Fu Kham Yeong
VIDEO CLIPS
During an Intensive Shaolin Kungfu Course, Grandmaster Wong gave an impromptu demonstration of some of the Shaolin chin-na techniques. The following video clips capture this demonstration.
Please note: you can download the video clips onto your own computer and view them at your leisure. Place your computer pointer at the picture or one of the links, and right click. Choose “Save Target As”. Select the directory or sub-directory where you wish to keep the video clip. Click “Save”.
Lohan Tames Tiger
Single-Leggedly Lift Guitar
Tang Soldier Keeps Guest
Golden Cockerel Locks Throat
Cross-Road Hand Lock
Gold Thread Hangs Gould
Golden Boy Worships Buddha
Selection from Shaolin 72 Chin-Na Techniques from Wong Kiew Kit on Vimeo.
NAMES OF PATTERNS, CHINESE(CANTONESE) PRONUNCIAITON, AND CHINESE CHARACTERS
LINKS
72 Shaolin Chin-Na Sequences
Kungfu Sets of Shaolin 72 Chin-Na Techniques
Shaolin Chin-Na Set