There is an interesting and useful move in Chinto that I want to show an application for.  As a general insight into the kata, it is one of many which shows that it is primarily a grappling training kata.

 

Take the move in Chinto in which you stand in gigotaidachi and place your two fists on your hips. You then rotate the shoulders, left shoulder forward then right shoulder forward.

 

Just take that much, before the follow up technique.

 

It is a standard and sound defense against the move in Rohai in which you follow the crane stance high/low splitting technique (the one-legged stance that is repeated throughout the kata) with a zen kutsu dachi stance from which you throw two palm heel strikes to the pelvis or waist of the opponent with both your hands fully extended.

 

(By the way the Chinto defensive move will also apply equally well against a two-handed grab of the belt, with one of the opponent’s hand at each of your hips. This technique is commonly and effectively used for throwing in jujitsu and other grappling styles.)

 

The way you use the Chinto move against either one of these attacks is this:

 

As the opponent makes the contact with your body you trap his wrists to you and rotate the hips one way then the other.

 

To get this to work there are two mistakes to avoid:

 

1. Pin the wrists not the hands. If you just pin the hands there may be enough play in the wrists and elbows of the attacker to make your turning motion ineffective. If you grab the wrists and immobilize that joint you will send your power into the opponent’s elbow. They will either hyperextend, disabling the arm, or he will be thrown off balance by your turn.

 

1. Rotate your shoulders along the nautilus shell axis, not just on the vertical. If you draw the opponent along down toward your dan tien as well as across your center line he will not be able to resist along the front to back axis or along the side to side axis.

 

Be careful and work as a team when trying this move. It really will hyperextend the elbow in a damaging manner. Against a serious assault this can be a good thing. Against a training partner this is a bad thing!

 

Get advice and supervision from someone who knows this application before trying it on your own.