Video Clip Series: Reviewing the Basic Combat Sequences

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Review of the Special Shaolin Kungfu Course of 16th to 22nd April 2007 – Part 3

REVIEWONG THE BASIC COMBAT SEQUENCES

Eugene and Alex reviewing the four basic combat sequences in our sparring methodology

Two important ingredients for combat efficiency are techniques and skills. You need the best forms for the combat situations, and the best ways to put them into action.

Our Combat Sequences 1 to 4 focus on basic combat skills, whereas Combat Sequences 5 to 16 provide the basic techniques to meet all categories of attacks.

The four basic combat sequences also illustrate some effective tactics, and by combining the sequences in various ways they lay the foundation for devising various strategies for combat

Please note that you can download the video clips onto your own computer and view them at your leisure. Place your computer pointer at the picture or one of the links, and right click. Choose “Save Target As”. Select the directory or sub-directory where you wish to keep the video clip. Click “Save”.

Linking Many Sequences into One Continuous Sequence
Eugene and Alex go over Combat Sequences 1 to 4. Eugene initiates and links all the four combat sequences into one long continuous sequence. Eugene has to make a leg-mode adjustment when linking Sequences 3 and 4, because Sequence 3 ends with the right leg in front and Sequence 4 starts with the left leg in front. In this video clip, however, Eugene progresses only to Sequence 3 because Grandmaster Wong intercepts to explain some important points.
The size of the video clip is 1.71 mb.
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Essential to Cover yourself when Attacking
Grandmaster emphasizes that one must cover the opponent while moving in to attack after making the leg mode adjustment. If you merely moves in, you will expose yourself for easy counter-strikes. Grandmaster Wong reminds the participants that they have all learnt these, but he reviews the important safety points so that they will take care of these important points automatically.
The size of the video clip is 1.37 mb.
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The Principle of Safety First
Grandmaster Wong closes the opponent in such a way that it is difficult for the opponent to counter-strike when Grandmaster Wong attacks. Notice that Grandmaster Wong uses his left hand to “tame” the opponent’s both hands, while he strikes with his right hand. He may also strike with his left hand as it is already close to the opponent, but he chooses to use it for coverage instead of for striking, even though it may be more likely to hit the opponent with the left hand than with the right hand. This follows the principle of “safety first”, i.e. you ensure yourself to be safe first before attempting to strike the opponent.
The size of the video clip is 1.62 mb.
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Add a Modification of Needed
Grandmaster Wong reminds the participants that they must cover not just the opponent’s hands but also his legs so that he may not counter with a surprised kick. Instead of closing his hands, you can open them. Be aware that he may counter-strike with his left hand. If he does so, brush it away and continue to attack him as planned. Hence, a modification is added here if needed.
The size of the video clip is 1.88 mb.
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Right Spacing for Best Advantages
In his defence against Grandmaster Wong’s attack, Alex moves his front left leg from a left Bow-Arrow Stance a full step backward to a right False-Leg Stance. Grandmaster Wong says that this big movement is unnecessary. It is sufficient to move the front left leg a small step backward to a left False-Leg Stance. Do you know the advantages of this small leg movement over the bigger leg movement?
The size of the video clip is 0.42 mb.
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Better Spacing for both Defence and Counter-Attack
It is not only sufficient to move the front left leg a short space back into a left False-Leg Stance for defence, it also provides a better poise against possible follow-up attack. As shown in the video, if Grandmaster Wong moves forward to continue his attack, he would move into the dragon-hand of Alex. Moreover, it is easier now for Alex to counter attack.
The size of the video clip is 0.34 mb.
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Two Disadvantages of Moving too Far Back
Moving back a big step from your left Bow-Arrow Stance to a right False-Leg Stance may give you more space between you and your opponent, and thus may be safer. But it also makes it harder for you to counter attack. Moreover, if your opponent is skillful, like Grandmaster Wong as shown in the video clip, he can exploit this and it may actually turn out to be more disadvantageous to you. Though at this level here you
The size of the video clip is 0.93 mb.
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Three Different Attacks in One Sequence
Eugene now completes Combat Sequence 4, which involves a top attack, a bottom attack and a side attack. The sequence should be performed smoothly as if all the patterns in the sequence were one long continuous pattern.
The size of the video clip is 0.47 mb.
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Having Fun with Subtraction and Addition
Now Alex links all the four sequences together into one long continuous sequence. You can then have some fun using this Sequence1-2-3-4 series as the base for the “Subtraction and Addition” approach in our sparring methodology. First, you take out any one sequence from this series. You may, for example, use Sequence 1-2-4. Then you can take out another sequence, e.g. Sequence 2-4. Next, you may add any one sequence, like Sequence 1-4-3.
The size of the video clip is 1.13 mb.
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