Originally Posted by
KJW
No I don't think so. I think they are just another possible strike in you're arsenal. These techniques are difficult to use in sparring, the reason for this I think is that if you use them then you have to use them properly, which you just can't do in a friendly sparring match. They always target vunerable areas or pressure points.
We do quite a bit of work conditioning the fingers & wrists. Which is neccesary in order to make these techniques effective. The punches we use are very direct, no pulling back or winnding up the punch, everything moves straight towards the target as fast as possible.
I'd like to try another style at some point. I think some of the techniques we do combined with some of the Wing Chun close quarter stuff would be quite effective.
In Pai Lum some of the finger and wrist conditioning include:
Tiger Claw Pushups- All fingers curled into Tiger Claw and held while performing pushups.
Mantis Wrist Pushups- Push ups done on the wrists to condition and strenghten.
Finger and Serpent Fang Conditioning- Best done on a makiwara, spearhand, single, and two pronged finger strikes to condition this area.
Grip Ball- Strengthens the hands and fingers, essential for having strong Tiger Claw, Dragon Claw, and Eagle Claw.
Also if you have a canvas bag practicing Tiger Tear is useful, palm strike followed by Tiger Claw. This will strenghten both hand and fingers as well as practice timing and give you a target.
One thing to consider when using some of the more exotic animal techniques and pressure points is that using these while clinching and controlling your opponent using Shuai is much more effective than while trying to strike a moving opponent.
Small, particulary soft areas that finger and wrist strikes are meant to hit are difficult on a moving opponent due to the small window you are trying to apply.
Threading the needle.
"The hero and the coward both feel the same thing, but the hero projects his fear onto his opponent while the coward runs. 'Fear'. It's the same thing, but it's what you do with it that matters". -Cus D'Amato