A Glossary of Words and Expressions Commonly Used in the Practice of Martial Arts: A to D

Acupuncture A form of Chinese medicine that aims to restore the body's energy balance and hence health by stimulating meridians along which vital energy flows.

Advanced student A sophisticated stage of practice attained by a student after a long period of assiduous study.

Ankle throw A form of trip used in some Shaolin systems.

Arm lock A grappling technique which applies leverage across the elbow or shoulder joint, to immobilize it.

Art A specific skill or application of skill.

Attention stance A ritual posture of polite attention adopted by students when the teacher is explaining an aspect of training.

Augment To strengthen a blow, strike, kick or block by using other parts of the body in concert with the relevant limb action.

Axe kick A descending straight-leg kick which drops the heel of the foot onto the opponent's head or collarbones. It is rare in Shaolin systems, though one or two of the northern schools have been known to teach it.

Back kick A low kick used in many Shaolin systems, in which the heel of the foot travels backwards into the opponent's groin, knee, or instep.

Back stance A stance in which body weight is mainly carried by the rear leg.

Backfist A punch which uses the upper surface, rather than the front of the knuckles. Backfist is used to attack the side of head or bridge of nose.

Bak Sing Choy LJ Fut A synthesis of two styles of Kung Fu: Choy Li Fut and northern Shaolin. The result is a long-hand boxing style which favours turning punches.

Ball of foot That area of the foot exposed when the toes are pulled back. This is sometimes used in the northern Shaolin schools but the heel is more heavily favoured.

Ban Ma Bu A mixed stance, half-way between horse stance and back stance. Sixty per cent of body weight is taken on the rear foot.

Basics The fundamental building blocks of martial art technique from which combinations are developed.

Bear One of the five animals used by Hua To in his system of exercises.

Bear claw A form of claw hand. Sometimes known as 'tiger claw'.

Belt A coloured sash worn to denote the stage of training attained by a student. Coloured belts are not found in traditional Shaolin training though they have become popular in present-day systems.

Bird One of the five animals used in Hua TVs system of

traditional exercises.

Black belt The black belt signifies an advanced stage of practice, though it is not used in traditional Shaolin training.

Block Using a limb to deflect the opponent's punch, kick, or strike from reaching its target.

Bodhidharma The first Chinese patriarch ofCh'an Buddhism. He is believed to have visited Shaolin and resided either in or near the temple for a period of more than nine years.

Bok Mei Pai 'White Eyebrows', a style of southern Shaolin Kung Fu named after the nickname of its founder, a Buddhist monk. Also know as Pak Mei or Pat Mei Pai.

Bot Jum Do The short heavy butterfly knives used in pairs by practitioners of Wing Chun Kuen.

Boxing, Chinese A term used to refer to the practice of Chinese martial art. See also Kuoshu, kungfu and Wu Shu.

Breaking The practice of breaking boards and stones with the hands and feet to demonstrate the power generated in martial art techniques.

Broadsword A large, curved, heavy, single-edged sword used in the Shaolin systems.

Buddhism A religio-philosophy founded in India by Gautama Buddha. Its influence spread into China and the sect known as Ch'an became particularly well accepted. Ch'an Buddhism is closely associated with the practice of martial art.

Butterfly hand A double palm-heel strike.

Butterfly kick A double kick in which the inside edges of the feet are swung around and into the target. The second of the two kicks is usually slapped against the performer's own hand.

Butterfly Knife A short, heavy bladed knife, used in pairs by exponents of Wing Chun Kuen. See also Botjum Do,

Centre of gravity That point in the human body around which weight is evenly balanced. In the average person, that point lies inside the abdomen at the height of the navel.

Centre-line An imaginary line passing down the front of the body and projected forward. Many schools of classical Shaolin training restrict each body weapon to its own side of the centreline.

Ch'a Chuan A northern system of Kung Fu developed in the 16th century and featuring large, explosive movements.

Chain One of the unusual weapons used at Shaolin. The chain was made from lightweight Links, it was around four metres in length and had a half-kilo weight attached to one end.

Ch'an See Zen.

Chang Chuan A northern system of Kung Fu that is now widely

practised in Mainland China. It is a long-hand boxing system.

Chi The vital energy that is produced by living things.

Chi Sau The 'sticking hands' exercise of Wing Chun Kuen where opponents test each other's guard through following each other's arm actions.

Chinese boxing A term used to refer to the practice of Chinese martial art. See also Kuoshu, Kungfu and Wu Shu.

Ching Lo The twelve meridians of the body along which vital energy flows. These are used in the healing art of acupuncture.

Chin'na One of the first systematized grappling systems which relied upon locks and holds rather than on striking techniques.

Cho Chiao A northern system of Kung Fu noted for its high kicks.

Chow Gar A mixture of two forms of Kung Fu: Hung Kuen and Choy Gar. Chow Gar is a southern 'family' system.

Choy The name of the Shaolin monk who developed one of the five basic styles of Shaolin Kung Fu. The style Choy Li Put is named after him.

Choy Li Put One of the most popular of the southern Shaolin systems. It is a long-hand boxing system, relying upon swinging punches.

Chuan 'Fist', or 'Boxing': a general term applied to any school of Chinese boxing. Also known as Kuen.

Chuan'fa 'Fist-way': a general term used as above. See also Chuan'shu.

Chuan'shu 'Fist-art': a general term used to describe Chinese boxing in general. See also Chuan'fa.

Circular block A blocking technique which uses a circular application to deflect the opponent's attacking technique.

Claw hand A low-velocity body weapon in which the fingers and thumb are hooked forward. Claw hand is used to attack the opponent's face. Alternatively, it is used to take a powerful hold of the opponent.

Combination A series of basic techniques performed consecutively and/or concurrently.

Control Exercising a limitation over the amount of force employed in the execution of a technique.

Coordination The linking together of body movements with such elements as timing and distance so as to produce an effective technique.

Counterattack An aggressive response to the opponent's attack.

Crane One of the animals used as a model for Kung Fu techniques. There are four types of crane: blue, white, yellow and black. See also Pak Hoke, or Peh Hoke.

Crane's beak A low velocity hand weapon used in White Crane Kung Fu. The thumb and fingers are brought together and the strike is made with their tips.

Crane stance A stance supposed to symbolize the crane standing on one leg.

Crane Style Two styles of Chinese KungFu. One was developed in Tibet, the other in Fukien province.

Crescent kick A straight-legged circular kick that swings the inside edge of the foot into the target.

Da Jong A forearm-toughening exercise in which the arms are repeatedly struck against wooden spars. A traditional liniment is applied afterwards to complete the training.

Dan Tien See Tan Tien.

Deer One oiHua To's five animals on which he based his exercise system.

Deflect To change the course of an attacking technique.

Dim Mok The Chinese art of attacking the vital points of the body so as to produce incapacity or even death. The effects of a strike can be either instantaneous, or delayed.

Double block The practice of using two blocks together to sweep a large area clear of attacking techniques.

Double Sword A linked sword that can be separated into its two components which may then be used independently.

Dragon's head fist A one-knuckle fist in which the middle joint of the middle finger is thrust forward and used as the striking area.

Drunken style A series of movements found in a number of Kung Fu styles which simulate the weaving and unsteady actions of a drunk.

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A Glossary of Words and Expressions Commonly Used in the Practice of Martial Arts: A to D

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