Southern Sensitivity Drills

[blackmantis]

Hi everyone, I practise 8-step Mantis so I don't know very much about Southern styles. I recently learnt a really cool sensitivity touching practice drill.

Other than Wing Chun which has lots of drills like this, do other Southern styles have this sort of training? I've heard that Southern Mantis has lots of touching exercises.

Could someone briefly describe any drills that are found in Hung Gar, CLF, Wu Mei etc.!

Many thanks!!

S

[PlumDragon]

Southern Mantis (Jook Lum, although I imagine chow/chu gar are quite similar) has alot of sensitivity training. From very early on in class, its a central point, to train sensitivity in a variety of ways. While some of the exercises we do are simple and straightforward, I dont feel that its my place to talk about them on an open forum...

Ngo Cho (5 ancestor) is another southern art that has alot of sensitivity drills. The listening and "catchings" for the forms are used often. A catching is basicly a training partner testing your technique (root, power, etc) while you perform the moves in the forms; in essence, it is almost like taking a 1-man form and making it a 2-man form. As you suck in, your partner will test your root, etc via staying sticky and applying forces against or with your movements. As you spit out, he/she will stay sticky and work to make sure to disrupt your technique, pull your off your root, nullify your attack, etc.
Listening is a type of balance game that we would do preceeding any sparring.

[David]

Chow Gar SPM has a great number of drills covering the whole sensitivity-[root]-power spectrum.

One pure sensitivity drill switches flows defend/attack/defend/attack with a single arm and then both arms together. I won't describe it too specifically.

1. A attacks with a low right palm; B counters with the left arm coming down on it
2. B attacks high with left palm; A counters with high right block
3. A palms low with right; B counters by sweeping A's arm out wide with his left hand
4. Then positions are swapped: it goes back to 1. with B attacking and A defending.

This is done over and over until it is fluid: fast and light.

Then, when you have the hang of it, you do both hands at once like this: -
1. A & B attack with low right palms; A & B counter the other's attack with left arm coming down on it.
2. A & B attack with high left palms; ...

It's a bit of a mind-bender for some, but I think that's the idea :D.

Rgds,
David