Choy Lay Fut's Chop Choy

[Lee Jun Fai/ Fai-Jai]

I need help clarifying the difference the way the chop choy is done. My sifu shows me 2 ways. one way is the chop choy extended with the arm totally straight; the second way he showed me was that the elbow was kinda of bent. I like the second way he showed me; however, i would like anyones input on this. thanx

[nospam]

Hi Lee Jun Fai/ Fai-Jai

Please describe the bent version more. During almost any strike, there will be both a straight and bent phase.

The "chop" choy can come from a variety of angles.

[CLFNole]

Choy Lay Fut uses the chop choy or panther fist technique in many ways. The yeung choy choy is a direct panther fist strick with the thumb knuckle pointing upward. The yum chop choy or twist panther fist has the hand flipped with the thumb knuckle pointing downward. Chueng ahn choy or eye-hitting punch has the panther fist flat with the palm down and there is another strike with the palm up.

Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut incorporates the famous tao lau chop choy which is a fast combination using the yeung chop and yum choy techinques in succession.

[Lee Jun Fai/ Fai-Jai]

nospam: for the chop choy, i was refering more to the twist panther fist strike. It is at the end of the execution of the technique that i was refering to when the elbow or arm is bent.


CLFNole: thanx for the info, it is of great help to my existing knowledge. As I have been to many tournaments, i have seen some choy lay fut practitioners, or most, that do not show sharp and clean forms. My theory is that either the practitioners do not know or feel the point of the form yet, or either they believe finishing the form quickly is what everyone is looking for.

Fai-Jai

[nospam]

Ah. I see.

Good luck.

[Buk Sing CLF]

Hi
The fist you are calling 'chop' choy I think is called 'charp' choy in our style, Buk Sing CLF.

'Panther', 'Chisel' are other names.

Yeurng charp, Ping charp, Yum charp are names for the different angles the 'charp' choy is thrown at.

For all these strikes the thumb is used to hold the fingers together, thus keeping it out of the way.

With respect to whether to straighten the arm, I would suggest you never straighten it completely.

In CLF the movements are flowing and relaxed. The punches are thrown, not jarred to a halt like many Japanese styles. If you did your repetitions by straightening your arm you run the risk of damaging your elbow, because that is what will be stopping the punch.

Also, a lucky or well executed retaliation from your opponent could easily break your arm if it is straight at any time.

I hope this has been of help.