Shao tran / Nikkyo in Seiyunchin kata
Seiyunchin is a kata that contains many locks and holds within its bunkai. This is hardly surprising when one considers the meaning of its kanji: to control and pull in battle. For me the "king" of all qin-na wristlocks is the one I know as "shao tran" (or more accurately, "xiao chan" meaning "small wrap") - also known as the "z-bar" and (in aikido) as "nikkyo/nikyo" (although I avoid using the latter since the wristlock is only a small part of the particular series of techniques described by that name and which translates as "second lesson"). Seiyunchin covers many variations of shao tran in its applications. I was recently asked to describe these, so I prepared the following short video in response: When practising shao tran you should take care not to use brute force: shao tran is a technique that requires very little pressure. The late ju-jutsu master Jan de Jong used to tell me that the weight of one finger wa...