Chin Na

As Ch’uan Fa (kempo) spread from the various temples, it became utilized by many warriors during China’s turbulent civil war era. It was adopted by many military men who recognized its effectiveness in personal combat. However, rather than just attack and escape from danger as the monks sought to do, these warriors sought ways to physically control their adversaries. A system of joint locking and structural destruction was designed around the concepts of Ch’uan Fa. One specific study in Chuan-Fa is the system known simply as Chin Na. "Chin" in Chinese means "to seize or catch"; in the way, an eagle seizes a rabbit. "Na" means "to hold and control". Therefore, Chin Na can be translated as "seize and control". Grabbing Chin Na techniques controls and locks the opponent’s limbs, to cause him to lose consciousness, or even to kill him. All of these techniques serve to "seize and control" the opponent. It is speculated that Chin Na influenced the development of systems such as Jujitsu and Aikido.