|
|
Crane
He Quan - Crane Shadow Boxing
Hap pai, Hao chuan, Hok kuen
The Crane will train the student's
"shen" through patience, stillness and concentration. The
movements are long and graceful. There are three basic schools extant--Hop Gar,
Mot Gar, and Pak Hok—they are extremely similar.
This style is said to
be Tibetan in origin and one of the legends states it began with an old
man who would go everyday sit and contemplate at a local pond. One day he
observed a beautiful white crane resting in the pond. He then noticed a gorilla
come out of the forest and feared that the ape would kill the bird.
However he was
startled and amazed by the bird's elusiveness and ability to peck at the
gorillas vital points. He then meditated upon the bird's actions try to make
sense of what he saw. One day he was attacked two armed robbers, without a
thought, he defeated them both with ease. He then meditated upon his actions and
realized that he had mimicked the movements of the beautiful and elusive crane.
He then decided to preserve this knowledge and created the White Crane System.
The characteristics
of the Chi Lin Crane system include long-armed, wing-like movements. The Chi
Ling practitioner uses two basic hand techniques, Crane's Beak and the Sun Fist.
The Chi Lin Crane
system is generally regarded as an internal system, though initial training can
be extremely demanding. Because of its use of evasive tactics it is a highly
effective combat system. The Chi Ling Crane system uses evasive footwork,
forcing the opponent to work harder to find the target. These subtle movements
shift the opponent off balance, forcing an opening to vulnerable targets.
Also
locks-and-throws, pushing or warding back, which uproot the opponent and hurl
him forcefully backwards are used often to use a type of "shielding"
technique during multiple assaults.