Professional Documents
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Shaolin Fighting - Theories & Concepts
Shaolin Fighting - Theories & Concepts
WONG
slt[oll]L
FIEilTTilE
DISCLAIMER
Please note that the publisher of this instructional book is NOT RESPONSIBLE in any
manner whatsoever lor any injury which may occur by reading and/or {ollowing the
instructions herein.
It is essential that before {ollowing any of the activities, physical or otherwise, herein
described, the reader or readers should first consult his or her physician for advice or
whether or not the reader or readers should embark on"the physical activity described herein
Since the physical activities described herein may be too sophisticated in nature, it is
THEORIET E
essentra/ that a physician be consulted.
CONCEPTJ
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sifu Douglas Lim l4/ottg is an individuar who enjoys his hobby to the
fullest. His interest in this ancient art is one that encompattrt ih, totol
aspect of Chinese pugilism.
Gung Fu is an art that is timeless, it deals with the events of life and
ii its many consequences. It is a study of ltfe from the day you are born
to the da.y you die. The main branches o.f studies involved in this art
F'#$ are: Chinese Medicine, Physics, philosophy, Logic, psychology, Ma_
thematics, History and also Self-De.fense.
l'lith so many subjects involved it is sure that a person must be well
versed to ensure the proper teaching of each
facet of this art. Als.,
you must study from a qualified instructor who is willing to share his
wealth of knowledge.
He has had the privilege of studying under numerous Jine instruc-
!.rs from various systems. He studied under Grand.master l4/ong Ark
Yue.y o.f Los Angeles, California. Grandmaster Wong is one of thi
fore-
trtost practitioners in the Five Animals Style (Ng ying Go), and the Five
litrttil-rt styles (Ng Ga Kin) as taught in China. At the advanced age
tt.f' savant.v-.fit)e .v?drs .ltl, GrantJmaster l"l/ong is still actively teaching
.1Vl*lri=.,
$*,
clu't'tt's t'vcr.\ttht),. llt' lu/rr s/trtliecl under sifu Haumea "Ttny" Lefiti,
rr,\t'ttirtr rltt(l(ttt tt.f (inilrrlilrtt,tttr Ark l4/ctttg. Sifu Le.fiti also stuclierl
M."i:=Lilrr,.:
io:r.li a+
itt 'lhirstrt lnrnritr,rl tltt'lllttl, (itr 1;.r,stt,rtt utrtl /he l4)hilc Crant: S.vslclt
itii('; ii
.
(liti llrtli lhi). llt' rrrt.r ltt'ttrl ,tl tlrr, r\tl.vttt'siutt-,4rttrrictut (irutg litt
ri ll :;
P'4::1tii ;r .l\,\t,t'tttlit)tt ttttlil lttt rl,',rtlt trr lt) / i l,'ti'ilt ,\i llitt,q l,ltrtllr,r llltttrtg 0l
ffi llrtrtl: Lrtrt,t,, lrt'.rlttrltr,,! tltt'll'itt!: ('lttttt ('lltrttrt .rrt!t,rtt lnrt.ttiu,tl lltt,litrttt.t
r^ tr|ll rtr lltt ",\'lrr'Lt' llrttttl l'trtlttittg" htt,twn ur "('lti ,\rtrt.,.
In 1973 under the tutelage of Master Share Lew, he was introduced
to the higherlevels of Gung Fu. From Master Lew he leatned the Members have appeared in the Las Vegas Production of "Orient
Taoist internal system which includes Herbal Medicine, Meditation, 75" at the Landmark Hotel and also at the Arizona State Fair. They
and Taoist breathing exercises. Master Lew has been influential on have taken part in mnny community events and many benefits for
Sifu lilong's knowledge. Master Lew teaches the Tao-on Pai (Tao underprivileged children foundations.
Ga) system of Gung Fu and also the Choy-Li-Fut system as taught by Stfu Wong has been chosen by Mayor Tom Bradley's Blue Ribbon
his late uncle, Grandmaster Lew Ben (Lau Bun), the foremost authori' Committee as the Kung Fu representative for the Martial Arts Advi-
ty on the Hung Sing Choy-Li-Fut system. Sifu Wong has also been ex- sory Board for the City of Los Angeles. He is also an overseas advisor
posed to the Yau Kung Mon style or the "Soft Hand Style," which for the Taiwan based Tang Shou Tao (Kung Fu) Committee of the
is a relatively new art which has its origin from the infamous Bai Mei Taip ei A thle tic s Asso ciat io n.
Pai or the forbidden "llhite Eyebrow Style." Yau Kung Mon was de' The Sil Lum members have appeared in magazines such as Black
veloped in Hong Kong by Grandmaster Ha Hoan' Sifu I'long has also Belt, Karate lllustrated, Official Karate, Oriental Art of Self-Defense,
been exposed to Northem Praying Mantis (Bak Tong Long Pai), Inside Kung-Fu, Los Angeles Free Press, Karate-Ka, Single Register,
Northern Sit Lum (Bak Sit Lum), Tai Chi Chuan (Grand Ultimate Fist), Combat Magazine from England, Los Angeles Times, and many other
Bai Mei Pai (White Eyebrow System) Hsing-Yi Ching (Heart-Mind Box' local newspapers.
ing) and Bai Fu Pai (White Tiger System). Stfu Wong has also studied llithin his Sil Lum Kung Fu school, have been trained such national
the Buddhist internal system and also the lron Palm training. champions as Albert Leong, James Lew, Robin Kane, Todd Takeuchi
From the total teaching of all his instructors he has formulated a and Jimmy Brown, all of whom are known for their hand and weapon
new system of his own called the "llhite Lotus Flower Style" (Bai form expertise. In the fighting division he has Mr. Iililtiam Henderson,
Ling Fa Pai). The l'lhite Lotus represents the purity of this new sys' the reigning U.S. Heavyweight Gung Fu Fighter in full contact mat-
tem among the many styles in existence today. During sunrise the ches. He is also one of the more popular fighters on the Karote tour-
Lotus flower opens up to the world to take in the events of the day. nament circuit.
And when sunset approaches the flower closes and is at peace with the
Assisting Sifu llong are three long time friends and fellow instructors
world through darkness. The llhite Lotus Flower is a Buddhist symbol
Sifu Curl Totton, Sifu Tommy Ho and Sifu llilson Quan. All four of
of purity and happiness and has a very colorful history throughout the instructors have trained together at one time or another and have
the many eventful Chinese dynasties. Sifu llong's interest in his hert
the combined experience of seven different styles of Gung Fu.
tage and culture was the key that opened the door of wisdom and
This is but a'short biography on Sifu llong, it can only give you a
knowledge to this fabulous art. glimpse of his knowledge and his personality. As you read the follow-
Being one of the most respected instructor's on the West Coast
ing chapters in this book you will get a better insight into his personal
tournament circuit. He has produced Gung Fu's "llinningist Team"
teaching and a better understanding of this ancient Chinese art.
as quoted form one magazine article. He hus achieved many mile'
stones since opening his kwoon (studio) in fanuary of 1973. Since
To my good friend and fellow martial artist - I wish him the best
of luck and long life. May this book serve its purpose and help you
then his Sit Lum Team led and captained by two senior students, Mr'
understand the meaning of lifu and its many facets.
Albert Leong and Mr. James Lew, have successfully captured every
notable title in the Kata Division from Junior level tp Black Belt level.
At many tournaments they have swept every division entered. In
lleapons competition they have been the most exciting group to
watch. Never letting the people down for a minute, this group has
completed and demonstrated throughout the United States and have
appeared on many televison programs.
Sifu Wong has appeared in numerous movies and television pro'
f">V^
grams, including the "Kung Fu" pilot film from Warner Bros' Studio;
"That Man Bolt" from Universal Studio; "Apple Dumpling Gang" from
Walt Disney Productions; and other mentbers have appeared on tele'
vision program such as "Ironside"; "Police Story"; "The Champion";
NBC Spoit Show; "PhilbinfBrown & Co."; "Spart Prep Show";
"Kung Fu"television series; "secret of the Martial Arls" Nl)C series;
"Medix" CBS Special; and many upcoming series.
To my Parents:
Thank you for guiding me down the road of life. Without your love
and guidance the road to reality and happiness would have been an
impossible dream.
16
,.**d*gfllisd ft, .. -. dlJf,,.:k.- ,
1:
{1) Shaolin Salute
(2) Monk salute, hands together which represents a pacifist monk
Chinese Salutation (3) Another version of the Shaolin Salute
(41 From the White Eyebrow System or Bei Mei Pai, also used in the Soft Hand Style (Yau
Kung Mon)
(5) Salute for the fighting monk
(61 Open salute used in Hung Gar style and other Gung Fu styles
6
Salute - The Signs of Respect, The familiar left palm covering the right fist symbolizes the
Shaolin boxing art and is imbued with the martial spirit, ln the salute itself, the right hand re-
presented the life line power. The left hand symbolized the warmth and security of the sun.
-
Combined, they showed respect for the individual.
Showing the people that you come unarmed and without hostilities. lf forced to defend your-
self, however, the right hand will be used for attacking while the left hand is usod for blocking.
18
In Kung-Fu the hand has a wide variety of applications, among them
are'. blocking, trapping, punching, deflecting, grabbing, pulling, claw-
ing, ripping, pushing, poking, smashing, and raking. Some systems
Hand Techniques stress long hand techniques for greater strength and reach, while others
rely on short hand tactics and rapid combinations. The ideal, of
course, is to have both.
When speaking of the hand strikes we mean the entire length of
man's natural weapon - the arm from shoulder to finger tips.
(l) The fingers are used for pinpoint striking and for interpreting
an opponent's energy, because of their heightened sensitivity
and feeling.
(2) The knuckles are used in a striking situation, there are many
ways in using this type of strike. It can be used flush against
the object or just a portion of the striking arca in an upward
strike or a downward motion to increase the power.
(3) The forearm is where the power is generated and are the primary
blocking tools. They should be toughened through drills such
as Dar Som Sing or "Striking the Three Stars." They can also
be used to push a foe offbalance.
(4) The wrist is the transmission through which energy and power
are directed. Therefore, it must remain supple at all times so
that the force proceeds unimpeded to the target.
(5) The elbow is very useful in short range situations. For instance
a chest-level forearm block can easily be transformed into a fol"
low-up elbow smash.
(6) The upper arm is that portion which provides the strength for
extending or retracting a block or punch.
(1) The shoulder applies the power that has been gathered from the
entire body, in the direction intended.
The different hand techniques and, obviously, their very descriptive
names, were traced from various plants, animals and insects. For
example, "Twin Dragons in Search of the Pearls", "Willow Palm," and
"Monkey Steals the Peaches." A majority of the moves themselves
were duplicated from birds and beasts, whereas, insects were admired
for the immense strength they exhibited in proportion to their size,
and plants for their essence or 'oinner" strength (i.e., the roots resem-
bling a firm, solid "horse" or the flexible stalk, which represents the
suppleness of the torso one should try to achieve).
l.;fu There are three prerequisites for effective hand techniques: (l)
specd, (2) strength, and (3) flexibility. Speed encompasses more than
.€rfl slrccr ve locity; it should also include an awareness of distance and tim-
.-is...:h ing. Strength is u llrnclion o1'one's build and musculature, yet it can
llc cnlrluccrl corrsirlt:ritltly hy 1.rr<lper breathing and exercise. Flexibili-
1y is vitirl;willrorrl il, rtlvrrrrlrrgcs irr slrcngtlr arrcl speecl are greatly cli-
rrr irririlrcrl .
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(Above) Reverse Ridge Hand.
The back of the hand is used
for striking. This strike is (Above) Back Fist. The back
similar to the ridge hand but ;i,]il of the hand is used as the
the difference is the range fist is clenched. The angle
it can reach compared to the former. The reverse ridge can be used to hook oJ attack is used from a high position to a rower position_
the back of the head - use opposite hand for blocking. right it is used for striking tie shoulder ur""io JijJ""ie the As shown on the
joints.
f iq9L
lil {J.!l I
t€4
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3? :t3
White Ape Offers a Cup of
Wine. The hands are forme.I
as lf holding a cup in your
hand using the inside palm
and upper finger region for
strikes. (1) Ready position
-(2)opponent throws left punch.
Before punch reaches its
point (destination) the right
ruSd.f.i:is '#fl#=;@iJ
liffi hand is dropped on top while
the left arm approaches the
Lz = i.i throat. (3) The right hand
grips and pushes downward
while the left hand grabs the
throat. (4) The final step is
ffi#.,,+ to extend both arms - thus
a# causing a double impact strike
to the neck regio n.
i?
34 3b
Philosophy and Mental Trainin€
Ready position.
2
()lrlrolr![l llIowF d lil[il lt wlllt:lt lF ltltl lio(l witlt att ilttlrltlo wrltl Irlilt,h
4:t
Swing his leg upward and down
Drop his leg down, the defender of the knee area while the other
pulls his opponent Lrackwards
leg pushes outward on the bot-
and braces his leg behind the tom.
leg ol the opponent.
6
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12
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The internal system is available to anyone who is wilring
through the training, provided there is a qualified to go
instructor willing to
teach you. ft.t-. are mflny people claiming
to teach the internal ener_
w o-r Nui Gung, but very few can produce iior even explain the reason-
Internal SYstefir ing behind it. The energy is one that every prrron
ing but with the proper sequences onri. There are
i, capable of produc_
many different
breathing exercises that cultivate the chi as well
as other exercises that
develop it to the point where you can use it for
healing.
Healing is the main pulpose of the internal system
besides providing
Theinternalsystemisthemosthighlykeptsec'retintheChinesecul. good health to the practitioner. Healing is part
youth, the controller
eternal of the art that each
ture. It has been referred as the sec?et"ofmany other such terms' The teacher must strive for. The healing can [.
oon. by using acupuncture
force, and that is the use of a needle inserted lnto variou, point,
of the mind, the unstopable
usually iegarded as supermen be- throughout the
people who knew the internul *.r. lody and to regulate the flow of energy or chi. th.r. are manypoints
that no othlr human being was capable
cause they could perform tasks throughout the body that is necessary to rearn before
pro..rring to
by the population bewilder-
of performing. rt. *uny feats witnessed the treatment. Healing with the needle is not always
possible so we
edthem,andtheyconsideredthatthemenwefehelpedbytheGods. use what is known as the Healing Hand or
using the hand or fingers
as the implement relieving of certain ailment-and pain. The hand
^in
acts as the feeler for any over abundant of energy
or under abundant
which ever the case may be.
ft-. beginning of the internal exercises is to start with the proper
.breathing methods- The Taoist internal breathing is done in the
lower
abdominal region or the area below the navel ab"out
3,, called the tan
tien. The pathway is as folrows: inhare through the.nose uut
the chest region. push the air down into thelailbone uvp^,
area and then
up the spinal cord to the top of the head. The chi
then goes to the
front part of the forehead known as the third .yr.
centration point known as the psychic center.
ihi, area is the con_
After learning
_the internal, one is capable of healing some of the
more common ailments affecting people. you can
also start to sense
many. of the objects around you, und you will
build up the ,rrrr., of
your body so you can feel another person,s body
heat coming toward
you from any direction. you can uiro ,.. different
colors of the aura
surrounding a person in that way, you can tell
if he is angry, scared,
kind, or whatever_
The internal is also an art that is deadly because of the
medical appli_
cation learned for healingcan be used in t<ilhng. The
system is inr,,olved
with the Delayed Death Touch or Dim Mak. Many demonstrations
have been done to show the internal system
u"a ,nir. most propr, ur.
amazed at the feats accomplished, the internal
is still difficult to be-
lieve or understand.
!rt I
Advanced Fighting Principles
Fighting principles are the hardest ideas to
explain but the actuar
fighting principles are sirnple but very eflective.
in lighting is to use the minimum movement and The main concern
strength, but to get
the maximum effective effect without *.urirrg yolrself
system can claim to have ail the fighting
out. No one
te.nrr]q,r., or principres toge_
ther but in the folowing chapter yo, ,ilt
be exposed to some of the
more sophisticated movements used in the
white iotus system.
Gung Fu movements can be broken
down into two components or
motions, linear motion or straigrrt line,
urro .ir.rlr motion or circling
angle- Every motion used in fi"ghting,
Remember,ittakestwopeopletohaveafight'Ifoneofthemwalks such as ror*uro, backward, side_
away, where i, th;;ghti- if-tt'tgftt that yo" pttutnt glJti:1tl-:1*: step, pushing, pulling, and r*..pirrg
motion-
is involved with linear and circular
But remember, life is a preclous Sometimes a combirrution
more of a battle in your own mrnd. of both is necessary to overcome
buy and sell' If you have a good and to
commodity, not something yo" tun I?#,:flonent
give yourself the upper hand in
any fighting
and physical control of your
instructor, t. *iti i*.fr Vl" both menial
of restraining your oppo- Nafural moves are the most effective
body. A good instructoi can show you ways needs
fighting
to be trained in something that is already impreme't. No one
nentorslowinghi.do*nwithoutcausingpermanentdamage.Also, second nature to him.
yourseli_when the odds are against Manystudentshowever,.-+. tiings so
he will teach vou rro* to handle thcir
complicated that they defeat
purpose. A simple gestuie of the hand,
youandwhenyouhavenochoicebuttotakeapefsonslife.Itisupto 'wn
srr,l.rpirrg.l'u a twist of the wrist, a
f-ingcr, , slicling .f tlre arm, all
theteachinghehasgivenyou'whatisinyourownheart'andthedes- rrscllrl lirr :rry st.ll-tlt.llrrst: rrr,rvcrncrrl. .f.t,.
these are very naturd anJ
tiny ytlu choose for Yourself' rt'l;rx wltt.rr llrr.y;rrt. lrlilrlrrr,li, wlrilt, lit,t,Pillg
prr.riu,ra,, nrrrsl lcur.rr lo
t:lrlrrr trrrtl conll)()s(:(l
(it) (il
punch toward oppo-
Opponent throws right sliding punch
i'Jrlt rt."o which is met bv a leftaway from the
.rr. the body is leaning
--"[inn
pu ndh.
On guard Position'
No motion still
A B
lf a wall was put inbetween points A & B then the force A would be
bounced -
off to the side if C is strong enough to withstand tho force of the
_> blow. Upon impact tha force is sent into i new direction.
straight line
ln mbtion, body will travel in a
Now the shortest path from A to B is a circle which goes around point C or
An outside force can alter its the wall.
course if the force is large
enough to disturb its balance'
A n 0c
When a person sees an obiect come toward
his head, like a punch, he tends to lean
back away from the punch. This then
leaves his lower limb vulnerable for
an
attack.
u/
(i(i
TOP VIEW SIDE VIEW
SEMICIRCLE OF I\TTACK
5 4 3 )
ATTACKER -f
I
DEFENDER _ _
I
I 1. MAXIMUM POINT _ OUTER ZONE: outside line
impact point
2. OUTER CIRCLE: final impact point
CIRCLE OF SAFETY 3. MIDDLE ZONE: initiat impact area
4. INNEH ZONE
1. Maximum blocking zone 5. SOURCE OF FORCE
(surPrise gaP)
zone)
Z. Oute, zone (faking
3. Commitment zone
(Point of no rettrrnl
4. ltrtrrtr rloftttrslvtt rtllto
(clirrtlttrg)
nn b. CeittEr ltotlv rrrlltlnltttrr (if,
BALANCE TEST
(Right) - Under-
standing the Pres-
sure in uiage against
an oPPonent's
balance and center Natural standing position
of gravity. (1)
Pushing the side,
the balance is off-
balance. l2l oP-
posite side the
same,
Middle 6ate
Lower Gate
Teft riqhf
sit{e side
r* 71
70 t"&*
(Below) Before the whole hand can concen-
-
trate it's power on the body, Sifu Wong twists
his body toward opponent which def lects the
punch away from the body.
(Below)
- Sifu
groin region.
Wong then uses a Tiger CIaw to tl
(Below)
- The left hand is then circled up
and onto the elbow joint with a Mantis Hook
2 Hand.
3
(Below)
- Now deliver a Phoenix Eye punch to th
eyes or temple region.
t')
LOW FAKE into HIGH ATTACK' Ready
position (above)'
(Above) - The attacker throws his
,igna ti.a into the opponent's face wh.ile
(Above)
- While the opponent is backing up,
alio drawing the back leg in toward the release a sliding heel kick to the knee region.
front. The f ist makes the oPponent
pull his face back.
(Above) Drop the leg down, pre-
-
pare the hand for any type of attack.
IA /t,
The spear hand is then drop-
ped on top of the punching
Fighting Position' arm and the left hand con-
verts into a fist,
4
1 Final stage when the punch
connects to the temple area,
Opponent throws Punch which
'rs'met with a double outside
palm block.
5
2
The right hand controls the
punching hand while the left
hand slides into the eYeball'
3
//
Double Tiger Strike
Readv Position'
;{'
Ready Position.
/8 llt
ls
Ready position.
lo llrrt lrl,rrl
80 I
I Hl
t-
(Right 3 pictures) - Fighting position'
I t:t
a single strike can be converted
HAND STRI KING' (Below) - This series show how
into six strikes or more on the same offensive move' bodv'
iirg"tiip Strike is used to feel the distance of opponent's
Af lnr stril<i.q, r:harrgr into a sun Fist strike rrsinq thr.r irrrcr^ar rrnorqv
il4 fllr
(Above) - Change into a Wrist Strike which is done with a snapping motion which
shakes up the balance of the body.
ii:t:i jl:i:;;ll: ::i:ii::iii:ril::iii
(Above) change into Elbow strike using the tip of the erbow
- and a f orward
thrusting motion.
(Above) - Forearm strike w,hich Lrsos thc front portiorr ol tlrrr ,ln(l ts v(!rV
;rowor f rr l.
8t
punch
Knowing how to maneuver the body is one of the greatest asset in fighting. A simple
to the body can be reguided into a less offensive movement'
(Above)
- As the punch approaches it's target the defender simply turns his body side-
way and brushes the punch to the side. (Beiow) _ The final stage is to let the punch pass
by and be prepared to throw your own offense.
H8 lr$
Side view of e punch by using deflection and grab'
00
(Left) - Still continuing the
motion turn the hand over which
converts the block into a grab.
!'.t
Training Equipment still the best way of improving oneself. Feeling the power of one's
blows and how much he can actually take is a very important factor
involved in using this equipment.
The above mentioned equipment was mainly used for the upper
torso or arm regions. For the legs there is various equipment, but
Training equipments come in many various shapes and forms. In the most useful and the most difficult one to master is the Mui Fa Joh
the martial art field there are many such implements that are very or the Plum Flower Piles (or Stumps). Here they learn the different
large and bulky while others are small and portable. The Chinese train-
pattern of horse shifting from one area to the next since each stump
ing equipment are very elaborate and covers many aspect in condition- was of different heights and size. This development of the horses is
ing the human torso.
more readily adaptable for any situation whethir it is on level ground
The most popular and handiest equipment are the various sizes of or uneven terrain.
sandbags. They are used for slapping, poking, grabbing, punching, drill- , Today many of these equipments are not being utilized due to the
lack of knowledge or instruction and arso unable to produce such
ing and chopping. Some are laid on top of an object and are pounded
upon while others are thrown in the air and grabbed when airborne. equipment- After working with the equipment the herbal medicine,
Dit Da Jow, or Medicated Striking Wins, is applied to the striking sur-
Other schools use the different container which holds various sub- face. The Dit Da Jow comes in many different formulas; ron'. ur]rd in
stance to condition the hand such as sand, small pebbles, dried beans' conjunction with the dummy training while others are used for the Iron
and then various mixture of the mentioned items. There are different Palm or hand training.
stages for this type of training and preparation is a must for the begin-
The Iron Palm medicine is the strongest one to use in this phase of
ners. This type of training conditions the hand from the fingertips up the art. The medicine penetrates the skin, tissue, muscle, veins, arteries
to the elbow. down to the bone itself. It toughens and conditions the striking area
The training dummies are used to build-up the power of one's pun- to the extent where it prevents bruises and ill effects in later yea'rs. If
ches and kicks. It is used for hand coordination, distancing, spacing, you have ever observed certain Karate men practicing, look at their
sensitivity, conditioning and focussing. knuckles and you will sometimes notice the enlargement and disfigur-
The dummies were used in various ways in China. Probably the most ing of the hand. This is due to the pounding and beating they iake
famous were the ones used at the Sil Lum Temple (Shaolin Temple). while using the makiwara board or other hard objects. Iftrr u to.rg
Near the completion of their graduating test, the young monks were to period of time the hands are left with little or no feeling at all. The
enterrthb Hall of the 108 Wooden Men. In the passageway were 108 medicine can help keep your hands normal in size without calloused
dummies set up in such a way that it attacked from every conceivable knuckles or deforming of the hand.
angle and wielding different w€apons in it's midst. Once the young In a very short period of time, with the proper training and instruc_
monk candidate got through this hall, he then had to remove the urn tion, one can obtain a great dear of proficieniy in the Iion palm art.
blocking the passageway to the outside world. But remember this is still not the ultimate of the art, there are other as-
The dummies in the hallway were triggered off by the weight of a pects which can cause unseen damages such as Dim Muk, or the
person entering the hall and others controlled by monks behind the Death
Touch. The Iron Palm training can be taught on a physical level or in
dummies. They used weapons such as swords, staffs, clubs, and other conjunction with the internal or chi trainiig. This depends on the in-
implements of destruction. structor and how much he is willing to let out in the op-n.
The most familiar dummy today is the Wing Chun Mook Jong, or Do not try a:hy methods unless you have a competent instructor that
the Wooden Man Dummy. There are 108 movements used by the prac- can teach you the proper sequences. The worst thing you can do is to
titioner to fully utilize this equipment. This developed the sense of beat your hands to a pulp and not have any of the treibar medicine to
fighting by using angular attacks and applying power into each strike. relieve the ill effects from the striking.
The lower portion of the dummy is used to provide the proper dis- Remember, imitating a person,s feats doesn't necessarily mean you
tancing and entrapment of the opponent's leg before applying a kick ar-e doing it right. understanding the principles is something thai re-
to the area. quires time and instruction.
The dummies were used to create the feeling of fighting a live oppo- For one to be similar
nent because the dummy was capable of taking more physical abuse Is to be one in the same.
than the human body. Therefore, it was more practical to work with, But to be one different,
especially if you lacked a training partner. Solo exercises and cndless One must understand how it is lo be the sarnc.
conrbinations are used ort tltis equiprnent; of coursc, actual fighting is
,'*lrySi'". 9r
STEEL DUMMY
(Above)
- Close up of
hooking the equipment.
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:;ss
ri:ii*R
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t.t:*g
.iw
iw
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Strike with the bottom portion of hand clenched in fist position. Twisting the hand in mid-air and strike with the insicle odg;e of the rr:rn6.
10r)
IRON PALM - Ready position, hand flat. WILLOW PALM STRIKE
- Ready position hand inverse palm up.
102 r03
ts:itl
,lsi
104
106
+
BACKHAND STRIKE Hand uP inhale. TIGER CLAW Ready position, claw hand above.
- -
il
ld#r+iffi:,1it+&nir
ffi',
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Strike down and exhale using the back side of the hand. Strike down the fingertips.
r06 107
FRONT VIEW 1. Top of Head
2. Front of Head
3. Eyes
4. Temple
5. Nose
Pressure Points 6. Jugular Vein
7. Adam's Apple
8. Heart
9. Rib Cage
1O. Floating Rib
1 1. Wrist
12. Tan Tien (C.c.)
The body is one of nature's finest products. It is capable of build- 13.' Groin
14. lnner Thigh
ing objects, creating music, or painting beautiful art work, but it is also 15. Knee
sensitive to pain and illness. 16. Shin
It is strange how most fighters do not have any knowledge about 17. lnstep
18. Hip Bone
the body's weak points or pressure points. These aleas are used in the 19, Bladder
Chinese system to overcome an opponent with the minimum amount 20. Side of Waist
of force. The body is covered from head to toe with pressure points, 21. Elbow
22. Underarm (sweat glands)
some are more sensitive than others. The body is controlled by many 23. Sternum
different enelgy points which are in conjunction with the vital olgans 24. Side of Jaw
25. Collarbone
of the body. In China, the study of vital points and how to strike them 20 26. Ear
is a special art by itself, which is known as Dim Muk or the "Death 27. Ankle
Touch". The art is still in existence today but is being taught only to
the most trustworthy student that have proven themselves to their in-
structor. The art is not meant solely for disabling or killing a person, it
is also involved in Chineses healing practices which covers acupunture
and body massaging which is being practice the world over.
In Chinese Gung Fu systems there are 108 points used for disabling
an opponent and 36 points use to kill an opponent. In acupunture
there are 365 points used for healing and in older families system they
have discover up to 1,000 points. The regulation of energy or chi is a
direct relation of the breathing exercise which a good instructor will
teach their students while others will just tell you not to worry about
breathing. The understanding of the whole body is necessary to locate
each vital point. The study of bone structure, vital organ, joints, mus-
cles, and the nervous system is part of this section on Chinese medicine.
You must learn how to relieve pain whenever it is necessary to help an-
other individual and you must know how to do it quickly without in-
juring your patient.
Following is a chart on the various pressure point of the body and
some application. Remember these various points because they will
come in handy whenever you are in a fight but use them only if you
need too. Remember there are other people out there that know more
than you do, so don't go looking for trouble.
BACK VIEW 1. Top of Head
2. Neck Region (top s1 spine)
3. Shoulder Blade
4. Spine
5. K idney
6. Base of Spine (tail bone)
7. Back of Knee
B. Calf Mus<:lo
[). Ar:hillos Tor111111,
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r08
109
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