Circular arm movements?

[AceHBK]

I have noticed it excuse my ignorance but chinese MA uses a lot of circular arm movements especially with punches in particular. Is this a true characteristic? Puches are made circular and not so much just straight ahead unless a opening is found of course. Maybe I watch waaaay too many movies but I have noticed it. Is it just movies or is it style or am I completely off?

 

[Flying Crane]

This tends to be true, you will see much more circular and flowing movements in Chinese martial arts (not all, but in general)

 

[clfsean]

Yeah ditto FC, but remember the biggest piece of a circle is a straight line.

 

[funnytiger]

I have noticed it excuse my ignorance but chinese MA uses a lot of circular arm movements especially with punches in particular. Is this a true characteristic? Puches are made circular and not so much just straight ahead unless a opening is found of course. Maybe I watch waaaay too many movies but I have noticed it. Is it just movies or is it style or am I completely off?

I'm not sure if I completely understand the question. I agree with FC that generally there are more circular movements in CMA, but I'm not sure I would agree with saying "especially with punches". Punches may be offline, but from what I have experienced and seen they are straight punches. Shortest distance between two points and all. Wing Chun is a good example of a style that utilizes the straight line.

Now that I am rereading what I wrote, it occured to me that you could also be referring to wheel punches. They would definitely fit into the circular category of punches. I don't know if I would go as far to say that it they out-weight the usage of straight punches though.

But again, this is all based on my experiences and exposure to mainly southern kung fu. It may be a totally different story for the northern art.

With all respect.

::salute::

 

[Flying Crane]

Now that I am rereading what I wrote, it occured to me that you could also be referring to wheel punches. They would definitely fit into the circular category of punches. I don't know if I would go as far to say that it they out-weight the usage of straight punches though.

What is a "wheel punch"?

 

[clfsean]

What is a "wheel punch"?

Fan Che by name... found a lot in NPM stuff & long fist styles

 

[Flying Crane]

Fan Che by name... found a lot in NPM stuff & long fist styles

Can you describe it? The name isn't familiar, but we have a lot of circular punches with weird names as well...maybe we call it something else.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Xingyi, Bagua, Tai Chi all have circular strikes and movements. Heck just about everything in Bagua is circular. But there are straight strikes as well, particularly in Xingyi. You also have both horizontal and vertical circles, particularly in Tai Chi and Bagua, but you can find them in Xingyi too.

 

[Xue Sheng]

What is a "wheel punch"?

I have heard of a wheel kick but I have never heard of a wheel punch, but as said by FC, I could know it as something different

 

[clfsean]

Can you describe it? The name isn't familiar, but we have a lot of circular punches with weird names as well...maybe we call it something else.

Think about lin waan kahp choi almost... a continuing series of kahp chois thrown, while like a deep ding ji ma, forward over the knee. That's the idea of it anyway.

It kinda could look like somebody out doing a breast stroke in open air with no body rotation though.

 

[Flying Crane]

Think about lin waan kahp choi almost... a continuing series of kahp chois thrown, while like a deep ding ji ma, forward over the knee. That's the idea of it anyway.

It kinda could look like somebody out doing a breast stroke in open air with no body rotation though.

Gotcha. basically a Kahp choi type punch. One of our basics.

 

[funnytiger]

Can you describe it? The name isn't familiar, but we have a lot of circular punches with weird names as well...maybe we call it something else.

A good way of describing it is as if your arms are chains and your fists are iron balls attached to them. There is generally a lot of waist in these movements to help generate more power. (kup choy, kum choy... etc.) I apologize for not describing it better. But it is definitely a circular movement that would fit into what was initially described.

 

[clfsean]

Gotcha. basically a Kahp choi type punch. One of our basics.

Exactly, just done continuously & with both arms in alternating motion.

 

[funnytiger]

Exactly, just done continuously & with both arms in alternating motion.

clfsean, I'm not sure if I am understanding your statement, but our wheel punches are not performed in a continuous motion. For example, in kup choy the front hand would come down vertically striking with the back of the fist (knuckles) while the rear hand circles right behind it striking with the front of the fist or more appropriately the knuckles. Now this movement can easily be combined by other wheel punches to create combinations.

Wheel punches in general are great for clearing a path with more than one attacker or for destroying the guard and then immediately following that up with a quick fierce strike.

If I am misunderstanding you, I apologize.

With all respect.

::salute::

 

[clfsean]

clfsean, I'm not sure if I am understanding your statement, but our wheel punches are not performed in a continuous motion. For example, in kup choy the front hand would come down vertically striking with the back of the fist (knuckles) while the rear hand circles right behind it striking with the front of the fist or more appropriately the knuckles. Now this movement can easily be combined by other wheel punches to create combinations.

What you kinda described right there is more along the lines of a gwa choi/kahp choi for me.

We probably play the technique simularly (CLF v. Jow Ga) but there's enough of a difference to be different.

The Fan Che (Wheel Punch) I was talking about is a NPM technique that's likened more to the lin waan kahp choi.

Wheel punches in general are great for clearing a path with more than one attacker or for destroying the guard and then immediately following that up with a quick fierce strike.

Oh yeah... we use a lot of gwa/kahp, gwa/chop/sau, gwa/jeurng type of techniques for opening & entering.

If I am misunderstanding you, I apologize.

With all respect.

::salute::

Nah... none needed. Different ways of doing the same thing doesn't always mean the same words.

 

[funnytiger]

What you kinda described right there is more along the lines of a gwa choi/kahp choi for me.

We probably play the technique simularly (CLF v. Jow Ga) but there's enough of a difference to be different.

The Fan Che (Wheel Punch) I was talking about is a NPM technique that's likened more to the lin waan kahp choi.



Oh yeah... we use a lot of gwa/kahp, gwa/chop/sau, gwa/jeurng type of techniques for opening & entering.



Nah... none needed. Different ways of doing the same thing doesn't always mean the same words.

Thanks, clfsean. Sometimes I can come off as being a bit... shall we say highly opinionated. I'm hoping to be able to share some of my views without wearing out my welcome. :asian:

::salute::

 

[AceHBK]

Thanks for all the info you guys. That really helped alot.
I am trying on using different punches instead of just str8 punches to help me add a lil more variety as well as create more openings.