Flying Crane
Sr. Grandmaster
The Chinese Swings is what we in the Tracy kenpo lineage call a certain movement found in Twisting Staves in 1st Brown, as well as in Panther set and Wong's 18 Hands set. I do not know if it is found in other lineages of kenpo that trace thru Mr. Parker or Mr. Chow, but I certainly welcome people from those lineages to jump into the discussion if they have something to add.
Basically, it is a double strike technique using a full-body pivot from a reverse bow to a forward bow. As you pivot, the lead hand whips in a horizontal arc with a backfist, followed by the rear hand whipping in a similar horizontal arc with a forward knuckle raking fist or possibly a hammerfist if you turn the palm up. It is very useful if you are surrounded by several people, as you can simply step in different directions to unload the strike at whoever is closest, moving to the next, then the next and soforth.
It's important to keep the arms and shoulders relaxed while you are doing this strike, as the power comes from the body's pivot and the whipping of the arms, not from physical muscular power. In fact, if you tense the arms while doing this and you try to "muscle" your way thru it, you are actually decreasing your effectiveness.
It is important to train this technique on focus mits or a heavy bag or other striking surface of some kind. It takes a little bit of practice to learn to relax into the swing and allow the power to manifest, as well as get the hands used to striking properly, especially with the foreknuckle raking punch. But in my experience, from White Crane training, it really did not take long to figure it out and become comfortable with it. While I feel contact training is EXTREMELY important to properly develop the technique, it does develop quickly as long as you do so.
We've been working on this a bit lately, and I find it very interesting for one big reason: this kind of whipping power is the foundation upon which Chinese systems such as Choy Li Fut and Tibetan White Crane are built. So this technique, while a bit different from what I have trained in Tibetan White Crane, is similar enough to be very familiar. This kind of technique, when done correctly, can hit like a sledgehammer and can be blindingly fast. Years ago, I spoke with a man from a Tibetan White Crane school, who told me that he watched a friend of his use a similar whipping puch on a guy on the street. The strike landed on the side of the guy's jaw, and literally pulled the jaw from it's hinge and moved the entire mandible to the other side of the guy's face. I can only expect it was accompanied by a lot of bone breakage and serious damage to the soft tissue and joint of the jaw, but he didn't stick around long enough to find out the details.
I am pretty intrigued that our lineage of kenpo has chosen to include these kinds of techniques. Since I've studied White Crane, I've always felt these methods were tremendously powerful, and I'm glad to realize they have a place in kenpo.
Basically, it is a double strike technique using a full-body pivot from a reverse bow to a forward bow. As you pivot, the lead hand whips in a horizontal arc with a backfist, followed by the rear hand whipping in a similar horizontal arc with a forward knuckle raking fist or possibly a hammerfist if you turn the palm up. It is very useful if you are surrounded by several people, as you can simply step in different directions to unload the strike at whoever is closest, moving to the next, then the next and soforth.
It's important to keep the arms and shoulders relaxed while you are doing this strike, as the power comes from the body's pivot and the whipping of the arms, not from physical muscular power. In fact, if you tense the arms while doing this and you try to "muscle" your way thru it, you are actually decreasing your effectiveness.
It is important to train this technique on focus mits or a heavy bag or other striking surface of some kind. It takes a little bit of practice to learn to relax into the swing and allow the power to manifest, as well as get the hands used to striking properly, especially with the foreknuckle raking punch. But in my experience, from White Crane training, it really did not take long to figure it out and become comfortable with it. While I feel contact training is EXTREMELY important to properly develop the technique, it does develop quickly as long as you do so.
We've been working on this a bit lately, and I find it very interesting for one big reason: this kind of whipping power is the foundation upon which Chinese systems such as Choy Li Fut and Tibetan White Crane are built. So this technique, while a bit different from what I have trained in Tibetan White Crane, is similar enough to be very familiar. This kind of technique, when done correctly, can hit like a sledgehammer and can be blindingly fast. Years ago, I spoke with a man from a Tibetan White Crane school, who told me that he watched a friend of his use a similar whipping puch on a guy on the street. The strike landed on the side of the guy's jaw, and literally pulled the jaw from it's hinge and moved the entire mandible to the other side of the guy's face. I can only expect it was accompanied by a lot of bone breakage and serious damage to the soft tissue and joint of the jaw, but he didn't stick around long enough to find out the details.
I am pretty intrigued that our lineage of kenpo has chosen to include these kinds of techniques. Since I've studied White Crane, I've always felt these methods were tremendously powerful, and I'm glad to realize they have a place in kenpo.
