Written by Shawn Thomas Kunkler

The Ching Jong dummy is a must have for any serious and dedicated choy li fut practitioner. “The Ching Jong dummy will never get sore, bruised or tired, nor will it ever complain.”

Chan Heung was born in 1806. His kung-fu training started shortly thereafter under uncle Chan Yuen Woo’s watchful eye. Over the next 23 years he learned both northern and southern kung-fu styles. After thoroughly digesting the information, he created choy li fut in 1836. The name itself is a tribute to his teachers Choy Fook and Li Yau San. Fut is a Chinese term that means Buddha.

During his martial career Chan Heung needed a way to accelerate training while simultaneously conditioning his body. This is when the Ching Jong wooden dummy was needed. The oldest and most synonymous supplement known to choy li fut is the Ching Jong, more commonly known as the wooden dummy. Making it one of the system’s signature trademarks is a solid square body and movable upper arm.

Adopting the Name
In Cantonese, the name Ching Jong simply means, “balance scale”. These are small hand-held scales typically used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to weigh and measure herbs.

The large pivoting upper arm of the dummy travels all the way through the square body and protrudes out the backside. Weights, springs or bands attached to this portion of the arm allow the practitioner to push or pull down on the arm with resistance. This up-and-down motion abstractly mimics the movement of the balance scale, which is where the dummy gets its name “Ching Jong”.

Benefits of Use
With today’s busy lifestyle and relentless schedule, supplementing with the Ching Jong dummy has never been so important. It will be there anytime you are ready to train—late nights and early mornings are never an issue. The Ching Jong dummy will never get sore, bruised or tired, nor will it ever complain. It is a patient instructor and the lessons taught are only limited by the practitioner’s drive to learn them. Training dummies take up little space and can be placed almost anywhere. For additional convenience they can even be mounted on a movable base or platform. This is a must have for any serious and dedicated choy li fut practitioner.

The Theory of Attack
Choy li fut stylists do not initiate the first attack, but they do strike first. At first glance this statement may seem to be a little confusing but a closer inspection sheds light on the theory. When an assailant throws an attack, we either hit him first or block and strike simultaneously, voiding his initial attack. Choy li fut students first learn to be defensive. During the next tier of training, practitioners train both in the defensive and offensive aspects of the art.

This may sound counter-intuitive but choy li fut practitioners are offensive in defending themselves. At this level of mastery, blocks effortlessly become strikes and strikes become blocks. This is where the arms and legs of the choy li fut dummy come into play. We use them for blocking while simultaneously striking the bags with pinpoint accuracy and devastating power. Footwork becomes key as the practitioner constantly puts his body into the ideal position to deliver his strike with maximum power and minimal effort.

The Fit
Practicing with a dummy close to your own size is a convenience not to be overlooked. It’s like sparring or fighting a person who is the same height and has the same reach as you. A good martial artist should be able to adapt to any situation or adversary. Ching Jong dummy training is no different. However, having a dummy built to the correct specifications will make understanding complex choy li fut techniques and movements of application much more accessible.

Keep in mind that your training does not stop there, nor does this replace human partners, forms or equipment. The Ching Jong dummy is only a supplement to your current training. This concept is similar to taking vitamins; they do not replace food or meals, but only serve to complement what you are already consuming.

Building a Dummy
Start with an eight-inch square piece of hardwood about your height. Hardwoods will wear slower and over a lifetime of use will be less apt to break or fracture. Choy li fut exclusively uses a square body Ching Jong dummy whereas round-bodied dummies are typically used in different martial art styles and systems. Securing two pieces of wood together that measure 4” x 8” will be the easier route; 8” x 8” stock is typically difficult to find.

The movable upper arm has a pivot point that will align with your shoulder. This arm protrudes upward toward the practitioner’s nose level. Traditionally, this arm returned to its rest position with the use of weights. More recently, practitioners switched them out for heavy-duty springs or bands for a more positive feel and a much faster snap-back. This upgrade proves most beneficial when practicing at full speed.

The double arms will line up with your naval area. The lower bag is located at groin height; below this bag is the lower leg. All four appendages extend to the same plane as shown in the accompanying photos. This plane will dictate the angles for both the upper arm and lower leg. The two middle arms and the top spindle all run parallel to the floor.
Note: The end of the arms and legs that run into or through the body are square, whereas the forward protruding section that interacts with the practitioner is rounded over much like a human arm or leg would be.

The striking bags measure approximately 7” x 7”. They are typically filled with dry mung beans, plastic pellets or sand. Avoid using metal shavings or lead pellets, because over time small quantities can leech out of the bag and into your skin, creating a potentially toxic situation. The bag’s outer skin is most commonly made of canvas, leather or any other durable material. Avoid mounting the bags with external hardware like screws or bolts as they can be in the way while practicing.

Refer to the sizing photo for further clarifications as to how the Ching Jong measurements and angles are to be calculated. You can see that they are in alignment with the face, shoulder, groin and overall height of the practitioner. The reach of the upper arm, the two mid-arms and the leg all extend out to the same plain.

Layers
Striking the dummy has a multitude of benefits, including body conditioning and overall mental toughness. For over a century, choy li fut students have needed to deliver a powerful strike without injuring themselves in the process. Daily training on the Ching Jong will do just that. Start with light but constant impact, maybe 10 minutes per day. In about three months the practitioner can increase striking impact and session duration to 20 minutes per day. In time, the practitioner’s fingers, hands, wrists, forearms, knees, shins, ankles and feet will get tougher and tougher while their bones, muscles and skin will grow more dense and stronger. Take your time; this is a methodical process that should not be rushed. Bruises, broken bones and damaged skin will slow down the conditioning process, because the body needs to fully heal before training can resume.

30,000 and Counting
Before you build or buy a Ching Jong, consider this: it is one of choy li fut’s treasured secrets. Chan Heung only taught this form to his sons and immediate students. To this day, this form is typically reserved for high-ranking and extremely dedicated students. The Plum Blossom Federation has more than 200 schools in 33 countries with over 30,000 students worldwide. With that said only a handful of practitioners per school know this very, very special form. The lesson here is quite simple—patience and perseverance will be your everlasting martial goal.

Secrets Relived
One must learn to walk before he can run; dummy training should be viewed the same way. A student must learn stances, footwork, punches, blocks and kicks, along with distance, timing and rhythm before progressing to the wooden dummy. These skills are not necessarily developed on the dummy. Speed and power will be honed during the latter part of dummy training. If one skips straight to dummy training before these basic skills are secured, no significant advantage will be gained. To paraphrase a wise master, “Take your time. Learning is like a piece of fruit ripening on the vine. Be patient. There is nothing you can do that will speed up the natural process.”

The Ching Jong dummy shown in accompanying photos was custom built by the Eastern Ways Martial Arts School of California and was presented to grandmaster Doc-Fai Wong in 2006. The second is an antique Ching Jong dummy with years and years of use still left in it. Both are staples in the Doc-Fai Wong Center and are used daily.

Bio
Shawn Thomas Kunkler is a full-time instructor and program director of the Doc-Fai Wong Martial Arts Center, which is the International Plum Blossom Federation Headquarter School, located in Northern California. For more information visit: Plumblossom.net

See the original article here: Inside Kung Fu

Click here to learn more about Choy Li Fut Wooden Dummy training in San Diego and Temecula: White Dragon Martial Arts

by Quinn Early

ADDING KUNG-FU TO HIS WORKOUT REPERTOIRE HELPED NFL VETERAN QUINN EARLY PERFORM BETTER AND STAY HEALTHIER.

In 1988, the San Diego Chargers drafted me into the National Football League. Professional football is an extremely competitive environment. Thus, it was important for me to be in the best physical condition possible. It’s easy to stay in shape during the season. But between January and July, the typical off season for a football player, I realized that I had quite a bit of free time on my hands.

I’ve always been a martial arts fanatic. I loved every aspect of it, from fighting to weapons to the history. So I decided kung-fu might be the perfect answer. I thought that because I was a professional athlete, I would be “the man” in just a few months. Boy, I was very wrong. I soon realized how stiff and uncoordinated I could be. I was quickly humbled. I learned that being fit was more than just a matter of physical strength; it was about combining strength, flexibility, stamina, speed/quickness and efficiency of motion. I felt like an elephant on ice skates. Even two decades into my training, I know there is much more to learn and experience.

The true meaning of kung-fu is hard work over time. Because it is heard work, martial artists will always face challenges. For example, some people have a difficult time retaining information related to forms/techniques; some have a hard time learning proper relaxation that will generate maximum power and still others lack the knowledge to stay in shape. Kung-fu helps take those weaknesses and turn them into strengths. Conditioning the body at the outset of training gives you the head start you need to complete your journey.

Solid Foundation

My Sport forced me to maintain a strict workout regimen, so I already had a good base when I started kung-fu. The challenges was getting in kung-fu shape. Because I was a football player, I was strong with cardio and in the weight room. However, I lacked flexibility and my legs were nowhere close to kung-fu shape. I soon realized that there was a big difference between squatting 400 pounds and holding a horse stance until the flame went out. As my training progressed, my teacher gave me ways to work on strengthening my body. The more advanced I became the more  I wanted to find ways of pushing my body to higher levels of fitness.

There are three components to training:

1.Workouts

2. Nutrition

3. Rest

This article focuses on the workout component of training and provides tips on how to reach your martial arts fitness goals.

Five Rounds of Fitness

“Five Rounds of Fitness” is an athletic enhancement tool that conditions the body by mimicking the energy systems and specific motor patterns exhibited in martial arts. The body must endure large muscle multi-join movement patterns over and over and that can create substantial amounts of lactic acid and muscle fatigue. These workouts are also specific to martial arts in that they enhance the explosiveness, balance, coordination, and athleticism of each individual. The strength exercises are geared toward building the anterior posterior muscles, while simultaneously activating the core muscles. This helps the practitioner become more athletic and fit, while avoiding injury.

Always perform a comprehensive warm-up and flexibility routine before starting any exercise program. It allows the participant to elevate core temperature, increases the range of motion of the joints and helps all major muscle groups to “fire” or wake up to prepare for athletic activity.

Each exercise should be done in a circuit manner, one after another; limit the rest in between exercises. Once each exercise has been completed consecutively, rest for one-to-two minutes before continuing. The circuit can be completed up to five times, but remember to train intelligently and only complete what is appropriate for you. It is always safe to start out with fewer sets and gradually increase the workload.

Exercise One: 180-Degree Tuck Jump to 20-Yard Sprint

Develops: Explosiveness

Start from an athletic stance with knees slightly bent. Your weight is one the balls of the feet and your shoulders are over your toes. Descend into a quarter-squat position and jump as high as possible, bringing the legs directly underneath the body while simultaneously turning 180 degrees in the air. Land as softly and quietly as possible in the same position as you began. Immediately change directions and sprint 20 yards. This exercise enhances quickness and explosiveness, which is perfect for combatives training/competition. Being quick and explosive will improve your martial arts and could save your life in a self-defense situation.

Exercise Two: Multi-Directional Push-Up

Strengthens: The Front Side

Begin in a standard push-up position with the body in a straight line from head to heel. Perform a push-up and then proceed to maneuver the body by walking the hands to a new position where another push-up is executed. Continue performing push-ups in new positions for one minute.

This is an excellent multi-planar exercise that strengthens the anterior muscles in the upper body. It also develops the core and scapular muscle groups. The shoulder is the most dynamic joint in the body and is very susceptible to injury when it comes to martial arts training. Because of the movements demanded in martial arts training, it’s imperative that time is spend strengthening this area of the body. The multi-directional push strengthens the stabilizing muscles surrounding the joint and helps prevent injury.

Exercise Three: Scapula Y’s and T’s

Strengthens: The Back Side

Lie face down with your forehead and feet in contact with the ground. Raise the arms from the muscles of the thoracic (upper middle) area of the back, leading to a straight arm movement overhead and creating a “Y.” Pause at the top of the movement and repeat. Then, raise your arms straight out to the sides to create a “T.” Perform 10 repetitions at each letter. The scapula forms the posterior part of the shoulder girdle and is an integral part of posterior muscle function. The many muscles that connect to the scapula help shoulder girdle and is an integral part of posterior muscle function. The many muscles that connect to the scapula help support the shoulder. Again, the violent movements inherent in martial arts leave the shoulder vulnerable to injury. Strengthening the scapula provides a base for which the shoulder can function.

Exercise Four: Three-Way Lunge

Strengthens: The Lower Body

Stride forward with one leg, creating a 90-degree angle at the knee (do not let the knee exceed the toes). Maintain good posture while landing on the mid-foot to heel of the striding leg. Make sure that the knee is stacked over the ankle. Then, stride laterally and create the same safe knee and foot position, while keeping the opposite leg as straight as possible. Stress the muscles of the working leg and feel a stretch in the adductor (inner thigh) of the extended leg. Finally, maintain the same form while striding backward with the same leg. Repeat 5 times on each leg. A martial artist must function with strength and balance through several planes of movement. The three-way lunge requires strength, balance, and stability, which are all essential during movements such as transitioning between stances or kicks.

Exercise Five: Plank To Push-Up

Strengthens: The Core

Assume a prone position  on the floor and place your body weight on your forearms and toes. Maintain a straight line from the head to the heel for an ideal plank position. Without breaking posture, transition arms from a plank to a push-up position. Execute the transition between positions for one minute. This exercise strengthens the core muscles through stabilization. Most martial arts movements are performed from a standing position and utilize stabilizing forces in the core that allow punches or kicks to be delivered with substantial power.

HERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL WAYS TO STRENGTHEN THE BODY.

Stance Training

Stance training strengthens your lower body , creates balance and improves flexibility. Hold various stances, like the horse stance, for one minute each.

Standing Triple Kick

Stand on one leg and slowly extend your leg as if doing a snap kick. Hold for a five count then return to crane. Point crance to the side and extend your leg for a sidekick. Hold for a five-count. Return to crane and then extend the leg behind for a rear kick. Hold for a five-count. The three kicks together count as one repetition. Switch legs and repeat. First, try five repetitions on each leg. Once that becomes easy, perform 10 reps. When you become advanced, try this exercise with ankle weights while standing on a five-pound coffee can.

Wall Squat Or (Skier Squat)

Place your back against the wall and spread your legs about a shoulder-width apart. Your feet will be about two feet from the wall. Your upper leg should be parallel to the ground. Hold for one minute. Perform three repetitions. Once this is easy, try three reps of two minutes.

NFL Longevity

I attribute my 12-year NFL career to my martial arts training, which helped me develop my body through the principles illuminated in this article. For example, I earlier talked about the lack of flexibility I exhibited when I began my martial arts training. But thanks to the added flexibility I achieved in kung-fu, I made catches that I would not have been able to make before my martial arts training. Kung-fu also has taught me that relaxed energy is alot more effective than tense energy. This made me much more effective in every aspect of the game. By being more relaxed during the course of a game, I had more energy in the fourth quarter. And most importantly, since I maintained a high physical and mental level throughout the game, I was able to avoid injury. I was known for being a durable player. It’s easy to continue to work on your strengths, but the real challenge is taking your weaknesses and turning them into strengths.

These five exercises, as well as the stance training techniques, have been handpicked because of the functional nature and synergistic relationship they have with martial arts. The ultimate martial artist can be created by choosing exercises that mimic the requirements of their sport or athletic endeavor. One must perform exercises that enhance strength, power, endurance and stabilization in several planes of movement. Linear single-plane movements do very little for the accomplished martial artist. Train to move effeiciently and forcefully. Supplementing your martial arts with these exercises will produce positive results in a relatively short period of time.

These exercises are just a few examples of ways to strengthen your body to get in martial arts shape. Keep in mind that the way to master your art is to practice that art with the intent and consistency and to begin to live your life as a martial artist. The exercises and routines I am sharing with you are meant to supplement your training; the metaphor that I use is, “Your martial arts training is like your meal and your other conditioning is like a multi-vitamin.” So, eat your meals; but also take your vitamins. Remember, train smart, live better.

Read the original article in Inside Kung Fu Magazine: insidekung-fu.com

by Jane Hallander

Black Belt Magazine December 1996

Royce Gracie doesn’t wear a cape or have a red “S” on his chest. He can’t fly, bullets won’t bounce off him, and he never has, or ever will, leap over a tall building - especially in a single bound.

But after the talented Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter won titles at three of the first four Ultimate Fighting Championship events, you’d have thought Gracie was Superman, the way people were talking about him. Of course, these days, he’s simply a mild-mannered Jiu Jitsu instructor working at a great metropolitan martial arts school.

But, all analogies to Superman aside, Gracie’s tournament successes have forced martial artists from striking systems to take a serious look at their arts and address the distinct possibility that their styles may be lacking when it comes to fighting on the ground. Many instructors who never before saw a need to teach the topic are now imparting grappling techniques to their students so they will be better prepared if they are taken to the ground.

But just exactly how do you defend against a guy who latches on to you like a boa constrictor and tries to squeeze the life out of you while you lay in a tangled heap on the ground?

Kung Fu stylist Martin Ferreira believes he has the answer.

Ferreira, who wrestled in college, teaches Choy Li Fut Kung Fu and Yang Tai Chi Chuan at his White Dragon martial arts schools in Encinitas and El Cajon, California. Although Choy Li Fut is noted as a long-range fighting system, according to Ferreira, it actually contains many close-quarters techniques which would prove useful against grapplers. And Ferreira claims Tai Chi, while lauded for its health benefits, is an effective fighting art at close range and includes a number of joint locks and pressure-point strikes.

The Kung Fu strategy involves separating a grappling attack into three stages: as the opponent closes the fighting distance, as he is attempting a hold, and while fighting on the ground. “It is necessary to know how to defend against grapplers from the time they approach you to the time they have taken you down,” Ferreira asserts. “Our strategy is to make a grappler come to us. I try to keep my body as compact as possible, because a grappler needs something to work with. Jiu Jitsu stylists need you to extend your limbs to take you down. A true grappler comes up underneath your center of gravity, so when you extend your arms or legs, you are open to his attack.”
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Inside Kung Fu Magazine July 1996

There are as many different ways to train in martial arts as there are martial arts instructors. Some schools advocate forms training to develop form and power by fighting the air. Others stress the value of sparring freestyle. Some prefer self-defense techniques.

There is another option available - multiple person fighting forms. These are patterned forms, usually performed by two people, each one well-versed in his side of the form. One person usually attacks, while the other defends, turning the tables to make the match an even fight. Although the fight is a well-thought out pattern, two-person forms look like the real thing - a hard-fought, fast fight, done either with empty hands or weapons.

Superior Fighting

In Chinese martial arts, two-person forms or sets had their origins in ancient China, when martial arts schools needed to enhance their reputations and raise extra funds. At such times, schools put on demonstrations to illustrate the capabilities of their students. Along with the usual individual hand and weapons forms, kung fu schools presented fast moving, exciting multiple person fighting forms designed to heighten the audience’s interest.

Today, multiple person forms still exist in some kung fu schools, such as Nathan Fisher’s White Dragon Martial Arts in San Diego, Calif. Fisher, who teaches Choy Li Fut Kung Fu, is a product of traditional Chinese martial arts, through his own teacher, Doc Fai Wong, back to Choy Li Fut’s founder’s family.

“It’s probably more correct to refer to multiple person sets as two-person sets or forms, since, even though there may be three or four people in a form, seldom are more than two people fighting at one time,” explains Fisher.

“The sets are done at full speed and usually with full contact. Each person has to know his side well or he may get injured, especially in the weapons forms,” he adds.
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By Adrian Corrales

Inside Kung Fu Magazine November 2002

The guiding principle in nature is efficiency. An animal in the wild must use every resource available to survive. Choy Li Fut Kung Fu takes a similar approach to combat. While many styles choose to focus only on the fists and feet, Choy Li Fut practitioners use every weapon at their disposal. One weapon often neglected by other arts is the forearm.

Choy Li Fut’s vast arsenal of forearm strikes gives fighters an extra edge that can mean the difference between life and death on the street

“A lot of people usually associate their forearms with defensive movements,” says Sifu Don Tittle. He claims that the forearms are often ignored as offensive weapons because they take time to learn to use properly. “A fist is more natural, it’s primal…any kid knows how to do that. With the forearm, there’s skill involved.”

Tittle, Chief Instructor of the White Dragon Martial Arts school in La Mesa, Calif., is a veteran of numerous tournaments, but his emphasis in training is always to develop practical self-defense skills. Tittle has trained for more than a decade with Master Nathan Fisher, one of the highest ranking students of Grandmaster Doc-Fai Wong and an expert in Choy Li Fut Kung Fu and Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan.

Versatile Style

Choy Li Fut’s founder, Chan Heung, based the system upon Northern and Southern Kung Fu techniques. This diverse background produced one of the most versatile fighting styles in the world. Choy Li Fut is famous for its powerful roundhouse punches and uppercuts. The system also includes a number of crushing backfist strikes. In many styles these blows are delivered as quick jabs.

Choy Li Fut Kung Fu practitioners, however, perform each strike with the full use of the waist to produce bone-shattering power. People often characterize Choy Li Fut as a long fist style based on the prominence of these powerful hand strikes. According to Tittle, the forearms offer a way of shortening these moves for close range combat.

Choy Li Fut students practice every strike with as much extension as possible. This teaches them the proper body mechanics for each technique. Students often learn the long range applications of strikes first to encourage them to use the entire body behind every movement. Once the student has achieved proficiency with this type of practice, they can shorten the strikes without losing much power.
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On the Cutting Edge

Training with Traditional Kung Fu Weapons

May Help You Survive a Real Life Street Encounter

By Adrian Corrales

Inside Kung Fu Magazine October 2006

Certain things catch your eye when you enter a martial arts school. Along one wall you might see a belt display or a school motto. Out on the mat a few students may be training too hard to notice that anyone is watching. Hanging in a corner is a heavy bag, worn from years of abuse. And, if you’re lucky, you will also find a collection of weapons that a school has as teaching tools. Many martial artists ignore weapons training, because they don’t think it’s important or because they don’t know the right way [to] go about it. With the right approach, however, traditional weaponry can become a powerful tool for self-defense.

Sifu Dennis Smith has been teaching Choy Li Fut Kung Fu and Yang Style Tai Chi in Oceanside, California (San Diego County) with White Dragon Schools for more than a decade. His school offers a balanced method designed to make students as well-rounded as possible. Traditional forms are taught along with different training methods that can turn ancient weapon techniques into life-saving combat skills.

Kung fu styles have always stood apart from other arts because of their exotic weaponry. Some people are drawn to training with ancient swords and spears, because it puts them in touch with a foreign culture and a different era in history. Unfortunately, many kung fu pratictioners get so involved in the historical and performance aspects of their art that they ignore the fighting spirit that lies at its core. Traditional forms training should teach a student the essential concepts necessary to wield a variety of weapons effectively in a life threatening situation.

Techniques were passed down in prearranged forms as a means of creating a library of techniques from which students could draw. If they perfected a form, they would have learned all the basic techniques that masters of a certain style deemed useful. Forms serve the same function today. They provide a quick way of cataloging a wide range of offensive and defensive moves. Smith often breaks the forms into shorter techniques when teaching them to students. Drilling short sequences gives students a chance to focus on specific steps so that they learn exactly how each move can be applied.

A student should never demonstrate a form without understanding the purpose behind each step. Understanding each step thoroughly will greatly improve its aesthetic performance of the form. Someone who truly understands they combat applications of a set will know which moves require more definition and power, and which moves can be done more quickly and continuously.

TEST YOUR WEAPON

After mastering movements in the air, Smith next encourages students to test their weapon techniques with contact. People do not realize how different a strike feels against an object until they actually try it. It takes practice to teach your body which muscles to tense and how to time movements for maximum power. If you have never laid into something full force, you might even find that you have difficulty holding onto your weapon. That is not the kind of thing you want to learn when your life is on the line. Canes, staffs and other impact weapons can be used against a heavy bag. Wooden swords can also be used to let students test the effectiveness of their blade techniques.

Masters of the past wanted the most realistic weapons training they would get, so they devised two person forms to allow them to try their techniques with a partner. The forms taught students what kinds of moves one could use when pitting one particular weapon against another. The inherent danger in training freestyle with real weapons kept them from being able to spar their moves full force. Students often discovered whether they could make a technique work against an unwilling opponent in a life-threatening situation. Failure meant serious injury or death. While useful, two man sets alone still left a lot to be desired.

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Soft on the Streets

Inside Kung Fu Magazine February 2004

by Adrian Corrales

Tai Chi Push Hands for Self Defense

It seems that everyone has a different idea about what will work in a fight. Ask a thousand martial artists what kind of training is best for self-defense and you are likely to get a thousand different answers. Some say that punching and kicking is the way to go. Others claim that training on the ground is more practical. By dealing with what happens between kickboxing and grappling, tai chi push hands training can help prepare you for whatever comes your way.

No-holds-barred tournaments have shown time and again that it is very difficult to stop an opponent who is determined to take you down. Once things end up on the ground, much of a striker’s power is neutralized. The argument against grappling for self-defense is that it is effective only because no-hold-barred fights occur in a controlled environment. Dropping to the ground is harder to do on the streets when fights aren’t always limited to two people and you don’t know what kind of weapon your opponent might have hidden in his back pocket.

Charging Opponent

Tai chi offers an excellent supplement to any fighter’s routine. A skilled push hands player is an expert at staying on his feet. At the same time, he is capable of controlling an opponent with the expertise of a grappling master.

Sifu Ming Lau, chief instructor of the White Dragon Martial Arts School in Mira Mesa, Calif., is a student of sifu Don Tittle in grandmaster Doc-Fai Wong’s Plum Blossom Federation. A veteran of numerous push hands competitions, Lau maintains that push hands is an effective tool for self-defense.

“Push hands is a great self-defense exercise because it forces you to adapt to oncoming force that is constantly changing,” says Lau. He adds this adaptability is a valuable skill for anyone that wants to learn to fight.

Push hands teaches practitioners to either neutralize or redirect the force. Neutralizing works by applying pressure to an opponent to negate his incoming force. For example, let’s say a force is being applied to your left shoulder. By taking your right hand and placing it on the opponent’s left shoulder, you can easily turn your body and direct his energy back toward him. The force has been neutralized because he cannot push any further without disrupting his own balance. Redirection involves changing the course of an opponent’s attack. Small amounts of pressure are applied to the attacker’s arm or torso so that his force misses your center of balance. Advanced tai chi practitioners can accomplish the same thing merely by turning the body in response to an attacker’s force. This leaves the arms free to counter.

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