panther fist article

The Choy Lay Fut style is a system of Chinese martial arts that covers a broad spectrum of technique. Whatever the situation the Choy Lay Fut practitioner may find himself in, there is an answer found in the concepts that permeate the system. The techniques trained by the Choy Lay Fut practitioner use the entire body and include all manner of strikes, powerful joint locks and devastating throws. In addition to the expansive catalog of empty hand technique at the Choy Lay Fut practitioner’s disposal, numerous weapons techniques are also practiced. Underlying this impressive comprehensive system is a series of concepts that allow the Choy Lay Fut practitioner to adapt to any situation. The focus on these concepts also allows the Choy Lay Fut system to adapt to the physical characteristics of its practitioners.

Like most southern systems, many of Choy Lay Fut’s techniques are based on the movement of various animals. The signature technique of the Choy Lay Fut system, the Sau Choi, is an inward sweeping punch or forearm strike most commonly used as a finishing technique. The Sau Choi imitates the movement and characteristics of the elephant’s trunk. In addition to the Sau Choi there are other “elephant techniques” such as Kup Choi and Pow Choi. The Choy lay Fut system also employs the use of the five animal techniques that are common throughout the southern systems of Chinese martial arts.

The Southern five animals are most commonly listed as the Snake, Tiger, Panther, Crane and Dragon. Each of these animals has a specific attribute: Dragon/Spirit, Tiger/Strength, Snake/Chi, Panther/Speed and Crane/Poise. When combined they bring an overall balance to the practitioner. Aspects of all five of these animals can be found in Ng Ying Kuen (Five Animal Fist) and throughout the Choy Lay Fut system. The Five animal form (Ng Ying Kuen) is a common form in southern systems of Chinese Martial Arts. Some believe this form was taught by the Shaolin Monk Jee Shim after he escaped the burning of the Shaolin temple during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912CE). Credited as the source of many southern Chinese martial arts, Jee Shim taught six famous students at Kwong How Temple in Canton. These students were Liu Chan, Hung Hei Koon, Choy Chin Kwong, Mok Tai Cheung, Lau San and Lee Yau Shan. Lee Yau Shan eventually passed Jee Shim’s teachings to Choy Lay Fut’s founder Chan Heung (1805-1881).

The basic building blocks of the Choy Lay Fut system are based in these five animal concepts that were passed down from the southern Shaolin temple. Among the five animal techniques, the Choy Lay Fut practitioner is known for one animal technique in particular, the Chop Choi or panther fist. Unlike the tiger which relies on its strength, the panther relies on its speed and accuracy. Utilizing the Chop Choi first requires a firm understanding of the structure, fighting concepts and training methods that all serve to make this technique one of the most devastating strikes in the Choy Lay Fut arsenal.

Fist of the Panther

The panther is a fast agile animal; in the martial arts the panther represents speed. The Chop Choi is a quick darting punch, similar to the jab from western boxing. The Chop Choi is aimed at specific points such as the ribs, solar plexus, throat and temple. The Choy Lay Fut practitioner makes up for the Chop Choi’s lack of blunt force by quickly and ferociously attacking these weak points on the human anatomy.

The Chop Choi is made by curling the fingers at the second knuckle and placing the thumb against the index finger for support. Correct placement of the thumb is crucial to the formation of the Chop Choi. Correctly done the thumb serves to unify the rest of the digits on the hand into one striking surface. Incorrect formation of the Chop Choi will reduce the amount of force the fore knuckles can support and will not only weaken the strike but can also result in broken fingers. Awkward and unnatural at first, once properly learned the Chop Choi has an advantage over the conventional fist. Using the fore knuckles as the striking surface the Choy lay Fut practitioner reduces the area of impact and concentrates the force of this piercing strike into a smaller target area. In essence, using the fist is used like a spear as opposed to a battering ram. By using the fore knuckles the Choy Lay Fut practitioner will also gain a few inches of extra reach which may seem insignificant, but can make an enormous difference in real life and death combat.

There are many variations of the technique but the most commonly used are Yerng (yang) chop and Yum (yin) chop. The Yerng chop travels at an upward diagonal direction from the waist into the opponent’s torso. Yum chop travels downward from the ear using a twisting motion to further drill the fist into the target. These techniques are usually used in combination to attack the same target area or “gate“. The Gate theory is the division of the body into sections for offense or defense. In Choy lay Fut the body is divided into 12 gates consisting of left/right gates, upper/middle/lower gates, and interior/exterior gates. Opening a gate refers to drawing the opponent’s attention to a certain gate and then attacking it’s opposite gate. Destroying a gate refers to continuously attacking (Lin Wan Kuen) a specific gate until the opponent can no longer defend it. Continuous attack (Lin Wan Kuen) with the Chop Choi is often employed to destroy a gate but can also be used to open it. The slight angle of each the yerng/yum Chop Choi combination can be used to precisely attack around the opponents guard opening the gate.

Both of these techniques are commonly used from the Horse stance (Mabu) position. The horse stance is used by the Choy lay Fut practitioner in combat from a sideways position. From the front the horse stance has limited strength and exposes many vital targets. However using the side horse stance limit’s the amount of exposure to attack. Using the correct structure from the side horse stance directs the force of the entire body pushing from the ground directly into the strike while simultaneously transferring the rebounding force of the strike through the body directly into the ground. There is a simple test used by the Choy Lay Fut practitioner to test the structure of both the stance and Chop Choi. Assuming the horse stance position execute a yerng chop and allow a partner to push your fist. The key to this structure is maintaining a straight line from your fist to the rear shoulder, keeping the back straight and the stance sunken. When correctly done the Choy Lay Fut practitioner should only feel the force in the rear leg.

Training

In order to properly use the Chop Choi at full power the Choy lay Fut practitioner needs to undergo special training. There are several training methods traditionally used to gradually reinforce, strengthen and condition the Chop Choi. Until the Chop Choi has been sufficiently conditioned the beginning student can substitute a regular fist while using the fighting concepts previously mentioned.

The first step to attaining a properly conditioned Chop Choi is to reinforce the fist by training the stabilizing muscles in the wrist and hand. Since the striking surface is smaller when using the fore knuckles extra attention should be paid to the stabilizing muscles. This is done by performing pushups while maintaining the Chop Choi fist formation. Most beginners begin this exercise on a thin pad since the hard floor can be painful. In addition if the beginner cannot perform pushups in this position they can also hold the position at varying heights to begin strengthening the fist before performing full pushups.

There are several different methods of training the striking surface of the chop Choi. The two most common are the wall bag and the “iron palm” bag. These bags are can be filled with a variety of substances. In the early stages of training the bags can be filled with rice or dried beans. In the later stages they can be filled with sand, gravel or even steel shot. The iron palm bag is used by sitting in a horse stance and continuously striking the bag with increasing force. This can be done for either a certain number of repetitions or for a predetermined length of time. The wall bag is used by first standing in a natural position and lightly striking the bag. After a sufficient amount of strength has been built, the bag can be struck at full force with the yerng/yum chop combination. Similar to the iron palm bag the wall bag can be struck for a certain number of repetitions or a predetermined amount of time.

In addition to these strengthening methods, other methods of finger and hand strengthening should be used. Examples include fingertip pushups, grip training, weight training including finger lifts, wrist curls and the wrist roller.
From the Wild to the Concrete Jungle
In recent years “imitative” forms such as the five animal techniques have been considered “flashy” and performance oriented. Choy Lay Fut is a system of martial arts formulated by Chan Heung during a time of social unrest and revolution. Born out of necessity in a turbulent time he combined the most effective methods taught to him by his three teachers. The animal techniques passed down to him by Monk Jee Shim were included in his system because they contained valid self protection techniques. In their jungle habitats, animals face predators and have to become predators themselves in order to survive. While we may be structurally different from animals, we can use the concepts they employ for our own survival during violent encounters in our own “concrete jungles“. After all, during a life and death struggle the only law that counts is the law of the jungle.

About the Author
Chris Childs is a 6th generation practitioner and instructor of Choy Lay Fut Gung Fu under the supervision of his teacher Sifu Sam Ng (www.ngfamilymartialarts.com).