Shaolin Kung Fu Basics

[tattooedmonk]

Just a good round number that everyone can remember. 10 gives a sense of completeness . this list has everything that is needed to instill proper basics .

[pazman]

So....what style of Shaolin is this?


What style of Shaolin has ground positions?

Do you really think learning 10 throws to be basic?

[Songshan]

This is what I teach to my beginning students , I do not teach anything else until these can be done properly. The are just the requirements, not the curriculum. And of course each class has warm up exercises , various forms of conditioning, sparring/ applications , etc.

What do you all think?

10 Stances - BU FA
10 Kicks/ legs - TUI FA
10 Blocks/elbows – LAN FA
10 Punches/hands - QUAN FA
10 Rolls/falls - SHUAI FA
10 Sweeps/throws/takedowns - JIAO FA
10 Ground skills - TU FA
10 Special skils – YI FA

If you would like to know the specifics of any of these areas I will be more than happy to answer them.

My advice for whatever it's worth. That curriculum seems a bit much for a new student. You are asking them to learn 80 skills before moving to a higher level. Is this broken down into levels or ranks?

What style of "Shaolin" is this? Northern, Southern or is this Shaolin Do? Either way I have nothing against Shaolin Do. I just think you should be straight forward so other practitioners of the same style can give feedback.

[tattooedmonk]

So....what style of Shaolin is this?


What style of Shaolin has ground positions?

Do you really think learning 10 throws to be basic?

I teach some southern and northern styles.

Many styles of Shaolin have ground positions; tiger , crane , monkey, snake, eagle claw, etc. Chin na shuai jiao?

Yes, if you can't do all of these basics then you have no business learning anything else.

[tattooedmonk]

My advice for whatever it's worth. That curriculum seems a bit much for a new student. You are asking them to learn 80 skills before moving to a higher level. Is this broken down into levels or ranks?

What style of "Shaolin" is this? Northern, Southern or is this Shaolin Do? Either way I have nothing against Shaolin Do. I just think you should be straight forward so other practitioners of the same style can give feedback.

It is spread out over 6 months to a year.

[YouKnowWho]

Falls /Rolls

4. Forward fall

Is that something like 1.35 - 2.10?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2STm0SZ5YY

IMO, this is the most important one. When your opponent holds on one of your leg and sweep/hook your other leg, your body will go into the ground like an airplane crashing. If you don't know how to fall from this, you may get serious hurt.

Well the only ones I've ever needed are the forward break fall (rolling and jumping versions) where the power travels diagonally across from the arm to the opposite leg, and the back breakfall (rolling and jumping versions). From there I can get thrown forward backward, left, right, or diagonally and be fine.

This is why you will need more than those 2.

http://imageshack.us/a/img838/2355/innerblock.jpg

[YouKnowWho]

Stances

1. Natural
2. Horse
3. Forward Fighting
4. Forward bow
5. Cross
6. Reverse bow
7. Reverse fighting
8. Kneeling
9. Toe
10. Single leg

Why don't you use the Shaolin stances name such as:

1. cat stance (empty stance),
2. Santi (3-7) stance,
3. 4-6 stance,
4. horse stance,
5. 7 star stance,
6. striking tiger stance,
7. monkey stance,
8. golden rooster stance,
9. twisting stance,
10. side empty stance?

Those are the standard names that all Shaolin people can recognize.

You are using exactly the same approach that I had used when I first opened my comercial school. The hand out to the beginners may look very impressive. But I think it may include too much information as others suggested.

Throws/ sweeps/take downs

1. Front sweep-left/-right
2. Back sweep-left/right
3. Arm scissors take down-left/right
4. Arm/Shoulder throw-left/right
5. Hip throw-left/right
6. Double/ single leg take down- all sides
7. Leg scissor sweep- low/ high
8. Inside hook sweep- left/ right
9. Outside hook sweep-left/ right
10. 2 arm throw-left /right

As for the throws, you may separate those throws into 4 sides and 2 doors. If you like to keep it as number 10, you can always teach 2 throws on each side and 1 throw on each door.

definitions:

- 1st side is to attack your opponent outside of his right leg.
- 2nd side is to attack your opponent inside of his right leg.
- 3rd side is to attack your opponent inside of his left leg.
- 4th side is to attack your opponent outside of his left leg.
- front door is to attack infront of him.
- back door is to attack from behind of him.

The best way to teach/learn is always one of my favor subjects.

Punches/ Hands

10. Ridge hand

I think you are a ShoalinDo guy. The TCMA has no ridge hand. It only has value in point sparring. It's used heavily by Soryu Karate guys (or Kempo guys). It has no value in full contact. I have seen so many Karate guys when they started to fight full contact, they broke their hands by using "ridge hand".

I'll challenge anybody to find "ridge hand" in any style of the CMA.

[tattooedmonk]

Why don't you use the Shaolin stances name such as:

1. cat stance (empty stance),
2. Santi (3-7) stance,
3. 4-6 stance,
4. horse stance,
5. 7 star stance,
6. striking tiger stance,
7. monkey stance,
8. golden rooster stance,
9. twisting stance,
10. side empty stance?

Those are the standard names that all Shaolin people can recognize.

You are using exactly the same approach that I had used when I first opened my comercial school. The hand out to the beginners may look very impressive. But I think it may include too much information as others suggested.


As for the throws, you may separate those throws into 4 sides and 2 doors. If you like to keep it as number 10, you can always teach 2 throws on each side and 1 throw on each door.

definitions:

- 1st side is to attack your opponent outside of his right leg.
- 2nd side is to attack your opponent inside of his right leg.
- 3rd side is to attack your opponent inside of his left leg.
- 4th side is to attack your opponent outside of his left leg.
- front door is to attack infront of him.
- back door is to attack from behind of him.

The best way to teach/learn is always one of my favor subjects.


I think you are a ShoalinDo guy. The TCMA has no ridge hand. It only has value in point sparring. It's used heavily by Soryu Karate guys (or Kempo guys). It has no value in full contact. I have seen so many Karate guys when they started to fight full contact, they broke their hands by using "ridge hand".

I'll challenge anybody to find "ridge hand" in any style of the CMA.

Thank you for your input. I am aware of the Chinese terms. If you read all the posts completely , instead of taking things out of context, there wouldnt be a misunderstanding.


If you look back at the original posting of this list, I state that it was only the english terms and if someone wanted the Chinese terms or wanted to discuss any of these techniques that I would be more than happy to do so.

"Ridge hand" is a generic term and is probably not exactly what I am refering to here....

I accept your challenge.....

Liao Quan Zhang!

[sean_stonehart]

"Ridge hand" is a generic term and is probably not exactly what I am refering to here....

I accept your challenge.....

Liao Quan Zhang!

Where'd you find it?

[tattooedmonk]

Where'd you find it?

Through out all Chinese martial arts, it's not done with the same flavor as karate, but exists just the same.

[RisingCrane]

I'll challenge anybody to find "ridge hand" in any style of the CMA.

I practise a "Shaolin Buddha's Palm" form which I learned in Canton. One of the techniques is called "Use the hand to break Mount Wa". It is a 'ridgehand' that starts low behind the back and travels diagonally upwards.

[tattooedmonk]

Thank you Rising Crane. And what part of the hand/ wrist is the striking / contact surface?

[sean_stonehart]

Through out all Chinese martial arts, it's not done with the same flavor as karate, but exists just the same.

Negative.

You said "ridgehand" & then came back with something in Mandarin. Where'd it come from? What's the English translation for that phrase?

Just because I use So Choi (sweeping punch) & sometimes use So Jeurng (Sweeping Palm), doesn't make it a ridgehand.

[tattooedmonk]

Negative.

You said "ridgehand" & then came back with something in Mandarin. Where'd it come from? What's the English translation for that phrase?

Just because I use So Choi (sweeping punch) & sometimes use So Jeurng (Sweeping Palm), doesn't make it a ridgehand.

haha... Actually, this is a term that refers to both open and closed hands , still striking with the ridge of the hand.

It is very common though.

Cutting/ slicing with the fist/ palm.... Liao quan zhang... It could be Liao zhang or quan.

[tattooedmonk]

So jeurng!? Would you say that is a "ridge hand" strike!?