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Chin Na: finger grabbing

This finger-grabbing is a very simple / effective technique and even if it cannot be applied by beginners in dynamic contexts: it may be a winning choice in all the static ones. From an educational point of view, it is instead an excellent starting point to understand the basic concepts of Chin Na.

Note – This article has been asked by one of our Core Course practitioners on Patreon (see how to attend our home study classes here Learn Kung Fu online: a beginner-to-expert course).

Important – Before continuing, it is crucial to understand what we are going to do and how to study safely. Let’s read:

How to execute the technique

Let’s start by understanding the general movement:

With one hand, let’s firmly grab the external part of the opponent’s hand (on the side of the pinky, no matter how)
Keeping a solid grip, let’s grab a random finger of the opponent’s hand with our other hand (again no matter how until our control is stable)
The grasping on the adversary’s finger should not be too near the connection point with his / her hand (so that we can manipulate it without hindering ourselves)
Let’s simply bend the opponent’s finger in a direction that is unnatural (typically backward)
The best way to develop an irresistible strength is to work on the principle of leverage through a solid full-body muscle chain (read The Muscle Chain (for martial arts) [MINI-GUIDE])
While performing the technique it is necessary to assume a stable stance (read for example The correct position of the rider (Ma Bu)) and position our body in such a way as to be out of reach of the adversary’s possible reactions
To make the opponent unable to react, the best thing is to rapidly force him / her (through pain) to assume an unstable position (up to go down to the ground or to tiptoe)
Let’s remember that a fundamental rule of a clean Chin Na execution is that it must always be the adversary to assume an uncomfortable position and never the executor

A note by Master Kongling – We are not adding too many details because this (basic) technique can be applied very easily. The real goal of this tutorial is to allow to test and experiment with different approaches (grabbing from top, bottom, etc.). Remember: Kung Fu is the one born from us, never the one from our instructor (that, is only a reference).

The key points for a perfect execution

Now that we have an idea of what we are going to do, let’s focus on its key points:

The lever principle is at the center of this Chin Na
We have to voluntarily choose where to concentrate the bending force so as not to disperse the effort
We have to involve our entire body structure in the direction of the strength we are applying
If we can effectively put the opponent in an unfavorable position, he / she will have great difficulty in counterattacking and / or getting free
Even the hand that holds the opponent’s one must not only hold the grip but instead push in such a way as to increase the force load applied to the phalanx victim of our action; in other words the two hands must “pull” following circular trajectories but as opposed as possible (as if wanting to “tear” a sheet of paper)
As with all other Chin Na, in a real context, it is important to always opt for an explosive and above all unexpected execution (perhaps preceded by a feint), in order to avoid any type of resistance

A note by Master Kongling – Regarding the last point (even if in this particular case it is difficult to resist with only one finger), it is important to understand not only that practically for every Chin Na there is a countermove (or a release) but also and above all that an application against an opponent who is well aware of what we want to do is 100 times more complex and in many cases impossible. So what to do when we find ourselves unable to complete a technique? Immediately change technique and/or strategy, without giving the opponent time to react.

The most common errors

Grasp the fingers or the hand with a weak or unstable grip
Hinder the full bending of the finger with our hand
Divide the torsion force on more phalanges
Imbalance ourselves in unnecessarily uncomfortable positions

Variants and evolutions

We can take more than one finger (less effective but easier, especially in a dynamic context)
We can rotate the finger not only backward but also sideways
When we are more skilled we can perform this finger-grabbing Chin Na even leaving the first grab (after having correctly caught the opponent’s finger); the important to do this it is important to force the adversary toward
When we are experts we can perform the technique even entirely with a single hand (directly grabbing the opponent’s finger, we simply have to align the bones of the opponent’s arm, read for example Self-defense: brawl in front of a grocery store, more about this later)

Possible applications contexts

Self-defense:

Fingers are rarely conditioned and even strong opponents cannot resist this kind of torsions
Some people have a natural extreme flexibility in their fingers (some manage to bend them back until they touch the arm); this is not relevant, if we perform the technique according to the canons described in the premise and forcing the actual breaking point, it will surely work
With this Chin Na, even a very small person can effectively address the force of a much larger aggressor; on the other hand, it is also true that rarely an experienced fighter allow his / her adversary to easily grasp his / her fingers
Being able to intercept fingers and hands of an opponent in a dynamic context (on the fly) requires skills generally absent in the novice practitioner; we need in fact good spatial intelligence (read The most important skill in combat), the capability to adapt our grasping (read How to acquire the Soft Touch skill) and perfect timing (read Timing: the secret of combat effectiveness)
One of the context of applications of this technique (that is suitable almost for everyone) is during ground fighting (read Ground fighting) or when we are already in close contact with the adversary (eg. during a grappling interchange)

Sport fighting:

Due to the fragility of the body parts involved (and the effectiveness of this kind of technique), the use of such a Chin Na is strictly forbidden in most of the fighting sports competitions (read Declared techniques, sparring and sport competition)

In-depth video courses

Chin Na: Principles and Learning – A course to learn the Chin Na techniques at a deep level
Hand grip strength conditioning – How to convert our hands into functional capturing tools
Basic 6 Dragons Kung Fu exercises – The development path of the fundamental combat skills
Advanced speed and reflexes training – How to acquire the necessary level of combat reactivity
How to develop a good timing – A video course dedicated to time exploitation and adaptation
Combat flexibility: tendons transformation for martial arts – How to gain advanced combat flexibility
Structures for combat: liquid, solid, fluid – Learn how to adapt our body to every fight situation

In-depth articles

Combat skills: what we will learn – The development path of 6 Dragons Kung Fu in terms of combat
How to use martial arts in a real fight – The path to make our technical abilities at our disposal in a real combat situation

Questions

Reply in the comments and share your experience:

Can you effectively twist the finger?

Author: Master Kongling

Founder of 6 Dragons Kung Fu.

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