Technical Characteristics

Although Choi Mok Kung Fu comes from south Siu Lam Kung Fu, it has got some particular points. There some specific demands concerning various parts and movements of the body and the position of the legs which are represented below:

Movements of the hands

At the first stage the trainee must bring down his shoulders and keep his elbows close to the ribs. The hands are in full extension and divided in three parts: The root (shoulders), the branch (arms) and the leaf (palms). These three parts handle the force with all the bonds in co-operation and they are also flexible. When a Choi Mok fighter unleashes attack he must be concentrated on both hands and the breath is concentrated on the lower belly, managing with this way to get the greatest power at his strike. A trainee is possible to stretch his hands in order to make the opponent’s hands useless if they are not extended, by closing the gap. On the other hand, when a fighter is under attack, he is able to give a circling fist above the head or to use a deceitful movement by grabbing the hand of the attacking opponent, making him to loose his balance and then to counter-attack.

A high level expert of Choi Mok knows exactly when to use his greatest force, when for example understands that the opponent is tough, or when he avoids or absorbs a powerful strike. But in any occasion, he doesn’t allow his opponent to understand the size of the force that he is going to use during the fight.

Finally, a Choi Mok trainee must always have his hands agile and flexible, and shoulders must be steady and tight. No matter of defence or attack, the trainee should have his elbows slightly bended, so that his hands to be able to change position very quickly.

Movements of the eyes

There is a saying: “have a sharp eye and a sharp ear”. During the fight, eyes are the first to give signals to the brain through the optical nerve. When we train we must make quick movements and also have sharp vision. In every conflict, we have to pay attention to all the surroundings (left, right, up and down) otherwise we are doomed to loose.

Movements of the trunk

In Choi Mok there are various ways which can help us to combine with flexibility the movements of the trunk in defence and attack. The posture transformations of the waist and the shoulders determine the change of the fighting technique, but they are also arranged by them. In any occassion, the key is the movement of the waist. The waist should move forward or be pulled backwards like a snake. This movement of the waist directs the movements of the shoulders and the hands. It is said that : “ It is simple for everyone to train his fists but difficult to have under control his waist ”, and that : “The waist is like a bow and the fist is like an arrow “. All these show the significance of the waist in every technique.

The trainee must have a straight and upright waist, cool and steady to achieve normal transition from one posture to another and to be able to release energy easily. Actually, waist and shoulders affect one another. Shoulders must be loose and willingly downwards to achieve continual flow of the energy.

Training for co-ordination between the waist and the hands is very important in Choi Mok style, as it seems in “Yiu-Bok-Lik” or in the “combination of force of the hands and the waist”, in order to create more force. Many Kung Fu systems are of the same opinion for all the attacking and defencing movements. So, Choi Mok is concentrated very much on this opinion. The called “Trunk Movenent” (movements of trunk) mentions the ways which are used by the trunk to attack and to defend. The changes from attack to defence depends on the waist’s movements. In all Kung Fu styles waist is supposed to be the most important part of the body for all the movements. For example, in south Kung Fu systems there is a saying : “twisting of the waist and lowering of the shoulders”, in Tai Chi there is “watch for your waist each moment”, and many more.

Waist is certainly important for the body’s movements. The quick movements of the waist forward-backward like a snake, turns the shoulders the chest and the hips and co-ordinates them, in order to get one single movement of the body. In each technique we use in proportion the movements of the body. The demanding points of the waist are : “loose, steady, straight, agile”. Only a loose waist can store energy in the lower belly (Chinese Chi-Kung masters call this part of the body “Dan-Tien” ), the steady legs make possible for someone to keep his balance, so as to create force. Only an upright waist can easily change position to twist, to bend and many more. And only an agile waist can change the form of the body quickly, so as to transfer the force.

The movements of the body include : “absorbing inside” and “repaying outside” , “floating” and “sinking”, “leaning forward” and “leaning backward”, “turning”, “twisting”. The last four movements are external and movements “absorbing inside”, “repaying outside”, “floating” and “sinking” concern the combination of the techniques which reveal the force.

“Absorbing inside” is when you move your chest backwards and bend the waist suddenly. It is a flexible way to avoid attacks and it gives the chance to counter-attack.

“Repaying outside” means to reveal suddenly and move the force from the waist to the ribs and the shoulders, and then to the elbows and the hands, so that an explosive attacking movement to be unleashed.

“Floating” is the rising of the whole body, so that it seems to “be floating in the air” and of cource the weight centre of the body must be kept steady and balanced. The strengthened power which comes from the twisting and the turning helps us to strengthen an aggressive attack.

“Sinking” means that someone brings down his whole body like “sinking in the water”, so as to keep a steady weight centre. In this way the body is kept in a low level, in case the battle happens in short distance.

Movements of the legs

Choi Mok Kung Fu demands steady postures of the legs. When we move the force comes from the legs and it is gathered on the waist. We combine deceitful and real movements of the legs to deceive the opponent. It is important for the front leg to remain still, either in triangular steps or during the posture changes. Legs, eyes, hands, waist, shoulders, breath and force, all together contribute mutually and make the body, which is steady, like a mountain. The connection and co-operation of these parts is basic in training and fighting. Especially during the combat, the fighter must adopt the saying : “from the moment you attack with hands, trunk and legs simultaneously, you can defeat the opponent with the same ease you would rip off some grass”.