In the Southern Chow Gar Praying Mantis kung fu system there are many
different types of hand and leg techniques as well as forms, drills,
sensitivity skills, weapons etc. There are 8 forms and 1 more for development of the
body namely sarm bo jin the others famous forms are
Sarm Bo Jin (3 step arrow)
Gau Si Mun sau (9 seeking hands)
Mo Ying Sau Chor Kui (no shadow hand crack the bridge)
Bo Sim Sau (searching insect hand)
Gen Tung Gen Sau Lin Wa say (shock power hand)
Poon loong keok (flying dragon leg)
Yau Loong Sau (swiming dragon hands)
Say Mun Sau (four gates hand)
Bic Saan (lifting mountain)
There are also 36 basic movements consisting of
one or 3 moves, these are known as San Sau. they are;
1/ Bow Chong (cover hand, meaning to wrap up)
2/ Gau Choi (hammer fist to come down)
3/ Cye Sau (deflect)
4/ Doa Sau (spring hand)
6/ Narp Sau (hook hand)
7/ Got sau (cut back hand)
8/ Saw Sau (lock hand)
9/ Chum Chung sau (sinking elbow hand)
10/ Yong Sau (upward reach hand)
11/ Chuen sau (Transmit hand)
12/ Larp sau (snatch hand)
13/ Mut sau (sweep hand)
14/ Kum la Ja Jook (seize and hold hand)
15/ Kwor sau (circle over hand)
16/ Yui Sau (Shake off hand)
17/ Pai Kui (slicing hand)
18/ Deng Choi (Nailing hook hand)
19/ Cheet Jeung (cutting palm)
20/ Lau Sau (Leaking hand)
21/ Dun Chung (back elbow)
22/ Ngai Chung (Forward elbow)
23/ Jin Sau (scissor hand)
24/ Din sau (rivet hand)
25/ Soc sau (Shock pulling hand)
26/ Yong Kum sau (upward breaking hand)
27/ Yum Yearn Kor Sau (yin yang breaking hand)
28/ Lim Chung (Elbow picking hand)
29/ Tai Sau (Pulling Hand)
30/ Kok Choi (angular fist)
31/ Man Dan Sau (single bow pulling hand)
32/ Chup sau (thrusting hand)
33/ Noi Choi fun sau (inside hand and split)
34/ Chy Say (grinding hand)
35/ Doy Chong ( double arm training)
36/ Sarm Bo Jin (3 step arrow)
The last 3 are basic training drills including within the other 33 skills.
Practically all-basic forms are made up of these basic hand drills such as
Yui Kui form, Pai Sau form, Law Shuen sau form. Etc
Once you have mastered these moves, by understanding the application
its principal and location of hitting then you can combine any these moves
to develop 100s of different drills.
The advanced 8 forms listed earlier give a different perspective and
insight of body development and some movements are necessarily not listed in
the 36-san sau drills
Each week Paul Whitrod Sifu will highlight 2 applications from
the san sau and how they work
Application of Bow Chong
Bow Chong means cover hand or to wrap up. Like putting
a plastic bag over the opponents hands then to strike, According
to Grandmaster Yip Shui, the techniques should be water tight, referring
to the technique that closes down the opponents his arms and gives him
no space to move or escape, hence water tight. The power should be placed
on the elbows, pressing in his arms to strike the chest or face. The body
must be astride to the opponent so has not to be square on.
Bow chong is to be used when the opponent goes to seizes your throat
or chest or just as the fight is going to start and he puts his hands
forward towards you and you take advantage of this situation.
Application of Gau Choy
Gau Choy is one of the most useful techniques
in the Southern Mantis system, it means to lay down or to come down like
a hammer, the hammer fist can hit many parts of the body such as collar
bone or top of the head, It should be laden with the heavy elbow power
developed through the training chongs. When striking out with this skill
you should not lean forward or taken your hand down too far if you had
missed the opponent, if this happens you can lose your balance and not
bring your hand up for a second attack. The gau Choy is also used to
strike the limbs if they are in the way of your initial attacking strategy.
