77
Saam Chin Solo Sequence: Section One 78
Saam Chin Solo Sequence: Section Two 91
Saam Chin Solo Sequence: Section Three 92
Saam Chin Applications 98
Using the Palm-heel Strike 98
The Midline 100
The Significating Hand 101
Evasion and Stepping 102
Defense Against a Back-fist 103
Defense Against a Lead-hand Straight Punch, Rear-hand Straight Punch Combination 105
Defense Against a Front Kick, Rear-hand Straight Punch, Lead-hand Hook Punch Combination 108
Nai Fuan Chin Grappling 115
The Nai Fuan Chin Fist 115
The Nai Fuan Chin Grips 117
The Reverse-hand Grip 118
The Overhand Grip 121
The Underhand Grip 123
The Combined Reverse-hand Grip and Overhand Grip 124
The Combined Underhand Grip and Overhand Grip 125
The Double Underhand Grip 126
The Straddle-leg Stance 126
Nai Fuan Chin Section One Solo Sequence 127
Nai Fuan Chin Section One Application 136
Nai Fuan Chin Section Two Solo Sequence 147
Nai Fuan Chin Section Two Application 155
Nai Fuan Chin Section Three Solo Sequence 164
Nai Fuan Chin Section Three Application 175
Chapter Five Pushing Hands 188
Theories and Concepts 189
Practicing Pushing Hands 190
The Fixed Pushing Hands Drill 191
Changing Sides 193
Basic Changes 194
Change One 195
Change Two 198
Change Three 201
Introducing Saam Chin Boxing into Pushing Hands 203
Defense Against a Lead-hand Back-fist Strike 204
Defense Against an Upper-level Rear-hand Straight Punch 206
Defense Against a Rear-hand Back-fist Strike 208
Defense Against an Upper-level Lead-hand Straight Punch from a Crossed Position 210
Defense Against a Middle-level Hook Punch from a Crossed Position 214
Defense Against a Foot Sweep 217
Defense Against a Front Kick, Lead-hand Straight Punch Combination 220
Introducing Nai Fuan Chin Grappling into Pushing Hands 223
Set One 223
Set Two 226
Set Three 229
Chapter Six Final Thoughts 232
Some Maxims 232
Chu and the Watermelon 233
Conclusion 237
Acknowledgments
My thanks go to my parents, James and Barbara Johnson; my wife, Eleanor May-Johnson; Elaine and Terry May; and sangha members (past and present) of Chithurst Buddhist Monastery.
My thanks also go to Mr. Dave Franks, co-discoverer of the Nai Fuan Chin applications; Mr. Mike Stobart; Sensei Steve Rowe of Shi Kon Karate Kai; and the Three Unknown Men.
Many thanks to Pat Stockley and Amber Matthews for the photography, and Shao Cheen Laine for her artwork.
I am grateful to Mr. Patrick McCarthy, Director of the International Ryukyu Karate Research Society, who gave me permission to use the photos of Gichin Funakoshi and Choki Motobu, and the British Museum for the use of the photo of Chinese bronze statues.
Finally, I would like to thank Meik Skoss for his editorial guidance, and the staff of the Charles E. Turtle Company.
Foreword
by Steve Rowe
Chief Instructor, Shi Kon Karate Kai
Contributing Editor, Traditional Karate magazine
This book represents a milestone in the martial arts; it contains all the necessary ingredients to become a classic. Nathan Johnson has poured his heart and soul and a significant part of his training life into this work. He has 'burned the midnight oil' with his research into historical martial art texts and worn out the bodies and patience of his training partners in his quest to produce a generation of well-balanced karate-ka (karate practitioners).
The concepts contained within these pages are well researched and practical. They make sense of many of the kata (preset solo martial art forms) movements practiced by modern karate-ka for no other reason—until now—than that they were 'traditional' or with applications that have obviously been made up after the original ones were lost. The whole of this text is imbued with the wisdom of the ancient masters and Nathan manages to communicate these precepts in such a way that they reach out from the pages and touch the heart as well as the mind. That in itself makes this book a classic.
His research has broken all the barriers between the different nationalities and their prejudiced ways of presenting their own martial arts. In our workshops we have had people from many different martial backgrounds 'pushing hands' together under Nathan's guidance, exploring their similarities instead of their differences. It really does herald a new era where, instead of jealously guarding their 'secrets' from successive generations and allowing their art to disintegrate, modern instructors are sharing and learning from each other to improve their systems and then documenting them so they are not lost to those wishing to follow the way in the future.
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