Cam Kiu 1st Section

A note on Cantonese

I use the ‘Jyut Ping’ (粵拼) Cantonese writing system as I have found it to be the most accurate. For an excellent way to learn Cantonese pronunciation, see Fluent Forever. For a dictionary see CantoDict or use the Hanping Cantonese App for Android.

沉橋/cam4 kiu4 (chum kiu)/sinking bridge

In our style the first character is 沉 (to sink) instead of 尋 (to seek). This is because the emphasis of our 1st section is to sink our elbows while our arms are on top of our opponent’s (e.g. Soeng Fuk, So Sau etc) which allows us to better control their balance.

Hence Cam Kiu focuses on the following:

1. Operating at a longer range than Siu Nim Tao

2. Controlling the arms and balance over hitting (e.g. Cam Kiu Laap)

3. Hands going straight into a move from different starting positions (e.g. Cin Bong Sau)

4. Moving the body while doing a move (e.g. moving Bong Sau)

5. Dealing with multiple opponents (e.g. Twisting Kick)

6. Acting earlier than your opponent (i.e. you are faster to start your move)

Cam Kiu Fuk is different to Siu Nim Tao Fuk – instead of the wrist being flexed, the wrist is neutral and the palm faces down. Arms should be at 135° (mid point between straight and 90°) unless otherwise stated.

交叉手上/SOENG5 GAAU1 CAA1 SAU2 (seung gau cha sao)/UPPER CROSS HANDS

Angles:

1. Same as Siu Lam Tao Gaau Caa Sau but palms point downwards

2. Elbows are slightly wider than in Siu Nim Tao in order to better allow you to control your opponent’s arms

Applications:

1. Double inside or Double outside

2. He Punch/You Double Outside GCS/Punch/CK Mang or CK Laap (inside or outside) or So Sau etc – anything from CK 1st section

掹手/mang1 SAU2 (mung sao)/pulling HAND

Angles:

1. Wrist angle goes from neutral in GCS to flexed as you draw your hands back

Applications:

1. He Punch/You Outside GCS/Punch/Mang both their hands downwards (grabbing, not holding)

飛踭出拳/fei1 zaang1 ceot1 kyun4 (fei jarn chut kuen)/’elbow out’ punch

Angles:

1. Punch angle is at 0° i.e. line of the fingers are vertical

2. Punch in line with your 1st centreline, elbow in line with your ‘braces’ line (similar to CK GCS)

3. Contact point is the flat rectangle of your bottom 3 fingers (proximal phalanx)

4. Punch is level with your upper 3rd centreline (sternum)

Applications:

1. Diagonal, Outside and Same Side, Inside (trapping back hand)

2. Used to counter an ‘Elbow In’ Punch inside or outside

3. Can be combined with Hau Paak Sau to clear space for your punch

4. Can be used to counter a second opponent’s punch from the side

5. Can be drilled with your partner also cycling ‘Elbow Out’ Punches – contact point is your 3rd centreline (therefore your punch angle will more across than in the form)

6. When drilling, your back hand should be on the level of your 3rd centreline (unlike ‘Elbow In’ Punches where it is the level of your elbow). This is so that your forearm is less ‘flat’ where it can be more easily collapsed by your opponent

剔手/tik1 SAU2 (tik sao)/picking out HAND

Angles:

1. Both arms first cross with elbows at 90° and the 3rd centrelines in line with the 1st centreline (left over right)

2. Then the arms go diagonally outwards (like Tiu Sau) until elbow angle is 135°

3. Wrists are flexed with fingers pointing horizontally towards each other

Applications:

1. Double outside or Double inside

2. Punch/cross the 2 Tiks first to collect the punch, then double Tik to put pressure back on opponent

3. No Zyun Maa if using 2 Tiks together

4. Can combine with ‘same side, outside’ SLT Gam Sau

5. Good for transitioning into Hyun (SLT Fuk Sau but in Tik you are turned)

6. Can grab round their neck (combine with Dai Cau Kyun – uppercut). Like BZ Straight Mang Sau but in Tik you use whole hand, not just the fingers

鎖手/so2 SAU2 (sor sao)/locking HAND

Angles:

1. Upper hand same as 1 hand CK Gaau Caa Sau

2. Lower hand same as SLT Hau Paak Sau but hand touches your own shoulder

3. Back hand Hyuns to transition to next So Sau

4. Arms go before body, empasize upper sinking down, diagonally

5. Upper body turns 90° to the side, but stance only stays turned at 45°

Applications:

1. Outside only

2. Ideally your front hand 3rd centreline is on their elbow and your back hand wrist is on their wrist (locking their arm)

3. 3 Applications against a 2nd Punch:

4. Punch/So Sau/Punch inside your front hand/So Sau

5. Punch/So Sau/Punch outside your front hand/Front hand Hyun into back hand Hyun into So Sau

6. Punch/So Sau/Punch quickly outside your front hand/Hoi

7. Only So Sau if one of your arms are already forward – don’t do it directly to a punch as the timing window is very small to get your arms forward first

8. Saan Sau Ideas:

9. Punch/Outside Hau Paak + Outside Cin Paak into So Sau their front arm

雙伏手/soeng1 fuk1 SAU2 (seung fuk sao)/double covering HAND

Angles:

1. Similar to SLT Fan Sau but palms face down

Applications:

1. Double outside or double inside

2. Empasize upper arms sinking down, diagonal to control their balance

3. Punch/Soeng Fuk/Punch/[Any CK 1st section move]

擸手/laap3 SAU2 (lap sao)/bringing together hand

Angles:

1. If facing your right side in the form, your right hand will go down and forwards first

2. Elbows out

3. 1 hand forwards, 1 hand backwards

4. Hands grab to a fist and wrists are extended

5. Make a circle with your hands as you Laap – your hands will go more forward and it locks the angle of their elbow at 45° rather than 90°

6. Forward hand end position is like a SNT Cin Gam Sau with a fist

7. Back hand end position same as the forward hand but palm of fist is up and elbow angle at 90°

Applications:

1. Outside or Inside

2. Non-laaping hand is a Dau Sau under their elbow.

3. For inside:

4. use 3rd centreline for your forward hand instead of grabbing with your hand

5. use Pin1 San1 Maa5 (偏身馬 – perpendicular) to be on top of their back hand with your Dau Sau hand

6. In practice CK Laap is quick, snap of their joint – not a hold. However in training it is done as a hold in order to safely observe the effect of Laap on your training partner

7. Saan Sau Ideas:

8. Punch/outside, diagonal 1 hand SNT GCS into CK Laap

9. Punch/inside, same side 1 hand SNT GCS into CK Laap + Pin San Maa

10. Punch/CK GCS/Punch/CK Laap

11. Punch/Soeng Fuk Sau/Punch/inside or outside CK Laap

撲掌/pok3 zoeng2 (pok jeung)/leaping palms

Angles:

1. Hand that is up from the last CK Laap will directly become the down hand of the 1st Pok Zoeng

2. Heel of the palm goes from your chin level (90° elbow angle) diagonally, down at an angle to your upper 3rd centreline level (135° elbow angle)

3. Wrist angle goes from flexed to extended

4. If looking from above, your back hand’s wrist starts at a 45° angle from your 1st centreline

5. Elbows out

6. Last Pok Zoeng has a Hau Sau (90° GCS) for the back hand in preparation for Cam Zaang

Applications:

1. When applied forwards it is a strike

2. When applied backwards it is a defensive move (like the 8 punches)

3. Diagonal, Outside or Same Side, Inside – use wrist or 3rd centreline

4. Same side, Outside or Diagonal, Inside – use fingers

5. Reasons that you might need to hit lower than their face:

6. they are much taller than you

7. they are wearing a bike helmet

8. your hand is high and you want to get it down again

沉踭/cam4 zaang1 (chum jarn)/sinking elbow

Angles:

1. Last Pok Zoeng wrist goes from extended to flexed in preparation

2. Use the 1st circle to rotate the forearm from palm up to palm down

3. Similar to using SLT 2nd Section Hoi combined with Zyun Maa

4. Like Hoi, the forearm ends in a palm down, 1 hand Gaau Caa Sau position (3rd centreline in line with 1st)

5. Hau Sau in back hand

Applications:

1. Used to regain the 2nd centreline if your elbow is high (e.g. they Hap or Tiu your elbow)

2. Only used if there’s not too much force against force, otherwise come under your elbow with your other arm

3. Elbow leads, body follows

前膀手/cin4 bong2 sau2 (chin bong sao)/forward wing (shoulder) arm

Angles:

1. Prepare for the Bong by having 1 arm in a reverse Hau Paak Sau position – palm facing your own face with elbow angle at 45°

2. Other arm is down beside your groin – palm facing forwards, elbow at 135°

3. ‘Load’ lower arm to 45° first before extending again to 135° for the Cin Bong Sau

4. Upper arm rotates diagonally down in order to do the CK Wu (same as SLT but with from the Hau Paak Sau position and with a Zyun Maa)

5. Your bong goes straight forward, whereas your 1st centreline will be facing away at a 45° angle (see below)

Applications:

1. The reason your 1st centreline is at a different angle from your bong is so that your shoulder goes forward more and pushes your 1st opponent away from you. Then as your 2nd opponent attacks you from the side, your 1st centreline is already facing them

2. Ideally used to push 1 of multiple opponents into a wall, or pushing them away so you can kick

3. Used to train actions where your hands are starting from different positions (e.g. low by your groin, or high by your face)

中線出拳/zung1 sin3 ceot3 kyun4 (jung sin chut kuen)/centreline punch

Angles:

1. Upper body turns 90° to the side, but stance only stays turned at 45°

2. Punch over your last Cam Zaang

Applications:

1. Trains the punch in fighting stance with added power from turning the upper body

橫掃伏手/waang4 sou3 fuk1 sau2 (wang so fuk sao)/horizontal sweeping covering hand

Angles:

1. After punch, palm opens

2. Rotate the forearm and hand using the 1st circle as you Fuk and turn 180° – elbow stays at 135°

Applications:

1. Whereas Cin Bong Sau trains against a 2nd opponent attacking from a 45° angle, Waang Sou Fuk Sau trains against a 2nd opponent attacking from a 180° angle (directly behind you)

2. Be aware that it is one of the few moves that will clash against their punch. Some people draw back the arm and then bring it forward again to avoid this clash, however it is more risky as there is a moment where your arms are collapsed

3. Also known in our school as ‘Tiu Fuk Sau’, since in Saan Sau it is like a Tiu but palm down.

轉馬伏手/zyun2 maa5 FUK1 SAU2 (juen ma fuk sao)/turning stance covering hand

Angles:

1. To prepare, ‘load’ the Fuk by bending the elbow to 45°

2. Then Fuk across your body while turning (Zyun Maa) – same as Zam Sau but palm faces down

Applications:

1. Same as Zam Sau but emphasizes controlling their balance over controlling their arms since you are using the ‘flat’ part of the forearm rather than the ‘blade’

2. Also known in our school as ‘Zam Fuk Sau’

正馬伏手/zing3 MAA5 FUK1 SAU2 (jing ma fuk sao)/middle STANCE COVERING HAND

ANGLES:

1. Elbow in

2. Body frontal

3. Neutral wrist

4. Palm facing down

APPLICATIONS:

1. N/A [Closes out the section]

#Syllabus