Mountain Gate Academy

Hi everyone

Best wishes for the new year and I hope that you all had a great time over the new year.

Welcome back to training for 2010.

Classes resume at UTAS in Launceston Monday (18/01/10) night at 6:00pm.

Class times are the same as usual - 6:00pm to 8:00pm Monday and Wednesday evenings in the Dance studio upstairs in Human Movement.

St Helens Classes formally start again Next Sunday with Pliability at 12:00pm until 12:45 and then Kung Fu from 1:00 until 3:00pm. There may be the option for some more senior training but I discuss that next week at the class.

Look forward to seeing you there

Shifu

Hi everyone

Sorry I haven’t been in contact for a while but I am back on deck now and you will start to see new posts and replies to comments during the next week. Transcend blackbelt will resume again soon and there are also updates to the www.kungfutasmania.com website.

Sorry for any inconvenience

Jason

Hi everyone

Just a quick reminder that the workshop is this weekend!

Bookings will close on Saturday night so if you would like to attend then please contact me through jasonmga@gmail.com by then.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Shifu Jason Parks

Hi Everyone

I just wanted to let you know that I will be in Canberra in a couple of weeks and teaching a workshop on the foundations of Shan Men Shaolin Gong Fu. Please read to the end as there is a bonus for those who attend.

Sorry about the short notice but we were surprisingly able to get a seat.

Workshop details

Sunday 31/05/09

1:00-4:00pm

Kaleen Community Hall, Georgina Crescent Kaleen

Cost: we are not setting a price for this workshop as we thought that you could pay what you feel this is worth to you.

The workshop will cover the foundations of the Shan Men Shaolin Quan system as taught through Mountain Gate Academy.

Below is a basic outline of the content

Level 1 - White Sash - Foundations and bridging Level 2 - Yellow Sash - Short Power Functionality

At the White Sash level the focus of training is on creating a base that is stable, comprehensive and will prepare you for all that will follow.

Functionally you will develop the skills of engagement, gaining emotional control, maintaining a barrier to the opponent, and controlling the opponent through the barrier.

At Gold Sash level we expand the base of foundation movements and combinations. Functionally you will how to compress your barrier in response to a stronger or exceptionally aggressive opponent. Close in weapons such as knees, elbows, shoulders, hips and so on take on a greater emphasis at this level of work.

Foundations

1. Etiquette - the salute, walking on and off the floor and the mental trigger for creating a personal sacred space.

2. Process of grading and its requirements

3. Foundation concepts - Breathing - breathing should be natural and allow the body to find the correct breathing for the circumstance (taking into account Qi Gong and power fists). Muscular Synergism - using the body as a whole instead of just and arm or leg (example of the lifting the toes to lift the leg). Ji Ha- every movement has both an expanding and compressing aspect (yin and yang to the movement). Ethics - you will learn how to improve the results that you get in life and training by taking control of the resonance of your thoughts. How to use tangible results to give clear indicators of you progress. How to tell if you are not on track. Wellness is the natural state and practice should reflect this as you develop health and fitness together. History - basic history of Shaolin Gong Fu and MGA

Warm up and Conditioning

Qi Gong - Yeah Fei Ba Duan Jin

Mobility - releasing and nourishing the joints

Hip Releases - preparation for healthy Ji Ben Gong

Strength work - simple series of exercises that can be run in only a few minutes and that have far reaching effects in developing exceptional fitness with a toned and balanced physique. Every exercise is performed in harmony with breathing and performed to invigorate the body.

Six Harmony  joint conditioner - developing power in all of your physical movements

Ji Ben Gong Block - These are the formal agility and coordination exercises that develop your expertise.

1. Thrust fist in Thunder bolt Step

2. Thrust fist - Horse Step

3. Arrow Step pivot

4. Arrow Fist

5. Leg swings - front, side, outside, inside, diagonal,

6. Toe Kick and Punch

7. Heel kick and Palm

8. Slap foot

9. Single Front Jump Step

11. Tong Bei Fist

12. Hong Palm

13. Xie Xing - Striking Laterally

14. Dan Bian - Single Whip

15. Face palms in horse step

16. Three Star Iron Bridge

17. Rebound fist

18. First Kicking Combination

Power fists - Classical Shaolin Temple exercises to increase control of internal energy and tremendous physical stamina.

1. 1^st Long Fist

2. Earth Element Fist (Hu Ha Ha)

3. Wood Element Fist (Ji Ha)

Forms

Wu Bu Quan (Five Step Fist) - Qi Ban Tao Lu

Shaolin Wu Bu Quan offers a comprehensive base of the five major stepping actions supported by foundation hand and kicking structures. Shaolin Wu Bu Quan is a form that is visited again and again and is an excellent physical conditioner especially in repetition.

Lien Huan Quan (Linked Rings Boxing) - Ji Ben Tao Lu

Lien Huan Quan functionally expands the principles covered in Wu Bu Quan. This form has no repetition and moves smoothly from one complete function to the next.

All of the steps of this form are easily interchangeable, functionally, which creates a seamless transition from one application to the next, giving Lien Huan Quan its name.

Challenge/Solution and Set Analogies

Creating and using barriers, compressing barriers, using the six harmonies, applications of forms and combinations expanding the base concepts

Bonus

For everyone attending the workshop I am offering 2 months email coaching and feedback as well as the option for you to send me footage of your work to get direct feedback.

There will be another bonus that I will announce on the day.

How to attend

Bookings are essential and all bookings should be sent via email to jasonmga@gmail.com and only those who book will be allowed to attend. No walk-ins on the day. Also everyone trains, no one watches from the sidelines.

You will need to bring loose comfortable training clothes (shoes are optional but preferred), towel and water bottle.

It is also important that all those who wish to attend should be familiar with www.mountaingateacademy.com so that the concepts and viewpoints of Restorative Learning and Shan Men Shaolin Quan are somewhat familiar to you.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Shifu Jason Parks

I was part of a conversation the other day discussing the ‘myth’ of the competent female warrior. In certain circles, on the net, there is a bit of an argument raging for and against this point on what appears to be a very one sided debate.

Those who are arguing for the myth viewpoint really seem to be winning. Their arguments are logical, well thought out and very reasonable and as a result they are difficult to refute. However, I feel that there is a tiny flaw in their argument that should be addressed, mainly that the entire premise is wrong!

Firstly, warrior women are not a myth they are a matter of historical fact. You can argue as to why they can’t exist due to athletic disadvantage in light of MMA as much as you like, but there they are.

Below is a small list of some of the women recorded as matter of historical fact who could be called “warrior women”.

Wong Cong Er, Boudica, Isabella I of Castile, Maria De Estrada, Lilliard, Grace O’Malley, Amaron and Kenau Hasselaar, Marguerite Delaye, Dona Catalina de Erauso, Vishpla, Aahhotep I, Zabibi, Samsi, Tomyris, Himoko, Jingo Kogo, Mavia, Saimei and Dihya al-Kahina. Trung Trac, Trung Nhi, Tran Thi Doan, Phung Thi Chinh and Trieu Thi Trinh. Medb (Maeve) of Ireland, Aife (Aoife) of Alba (Scotland), and Queen Scathach of Skye. Queen Aethelburgh, Queen Thyra of Denmark, Hetha, Visna and Vebiorg , Sela and Alvid , Emma Countess of Norfolk, Matilda Countess of Tuscany (and her mother), Sichelgaita Princess of Lombardy, Urraca Queen of Aragon, and Teresa of Portugal.
Aristocratic ladies who led troops in seige and battle included Alrude Countess of Bertinoro, Eleanor of Castile, Queen Urraca of Aragon, Marguerite de Provence, Florine of Denmark and Berengaria of Navarre, Queen Tamara of Georgia and the Empress Maud (also known as Matilda, Empress of Germany, Countess of Anjou, Domina Anglorum, Lady of the English, Matilda Augusta and Matilda the Good). Maude de Valerie was a Welsh revolutionary. Nicola de la Haye, daughter of the castellan of Lincoln defended the town against several raids and was made sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1216.
Jeanne of Navarre led her army against that of the Count de Bar. Isobel MacDuff Countess of Buchan, Jeanne de Danpierre Countess de Montfort (also known as Jane, Countess of Montfort), Isabelle of England, Christian Lady Bruce, Marjory Bruce, Mary Bruce, Phillipa of Hainault, Lady Agnes Randolph (also known as Black Agnes), Agnes Hotot of Dudley, Adelaide Ponthiey, Jeanne de Belleville, Margaret of Denmark , Jacqueline of Bavaria (Countess of Holland, Hainault and Zealand), Jehanne la Pucelle (Joan of Arc), Isabella of Lorraine, Maire o Ciaragain, Mother Ross, Mme de Saint Baslemont de Neuville and La Maupin Lady Ann Cummingham, Blanche the Countess of Arundel, Brilliana the Countess of Harley, Alyona of Russia, Anne Chamberlyne and Anne Marie Louise d’Orleans Montpensier. Duellists included Mademoiselle La Maupin, Mademoiselle de Guignes, Mademoiselle d’Aiguillon, Mademoiselle Leverrier, Lady Almeria Braddock, Mrs Elphinstone, Comptesse de Polignac and Marquise de Nesle, and the nuns of the Yong Tai Temple.

This is a very small list of the countless women who have been recorded as taking the field, taking to pirating or who duelled with a blatant disregard for impossibility of the matter.

Now as difficult as this may be for the average martial artist to understand (both male and female) it is important to note that battle has realities that modern (often sports based) practice can never cope with but that is ok because modern martial arts are not intended to. The women in this list did understand those realities and history marks them as having done what modern sports based practitioners are debating as impossible myth. It is awfully reminiscent of the old saying that “those who say something is impossible should not interfere with those who are doing it”!

It isn’t really surprising that this kind of argument can rage, fuelled in no small part by martial artists, as most people think that martial arts can offer some qualified training. Unfortunately most martial artists don’t know the difference between sport and battle. Perhaps the easiest way to describe the difference between sport and battle is that sport is about being fair and battle is about being unfair. If we believe in the fair fight then we obviously don’t understand fighting. There is nothing fair about fighting at all. There is a statement in the Sun Tzu Bing Fa (Art of War) that says that “the Commanders of old did not demonstrate valour”. This means that they didn’t like a challenge. They got the win where they could by seeking out opportunities for when the enemy was at their weakest or by deliberately seeking out weaker opponents to attack. This is skilful war. Anything else is too risky to be a choice and although there are many instances of valour in war, these occur (in most cases) out of necessity. Individuals found themselves in unfair situations and chose to risk all so as to endure.

When women are forced into these positions there is another important element that the vast majority of martial arts and self defence training seems to ignore and that is what happens when you lose.

In sport if you lose you go home disappointed. In a brawl you might have some superficial damage like a black eye, bleeding nose or missing teeth. In a real fight injuries can be far more serious but in battle you will probably be maimed or killed. Add to this that a man may be tortured or enslaved. But for women, throughout history, they can expect to be raped, mutilated, enslaved (so that this abuse can continue) and/or killed. In battle, women cannot afford to risk losing and so they must understand their limitations far more then men. They must remain professional in their approach and avoid relying on aggression and intimidation in the way sport teaches you. How to injure or kill a man in such a way that his body doesn’t fall on you and pin you, how to prevent him from using his (supposed) physical advantage (because its only an advantage if he can use it), how to prevent capture, how to use his rage, lust or bloodlust to your advantage and most importantly how to fight like a woman and not like a little man. These skills are completely alien to the vast majority of martial artists, male and female but they are vital for a “warrior woman”.

I love martial arts, but it’s a man’s world. I really don’t think that the majority of women involved in martial arts practice are getting a good deal or even an adequate one. Perhaps instead of arguing over ‘myths’ a better topic for discussion would be ‘How to avoid dis-empowering women in martial arts training’!

Stay tuned.

When we study forms there comes a point, when learning, that we become keenly aware that the movements mean something. I’m not talking about a general concept but a moment of clear realisation when the movement ceases to be practice and begs to grow into a tangible reality. This is the point where we start to seek the ‘Ban Fa’, the classical application. Seeking Ban Fa is more than just learning a function it is the experience of the memory of battle.

It is common in the practice of techniques to become enchanted by the cleverness of technique and to forget the history and reality of the action itself. At some point this movement was used to save a person’s life from immediate and deadly force. In the classical martial arts there is a highly treasured principle of “no wasted movement”. This principle is the lifeblood of the Shaolin practice. When we choose to practice without knowledge we cannot make the jump to experience and in doing so all of our movement becomes wasted.

If I can offer one simple piece of training advice on this subject it must be to know what everything is for. Now you don’t need to write a thesis on it, just the base function will do but take the time (through repetition) to make this memory of battle your memory.

In the practice of forms there must be a constant sense of enemy, a constant perception of threat, without this there is no real function for a movement.

In the performance sport Wu Shu there came a point in its development where it became flowery and almost dance like. This led to a major review of the sport in which the rule was passed that a punch is still a punch and a kick is still a kick!

This is even more important for the classical practitioner.

When developing our self defence abilities through classical application there is one that we must learn.

I remember learning functions off the Shaolin Master Shi De Shui. The very first time I ask him for the application of a movement he lifted me over his head and slammed me flat on my back onto the concrete we where training on. I distinctly remember lying on my back in agony and weakly laughing because it was kind of funny. This started a consistent experience of ask the master and get smacked. Now there was a trick to this in that I was always hurt by the function, I was dumped, twisted, belted, winded, choked and TKOed on a daily basis but I was never injured. The initial shock that my gentle and kind teacher was belting me was replaced by an appreciation of his control and of the importance of this ongoing lesson. In time, when it was time to experience the application I was no longer attached to the impending pain there was simply the experience of the application and when this happened the belting stopped as suddenly as it had begun. I was still learning the applications but now it was from a point of analysis and explanation.

It was some time after I had returned from China that I began to see the real genius of his teaching. When you ask a Buddhist Master ‘what is this for’ then the answer is to hurt another being. Often when practice is based on sparring and competition there is an illusion that we can use violence with impunity. There develops a belief that when we use our martial arts skills on another being then no real harm is done and that we leave the incident with our humanity intact but this is not the case.

If, as martial artists, we are unable to see any other options but physical action, then our response must come from a clear decision and not from conditioned reaction and fear. We must experience the reality of what harm our action will cause and in doing so transcend the violence of the experience. In the spirit of the law we must respond with appropriate force. Too much and we are the aggressor and too little and we are the victim in each case accumulating Karma from the incident. When our response is appropriate our humanity survives and we can then say that we have successfully defended ourselves in every sense of the term.

Fundamentals

When practicing the fundamentals it is important to go beyond the basic approach of just marching up and down punching the air. When you practice your foundation movements look for the correct order of practice. Seek to work your movements through a series of progressions starting from simple actions that condition the body and develop the roots of power and action, such as stationary footwork drills, progressing  these actions by making them move and then through increasingly complex combinations.

When standing still develop stability and when moving develop agility by practicing multiple direction changes. Develop fluidity by working multiple combinations around a key movement that test your ability to adapt and to link one principle with several others.

Most importantly always practice the best possible performance of a movement and increase the duration or repetition in accordance with how long you can maintain outstanding form. It is of much greater benefit to hold an exceptional horse step for 30 seconds and then repeat 10 times then to hold a pretty ordinary horse step for three minutes.

In MGA training we use a simple principle to rapidly develop outstanding results in fundamental practice. Take for example the Horse Step. When standing in a Horse Step hold the best posture that you can hold, even if only for a few seconds. We call this a Practice Step. When you feel that you are losing form then raise up a little higher in the step to create a “Battle Step”. This still gives you a quality step but is easier to maintain. Once again when you feel that your form is about to give way then lift up again to a Thunderbolt Step. When you can’t hold this with outstanding form then stop. Never practice a failing repetition.

Forms

When practicing forms it is important to capture the character of the form. If practicing orthodox Shaolin then the movements must be permeated with a dignified and heroic character. If practicing an animal form then the “mind” of the style must be brought out and allowed to carry the flow of movement.

As forms are combinations each and every individual movement should be polished until they have a clear flourish. Merely running a pattern creates a thoughtless practice that is sloppy and without function. If you want your results to be world class then you cannot afford to waste time and energy with a poor quality repetition.

Most importantly, when practicing forms, remember to go back to the fundamentals and polish individual components. If you have weak footwork then every step will be weak. If you have poor hand formation then every hand action will be poor in the same way that if you develop an outstanding foundation every movement will be excellent.

I remember watching one of my teachers, Shi de Shui, painting with watercolours.  On this occasion he pull out some scrap paper and practiced the basic strokes of Chinese calligraphy again and again until each stroke had the correct flourish. Not whole characters, just the individual brush strokes, just the Ji Ben Gong (fundamentals). When he was satisfied he then turned to the sheet of mulberry leave paper that he had prepared and painted a stunning landscape of Fo Shan completely from memory. Although Shi De Shui had been considered a master artist and calligrapher for decades, he still polished his work through the fundamentals. This is what is meant by the statement “it takes ability to get to the top, but it takes integrity to stay there”!

On a final point about forms practice, if you want to rapidly increase your mastery of forms then you must devote yourself to actually learning the form before starting to add speed and power. You cannot begin to polish the form if you are struggling to think of what comes next. Having learnt the movements of the routine you can begin to polish and until you start to polish you can never master the form.

Instead of offering an article I thought we should kick the year off with a few training tips. These are based on the basic categories of work in the Mountain Gate Academy curriculum as the foundation of this article. Please find what is appropriate for your training and apply it as you see fit.

Foundations

At the foundation of every martial art lies a philosophy that governs its development. Often in martial arts training this critical aspect is neglected and as a result the integrity of the system degrades.

In order to really understand martial arts we must have, at least, a rudimentary understanding of the people who created it. Look into the history of your system and explore the region and its martial history. Often knowing what was happening in the world when a system was created gives us a clearer picture of why the system functions the way it does. Also if it is possible to read biographies of famous exponents of your system is also of huge value.

Look into the underlying spiritual beliefs of a system. If your system originated in Asia, especially in China, Korea or Japan then having a basic working knowledge of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism is important as much of the etiquette is based on these belief systems.

As an example I visited a Karate school where etiquette was strict and rigid. On the surface it all looked very traditional (in the Japanese Karate style)but when the class began the etiquette took an interesting twist. In a traditional Japanese Karate school the class, often, formally begins with three bows. The first bow is to the Shinden, or shrine the second to the Sensei (instructor) and the third to the class members. In this way there is an honouring of those who share the practice with you, those who have gone before and passed on their teachings and the protective spirits that watch over the school and all who train there. This bow to the Shinden is also an affirmation to infuse you efforts with your spiritual belief so that your training becomes of spiritual value.

The interesting twist was that instead of the Shinden bow the head instructors name was there, effectively making him the protective deity of the school! Nice work if you can get it.

Qi gong

Learning to disperse stress and tension and to hold still is the single most important ability to develop for martial arts practice. Most systems today have some meditative component but even if your system doesn’t take the time to learn how to meditate and then use it. If you find that meditation is not really doing it for you then take an intermediary step of practicing Qi Gong, Tai Chi or Yoga and develop the foundations of stress release.

If you have a study of Qi Gong then remember to get back to basics. Spend time polishing the form of the exercise. It seems to be a common experience that many people struggle with the basic mechanics of a meditative/breathing exercise and as a result never even get to have a genuine experience of what the exercise is supposed to do. You need to go beyond wondering what the next move is if you hope to have even the smallest chance of accomplishing the meditative benefits.

Conditioning

Conditioning is often out of balance with the practice of martial arts. It seems to be common that the there is either not enough emphasis on physical conditioning and fitness or too much. If you want to be super fit then you need to do fitness specific training. If you want to excel in martial arts then you need to do martial arts specific training.

Many years ago I sat on a grading panel for another organisation and failed a number of seniors for being ‘not fit enough’. Unsurprisingly this upset a lot of people as these students were super fit. They were in top physical condition. They could most likely lift a car over their heads and run a marathon. Unfortunately they were fit to lift weights, run, do sit ups and star jumps and instead of developing their fitness in a way that translated into fit to do martial arts. When they ran their forms they ran out of steam resulting in a loss of form halfway through. In defence they were in danger of being overrun by their attackers and when they attacked they lacked real stopping power. They couldn’t grapple or perform precise movements so all of their fitness was of no use to them on the day. In a nutshell, although they were undeniably physically fit they were unfit to pass the grading and therefore not fit enough.

Now I should clarify that although in the past I have suffered from being too much of a purist my attitudes have changed considerably. Physical fitness is vital to anyone because when you are unfit your experience of life is so much lower than it could be. If your conditioning is well balanced and places a high emphasis on wellness and dignity then this is a good thing, regardless of whether you practice martial arts or not. If you find that your martial arts training doesn’t give you the fitness results that you want then don’t be afraid to go and do ancillary training that will. Always look for the opportunity to increase your quality of experience and add value to what you enjoy.

Over time many different styles of Crane have evolved and as with any other martial systems, styles have been created as others have died out. Thankfully there have been those Masters who have taken their original practice and evolved new styles for us to explore.
One such teacher was my Crane teacher, Shifu De Chuan.
Shifu De Chuan originally trained in the Tibetan Pak Hok Crane system for many years and was a highly skilled exponent of the internal side of the system, especially the Plum Blossom posts – a series of posts set into the ground which the practitioner runs forms on top of.
When De Chuan originally studied the Crane system he was passed the forms and structures of Buddhist Gong Fu without the deeper concepts or spiritual principles. Years later he was invited to study at Shaolin Temple and became a disciple of Shi Su Xie. It was through this and his ongoing study that De Chuan evolved his system of Crane Boxing known as Shaolin Bai He Cha’n Quan, Shaolin White Crane Buddhist Fist. De Chuan taught a number of Crane forms as well as his own interpretations of the Shaolin Temple forms Wu Bu Quan, Xiao Hong Quan, Da Hong Quan, Da Mor Quan, as well as Taiji Quan and Yoga. Sadly for us all Shifu De Chuan passed over last year.  However his system is alive and well cared for by the ‘Keeper of The Style’ Shifu Xing Ling.
The Mountain Gate Crane Style
When Mountain Gate Academy (MGA) first opened it originally taught Shaolin Bai He Chan Quan as taught by Shi De Chuan.  However, De Chuan’s system was still very much a work in progress and supported by the other systems that his organisation taught.  As MGA was teaching a pure Crane curriculum and using the tools of Restorative Learning we found our interpretation evolving into an expanded system.
Instead of talking about the differences between the styles we will simply look at the Mountain Gate Crane System as it appears today.
Shan Men Shaolin Bai He Quan
The Shan Men Shaolin Crane system is a concept based style built upon the four classical pillars of Chinese martial arts – Striking, Kicking, Chin Na, and Wrestling.  Each of these four pillars is expressed through principles of power generation known as a Li or “Strength”.  There are 18 Li in the system and each is represented by a family of techniques. As well as the strengths there are five animal archetypes that present a strategic framework for which to apply the strengths. These archetypes are the Crane, the Heron, the Ape, the Swan/Goose and the Eagle. It is the combination of the pillars, the strengths and the archetypes that is the foundation for the entire system in both unarmed and weapon systems.
Foundations
There are two series of exercises that constitute the foundation and conditioning exercises for the system. One series is internal and consists of eight exercises to balance the internal organs and promote wellness and emotional balance. These exercises are a variation on the Ba Duan Jin “Eight Precious Treasures” and are a method of Qi Gong.
The second series are eight crane specific skills that condition the tendons and ligaments to produce the power that the system is renowned for.
Ji Ben Gong
In addition to the conditioning exercises there are a wide range of fundamental structures and combinations covering footwork, Crane Wing parrying, Sticking Hands, Anti-Sticking Hands, Short Boxing, Chin-Na/Fei Na (grappling and counter grappling and “Flying Control”), Iron Palm Drills and 12 series of Tan Tui “Spring Legs”.
Li Gong “Power Generation Skills”
In the Shan Men Shaolin Bai He Quan system there are a series of principles that teach the practitioner how to create differing expressions of power. The principles, known as Li or “strengths” are the foundations of the technique base of the system.  At the beginner levels of the system the practitioner is introduced to four, known as the “Four Point Meteor Fists”, then two more are added to create the “Six Strengths”.  At the intermediate levels the number expands to ten and the last eight are explored by the more advanced practitioners.
In order, the first ten are; Piercing Fist, Cannon Fist, Crushing Fist, Hooking Fist, Rolling/Whip Fist, Crane Claw (Demon Fist), Stamping Fist, Anchor Fist and the Insert Fist.
Each of these “Strengths” are complete packages in that they contain not only the methods for generating the type of power but also the optimum means to counter the same principle as well as the hidden formula to completely un-create the same type of power.
Archetypes

Within Shan Men Shaolin Bai He Quan there are five “animal” archetypes. These five classify the various technical expressions of the system and create a tactical style.  Although the entire system is imitative boxing not all of the movements are Crane.  It is the blend of the five animals that give this style its character.
Crane – this animal uses passive rotational force to negate an opponent’s attacks and replies through the same rotational principle.
Heron – this animal controls the vertical shifting aspects of the system. Heron movements are deceptive in application and flow easily from defence to offence in a single whipping movement.
Swan/Goose – Some classical styles refer to this animal as a swan and others as a goose but regardless this animal uses heavy beating strokes for defence and offence. Often using rotational power, this animal uses aggressive footwork to herd the opponent, circling them and trapping them between the beating wings.
Ape – characterised by powerful charging movements combined with a constant rain of heavy blows. The Ape provides many of the striking and wrestling principles in the system.
Eagle – this animal controls the clawing and Chin Na aspects of the system. Characterised by swift and forceful swoops that finish the attacker in a punishing lock or hold, the Eagle balances the physical actions of the other four through its many joint locking and kicking methods.
Forms
Being a martial art of Buddhist origin, Shan Men Shaolin Bai He Quan is formula based.  Its forms are relatively small for the amount of functional information that they contain.  Even so, due to the physicality of the system the forms can be quite demanding.  The forms of the system are as follows:
Liu Li Quan – “Six Strengths Fist”, this form lays the foundation for the system and can be seen as the major fist form of the style. Each movement is a stand alone function and the form is more of a record of the key principles than a fighting form. In the system there are six versions of this form each bringing out a completely new set of physical weapons for the practitioner to explore.
Jian Bu Quan – “Sword Step Fist”, this form gets its name from the pattern of the foot work that draws a sword on the ground during the form.  This is the first of the systems fighting forms and combines the various animals and strengths into a free flow of combat functions.  The form teaches how to create snares for the attacker to fall into and every movement of the form sets a trap at the beginning and at the end in a constant stream so that every time a trap goes off then it automatically sets the next trap.  This form also contains many anti-Crane movements that work especially well against another Crane boxer and is believed to come from the end of the 19th century when many of the Tibetan lineage Crane schools started fighting amongst themselves after they lost their position as the Gong Fu of the Qing Dynasty Imperial Guards.
Tai Quan – “Supreme Fist”, this form is the most thorough form in the system and if you understand this form then you understand everything else in the system. This form is characterised by the continuous flow of its movements with many strong charges and direction changes.  This form also contains clear representations of the four different forms of power that the style creates, these being hard power, hard and soft power, soft and hard power, and soft power.  Many of the styles wrestling movements appear in this form and are believed to come from a Mongolian influence on the early Crane system.  This form teaches ‘wading’ which is the ability to close rapidly with an attacker and to turn off incoming attacks as you rain down a constant stream of attacks.  The principle is like wading into a stream where you keep moving forward through the constant pressure of the water.
Fei He Quan – “Flying Crane Fist”, this form contains a wide range of more advanced techniques and often makes intricate changes during its combinations.  Apart from the many hand techniques of the style this form includes a variety of kicking, jump kicking and sweeping actions including spin sweeps.  This form teaches more advanced applications of the system and is very physically challenging.
Bai He Lien Bu Quan – “White Crane Continuous Step Fist”, this form is the master form of the system.  Effectively it combines the three fighting forms (Jian Bu, Tai Quan and Fei he) into a single routine.
Mei Hua Quan – “Plum Blossom Fist”, this form, which is sometimes known as the needle in cotton style, is the primary internal style in the Crane system. Although this form contains all of the principles of the more external style it is so different in its physical representation that it appears to be a completely different style of Crane.  Soft and slow, like TaijiQuan, Mei Hua Quan is for the development and refinement of internal energy and contains many cavity press principles.  The form gets its name from the way it can be practiced on the Plum Blossom Posts “Mei Hua Zhang”.
Weapons
Apart from the unarmed routines the system contains twenty weapon forms.  Each of the forms contains the key elements of the system as well as the core principles of each of the weapons.  The weapons are; Single Head Pole, Double Head Pole, Broadsword, Spear, Straight Sword, Flute, Dagger, Ring Daggers, Butterfly swords, Pu Dao, Tiger Fork, Fan, Deer Horn Knives, Double Batons, Double Forks (Sai), Crescent Spade, Bench, Broadsword and Shield, Thrown Blades, Three Section Staff.

In the world of martial arts one animal style has managed to be both widely revered and rarely practised. The animal style of Bai He Quan, the White Crane Fist, is considered to be the foundation of many of the modern systems of Kung Fu as well as for Okinawan Karate. The Crane style is has been cannibalised by many systems and the symbol of the crane has inspired many others, but what is the reality of the Crane Fist.

The origin

The story of the invention of the Crane Fist is an example of martial arts mythology at its finest. The story goes that a Tibetan monk, Or Da Tor as he is known to the Chinese, was meditating on how to refine his martial practice when he was disturbed by the sound of an ape and a crane fighting. Or Da Tor observed the conflict in which the ape rushed at the crane in short explosive sprints trying to overpower the bird and destroy it with crushing blows. Each time the ape advanced the crane evaded its powerful strokes which only seemed to enrage the ape further. In a blind rage the ape recklessly charged the crane and at that moment the crane aggressively pecked one of the ape’s eyes and drove the ape away. Or Da Tor had found the inspiration he sought. Taking both the aspects of the crane and the ape he created a new system of martial arts that utilised the strengths of both animals but he named it after the victor – the White Crane Fist (Bai He Quan).

Many masters had similar experiences in observing the crane in action and evolved their own interpretations including the founder of internal martial arts Chang San Feng who created his 13 step Tai Chi Fist from observing a crane defeat a fox in similar fashion to the ape.

Although there are many different crane styles today the main crane systems are those of the Tibetan lineage and those of the Southern Chinese lineage.

The Southern Crane Styles are all different to each other in their expressions and tend to imitate a particular aspect of the crane as their foundation. The major Southern Crane Styles are the White Crane, the Calling Crane, Flying Crane, Shaking Crane and Feeding Crane styles. All of these styles make use of the close-in short range attacks that many of the Southern (Nan Quan) styles are famous for.

It is, however, the Tibetan lineage that is truest to the original legend of Or Da Tor. The Tibetan lineage of crane boxing combines the ape and crane into one complete package. Primary systems of this stream are the Pak Hok, Lama, Hap Gar styles. These styles use fast evasive footwork in combination with powerful and aggressive kicks and punches as the foundation of their styles.

Physically and functionally

When we look at the generic Crane Fist style we see a number of common structures across all of the systems.

Typically the crane style uses a wide variety of defensive principles to control an opponent. Fast, well balanced footwork is used to evade attacks and to manoeuvre into attacking position. This swift footwork gives rise to the impression that the Crane Fist is confident and aggressive. By using body evasion and distancing the Crane stylist can exhaust an opponent by making them waste their strikes on striking only air. On tiring the opponent they become vulnerable to counter attack.

The Crane style also makes excellent use of the ‘Crane Wings’ to control an attacker. These subtle parrying and clearing actions deflect incoming attacks and are particularly well developed in the Southern Chinese styles of Crane Boxing.

Crane kicking is well developed and the kicks are often hidden in the forms as just steps. This is part of the treacherous nature of Crane attacks. The attacker can never be sure of where the next attack is coming from and by hiding the kicking methods within stepping the Crane Boxer is just as likely to kick as to simply step forward. Some practitioners go so far as to kick every time they step. The Tibetan based styles are renowned for head kicking, which is uncommon in Chinese martial arts. By kicking to the face or head they add a further element of surprise to their counter attacks.

The Crane Style does have some weapons that are uniquely Crane such as the Crane Beak, Crane Head, Crane Crown and the Crane Claw.

The Crane Beak is a pecking strike with the finger tips bunched together and is usually employed against soft targets such as the eyes, throat, the groin or on nerve or cavity press points.

The Crane Head is a solid strike using the back of the bent wrist and is commonly used to reach targets that are difficult to reach with a closed fist. The Crane Head is commonly used to attack the armpits, under the jaw and the ribs.

The Crane Crown is a strong fist strike using a single extended knuckle and is used as an extraordinary tactic to damage vital point or for cavity press.

The Crane Claw is formed using the first two fingers and the thumb. Main targets are the eyes and throat or the muscles of the arms and legs to apply locks or gouging attacks. There is a variation on the Crane Claw known as the Demon Claw which is used to viciously attack the face by gouging the eyes and locking the throat and jaw in the one movement. Fortunately this technique is rarely seen today.

Special conditioning

As the Crane Style is a very well developed system it often employs common methods of conditioning such as iron palm and fingertip conditioning methods similar to those of the Tiger Style and Snake Style.

However there are a couple of conditioning methods that are highly prized and developed by Crane stylists.

The Plum Blossom Poles

To develop balance and surety of stepping Crane stylists often use raised poles set in the ground so that they can step in the ends. The poles are not only walked on but forms and sparring exercises are also common methods of training on the raised poles. The name Plum Blossom Poles comes from the pattern on which they are arranged in which groups of five poles at set together signifying the leaves of a plum flower.

The Plucking/Pecking skills

Strong fingers are highly prized by Crane stylists and traditionally some practitioners used to grease teardrop shaped weights and pick them up by plucking the point. This, as you can imagine, greatly strengthened the fingers and made their pecking actions formidable. Other versions of this training include pinching nails that have been driven into a thick board and pulling them out using a plucking motion. Masters of this skill can rip chunks of flesh from an opponent by plucking with the Crane Beak.

Essence

Sage-like in its bearing, the symbol of patience, reserve and control the enigmatic crane is the very model of martial arts mastery.
Paradoxically the Crane is also often seen as arrogant and aggressive.

In essence the Crane develops our resolve and patience. It teaches us to remain calm and controlled and to seek the right time to act instead of wasting energy on rash and panicked actions. When the time is right the Crane bursts into action with all of its energy. Without waste or hesitation the Crane makes its move and when finished it returns to its stillness to replenish its strength and begin again.

The ability to observe until the desired outcome arises and then to act without hesitation by taking control of our significance is the gift of the Crane.