From Form to Combat Application

The Four Directions of Attack

When you can perform the eight basic Shaolin patterns described in the previous chapter proficiently, the next step is to learn and practise their combat application. If you examine the eight patterns, you may notice three significant points. For those with some experience in martial arts, it is not difficult to see the first two: all the eight patterns involve hand tech- niques, and they are arranged in attack-defence combinations. This may also give you a clue to the third point: why those four pairs of attack- defence patterns were chosen.
The four pairs represent four directions of attack and their defence. Of course, attacks can come from any direction, but they may be generalized into four main positions: top, middle, bottom and sideways. If you can defend yourself efficiently against the four basic hand attacks from these four directions, you can defend yourself from any other hand attacks of similar kinds from any direction.
Let us take the first pair of attack-defence patterns as an illustration. The Black Tiger Punch is an attack to the middle using a Level Fist; its defence is a leaning block using aTiger Claw. If you can effectively defend yourself against this attack, you can defend yourself against any similar attacks, irrespective of whether the attacker uses a Level Fist, or another hand form like a Phoenix-Eye Fist, a Willow-Leaf Palm or a Leopard Punch. Similarly, if you can effectivcly defend yourself against the top attack, the bottom attack, and the side attack – represented in the basic attack patterns as a Snake Hand to the throat, a low-level punch to the abdomen and a Horn Punch to the temple – you can also defend your- self from all other similar attacks to your top, bottom and sides, even ifthe opponent changes his stance and hand form.
Conversely, if you are proficient in the four basic hand attacks, you can increase your modes of attack by varying your hand forms and stances. Thus, by learning and practising these eight basic patterns, you will be able to defend yourself against many types of hand attacks from any direction.
The four basic defence patterns also illustrate an important Knng Fu principle: to use different modes of defence according to the modes of attack, so that you can get the best advantage from the situation. You should not use the same method of blocking, for example, irrespective of how your attacker strikes you. Another Kung Fu principle advises: if the strike aims at your top, float it; ifit aims at your middle, lean against it; if it aims at your bottom, sweep it; and ifit comes from the sides, intercept it. These four defence techniques – floating, leaning, sweeping and inter- cepting – are represented in the four basic defence patterns you have learned, and will be further explained in their respective patterns latter.

An Imaginary Opponent in Skill Training
In Kung Fu, knowing how to attack and defend is not enough; you have to practise and practise until your attack and defence become second nature to you. Remember that the aim ofKung Fu is not just gathering knowledge (although knowledge is important), but developing force and skill.
Initially, however, you need not – indeed should not – practise the attack-defence patterns with a partner; you should practise on your own, visualizing an imaginary opponent. There is a lot of difference between solo practising of the attack-defence patterns as you did in the previous chapter, and using the same patterns in combat applications, even with training partners. If you find this hard to believe, try it out yourself by asking someone to attack you using some pre-determined patterns. Even when you know what types of attack are coming, and how you should defend against them, you will be hesitant in your movements, mistaken in your judgement, staccato in your reaction or clumsy in your balance. And you will have a better idea why many Kung Fu students who have learned Kung Fu form for a long time but have never practised sparring method- ically fight like children, even in a competition ring.
What many people are unaware of is that fighting revolves not only techniques, but more significantly skills like anticipation, timing, spacing and fluidity of movement, which have to be developed methodically. What you have done in the course on the Foundation of Shaolin Kung Fu (see Chapter 6) is to learn the techniques of basic attack and defence (with some skill to perform them well), but not yet the skills for simulat- ed or actual combat. So you should go over these attack-terence patterns again, but this time with an imaginary opponent in mind.
'But why can't I have a training partner to act as my opponent?' you may ask. 'Isn't a training partner more realistic than an imaginary opponent?'The reason is that your immediate task is not realistic sparring, but developing combative skills. It is much easier and more convenient to train on your own with an imaginary opponent, because in this way you can control and regulate such crucial factors as the attacking pattern the 'opponent' uses, the spacing between you, and how fast the attack is. It is the repeated practice in responding to these factors, which you can better manipulate with an imaginary opponent, that develops in you skills like anticipation, spacing and timing. At the appropriate time in your progress, you can visualize your imaginary opponent changing pace, posi tion or attack-defence patterns, thus enabling you to develop skills like making split-second decisions, appropriate responses and fluidity of movement as you adjust to the changes. In this way you will develop an invaluable skill: you will train your body to respond instantaneously to your thoughts. A training partner cannot supply this kind of training; even if someone is willing to carry out all your requests, it is too cmnbersome and impracticable to keep telling him or her what to do.
When you have acquired the combat skills, then you should get a partner to train with you.You will find that ifyou have prepared yourself well with an imaginary opponent, it is easy to handle training partners or real opponents (unless they are far above your level), because they are usually less adroit than your imaginary opponent. Even if you do not have a part- ner to practise with, your training with your imaginary opponent can develop you to a fairly high level so that when you meet a real opponent who attacks you in the way you have trained yourself, you will have an efficient defence.
Defence patterns which have been devised to overcome specific com- bat situations – in this case hand attacks to the top, middle, bottom and sides – are called specific techniques. So, you have now learned four spe- cific techniques for four specific combat situations. The next section will help you in your practice.

The Principles of Effective Combat
Start and end each attack and defence pattern with a poise pattern, such as Lohan Asks the Way or Single Tiger Emerges from Cave, which can also be used for attack or defence. In the poise pattern, the exponent places one hand in front as a guard. The attacker must push the defender's guarding hand away or down as he or she attacks, known respectively as 'open- lng the way' and 'taming the hand'. Opening the way is to open the opponent's defence; taming the hand is to press one hand over the oppo- nent's hand to minimize the opportunity for counter-attack.
Some movements show the poise patterns and the various attack-defence combinations. It is, of course, not easy to learn these movements from a book; beginners are strongly recommended to learn from Kung Fu instructors. Even if you learn a Kung Fu style different from the one taught here, having some practical experience will enable you to follow these movements better. The diagrams show only the left or the right mode of attack and defence; you should practise both.
In your practice with a training partner, pay attention to getting the form, balance and fluidity of movement right, rather than trying to defeat the other. If one is slow or hesitant, the other should slow down to adjust to his or her partner's speed or skill; the objective is to co-operate for your mutual benefit, not to outdo each other. Reverse roles as attacker and defender so that you can both appreciate how an opponent would feel and act. Make sure that even if the defender fails to respond correctly, the attacker does not hit him or her; the strike should stop a few inches fi'om target.
In the Poisonous Snake attack, the attacker aims at the defender's throat, Remember to open the way or tame the defender's hand before moving in to attack. Make sure that the spacing is correct; if the strike is successful it will connect, but in practice it should stop a few inches from the target. The defender moves one leg backwards and blocks the attack with Beauty Looks at Mirror, which is frequently called a Mirror Hand. Pay attention to your timing; do not move prematurely, as many novices do, irrespective of how long they may been have learning Kung Fu. Notice that the Mirror Hand floats the attacking arm, following the attacking momentum, enabling you to use less force to block a powerful attack. You may, if the situation is favourable, counter-strike your opponent after the block, but you must also be prepared for the fact that he or she may follow with a second attack. But in this practice, you need not worry about the follow up action yet; the main purpose here is to develop combat skills like timing, spacing, balance and fluidity of movement.
In the Blaek Tiger attack, the attacker aims at the defender's heart. But you must stop a few inches away from the target if your partner fails to respond correctly. The defender moves a small step backward to stand at the False-Leg Stance and responds with Single Tiger Emerges from Cave. (This defence pattern is the same Single Tiger pattern but using a different hand if the defender also uses Single Tiger Emerges from Cave as a poise pattern.) This kind of blocking technique is known as leaning; the defender gracefully 'leans' his or her arm on the attacker's arm, and does not brutally ward it off. You do not have to use much strength in your blocking, because as you have moved away from the attack by stepping slightly backwards, it could not reach you even if you do not block. immediately after leaning, lower your Tiger Claw to grip the attacker's elbow or wrist. At this instant the defender becomes the attacker, and vice versa. A master who specializes in the art of Tiger Claw can immobilize an aggressor by one grip on vital points of the arm. If you are a student, concentrate on the leaning and leave the complexity of the Tiger Claw grip for later development.
In the third combination the attacker, after having opened or tamed the defender's guarding hand, moves in with a low Precious Duck punch. The defender steps back and counters with False-Leg Hand Sweep. Notice that this is not nreant to ward off 'the attack; as he has moved away from the attack it would not reach him even if he did not sweep down his hand. The Hand Sweep is meant to strike the attacker's arm, prefer- ably at his wrist or elbow, at the time when the attacking arm is fully spent. It is amazing how effectively such an apparently simple pattern can implement an advanced and fairly difficult principle, namely that 'the golden time to strike is when the opponent's old strength is spent, and before any new strength is generated'. In one simple stroke, a master eau break or dislocate an attacker's arm before the latter realizes what has happened.
These three Defence patterns illustrate three levels of defence tech nique:
1 Defence followed by counter
2 Defence and counter combined
3 No defence, direct counter
At the elementary level, the exponent first defends against the attacking move, then follows up with a counter-attack. This is a safe technique, with the avoidance of injury as the top priority. At the intermediate level, the exponent executes the defence and counter-attack patterns as if they were one continuous pattern. This is also a safe technique because it ensures that the attack is under control, even if only momentarily, before counter-attacking – although the counter--attack is so fast and follows the defence so naturally that the opponent finds no break in between.
At the advanced level, it appears as though the exponent does not bother to defend against the attack and counter attacks directly, although the defence actually takes the form of a body movement or other method, it is also a safe technique, but it demands a lot of skill and knowledge, and is therefore generally not advisable for beginners. However, even though it incorporates an advanced technique, this Hand Sweep pattern is simple enough for even beginners to execute.
All defence techniques in Shaolin Kung Fu must be safe; it is a basic principle that an exponent must first be sure of his or her own safety before considering any counter-attack. Exchanging blows generously, which is not uncommon in some other martial arts, is unthinkable in Shaolin philosophy, because a Shaolin disciple always assumes that an opponent is competent and able to inflict damage with just one blow.
In the fourth combination, the attacker moves in to strike the defender's head with a Horn Punch. It is normally not a good attacking move, because the range is short (thus the attacker has to be close to the defender), and the attacker's body is exposed. But a competent exponent may use it as a bait, especially if one deliberately leaves one's body unguarded by the other hand, to tempt the opponent to counter-attack so that one can follow up the counter-attack. Some movements show two such surprise follow- ups, one using defence and counter together and the other no defence, but a direct counter.
So, to be safe, the defender blocks the attack with the Immortal pat- tern. The blocking action is an upward movement to float the attack, rather than a direct clash with the oncoming arm. You will have a better idea of this if you imagine yourself to be a giant leaving a small cave; you push your hand towards the cave roof to prevent your head knocking on it. In this pattern, you must also be careful of the attacker's other hand.
In your specific technique training, you need not worry about the advanced follow-up patterns; just focus on the simple patterns to develop combat skills. You should spend at least three months of daily practice on this course, which we will call 'Specific Techniques for Hand Attacks', including at least a month (preferably more) with your imaginary opponent. The course objectives include learning and practising specific techniques for countering four basic hand attacks, acquiring the combat skills of anticipation, timing, spacing, balance and fluid movement, and understanding important principles of combat like safety first, the four directions and the three levels of defence. You should devise your own personal objectives.

Specific Techniques Against Kicks

When you are quite competent in your defence against the four basic hand strikes, you should proceed to defence against other categories of attack, of which there are four:
~ strikes, especially with the hands but also include striking with the head, shoulders, elbows, thighs and back, and 'dotting' with the fingers
~ kicks, especially with the feet, but also with the knees and shins ~ Falls, ie various ways of felling opponents, including doing so without using the hands
~ Holds and grips, especially gripping vital points, but also including gripping muscles and tendons, and immobilizing joints
The variety of Shaolin Kung Fu patterns for attack and defence is bewildering. Although many people may not be aware of it, there are actually more kicks, felling techniques and holds and grips in Shaolin Kung Fu than in all the other world famous martial arts put together! All the kicks found in Taekwondo and Siamese Boxing, all the throws found in judo, and all the holds found in Aikido are also found in Shaolin Kung Fu, but there are kicks, felling techniques and holds not found in them, well known though they are for their different kinds of attack. As far as I know, the Horse's Back Kick and Dragonfly Kick, for example, are not found in any other martial arts; throws are only one of the 18 major techniques for felling opponents in Shaolin Kung Fu, whereas the others, such as Leg Sweep and Shoulder Push, are not found in judo. Some movements show some unique Shaolin Kung Fu techniques.
There is not enough space to give a detailed description of all these techniques here, but I have choosen four basic kicks and their counters to explain in one set, and two felling techniques and two holds and their counters in another.
As in the set of specific techniques explained earlier, you should first practise the attack and defence patterns individually. You should have kicked a total of at least 1,000 times for each kicking pattern before attempting its combat application. Then practise with your imaginary opponent and finally with a training partner. When training with a part- ner, take great care not to hurt each other accidentally. Focus on developing skills, not just on learning the form.
Movements show the kicking attacks and their defence, and their application. The names of the attack and defence patterns are as follows:
1 Kicking the Sky 2 Tame Tiger with Beads
3 Happy' Bird Hops up Branch 4 Lohan Strikes Drum
5 Yellow Oriole Drinks Water 6 Cut Bamboo with Branches
7 Naughty Monkey Kicks Tree 8 Swimming Dragon Plays with Water

High kicks like Kicking the Sky are discouraged in Shaolin Kung Fu because they expose the vulnerable sex organ to risky counter attacks. It is shown here for practice only, and you are strongly advised not to use such high kicks in combat unless you have a good reason to do, such as when an opponent holding a dagger jumps up high in the air to attack you. If a Shaolin master wants to kick your head, he usually does so while he is in the air, with his other leg covering his organ, and not while he is on the ground. One easy way to avoid a high kick executed from the ground is to lower and slant your body backward without having to move your legs, as in the pattern Tame Tiger with Beads.
Middle side kicks like Happy Bird Hops up Branch are frequently used in Shaolin Knng Fu. One hand must cover the sex organ when executing the kick, and the leg must be withdrawn immediately after kicking, or else it might be hit by the defender using the counter Lohan Strikes a Drum as in this attack-defence combination. Notice that the defender has moved his body backwards to the sideways Bow-Arrow Stance so that he will not be hit even if the attacker continues a few more fast kicks from his position, unless he has dropped his kicking leg and moved close to the defender.
Yellow Oriole Drinks Water, in the third attack-defence combination, represents one of the patterns in the famous Shaolin kicking technique called No-Shadow Kicks. The striking point of the kick is the instep, and the kick aims at the sex organ. It is, therefore, also called Organ-Seeking Kick. Out of consideration Shaolin disciples usually kick higher at the opponent's abdomen, so as not to injure the genitals; or if the kick is aimed at the genitals, it merely touches them, letting the opponent know that the attacker could have exploded them had he wanted to. The defence here is Cut Bamboo with Branches. The defender moves a small step backwards and slices the palm at the attacking leg, using the technique of no defence, direct counter.
The kicking technique employed in the pattern Naughty Monkey Kicks Tree is known as Whirlwind Kick, which appears to be similar to, but is actually different from, the round-house kick in karate and taek- wondo. The Whirlwind Kick is executed from the knee, although the turning of the waist to co-ordinate it is important, whereas the round- house kick is usually executed from the waist. The striking point is the shin, and it is usually aimed at the opponent's side ribs.
Whirlwind kicks are frequently used by Siamese Boxing fighters, whose kicks are so fast and powerful that blocking them directly with the arms often results in the arms being fractured. So, how should one block a powerful Whirlwind Kick? The answer is, do not block it. Intercept it at its weakest point, ie at the attacker's knee, or better still, 'thread' the kick away as in the pattern Swimming Dragon Plays with Water. This 'threading' technique is executed as follows: lower and slant your body away to let the whirlwind kick pass; as it passes you, move your palm diagonally forward in an arc as if you were pulling a needle with thread, so that with the back of your diagonally forward-moving arm you push the kicking leg away, following its kicking momentum. This pattern illustrates the principle of 'minimum force against maximum strength'.

Felling and Holding Techniques

Before attempting felling techniques, it is necessary to learn how to break a fall and how to roll away from one. Practise the techniques over a cushioned mat, thick carpet or grassy field.
Breaking a fall needs to be taught by a competent instructor; self- instruction often results in injury. The head must not hit the ground, and the palm or elbow must not be used to break a fall; doing so may cause a fractured wrist or arm.
In Shaolin Kung Fu, rolling away is regarded as better than breaking a fall, but the best choice of all, of course, is to counter the felling technique and avoid falling. Hence, although Shaolin students learn to break falls and roll away, just in case, they seldom use them because their counter
techniques are effective.
The names of the patterns for the felling and the holding attacks, as well as their defence techniques, are listed below, and their forms are illustrated in movements
~ Uprooting Tree
~ Naughty Monkey Kicks Tree
~ White Monkey Fells Tree
~ Precious Duck Swims Through Lotus
~ Catching with Single Tiger Claw
~ Rolling Thunder Cannon Punch
~ Hold a Horse Near a Cliff
~ Bend a Branch to Pluck Fruit
In Uprooting Tree the attacker places his or her right leg behind the defenders’ leg, lowers into the Horse riding Stance for solid balance and pushes forward with the right hand at the defender's shoulder, pushing to make the latter fall backwards. The defender lifts up one leg, places it a short step behind and kicks up the other leg in a Whirlwind Kick at the opponent's ribs. This pattern is Naughty Monkey Kicks Tree, which you learned eadien
In the second technique, the attacker places the right hip close to the defender's buttocks and puts the right arm round the defender's body on the other side, while the left hand holds the defender's left hand. With a twist of the hip and a turn of the hands, he or she throws the defender over the hip, as in movements. To counter this, the defender swiftly moves the left leg a big step backwards and sits firmly in the Horseriding Stance, simultaneously pushing away the attacker's right hand, and strikes out a low right punch in the pattern Precious Duck SwimsThrough Lotus. This is the same Precious Duck punch you learned earlier.
In the holding attack, the attacker uses a right Tiger Claw to hold the defender's right wrist. The defender makes a circular movement with the right forearm as follows: using the elbow as a pivot, he or she continuously turns the right fist slightly downwards, upwards, and finally downwards like a hanging punch. This circular movement releases the attacker's hold on the wrist, as in movements. Moving forward with one leg, the defender uses the left hand to tame or press down the opponent's front arm, and simultaneously hooks a Cannon Punch at the attacker's face.
Suppose an attacker locks your neck from behind with the bent right elbow in a pattern known as Hold a Horse Near a Cliff, as in movements First, if you can, lower your chin in between the actacker's arm and your neck, so that the arm does not suffocate you. Then reach for a finger of the attacker's right hand. If he or she clenches the fingers into a close fist, you will have to dig deep into the fist to get hold ora finger or the thumb. Kick your heel backwards onto the attacker's shin to distract him or her, and immediately bend the finger you have grasped and pull the arm out, thus releasing yourself from the neck lock. Still holding the finger, jerk back your elbow sharply to strike the attacker. This counter-pattern is called Bend a Branch to Pluck Fruit.
As before, first practise the individual patterns until you are familiar with them. Then train on your own, visualizing an imaginary opponent, and later with a partner. Spend about three months practising the techniques against kicks, and another three months on the techniques against felling and holds. Revise the earlier techniques as you practise new ones.
These specific techniques are an effective means of preparing for spar- ring. They show you what should be done if you are caught in one particular combat situation, but by themselves they are inadequate for fighting, because in a fight your opponent will attack you in a series of aggressive actions, not one action at a time. Even if you know the counters for all the aggressive actions taken individually, you may still be unable to handle them efficiently if they come in a continuous series. In other words, if an opponent gives you a punch, a whirlwind kick, a hip throw or a neck lock one at a time, with a distinct break in between, you can respond effectively. But if these same patterns are executed continuously and fast, you may be overwhelmed, not because you do not know the counters, but because you have not developed the skills to handle a sequence of attacks. We shall learn about these skills in the next chapter.