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Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu
Jeet Kune DoJeet Kune Do is a recent technique of Wushu that was developed by famous martial ..... Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu is a rare style of self-defense. It uses a combination of foot techniques, hand techniques and chin na (taking by force and dominating the enemy). This fighting style is not commonly known or practiced in the Western world but it enjoys wide popularity and practice in Southeast Asia. As a matter of fact, many regard the Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu as one of the ancestors of a number of classical karate systems in Okinawa, Japan. This particular fighting style uses the hands, feet, knees, elbows, shoulders and hips for dealing blows and striking techniques. More importantly, Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu is well known for its fast hand techniques. This fighting style executes strikes in combination with grabs. The result are devastatingly effective pressure point attacks on the opponent.
A woman named Fang Chi-Niang is credited as the founder of Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu. She was a small woman who lived in a time of violence and strife. Most men towered over her, both in physical size and strength. During Fang Chi-Niang's days, body conditioning was a vital area of Kung Fu training. Hours upon hours of training were spent into making the arms, legs, torso and skull strong. However, Fang Chi-Niang thought that there were some areas of the body that could not be made hard or resistant to injuries and blows. She thought that even the most resolute attacker would be rendered incapacitated if potent blows were delivered to his temples, eyes, throat, solar plexus, floating ribs, kidneys, groin and knees. With this in mind, Fang Chi-Niang developed hand blows and strikes that were particularly aimed at attacking pressure point targets. These specialized hand strikes became a hallmark of Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu.
Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu is a combination of hard and soft defensive and offensive fighting styles. Quick footwork is also a characteristic of this fighting style. In addition, Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu places emphasis on weaponless fighting techniques as well as weapons training. It also includes training in two-person sets, drills in self-defense and free sparring. What makes the Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu a very effective and elegant style of martial art is its combination of quick footwork and powerful striking techniques on pressure points.
Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu Fighting Strategy
The basic fist technique in Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu is the Fung Ying Chuan, which means "Phoenix eye fist." The technique is named after the index finger due to its likeness with the eye of the mythical Phoenix when folded. As a pressure point attack, the Phoenix eye fist technique is very potent. It involves focusing all of one's power in a tiny area, which is the index finger's second joint. When power is highly concentrated on a small area, it has the tendency to pierce acutely and intensely. To benefit from the power of the Phoenix eye fist, one must practice exercises that specifically aims to strengthen the hands and fingers. All in all, the Phoenix eye fist technique is relatively easy to learn.
Biao so, which means "Spear Hand," is the second most common Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu fist technique. This particular technique involves keeping the fingers and thumb straight and pressed tightly against one another. The Spear Hand technique is solely used to strike the weakest points in the opponent's body. Weakest points include the eyes, throat and groin.
Edge of hand strikes, crane, eagle, tiger and dragon claws are some of the other fist techniques and hand formations used in Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu. Other hand formations and techniques either imitate the wings of a crane or are similar to the hand techniques of traditional Southern Kung Fu systems.
Quick footwork is a trademark of a good White Crane fighter. He or she can dodge the attacks of an attacker with quick footwork and be able to issue blows. The White Crane's quick sidestep-and-strike method of self-defense is highly effective especially when dealing with a very determined and furious opponent. Shaolin White Crane Kung Fu is not a fighting style for the tentative. This style is not for controlled sparring wherein two fighters are aware of what will happen and what moves will be taken.
It is important to mention that authentic Chinese martial arts developed and matured into powerful fighting systems of self-defense. However, many systems of martial arts have evolved throughout the years in response to a changing society. The basic nature of these martial art systems has changed as well as the training methods involved. Today, it can be easy to identify which martial art systems have remained true to their original roots of all-or-nothing self-defense and which martial art systems have turned into martial sports. Despite the vast differences in approach, each martial art system has something valuable to give to give to the public.
Forms, two-person drills, weapons training, body conditioning, internal exercises and free sparring are the main focus of most of the classical Chinese martial arts. It is wrong to say that classical martial arts put too much emphasis on forms training. Modern Wu Shu and other performance martial arts are the ones that overemphasize forms. Classical martial art systems, on the other hand, place great emphasis on "Yong Fa" or applications. Students and practitioners of classical martial arts study a wide range of subjects that relate to fighting. They study in order for them to have a holistic approach to martial arts. This committed and exhaustive study of fighting arts is termed as "Kung Fu."
Training Methodology of White Crane
The White Crane system of fighting is unique in that a number of the forms of empty-hand and weapons fighting techniques are short and designed as parts of fighting sets that are performed with a sparring partner. This means that a block, counter-strike or joint lock in the second half of a particular form is the right response to the move in the first half of the form. A student can familiarize himself with the movements by practicing alone and then test his comprehension of the forms by sparring with a partner in a controlled-contact environment. This method of training sees to it that students and practitioners are able to master individual movements in an organized manner as well as learn the fighting theory and real world application of each of the forms.
For most of the weapons forms, the same two-person set fighting strategy is used. Some of the popular weapons forms of White Crane are its famous Seven Star Staff (Chi Sing Guen), spear (Chiang), three-sectional staff (San Jue Guen), halberd or General Kwan's Broadsword (Kwan Dao), cane (Gwaijian), Horse Cutter Broadsword (Jam Ma Dao) and the tiger fork (Fu Cha). Classical White Crane Kung Fu also includes several double weapons such as the double iron rods (Swan jien) that are like the Japanese sai, the double broadswords (Bai Her Dao) and the southern short swords (Nan Dao). The Single Broadsword (Dao), Straight sword (Dsien) and Fan (San Tse) are single weapons. The Flying Crane style has more than 80 empty-hand forms, some of which are short and others long. A number of weapons forms are also present in this style.
In addition to the forms and two-person fight sets, students and practitioners of White Crane Kung Fu practice striking a variety of training equipment in order to condition their bodies. They also perform sensitivity or listening hand drills to hone their ability to feel their attacker's plans and respond accordingly. Listening hand drills involve the pairing up of students and having them put out their arms towards each other so that they are almost touching. From this stance, students practice attacks and counter-attacks. The listening hand drills also allow students to safely and realistically practice and apply the various White Crane fighting techniques. Students are introduced early on in their training to free sparring, depending on their individual needs, wants and skill level. Lastly, students learn advanced breathing exercises on a one-to-one basis.
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