Chinese Wrestling - Single leg

[johnwang]

Chinese wrestling has more than 20 different ways to get your opponent's leading leg. Here are the 3 most basic Chinese wrestling "single leg". No matter what MA style that you may train, these 3 techniques should be easily integrated into your system. It's simple to learn and easy to use.

You can use it in your Taiji push hands too. Your thought?

1. 扣 (Kou) - knee seizing. At 1:18. He throws with his step, and not with his arms.



2. 掏 (Tao) - inner knee seizing



3. 错 (Cuo) - criss cross

[Niall Keane]

Thanks for posting John!

"Single Seize Legs" and "Double Seize Legs" are part of most TCC ~"inner Forms" falling between the styles "Flying Oblique" and "Raise Hands Step Up" in Wu versions. They are an absolute "bread and butter" technique, as evidenced by how often they are preformed in form (arsenal of technique) practice.

The fact that some supposedly "free style" push hands competitions deny the use of such techniques, even going so far as to ban touching the legs, displays how far from real and practical TCC they have fallen. As usual I expect your post will polarise the board between TUFU Chuan (pushy pushy handbags at dawn and even no touchy touchy "jedi intent" dreamers) and practical combat orientated "martial artists", whom I'm sure really enjoy the videos you a posting, so thanks once again! It is always good and valuable to see how others train and coach similar techniques to our own. The "devil in the detail" and all...

[Niall Keane]

a variation relevant to sanda etc..

[Niall Keane]

a bit more of similar... (with focus on earning the right to throw the opponent)

[Alexatron]

I've not tried these techniques in the first videos but wonder whether they'd work if your opponent was more mobile and in a more upright position? Or are these purely wrestling techniques and the anticipation is that your opponent will always be in the low hunched over stance with no fear of receiving a kick in the face or leg sweep?

Reminds me somewhat of some Jiu Jitsu techniques (Japanese flavor) which were counters to someone dragging you forward and down with your clothing - you'd move into them and apply a similar sort of leg throw. I recall getting kneed in the face trying something like this in an open Jiu Jitsu tournament and then having such a sore jaw I couldn't eat anything at the after tournament banquet. The price I paid for being too slow.

[jaime_g]

[Jin Gang Dao Dui]

someone should tell Erik Paulson his Bagua is pretty good

[johnwang]

I've not tried these techniques in the first videos but wonder whether they'd work if your opponent was more mobile and in a more upright position?

Those 3 clips are very basic training. No "set up" are used and no "clinch" is required.

Of course if your opponent just keeps moving around, none of your technique will work on him. This is why you will need to obtain "partial clinch" and put a "fishing hook" on his body. This way, when he moves around, he will pull your body with him.

The "fishing hook" principle is applied in the following clip



The upright position won't make any difference. When you push, you will make his body to lean backward. If you can add the "circle running", the result will be even better.

[jonathan.bluestein]

Thanks for sharing! This is an excellent application for the stationary/advancing Dan Pi movement in Pigua Zhang (with minor augmentations). I will keep that one

[dspyrido]

I like the leg picks & single leg throws but they are tricky to apply against good guys without setups. So johnwang they tend to taught early on in sj & are easy to do on a compliant partner but I think they should follow the arm drags, foot sweeps & even hip throws before getting to them. Thoughts on this? Your preferred logical order of practice?

Also the one thing I think missing from this is the follow on move. Foot stomps, ankle locks/breaks & maybe a knee bar/twists come to mind vs just going to the ground & being exposed to the usual on the ground dangers. Standing arm bar also but that is a bit further away. Other tactics?

[johnwang]

The "arm drag" is a must. You can drag your opponent linear (toward you), or circular (toward his back). Also the angle is important. If you start with your back foot, his leading foot, his back foot all on a straight line, when you attack through that line, no matter how he may move his leading leg, his leading leg will always be under your attacking range.

The "single leg" has great value in defense. When your opponent attacks you, he has to move in his leading leg toward you. It will give you a chance to get his leg. When you apply "single leg" and if you put your pushing hand on your opponent's neck, chin, face, forehead, you can smash the back of his head on the ground. You won't need any other "finish move" after that.

[dspyrido]

The "arm drag" is a must. You can drag your opponent linear (toward you), or circular (toward his back). Also the angle is important. If you start with your back foot, his leading foot, his back foot all on a straight line, when you attack through that line, no matter how he may move his leading leg, his leading leg will always be under your attacking range.

The "single leg" has great value in defense. When your opponent attacks you, he has to move in his leading leg toward you. It will give you a chance to get his leg. When you apply "single leg" and if you put your pushing hand on your opponent's neck, chin, face, forehead, you can smash the back of his head on the ground. You won't need any other "finish move" after that.

Good point of the defense value of single leg. It is always taught (like in your vids) as an entry move but in application the other perspn has to be really slow or setup.

On finishing - on top of pushing make it a strike to the head.

Still think the ankle locks or breaks round it out as well.

[johnwang]

The "single leg" can be used as "hit and run" strategy without any commitment on the ground.

[dspyrido]

The "single leg" can be used as "hit and run" strategy without any commitment on the ground.

But how will you crush & humiliate them? Ok I am kidding as running away is a sensible self defense practise.

The only concern of the single legs (& double) in self defense is the head exposure. Double head cover though helps.

[johnwang]

The only concern of the single legs (& double) in self defense is the head exposure. Double head cover though helps.

Of course when you use one hand to get your opponent's leg, you only have one hand left to deal with both of your opponent's hands.

If you can use your

- opponent's leading arm to jam his back arm, or
- body and your opponent's body to jam his leading arm,

that will be the idea situation.