(reproduced from http://www.shaolin.org/review/sweep.html)

How to Follow Up from a Feign Attack

Attacks can come in countless ways, but to facilitate learning, masters have group them into four major categories, namely:

1. Striking

2. Kicking

3. Felling

4. Gripping

Sequences 1 to 8 deal with striking attacks. While Combat Sequences 1 to 4 use the left leg mode with “Black Tiger Steals Heart” as the leading pattern, Combat Sequences 5 to 8 use the right leg mode leading with “Fierce Tiger Speeds Through Valley”. And while Sequences 1 to 4 focus on developing skills, Sequences 5 to 8 focus on expanding techniques.

Poise Patterns	Fierce Tiger

Numerous fundamental skills have been developed, and they include:

1. Right timing

2. Right spacing

3. Flowing movement and force

4. Right judgment

5. Fast decision

6. Instantaneous change

7. Footwork adjustment

8. Safe coverage

Single Knife	Sweep Armies

Numerous tactics are also introduced, and they include:

1. First defence then counter

2. Defence cum counter

3. No defence direct counter

4. Alert the east attack the west

5. Unaccustomed mode

6. Feint moves and exposure

7. Flowing attacks

8. Pressing attacks

In order that you can develop the skills to using typical kungfu techniques spontaneously in combat, these combat sequences are practiced in progressive stages, as follows:

1. Pre-choice

2. Self-choice

3. End-point continuation

4. Mid-point continuation

5. End-point addition

6. Surprised counter

7. External change

8. Internal change

9. Mid-point addition

10. Initial addition

Single Knife	Golden Leopard

“Bar the Big Boss” was introduced in the previous combat sequence in place of “Single Tiger” against the opponent’s thrust punch. In this sequence we learn a new technique that develops from “Bar the Big Boss”. Instead of blocking the opponent’s arm, we can chop at it, using the pattern ”Attending Meeting with Single Knife”.

The opening attack “Fierce Tiger Speeds through Valley” in this sequence, as in the other sequences, is used as a feint move to tempt the opponent to counter-attack. That is why the left guard hand, which is normally held near the right shoulder in this pattern, is purposely left exposed.

As the opponent falls into our trap and counter-attacks, we can respond in numerous prepared ways, such as executing another “Fierce Tiger” in Sequence 5, “Dark Dragon” in Sequence 6, and “White Snake” in Sequence 7. In this sequence, we use “Single Knife” to fracture his attacking arm or dislocate his attacking elbow, followed immediately with “Horizontally Sweep a Thousand Armies” at his neck. Hence, if you are well trained, like having practiced selected techniques at least 50 times daily for a few months, you may defeat your opponent the moment he responds to your feint moves.

Hang Lotus	Golden Dragon

But if you opponent is well trained too, he can of course neutralize your rehearsed attacks. In this sequence, for example, he intercepts your “Horizontal Sweep” with a “Single Knife”, and irrespectively of whether you could shift your arm away in time, he follows immediately with a “Golden Leopard Speeds through Jungle” into your ribs.

As you strike his attacking arm with “False Leg Hand Sweep”, he “flows” over your attacking hand and swings a “Reverse Hanging of Lotus” on your right temple, guarding your right leg with his right leg. You may neutralize his “Hanging Lotus” with “Golden Dragon”. At this point, both you and your opponent have a good opportunity to continue combat. You may, for example, move forward with a “Black Tiger” or a “White Snake”, thus continuing with any of the Sequences 1 to 4. Later, when you have learned kicking techniques, you may continue with a right thrust kick or a left side kick.

OVERVIEW

Poise Patterns	Fierce Tiger	Single Knife	Sweep Armies

Single Knife	Golden Leopard	Hang Lotus	Golden Dragon