SHAOLIN KUNG FU: big Power tactics (da pao quan) abridged

Описание: instructor: monk De Yang
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combat strategy:

this style teaches "power" tactics. unlike defense, which could ideally be done with a small power, counters and attacks require an immense amount of power, especially considering that the opponents are typically tough guys. power is combination of strength and speed, and so body requires to take special gestures to collect and leverage its force and act in special ranges to apply it:

tactic 5 - 'body power':
"revive the dead corpse (借尸还魂)" – use all possible parts of your body with their full range in attack and defense. instead of using one limb once, use it multiple times and use multiple limbs at once or in succession; and swing the limbs in their full ranges to generate more power.

tactic 6 - 'limb power':
"use fire to plunder (趁火打劫)" – use more powerful parts of your limbs in attack and defense. whenever possible, instead of hands, use your forearms, elbows, or shoulders, and instead of your feet, use your calves, knees, or pelvis.

tactic 7 - 'leveraging':
"shut the door to catch the thief (关门捉贼)" – grab the opponent with your hand or a foot as fulcrum and drag him towards your attack to block his escape and to leverage your force and increase its impact power. for example, before hitting the opponent grab and pull him with your hand(s), or before throwing him hook a leg or your arm(s) behind his feet.

tactic 8 - 'sensitive points':
"to catch thieves, catch their chief (擒贼擒王)" – to be effective, target the most sensitive parts of opponent's body. (the most common sensitive points in opponent's body from top to down are: the eyes, nose, throat, diaphragm, testicles, fingers, shins.) for example, in the fingers, target the smaller one, in the face, the lower jaw, in ribs, the lower rib, in thigh, the lower thigh, in knees the sides, which are relatively weaker and prone to damage.

these involve limbs swing in their full-range curves with action of the upper parts of the limbs in double and triple moves. in this style, all moves are done by both of your arms and even the legs simultaneously or in sequences, teaching you how to use multiple limbs in cooperation in various situations of defense and attack. in addition, the body curvature teaches using the upper, more powerful parts of limbs, like forearms, elbows, knees, etc., within their full range.
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history:

Tang dynasty (618-907):
after a war in 621 AD, Shaolin monks performed a pao chui (power style) in an exhibition in presence of the first emperor of the dynasty.

Song dynasty (960-1279):
pao quan was first officially compiled in the first years of the Song dynasty (960s AD) under the supervision of chief monk Fu Ju (福居).

Yuan dynasty (1279-1368):
in the late years of the dynasty, monk Jinnaluo (紧那罗) improved the pao quan form. this was the 'small pao quan'.

Qing dynasty (1644-1912):
in the mid years of the dynasty, the early 1800s, monk Zhan Ju (湛举) combined pao quan techniques into a base of small and big hong quan, tong bi quan, luohan quan, and some other materials to create the 'big pao quan'. specially, there was a set called Shaolin xinyi ba, which is still widely practiced in Dengfeng area around Shaolin temple. this set imitates daily and farming activities by combining standing and small-frame stances with the pounding moves of the arms and fists, which use whole the body to generate explosive power. Zhan Ju combined xinyi ba moves into the small and big pao quan and perfected them.
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note: there are various other forms and styles named 'pao quan' or pao chui in Chinese kung fu, and they are historically and technically different from Shaolin pao quan. these are just different styles with similar names.
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