cardinal rules of your styles

[SPJ]

what are the golden rules of your style?

some "essential"/"basic" principles or tactics and strategy.

I'll start.

In Ba Gua, walk first. Zhou wei xian.

In Tai chi, neutralization first, or everything has neutralization in it, Wan ban su zhu hua. Hua is very and very important.

In Ba Ji, get close to the opponent, or Jin shen.

so that you may do all your stuff and kao. Jin shen kao.

of course, you have to contact the opponent's body first or tie before you kao.

in stepping, we have to have grinding steps or nian jin.

--

[RD'S Alias - 1A]

The purpose of my style is to conquer the Five Warring States....that was done in 960 AD, so we have been pretty much idle since then.

[David Jamieson]

-step in to kill your opponent power

-stay close to make attack upon you difficult

-continue relentless attack

just to name a few. Clearly the style is about the inside game, but it's also about conditioning and changing behaviours to have success in conflict.

[Vajramusti]

Never leapfrog an unicorn

-Simo Murphy's wushu law

[Seppukku]

1. Kill.

2. Ninja vanish.

3. Orgy.

[Takuan]

Always stomp the head.

At least from my Taiji Sifu, that's a cardinal rule.

[SanHeChuan]

NGAU(hooking) - This refers to the ACTION of hooking. As the opponents punch comes toward you, your hand make a hooking action to intercept the attack. This can be done with any hand form but usually a simple open hand is used. The open hand can easily grab or go into another hand formation.

LAU(retain) - I prefer the term retain as opposed to hold. Hold is passive and retain implies that something is going to happen (active). Lau is usually applied after Nagu as the basic technique. Lau can be a simple grab or a complex pressure point lock.

CHOY(pluck/pick)- To pluck or pick up something. As the attack comes, you pluck it out of the air. This is a cross body technique. That means: if your left leg is forward, you pluck with the right hand. The cross body technique works on the same principle as the reverse punch. Although you can pluck anytime, if the pluck comes from the same side (left pluck with left leg forward) a stepping action is usually employed to make up for the power lost from the reverse action.

GWA(hang/suspend) - The technique used to represent the Gwa principle is the overhead block (usually accompanied by a punch). Although the overhead block is a way to express this principle, it limits the idea or scope of what Gwa really means. Gwa means to hang in the air period. This applies to striking as well as blocking.

DIU(hook) - This refers to the mantis "hook" hand formation. This hook is a noun as in a fishing hook. As opposed as the hook in Ngau a verb implying the action of hooking. The Diu can be used to strike as well as trap. Furthermore, the back of the Diu (wrist) is used to strike as well as the knuckles.

JEUN (advance) - This principle means that you attack as soon as you block/parry. Literally it means "to go forth". One can advance after a block with the same hand (Diu Juen) or block with one hand while striking with the other (Diu Da / Bong Da). Advanced practitioners block and strike at the same time. "Lin siu bong da" (the block and attack happens together). This applies to hand / foot combinations as well.

BONG(crush / smash) - This implies smashing down from above. In the system we have two forms of "backfist" strikes. The gwa choy and the bong choy. The gwa choy represents the same type of backfist strike as any other style. But the bong choy represents an overturned backfist that comes from high to middle / low. In Bong Bo (Bung Bo, Peng Pu) the kneeling stance (gwai ma, yup wan bo), is taken with a bong choy (overturning crush fist) this is commonly mistaken as a simple backfist. but the move is a power move. The stance collapses and the fist crushes. The term Bong Bo (crushing / collapsing step) has two meanings. First is the technique itself as just explained. Secondly, it means that if you master this form, your opponent will have his steps crushed ( be knocked down / defeated). Bong Bo is the first form created in the system by Wong Long. It was his desire to make it a comprehensive fighting form. Don't be fooled into thinking it is a basic form. The complexities of Bong Bo are many. Buts that's for another web page.

DA (strike) - To strike means that you strike with any and all of your body weapons. Hand, foot, knee, elbow, head, wrist, forearms, shoulders (the 8 obstacles). The Bong Da is commonly used in the system. That means that your strike should carry strength behind it. "The blows fall like rain" is an expression that implies striking with impunity. The idea of striking as prime objective is essential to the mantis style. The notion that the main technique is to strike and all other techniques (chin na na, tripping, trapping, pushing, etc.) are with this in mind.

JIM(contact) - The next few principles have to do with touching your opponent. Jim is to make contact to feel your opponents intention, strength, temperament and commitment. Contact can be made by grabbing, pulling, pushing, striking, kicking and slapping. For example: if you punch at your opponent and he blocks it you have made contact. Now, if the punch was not really your true attack (the unreal) you have made contact for the next movement. You should always be at least two moves ahead of your opponent (the real). We say the unreal to the real must go (looks like an attack but really is a set up).

LIM(cling) - The idea of clinging is meant to indicate that, after an attack the action continues. Jim and Lien are often used in conjunction with each other (contact, cling). Clinging can be inner gate or outer gate. Clinging can also be used for defense or lead into offensive strategy. The clinging or sticking action can be done advancing and retreating. If an opponent jabs at you quickly, you will not be able to grab his wrist 100% of the time. But with the Lim sao action as you block the jab, your hand sticks and follows the opponent's wrist as it returns. Then when the jabbing hand has slowed down a bit, it can be grabbed easily. There is a special two person practice to develop the sticking process called Jim Lim Sao. This is what is known as the sticking hands of mantis.

TIP(tag) - Used in conjunction with Kau, Tip is an outer gate contacting action. Its scope is similar but not the same as Jim (contact). Tip is always fast and uses an open hand. When you Tip, you are usually smacking the back of the opponents wrist with your own. Just the name "tag" implies quick contact.

Kau(lean) - Unique to the mantis style, Kau is a leaning on to the opponent technique. It is mainly done in a twisted stance (unicorn, nau ma, scissors). But other stances can be used. The left elbow comes up from underneath the opponent's arm as the right hand holds the same arm outstretched. It can be seen extensively in the "Joy Bo Tong Long Kuen" (drunken stepping mantis form).

[diego]

1. Kill.

2. Ninja vanish.

3. Orgy.

funny ****

[Shaolin]

Peace and love.

[xcakid]

Number one rule: Shoot first, ask questions later. If he can answer the questions, shoot again.

Sub rules;
1) Have an awesome lawyer on retainer
2) To the authorities, you were always in GREAT fear for your life and reacted to stop the threat.
3) Do not talk further till lawyer gets there. Remember, you are very distraught and fearfull.

[golden arhat]

hit the guy
hit the guy again
keep hitting the guy
is he on the floor ? no?
keep on hitting him ?
howabout now ?
yes?
ok now kick him
is he crying ?
stop hitting him
is he not moving ?
lay low for a while
try and stay out of sight for a few weeks
maybe change your name
you hit him too much

[David Jamieson]

hit the guy
hit the guy again
keep hitting the guy
is he on the floor ? no?
keep on hitting him ?
howabout now ?
yes?
ok now kick him
is he crying ?
stop hitting him
is he not moving ?
lay low for a while
try and stay out of sight for a few weeks
maybe change your name
you hit him too much

humor. :-)

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Do unto others before they do unto you..

Avoid death and injury to self.. impart same to others that would harm you or the defenseless..

Never, ever rely on a comb-over to disguise baldness... shave head..

Peng, Lu, Ji, An..

Be well..

[Shaolindynasty]

The Choy Lay Fut System is based on a series of conceptual ideas. These concepts maximize the systems ability to adapt to the constant changes that are presented during combat situations. The ten elements comprise the basis for all the offensive and defensive movements found in the system. In essence the 10 elements comprise the alphabet in which the entire Choy Lay Fut language is written. The ten elements are

Kum- Slapping or pressing palm deflection
Na- Shooting arm bridge
Gwa- back fist
Sau- roundhouse punch
Chop- yin/yang fore knuckle strike
Pow- upward power shot
Kup- fist slap
Biu- outward, inside forearm strike
Ding- elbow or “joint” strike
Jong- small upward power shot

In addition to these ten elements the choy lay fut practitioner learns the gate theory. The Gate theory is the division of the body into sections for offense or defense. In Choy lay Fut the body is divided into 12 gates consisting of left/right gates, upper/middle/lower gates, and interior/exterior gates. Opening a gate refers to drawing the opponent’s attention to a certain gate and then attacking it’s opposite gate. Destroying a gate refers to continuously attacking (Lin Wan Kuen) a specific gate until the opponent can no longer defend it.The ten element and gate theories are then combined with asterisk footwork drills so the practitioner will learn the proper body positioning to maximize efficient delivery of offensive maneuvers.

[bodhitree]

I don't know about rules, but some sayings:

when the opponent rushes in greet him, when he leaves send him on his way

learn to love falling

never refuse to randori (spar) with a partner and learn from all

use skill to overcome strength

In randori always attack and try not to be defensive, even if you get thrown you will learn the timing of the throw you're countered with


...this was just a little, and I think these are common to many styles...