Monday, May 17, 2010

9 White Crane Strikes

Chuan -- "to penetrate, to break through, to weave, to bypass"   This is a straight punch starting at the hips or with the hand behind the body.  The energy is generated with the hips and shoulders, ending with the punching hand's palm facing down.  A variation can be done with the open-hand, as either a block or a neck grab into clinch.

Pao -- "to throw up; also firecracker or cannon"    Starting again at the hips or behind the body, the punch rises up, turning as you go.  It ends at approximately head level with the palm facing up.  Striking surface can either be the knuckles (as an uppercup), the 2nd knuckle of the fist towards the face/arm/nose, or the thumb in a sweeping motion towards the temple or neck.  A variation can be done as a reverse (Fan) Pao striking with the lead hand, circling from the bottom and striking with the backfist or the bottom of the fist.  This technique can also be used as a scooping or a sweeping block for kicks or low-strikes.

Kou -- "to scoop, to strike, to cover"  Starts with the punch winding up behind the ear, or behind your head (as if winding up for a baseball pitch).  This can either come straight down, or at a side-angle, with the 2nd knuckle of the fist as the striking surface.  Reverse (Fan) Kou can also be used where the hand turns as the fist is about to strike so that you are hitting with the backfist.  This fist can also be used to strike at the forearm & elbow of incoming punches.

Zhua -- "to claw"  There are many variations of this.  One of the basics is to sweep the off-hand across face-level as if capturing a punch, and then using the Zhua to capture the elbow or shoulder of the arm in a down-ward pushing & grasping motion.  Other variations include side Zhua, Zhua to the face or neck as a take-down, and circular Zhua to capture and control an arm.

Wo -- "to turn"  This is done similar to a boxing hook, except that the striking surface includes the thumb, which is used to "scrape" an attacker's arm, or to strike at the neck, temple, or arm-pit area.  The offhand also uses a circular motion outwards and can be used as another strike or a block.

Mao -- "to drop as an anchor"  The off-hand reaches up at head-level and swing down, possibly making a scraping attack with the thumb-joint against a neck or shoulder area.  The striking hand starts behind the body, and joins the momentum of the off-hand.  The punch swings up and then arcs down, similar to a boxing over-hand.

Bian -- "to whip"  This can be done to the ribs, solar pexus, neck, or temple area.  In basics practice, two Bians are done at the same time with both arms.  The motion is initiated by bringing the arms to cross at the chest.  The the arms whip out as the body turns with the elbow and wrist relaxed, and striking as a whip with the knuckle of the fist.  A variation can also be done by whiping from outside to in, and striking with the 2nd knuckle of the fist.

Po -- "crane wing strike"  This done with an open hand, whipping in a similar manner as Bian, as if you are attempting to splash water.  Targets are face, neck, ribs, and groin.

Cha -- "to plant, to insert, to plug"  This is a short-range punch with the arm bent, striking with the knuckles of the fist, keeping  the elbow in tight, and not allowing the arm to fulling extend.  Viable targets are the groin, lower and upper abdominals, or to the hip flexors.

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