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Where does Chin Na Come From? Who was General Yueh Fei? |
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Chin Na techniques were essentially taken from three major styles: the Eagle Claw, Long Fist and White Crane. General Yeuh Fei created the Eagle Claw system; he was known as a brilliant military leader and through his mental capacities and martial arts skill, which he taught personally to his soldiers, he accomplished many victories even against enormous odds. These styles have been passed down through the ages to mostly the Chinese culture until shortly after World War II when the outside world began to have opened to it, the secrets of the Kung fu styles including the seizing and controlling art of Chin Na.
Yeuh Fei was born on 15th February 1103AD in Tan Yin Hsien in the Henan Province in China. When he was only one month old the Yang Tse River flooded killing his father. Due to the quick thinking of his mother they escaped in a giant urn. Yeuh Fei was then raised and educated by his mother who although very poor was still a well-educated scholar. Each day she taught him how to read and write by drawing figures in the sand. Yeuh Fei became the most educated youngster in the village. Without his mother’s teachings Yeuh Fei would never have become the brave, intelligent leader that he was.
As a young man he became a tenant farmer. He was greatly admired for his scholarship and no one could match his natural speed and power. One day, when Yeuh Fei was training, a scholar and very good Martial Artist by the name of Jou Ton came upon him. Jou Ton watched Yeuh Fei train from a distance for some while before he approached and offered to teach him a complete Martial Art system. Jou Ton himself had learnt his Martial Art skills directly from the Shaolin Temple.
For many years Yeuh Fei trained with Jou Ton and mastered what Jou Ton had taught him. When Yeuh Fei was 19 years old, in 1122AD, he joined the Sung Army. At this time in Chinese history they were at war with the Gin, a nomadic people who had invaded the Northern Sung.
Yeuh Fei became a spectacular soldier and after only six years became a General. As a General, Yeuh Fei was the first to introduce Kung Fu into the army as basic requirements before combat. Up until that time anyone joining the army could enlist on one day and find themselves in battle the next. Yeuh Fei’s troops were known as Yeuh Jar Chun (Yeuh’s Family Troop) and became a highly efficient and effective fighting unit. The success of Yeuh Fei’s troops in battle can be attributed to three things. Firstly was his strict, serious and professional manner in which he trained his troops. Secondly was the efficient and well-run military organisation that he set up. Thirdly and most importantly was that Yeuh Fei taught his troops two new Martial Art styles of Kung Fu, using the foundations taught to him by Jou Ton.
The first of the two new Martial Art styles General Yeuh Fei taught was to his officers. This was to be an internal system using the principles of Da Mo’s Yin Gin Ching and following the principles of Lance (spear) Fighting, drawing on Yeuh Fei’s knowledge and mastery of the lance (spear). This system was called Yeuh Shan Shou (Yeuh’s Mountain Hand). After Yeuh Fei’s death his students improved this style and developed it to follow the principles and Wu Hsing, the Five Elements of Chinese Alchemy.
This style was also based on the Wu Dan priciples that kept the respective emphasis on the Wei Dan and Nei Dan training. This system was to become the parent of the present day styles of Hsing I.
The second of these Martial Art styles that Yeuh Fei taught was to his troops and called Eagle Claw (Yeuh Jar Len Jao). It was based on the external Shaolin style. This external style was learnt more easily and had immediate practical techniques, which could be applied by the troops in battle. This made them very successful. Eagle Claw put major emphasis on Chin Na. Chin means ‘seize’ and Na means ‘control’. Chin Na relies mainly on grasping, pressing and unnatural twisting of the sensitive parts of the opponent’s body, such as nerves, muscles and joints. The advanced form of Chin Na includes a certain number of strikes, which cause paralysis or unconsciousness. There are also some Chin Na techniques that are used to kill or maim an opponent.
Due to the two new styles Yeuh Fei taught his officers and troops and together with his tactical approach to strategy on the battlefield, he won all his encounters with the enemy and became Marshall of the whole Chinese Army.
A Gin Commander by the name of Wuh Jwu, who was also undefeated in battle, was making his way into China. He had with him two other famous Gin Generals known as Tiger King and The Great Dragon. This Gin Commander was as clever and cunning as Yeuh Fei. He had developed a war chariot (Kua Tzu Ma), which had never been seen before. It consisted of three well-armoured horse pulling a chariot that could move both swiftly and freely though the battlefield whilst creating a stable platform for an archer to shoot at will.
Yeuh Fei thought long and hard on how he would fight this Gin Commander Wuh Jwu and eventually developed a special troop called Tern Pai Chun, which was to become known as ‘The Rattan Shield Army’. This special troop has flexible Rattan shields that would be able to withstand the stomping of horses’ hooves. These shields were also greased to make them more effective against being trampled on. These troops were armed with a long pole that had a curved blade on the end with an extremely sharp edge on the inside, which they used to cut away at the horses’ legs so bringing the chariot down.
The Gin Commander Wuh Jwu, knowing of Yeuh Fei’s reputation, bribed Chin Kua (Chinese Prime Minister) to send a gold-sealed envelope to Yeuh Fei, telling him to return from the battlefield. Yeuh Fei, reluctant to leave his troops, stayed. Chin Kua sent 12 gold-sealed orders in one day for Yeuh Fei to return to the Capital and under so much pressure Yeuh Fei returned.
On his return Yeuh Fei was immediately imprisoned because Chin Kua feared any sort of trial would show Yeuh Fei’s innocence. Chin Kua then had an officer by the name of Ho Juh investigate his life, looking for some reason to justify Yeuh Fei’s imprisonment, but for all his searching could find no wrongdoing, so had his food poisoned. Yeuh Fei died in jail on January 27th 1142AD and was buried in a pauper’s grave. He was only 38 years old.
In 1166AD a new Emperor came to power. Discovering what had happened to Yeuh Fei, he cleared his name, exhumed his body from the pauper’s grave and reburied him in a new burial vault as befitting his rank and standing. On the front of his burial vault was inscribed ‘The Righteous and Respectable Warrior’.
Yeuh Fei’s new burial place was the beautiful West Lake in Hangzhou. In front of the grave are stone statues of Chin Kua and his wife kneeling in repentance and shame before Yeuh Fei.
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