Breaking from standard Wing Chun presentations, Sifu Tony Massengill attacks the joints point by point to expand one’s martial arts arsenal with Chin Na, “which is the Chinese art of capture, control and destruction.” It is a concise look at engaging an opponent through exercising skeletal manipulation of one’s opponent, not only to immobilise, but also to render any opportunity of recovery or counter measures ineffective. Lock down 45 minutes to set into a thorough and detailed video offering that anyone from a novice to an experienced practitioner will appreciate.
Sifu Massengill does well to articulate all details that not only go into creating and employing the varying joint locks, but addressing the essentials required to make them most effective in an array of engaging scenarios with an attacker.
Understanding the workings within an applied technique is given due attention when applying actions that require accuracy when applied, as timing is of the essence, and that attention to each step of making them come to life is given. “Each of these movements is going to create a different action and response… as well as dangers,” acknowledging there is an actual opponent offering real harm, which requires solid applications to diminish the threat.
“Make sure our techniques are designed to neutralise him,” continues Sifu Massengill, addressing the responsibilities that fall upon the martial artist in exercising restraint while handling an attacker, as legal consequences may befall one defending himself. To control oneself and the opponent is the common denominator of operation as starting and end points through every breakdown of the subject at hand. Structural, positional, and lines of force management build upon establishment of control not only to make the locking techniques come to life, but reinforced by the discomfort endured in the facial and physical expression of the training partner.
Credit to the instructor, who also acknowledges Chin Na is incidental and best suited for when two combative parties are tied up versus the fantastical notions of magically catching attacks mid-flight in some Hollywood style method of application. Fighting is “situationally dependent,” and the variables one is confronted with are well-noted to replicate those real-life situations in a safe training environment. “Striking opens up opportunities for Chin Na and (vice versa)” to maintain control of and ultimately finish an unruly opponent.
This video has hours upon hours of review and training offerings. Bringing the virtual classroom to the screen, the viewer will take a lot of notes not to make up for the absence of chapters to navigate to preferred points of interest, but to get a grip on handling each one of the tools provided to build a broader resource pool from which to draw upon, working points and joints to deconstruct the strongest of frames with one’s solid foundations in any martial arts style or system.
Tony Massengill – Chin Na
Buy DVD from Everything Wing Chun
Buy Download from Everything Wing Chun Instant Access
Language: English
Running Time: Approx. 45 mins.
Format: NTSC DVD & Digital Download
Availability: DVD & Everything Wing Chun Instant Access
Review by: Dwight Hennings
