Video Clip Series: Spear Counters against the Downward Chop and the Reversed Sweep of a Big Knife

Sifu Wong Kiew Kit’s Home Page
Shaolin Wahnam Video Series

Review of the UK Summer Camp Weapon Course July 2007

Traveling Dragon Spear – Part 4

SPEAR COUNTERS AGAINST THE DOWNWARD CHOP AND THE REVERSED SWEEP OF THE BIG KNIFE

Blocking a reversed sweep of a Big Knife, as many people do, is not a high-level response. What disadvantages can you find in this defence?

A Big Knife is both long and heavy. Hence it has the advantages of both length and weight. A downward chop of a Big Knife is therefore deadly. Blocking a chopping attack may result in the blocking weapon being broken, or exposing the defender to other subtle techniques of the Big Knife.

One subtle technique of the Big Knife is a reversed sweep. Many people are caught by surprise by this technique. What spear techniques would you use to counter these attacks from a Big Knife?

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”.

A picture-series and a video series of the set can be found here and here respectively.

Blocking the Chop of a Big Knife
When an opponent chops with a Big Knife, many people would block the chopping attack with the spear shaft. This is not a good response. The opponent may use the end of the shaft to flick up at your groin. Moreover, a powerful chop may break the shaft of the spear. How would you counter?
The size of the video clip is 1.07 mb.
Click here to download

Stopping an Opponent from Advancing
Instead of blocking an opponent’s chop, a better response is as follows. As he moves in to attack you after he has deflected your shoot, pull back your spear and aim it at him. This would stop him from advancing. If you want to injure him, you can shoot out your spear.
The size of the video clip is 0.71 mb.
Click here to download

Shooting the Spear with Single Hand
If you opponent still moves in to chop at you, despite your pointing the spear at him, you can retreat a step to avoid the chopping attack and simultaneously shoot out your spear with one hand to have longer reach. This is using your spear like a sword. This can be done if the spear is light.
The size of the video clip is 0.74 mb.
Click here to download

Reversed Sweep of a Big Knife
A subtle technique of the Big Knife is a reversed sweep. After deflecting your spear shoot, an opponent may attack you with a reversed sweep, which can catch many exponents by surprise. How do you defend against this attack? Would you block the reversed sweep?
The size of the video clip is 0.49 mb.
Click here to download

Blocking a Reversed Sweep
Blocking a reversed sweep from a Big Knife is a middle-level response. What do you think would be a high-level response? Why is the block only a middle-level response? What do you think your opponent could do if you block his reversed sweep?
The size of the video clip is 0.59 mb.
Click here to download

Circle and Shoot while Retreating
Instead of blocking, a high-level response is to retreat a step, and simultaneously circle the spear round the shaft of the Big Knife to avoid being controlled by it, followed immediately with a spear shoot. This is employing the principle of “advance by retreating”, and is possible because of the lightness and length advantage of the spear.
The size of the video clip is 0.86 mb.
Click here to download