7 bows question

[Svarog]

In some thread , someone mentioned "7 bows". I am living in Taiwan for more than 10 years and practicing White Crane ( Zong He and Su he) and Baji quan almost as long as I live here. I was also going to Hong Kong every six month during this 10 years for my Wing Chun study. I have visited many teachers of other arts and I have never heard anyone mentioning "7 bows". Can someone clarify what 7 bows are.

 

[geezer]

In some thread , someone mentioned "7 bows". I am living in Taiwan for more than 10 years and practicing White Crane ( Zong He and Su he) and Baji quan almost as long as I live here. I was also going to Hong Kong every six month during this 10 years for my Wing Chun study. I have visited many teachers of other arts and I have never heard anyone mentioning "7 bows". Can someone clarify what 7 bows are.

Yeah. A Wing Chun researcher, a Chinese guy who oddly has the Spanish-sounding name of Hendrick Santos was posting about this online some years back. The 7-bows concept seems to boil down to the seven joints or areas of flexion/movement that make up the kinetic chain of power generation coming up from the ground or foot and exiting through the fist.

I am not personally a fan of Mr. Santos's lectures, but the 7 bows actually kinda makes sense. The version I use is:

1. ankle
2. knee
3. hip
4. spine (considered as a single flexing unit)
5. shoulder
6. elbow
7. wrist

If you transmit power from your root or stance and correctly link these "seven bows", each one transmits and amplifies your force along the the kinetic chain to the next "bow" with the sum of the parts creating a sort of "synergy" allowing you to generate good power in a short distance.

Others may read a lot more into it, but this is how I use the concept.

 

[Svarog]

Oh, it is Hendrik"s theory. I don"t need to know anything beyond that. Thank for the answer

 

[geezer]

Oh, it is Hendrik"s theory. I don"t need to know anything beyond that. Thank for the answer

It may be used by others as well. I think I heard it from Hendrick.

...That alone doesn't make it bad ...but I just don't respond well his method of communicating through lengthy lectures. Mo gung kau, gung sau.

 

[hunschuld]

Seven bows is found in other Chinese arts and ancient Chinese medical texts. I can safely say the use is recorded in Leung Jans teaching to Lo Kwai . The first bow is actually the arch of the foot. Most common way to see its use is jumping. The bows are the joints . Spine is actually the power conduit from the lower to upper body.