Fifth in a series: Sifu Randy Choy is a well-respected martial arts teacher in Hawaii. Sifu Fong thanks him for graciously sharing his thoughts on training here.

Know Your Elbow

If you are asking your martial arts instructor about elbow striking, then you are no longer considered to be a mere novice in the martial arts.You must be a "seasoned professional."

When I began teaching the Chen family's Cannon Fist Boxing form, my most advanced students would say, "This form's got plenty of elbows." In fact, this boxing form only has three basic elbow striking methods. The first is the strike to the heart (Xin Lan Zhou). This is a hidden elbow strike found in the postures, "Looking back shoulder strike" and "Nesting bottom of the cannon." The second elbow method is the strike to the waist (Yao Lan Zhou). It is in the postures "Waist obstructing elbow" and "Cross step forearm strike." The third elbow method is a twisted elbow strike (Shun Lan Zhou), found in "Twisted obstructing elbow strike."

If you are bored, try studying another a northern boxing system such as the Northern Praying Mantis. This style has a form called, "Eight Elbows Boxing" (Ba Zhou). As you might have guessed, there are eight basic elbow methods. They are as follows:  1. Folding elbow (Die Zhou), 2. Cutting elbow (Qie Zhou), 3. Sticking elbow (Nian Zhou), 4. Kidnapping elbow (Guai Zhou), 5. Bowing elbow (Pan Zhou), 6. Supporting elbow (Tuo Zhou), 7. Crashing elbow (Zhuang Zhou) and 8. Sinking elbow (Chen Zhou).

My interest in elbow striking came when I studied Chinese Boxing in Taiwan, Republic of China. I had an opportunity to visit with a Northern Praying Mantis Boxing instructor, Mr. Kao Tao Shan at Taipei's New Park and Youth Park. He taught a short, but very effective eight elbows form. The form starts off with a hidden elbow strike, the embracing elbow which is found in its initial posture and again in "Avoid step double embracing elbows." There are the single and double bowing elbow methods followed by a right sticking, kidnapping elbow. From a bow and arrow stance, there is a left supporting elbow followed by a bowing elbow. And there is the crashing elbow found in "Pull down and elbow strike to the heart." You also have the folding elbow and the sinking elbow. Besides the embracing elbow (Bao Zhou), you also have the armpit elbow (Ge Zhou), the forearm elbow (Bi Zhou), and the helping elbow strike (Bang Zhou).

If you are still craving for more elbow striking methods, you might consider the Taiji Praying Mantis Boxing Style. I did. I went on to study Shangtung Shaolin Taiji Praying Mantis Boxing from Mr. Kwong Kwun Wai in Kowloon, China and from Mr. David Cheng in Honolulu, Hawaii. The eight elbow boxing form was divided into two distinct forms, the upper elbows (Shang Ba Zhou) and the lower elbows (Xia Ba Zhou).

If you know these forms, you're considered to be very advanced in the martial arts. So let's do a brief review for the readers of this article. The first elbow is the folding elbow strike. You can find it in the postures "Great roc spreads its wings" and "Single leg double separating fists." The second elbow is the cutting elbow, found in "Hill climbing double colliding fists," "Double dragons coming out of the sea," "Ultimate double elbows," and "Riding the horse while chopping the enemy's elbows." The sticking elbow and the kidnapping elbow are the third and fourth elbow strikes. Used together, you can find these methods in "Supporting the sky elbows." The fifth elbow is the bowing elbow method found in "Flying body bowing elbow," "Hill climbing bowing elbow," "Bow elbow catch step," and "Right bow elbow striking." The supporting elbow is the sixth elbow method. It is a hidden elbow strike executed after such postures as "Turn the body while dashing out a hand," "Chopping the Wah Mountain," "Retreating step fist striking," "Pulling three fist strikes," and "Hanging fist method." The seventh elbow is the crashing elbow found in "Holding the moon close to your heart" and "Lifting stance with crashing elbow." The final eighth elbow method is the sinking elbow. You will see it when performing intercepting elbows strikes.

Your next question is a very tall order. You will probably ask if there are more hidden elbow strikes in the eight elbow boxing form. The answer is yes. I have identified fourteen other secret elbow strikes. So let's begin. The first is the forearm shoulder elbow strike (Bi Jian T'ien Zhou) which is similar to the supporting elbow. The second elbow is the twisted upward diaphragm elbow (Niu Yang Ge Zhou), found in "Single leg intercepting fist striking." The third elbow is the hooking elbow (Gou Zhou) found in "Upward thrust divides the sky." The fourth elbow strike is a turned around forearm elbow (Hui Bi Zhou) found in "Bring the horse sweeping the trough." Carrying and Embracing elbow (Tiao Bao Zhou) is the fifth elbow. It is in "Bow a leg backwards while dashing out a fist." The sixth elbow, a double forearm elbow (Er Bi Zhou) is found in both "White crane spreads its wings" and "White ape offering fruit." The intercepting elbow (Jie Zhou) is seventh elbow, used along with the sinking elbow in "White ape steals the peach" and "Lifting stance intercepting elbows." The hanging elbow (Gua Zhou) is the eighth elbow which is found in all the backfist striking postures. The ninth elbow strike is the pressing elbow (Ya Zhou). It is used in combination with the cutting elbow. The tenth elbow strike is the circling elbow (Quan Zhou). You can find it in the postures, "Grand ultimate colliding fists" and "Kneeling stance double pressing fists." An underneath elbow strike (Fu Zhou) is the eleventh elbow strike, found in "Embracing fist strike." The twelfth elbow is the inserting elbow (Cha Zhou) found in "Double dragons coming out of the sea." The thirteenth elbow is the closed elbow strike (Jiang Zhou). You can find it as a secret elbow strike in "Double dragons coming out of the sea" and "Hill climbing double lifting fists." The fourteenth and final elbow strike is the "Qi Dragon's Elbow" (Da Qi Long Zhou) found in "Single leg double separating fists" and "Circling claw leg method."

Rest your eyes and relax. After reading this article, you might consider yourself somewhat of an expert in elbow boxing.

Mahalo,
Professor Randy Choy
Founder of the Chinese Athletic Arts Academy
Advisor to the Hawaii Martial Arts International Society
Chuk Kai Tai Chi Preying Mantis Organization-Hawaii

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