Combat Sequence 8 – Horizontally Sweep a Thousand Armies

SHAOLIN WAHNAM KUNGFU
COMBAT SEQUENCE 8

HORIZONTALLY SWEEP A THOUSAND ARMIES
(How to Follow Up from a Feign Attack)

Horizontally Sweep a Thousand Armies

Attacks can come in countless ways, but to facilitate learning, masters have group them into four major categories, namely

Striking
Kicking
Felling
Gripping

Sequences 1 to 8 deal with striking attacks. While Combat Sequences 1 to 4 use the left leg mode with “Black Tiger Steals Heart” as the leading pattern, Combat Sequences 5 to 8 use the right leg mode leading with “Fierce Tiger Speeds Through Valley”. And while Sequences 1 to 4 focus on developing skills, Sequences 5 to 8 focus on expanding techniques.


Poise patterns	Fierce Tiger

Numerous fundamental skills have been developed, and they include

Right timing
Right spacing
Flowing movement and force
Right judgment
Fast decision
Instantaneous change
Footwork adjustment
Safe coverage


Bar Big Boss	Sweep Armies

Numerous tactics are also introduced, and they include

First defence then counter
Defence cum counter
No defence direct counter
Alert the east attack the west
Unaccustomed mode
Feint moves and exposure
Flowing attacks
Pressing attacks.

In order that you can develop the skills to using typical kungfu techniques spontaneously in combat, these combat sequences are practiced in progressive stages, as follows:

Pre-choice
Self-choice
End-point continuation
Mid-point continuation
End-point addition
Surprised counter
External change
Internal change
Mid-point addition
Initial addition.


Bar Big Boss	Golden Leopard

“Bar the Big Boss” was introduced in the previous combat sequence in place of “Single Tiger” against the opponent’s thrust punch. In this sequence we learn a new technique that develops from “Bar the Big Boss”. Instead of blocking the opponent’s arm, we can chop at it, using the pattern “Attending Meeting with Single Knife”.

The opening attack “Fierce Tiger Speeds through Valley” in this sequence, as in the other sequences, is used as a feint move to tempt the opponent to counter-attack. That is why the left guard hand, which is normally held near the right shoulder in this pattern, is purposely left exposed.


Hang Lotus	Golden Dragon

As the opponent falls into our trap and counter-attacks, we can response in numerous prepared ways, such as executing another “Fierce Tiger” in Sequence 5, “Dark Dragon” in Sequence 6, and “White Snake” in Sequence 7. In this sequence, we use “Single Knife” to fracture his attacking arm or dislocate his attacking elbow, followed immediately with “Horizontally Sweep a Thousand Armies” at his neck. Hence, if you are well trained, like having practiced selected techniques at least 50 times daily for a few months, you may defeat your opponent the moment he responses to your feint moves.


Chop Hua Mountain	Double Bows

But if you opponent is well trained too, he can of course neutralize your rehearsed attacks. In this sequence, for example, he intercepts your “Horizontal Sweep” with a “Single Knife”, and irrespectively of whether you could shift your arm away in time, he follows immediately with a “Golden Leopard Speeds through Jungle” into your ribs.

As you strike his attacking arm with “False Leg Hand Sweep”, he “flows” over your attacking hand and swings a “Reverse Hanging of Lotus” on your right temple, guarding your right leg with his right leg. You may neutralize his “Hanging Lotus” with “Golden Dragon”. At this point, both you and your opponent have a good opportunity to continue combat. You may, for example, move forward with a “Black Tiger” or a “White Snake”, thus continuing with any of the Sequences 1 to 4. Later, when you have learned kicking techniques, you may continue with a right thrust kick or a left side kick.

Combat Sequence 8: Horizontally Sweep a Thousand Armies