Shaolin kung fu short stick techniques are quite unique in application. Training with the stick is different also. Below is an account of that workshop by Si Hing Bruce Ryan, Kung Fu Instructor at our Golden Lion Berwick Academy.
My mother used to say, “don’t play with sticks, you’ll poke someone’s eyes out”, so when Sifu Steeve’s Short Stick seminar was advertised I of course jumped at the chance. Learning a new weapon is always an attractive proposition, and I was not alone, with the Rowville centre filled to capacity with Kung Fu students side by side with a large contingent of our Tai Chi brethren.
After a quick warm and stretch, Sifu Steeve outlined the activities for the day: stances, strikes, combinations, fun stuff, partner applications. Hang on, what’s this fun stuff?? More on that later.
The Shaolin Kung Fu Short Stick
The short stick uses 3 standard stances – forward and backward “pounces”, which felt a little like fencing; a side step which saw the front and back feet switch positions, and finally a back cross step. All stances were designed for use when holding the short stick in the right hand, but it could easily be seen that they would work equally as well when reversed for the “southpaws” amongst us.
Stances out the way, onto the strikes. The short stick is held one hand width up from the bottom of the “butt” or end of the stick for all strikes, and should be held with a relatively light grip – as I discovered from the blisters that came with the free short stick.
Eight different striking techniques were demonstrated with the Shaolin kung fu short stick, all utilising one or other stances to get the body in the correct position to deliver the blow, and to deliver it with power. Downward and diagonal strikes with forward pounces, reverse strikes using the side step stance, striking with the butt of the stick to the head employing the back cross step followed by a downward strike to the back of an attacker’s leg – every combination you could think of for different attacks and defensive manoeuvres. These were rounded out with a jab and a hooking/grappling technique. The eight strikes were then meshed together to produce a short form demonstrating all stances and strikes and giving much confidence in using the short stick.
Next was the fun stuff, and it was named appropriately. With his customary grin, Sifu Steeve explained that the red shaolin dummies would serve as target practice for our new found striking techniques. We could hit things with sticks… As hard as we could! The grins quickly spread amongst the stick wielders and we spent the next half hour lining up to give the dummys a whack using the techniques learnt earlier, encompassing all eight strikes. A few variations were used with the last exercise trying to hit two dummies as fast as possible with 10 strikes consecutively from one side to the other, simulating an attack from two “live” dummies.
The Shaolin kung fu short stick session was rounded out with partner work using the techniques to evade a frontal attack with a knife and other self-defence applications, conducted at a much gentler pace. Closing the session, Sifu Steeve advised that a short stick can easily be replaced by a newspaper, umbrella or similar day to day object with similar effect. I am sure there was many a sore forearm from the multitudes of strikes conducted during the day, but equally sure that all present left with minds buzzing from the excitement of “hitting things with sticks”.
More information on our regular kung fu weaponry training can be found with this link.