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Living the Martial Way – A manual for the way a modern warrior should think

Moving beyond specific martial arts styles, the author has constructed a balanced philosophy for training. He asks questions that most of us have never seriously considered or thought through. If nothing else, this book will force you to reconsider your martial philosophy.

What is Chin Na?: Chin Na means literally to seize and control. It is a general term for the use of muscle grabs, joint locks and breaks in the Chinese martial arts.

Analysis of Shaolin Chin Na: This is the most complete and easy to understand book available on the topic of Chin Na. Dr. Yang covers everything from finger locks all the way to neck and torso controlling techniques. Also covered are muscle attacks and even nerve and pressure point attacks or dim mak. The book also goes into methods of training the hands and arms to develop more effective chin na techniques, and even includes an appendix of Chinese herbal remedies for various injuries and for conditioning.

One style: The only downside that I can see to this book is that it shows the style of chin na used in the author's style, White Crane. This is not really a problem, but the reader should simply be aware that there are other methods of Chin Na out in the world. This book is still the best reference guide available despite its style focus, which is understandable.

Topics Covered: This book has well written chapters covering

    * Training methods
    * Finger Chin Na
    * Wrist Chin Na
    * Elbow Chin Na
    * Shoulder, Neck and Waist Chin Na
    * Leg Chin Na
    * Muscle Grabbing Chin Na
    * Cavity Press (attacks against pressure points and vital targets)
    * Using Chin Na in a fight
    * Treatment of Injuries

The Bottom Line: Every martial artist, regardless of style, should have this book in their library. The locks shown in this book are not intended just for Chinese stylists. Any martial artist looking to add an effective joint locking side to their arsenal will appreciate this excellent reference.

Review Written By – Diana Davila