San Do Kuen Martial Arts

Choy Lay Fut might appear to be overly artistic or dramatic with its swinging fist technique and dynamic stance work, but it contains two vital elements for any martial arts practice.  The ability to destroy an opponent’s arms with destructive blocking is a particular strength of Choy Lay Fut.  In the lower body dynamics of this style we find the essential footwork sequencing for effective sweeps and close quarters leg or foot trapping.

The Forearm as a Weapon

The bone conditioning aspect of the training creates solid strength in the forearms which become another weapon in martial arts arsenal.  In Choy Lay Fut, the arms become the fists.  The salchoy or “swingning hammer” is the signature punch and the best example of this method.  Salchoy (using the conditioned forearm) can target the neck or destroy the opponent’s arm as he tries to strike.  Also, the twisting low block (parry) can be used to attack any body punches and set up outside arm breaking strikes.

In general, the Choy Lay Fut way is to defend against punches with aggressive bone destruction or to “make the arms fly away,” as the opponent attempts to strike.  Almost every “punch” in Choy Lay Fut can be used to strike an opponents arm or break his elbow and therefore paralyze his offense.  This is similar to “de-fanging the snake” used in the Filipino Martial Arts.

Sweeping Skills

The ability to compromise an attackers stance, disrupt his balance or take him down is one of the most important skills to acquire in any type of martial arts practice.  The Choy Lay Fut forms include unique footwork patterns that help students develop strong sweeping skills.  Perhaps the most important strength of this approach is the effective coordination of the arms with the sweeping footwork.  The deep stance “chan fu” along with the “sei ma” or sliding leg, and the “punkyuu” circular arm blocking create an excellent basis for sweeping skill development.

Destroy the Arms and Sweep the Legs

The combination of these two skill sets create a powerful martial arts method.  If students can learn to disable the opponents striking weapons and then capture his balance, then the other aspects of hand-to-hand fighting can be easily acquired or adapted within the Choy Lay Fut context.