The Technical
Composition of Lama Pai
Traditionally,
there are several ways of examining the technical composition of
Tibetan Lama Pai. However, most of these methods are either based
on very abstract theories or are too vague to give the student a
real understanding of what Lama Pai is really about. They are
presented here primarily for the sake of history and tradition. One
of the most popular methods of describing Lama Pai is probably also
what inspired Nhg Siu-Chung’s formation of White Crane. Based on
the legends concerning Ho Da-Do and the creation of Lion’s Roar,
this school of thought divides Lama Pai into White Crane and Great
Ape divisions. White Crane techniques include kicking, evasive
footwork and vital point striking. Great Ape techniques include
long arm strikes, grabbing with the claw and ground fighting. Some
have argued that Nhg Siu-Chung wanted to stress the White Crane
techniques and that modern White Crane is the end result. The
author has seen some evidence to support this claim. Another,
related method also divides Lama Pai into two divisions. The first
of these divisions, and the more basic, is the “shooting star
fists” (Lau Sing Kyuhn). This includes the long arm techniques and
much of the kicking. The second, more advanced division is the
“flying crane hands” (Fei Hok Sau). “Flying crane hands” is
composed of open hand (particularly finger) techniques aimed at
vital points. Another very popular school of thought focuses on the
importance of the number eight. According to this tradition, when
Ho Da-DO formulated Lion’s Roar he envisioned 8 fists, 8 stances,
8-finger strikes, 8 palm strikes, 8 seizing and 8 kicking
techniques. While at first this seems a little ridiculous (Lama Pai
has, for example, a wide variety of fist techniques), one must
examine this claim more closely. Despite the fact there are many
different punching techniques they all fall into eight categories
(chyuhn, paau, kahp, so, gwa, po, jit/pek, and bin). Sifu Chan
Tai-Shan does refer to both the eight basic types of fist strikes
and also the white crane and great ape divisions but doesn’t
consider them too important. In his opinion the most important
divisions in Lama Pai are the “five hundred roads” (Nhg Baahk Lou).
The first hundred roads includes all the hand and weapon sets, the
second hundred are two-man unarmed sets, then there are a hundred
roads consist of staff vs. staff fighting, after that there are a
hundred roads of cutlass vs. cutlass. The final hundred roads are
devoted to a variety of fighting sets including spear vs. gwan dou,
double cutlass vs. spear, tiger fork vs. shield and cutlass,
etc.
Modern Lama Pai is a
“complete style” (i.e. a style that teaches all techniques: fist
strikes, palm strikes, kicking techniques, joint locking, throwing,
ground fighting, etc...) and contains a wide variety of techniques
from all three ranges. Contained here is only a brief description
of the system.
A) Hand
Techniques
Lama Pai’s most distinguishable
characteristic is its powerful long range, whipping arm strikes.
Based on natural motions as a source of power, Lama Pai fist
strikes achieve such strength they are capable of literally
blasting through most blocking motions. A proficient Lama Pai
student can generate more power with his Kahp Choih (stamping
Strike) than Thai Boxers with their pull-through round kick. The
open hand is also very important in Lama Pai. The palm and
knife-edge utilize the same principles as the closed fist and are
used to chop and cut. The fingers are hardened through the special
“Biu Gung” skill and are capable of deadly penetrating strikes to
soft areas. There are also many different claw techniques including
the tiger claw, crane claw, eagle and dragon claw. Claw techniques
are used to rip, break joints and pull opponents into
strikes. B) Leg
Techniques
Lama Pai also utilizes a wide
variety of leg techniques ranging from kicks aimed at the shins to
jumping kicks aimed at the head. Often kicks are used in response
to other leg techniques and are used to strike the exposed groin or
supporting leg. Among Lama Pai’s most noted leg techniques are the
“flying crane kick” (a heel strike to the chin), “white crane
splashes water” (a hooking sweep and simultaneous peck to the
groin), “tiger tail kick” (a spinning back kick to the midsection),
“tornado kick” (a jumping kick that simultaneously avoids a sweep
and strikes the head) and the “dragon tail kick” (a spinning hook
kick to the head). C) Other
Techniques
While Lama Pai theory advocates
avoiding grappling and trapping situations, the style does contain
a wide variety of throwing techniques. This is primarily because of
Mongolian influences and thus these techniques, like the Mongolian
Shuai Jiao they were extracted from, are characteristically fast
and designed to dump the opponent in such a way that he cannot
break his fall. D) Lama Pai’s Defensive
Theory
Tibetan stylists do not block in
the traditional sense of the word. They prefer instead to avoid or
intercept an attack. Lama Pai’s approach to fighting can be best
expressed in the following four basic concepts. They are: 1) All strikes are
aimed at vital points. Lama Pai favors quick, one strike/one kill
type of techniques.
2) It is better to
simultaneously block and strike then to block and then attempt to
counter attack.
3) It is better to
use a strike that will intercept an attack and strike a vital
point.
4) Lama Pai prefers
to shift the centerline, allow the attack to pass by and
simultaneously counter attack.
E) Generation of
Power
It is very difficult to
describe the theory behind and force generated by Lama Pai. First,
to explain the role of the various parts of the body in a strike,
the example of a weight on the end of a string is used. Think of
the fist or foot as the weight, the limbs as the string and the
body (i.e. the hips and lower back) as the opposite end of the
string.
Force originates in the hips
and lower back, not the arms. In fact, if the arms are stiff there
will be little or no force. This is why many martial artists do not
appreciate the long arm swings of the Lama style and why many
Tibetan stylists do not generate power, in their strikes. The limbs
become taut only when the fist or foot whips around in response to
the hips and lower back. To understand the role of centrifugal
force in these strikes it is also important to understand the
nature of the motions employed.
The second important point is
that all strikes, even straight ones, are based on the fact that a
sphere contains an infinite number of circles. Therefore, where
circular strikes are concerned, there are an infinite number of
angles they can originate from and all strikes are capable of
continuous motion since a student simply continues his strike onto
another circle. As the hands continue to circle tremendous
centrifugal force is built up. These circles also prevent an
opponent from grabbing the Lama Pai student’s hands.
Now reconsider the analogy of
a weight on the end of a string. As the weight spins around it
builds up centrifugal force and if that string is released then the
weight will travel in a straight line originating on the circle.
Lama Pai straight strikes begin by establishing a circle (and based
on the second point there are infinite possibilities) and then
shooting out the strike from a point on that circle.
Traditionally, all these
points were symbolized by the Tibetan drum. This drum, composed of
two beads connected by thread to the central drum, also
demonstrates how both arms work to generate power. Unlike Shaolin
styles, Lama Pai stylists will never chamber the other hand.
Instead the other hand pulls to add power to the strike.
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