This website is dedicated to the Students of Seifu A.S. Umar Sharif, MA. It is also dedicated to the promotion and propagation of the Traditional Afro-Asian Martial and Healing Arts. Our goal is to inform, educate, inspire, encourage, and motivate others to improve their lives by applying The Wisdom of the Ancients.
As your teacher and host, Seifu Sharif [aka: Xia` Xue' Gong] [aka: Tobi Alakoso] is dedicated to helping each of you to remember and nurture the Spirit of Wu-Te and the powers dormant within you.
Namaste’ Students and Fellow Martial Arts Enthusiasts!
Learning Chin Na is a wonderful experience opening the mind to the wisdom of Mathematics, Science, and Philosophy, not to mention anatomy, biology, and physiology. Of course I should mention that the experience of learning and practicing Chin Na is also fun. We discussed some of the philosophical aspect of this art in my last Post. The life lessons embedded in the practice and philosophical understanding of Chin Na include harmonizing, blending, yielding, asserting, self-restraint, mercy, empathy, compassion, balance, foundation, direction, coordination, and clarity of purpose. All of these lessons apply not only to the proper execution of Chin Na techniques but also to the Path that the wise man (or woman) will follow in his or her everyday life. Mathematics, Science, and Philosophy are the master tools of the Warrior-Priest for they are the means by which he or she removes uncertainty and establishes definitive purpose.
Mathematics
Mathematics, the abstract science of number, quantity, and space is an important language for understanding the nature of our reality. Everything in creation seems to have mathematical characteristics associated with its existence and functioning. Just as Astronomical mathematics focuses on understanding and explaining aspects of the physical universe, and applied mathematics focuses on the functional use of mathematics in the practical fields of research and development, so to the martial arts has a mathematics-based focus on the development and application of techniques. This is especially true in the art of Chin Na.
Efficient – Achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expenditure of energy or resources.
It should not take more to two (2) – three (3) steps (moves) to gain control over your opponent’s movements.
It should not take more one half (1/2) to two thirds (2/3) of your power to execute your technique.
Relative weight, height, upper-lower body ratio, arms and legs length are all mathematical assessments that fortunately your mind is able to make without you having to actually do the math. Likewise, how hard to strike, how deep to press, how much to twist are also subconsciously processed calculations that your mind makes especially after proper training. Efficiency is the underlying mathematical principle being expressed in Chin Na. The efficient use of Qi, physical strength, and movement. These three coalesce into dynamic power when they are properly applied based upon the Sciences of Anatomy and Physiology. Anatomy is the branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of organisms.
Rhythm – A strong, regular, repeated pattern of movement or sound. Actually for us it is both – movement of the body and the sound of the breath. Rhythm is a regularly recurring sequence of events, actions, or processes. Rhythm is fundamentally mathematical in nature. The effective application of Chin Na requires a mastered rhythm that allows the practitioner to move with perfect grace and timing – creating a symbiotic relationship between himself or herself and the opponent(s).
It should not take more than three (3) seconds to gain initial control over your opponent – one thousand and one - one thousand and two - one thousand and three. If initial control is not established in three (3) seconds your technique is likely to fail allowing your opponent to escape and counterattack.
Science
Chin Na is the mathematical application of self-defense techniques based upon the mechanics of the human body – its anatomy and physiology. Here are a few basic principles:
The fingers are not designed to bend backwards against the back of the hand and only the fingertips can touch the palms
The finger joints are not designed to bend backwards or sideways, not to be rotated clockwise or counterclockwise
The fingertips are hosts to the beginning and end points of various meridians and are not designed to be excessively squeezed or pressed
The hands are not designed to lie flat against the wrists nor to be bent sideways
The elbow is not designed to bend backwards
The shoulder is not designed to bend backwards horizontal to the shoulders
If the elbow is pressed the shoulder must follow
If the head is controlled the body will follow
The muscles can seize and be seized
The Qi pathways are vulnerable where bone, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels cross paths
If the foot cannot follow the head, the body will be in confusion (Sticky Dragon)
The body needs both blood and qi – stop the flow of one and the other will fail
Make your opponent’s body move in ways that your body can restrict
These are some of the basic ideas, concepts, and principles the underlie the practice of Chin Na. Well executed Chin Na should look and feel fluid, graceful, effortless, and even beautiful. The effect of a well executed Chin Na technique will be instantly felt in the reaction of the opponent’s body and seen in their change in facial expression. You will know immediately that you have seized control of your opponent.
The effective use of Chin Na can greatly enhance your skill as a martial artist, shorten the period of aggression, and eliminate the need for a back-and-forth exchange of punches and kicks. I continue to teach Seifu Andrew in the science of Chin Na, so he is well qualified to assist you in developing this discipline.
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It is not simply practice that makes perfect. It is perfect practice and consistent practice that makes perfect.
