Fa-jing Ch’uan Dim-mak Training Methods Part One Nasser Butt

Introduction

The Fa-jing Ch’uan Dim-mak Training Methods are an integral component of The Erle Montaigue System. These training methods were designed to teach a student the foundations of fa-jing, combined with dim-mak at both a theoretical and practical level. Further, they helped develop mind-body coordination, timing, the point of coordination, as well as attacking targets at a reflexive level.

There are 10 of these training methods in total. Each method increases in complexity and skill. Usually, students were only given a single method to practice and only after successful execution and understanding was the next one given. Each method is practiced on both sides. Some of the methods are trained 4* ways, whilst others only 2.** All the methods have a solo component, followed by a two-person method.

Each method requires that the body be totally loose — this does not mean that you hold it like a limp noodle, you must have internal tension in order to hold structure.

It is, of course, impossible to show the explosive nature of these methods using still photography since they literally take a split second to do and would simply be a blur. For those who are interested in learning these methods, it is best to seek out a teacher who is well-versed with them and can execute them as they are intended.

The students should not view these as techniques! They are training methods, which when understood will lead the student on to higher things. However, it is important that students don’t kid themselves! Evaluate your progression correctly. Don’t rush through these methods, because just when you think that you have understood one, to the diligent student, it will offer more!

The purpose here is to simply introduce these methods to the beginner, as well as to provide a reference point for those students who are already training under The Guild with either myself or Peter Jones.

A word of warning… the areas being targeted are extremely dangerous and can be fatal or cause serious

injury! At no point should any of the primary target actually be struck [especially those located on the neck, eyes, the back of the head and the face in general]. Pull your strike in training! Power can be executed in the solo drill and or upon mitts with a partner.

* Right foot, right hand lead; Right foot, left hand lead; Left foot, left hand lead; left foot, right hand lead. ** Right and left side.

Solo

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Starting with a reverse bow stance, simply allow your hands to hang in front of you about chest high [Figure 1]. As the waist turns to your left, your left hand strikes using the pisiform bone to the left. As you step forward with the right foot, the right hand strikes to the right as the waist turns to the right. Finally, as the waist turns back to the left, the left foot naturally drags up behind as the right hand snaps into a tiger-paw punch with the right leg kicking slightly backwards, and the waist finishes by turning back to the centre. The movement itself dictates the weight positioning as we finish slightly forward of 50/50 in favour of the front leg, ie, we are not double-weighted.

The solo drill is practiced explosively marching up and down the hall on both sides 4 ways.

Two-Person Method

Tiger Paw

Points struck are PC6 [Neigwan on both wrists, followed by a single-knuckle strike into either CV22 [pit of the throat] or ST9 [to the side of the Adam’s apple].

Pericardium [PC] 6

Stomach [ST] 9

Conceptor Vessel [CV] 22

Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7

Your partner stands in front of you holding a guard. They should be just outside your reach at a realistic distance! Your waist turns explosively to the left as the left hand strikes his right neigwan [Figure 5] in the direction towards his hand, immediately as you step with the right foot, your waist turns to the right striking his right neigwan [Figure 6], causing both his hands to explode outwards [this component is the key movement]. As your waist continues the shake back to the left, your back foot naturally drags up as your tiger paw [Single-knuckle] strikes him either at CV22 [the pit of the throat] or at ST9 to the side of the neck [Figure 7].

All the strikes must happen on the count of one! Waist movements are left, right, left and centring back to right.

Method Two — An open side method

Solo

Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12

Start in a reverse bow stance as in the previous method [Figure 8]. Your waist starts to turn to the left as your right hand moves up and across in an arc [Figure 9] with the palm facing outwards, as the waist continues to turn to the left the left hand moves up in an arc and immediately overtakes the right hand [Figure 10] with the palm facing inwards. The waist immediately turns back to the right taking the right hand with it as you step forward with the right foot [Figure 11]. As the waist turns back to the left, the left foot drags up naturally as the right hand strikes forwards with the knife-edge exposed [Figure 12]. The move finishes with the waist settling back to the centre.

All the rules of the previous method apply here too.

Two-Person Method

Points struck are PC6 [Neigwan on both wrists, followed by a knife-edge strike to ST9 [to the side of the Adam’s apple].

Your partner stands in front of you holding a guard. Your waist turns explosively to the left as the right hand moves

up and across in an arc as your weight shifts slightly towards the rear leg [Figure 13] and strikes his neigwan [PC6] on his right arm. As the waist continues its turn to the left, the left hand instantly follows and over takes the right hand, and also strikes [PC6] using the back of the palm and part of the wrist [Figure 14]. As you step forward with your right foot, your waist turns to the right and the right hand slams into his left neigwan point [Figure 15]. Finally, as the waist turns back to the left, the right knife-edge shoots forward and strikes into ST9 [Figure 16], before settling back in the centre.

Once again, all the strikes happen on the count of one and the opening 3 strikes on his neigwan points should cause his hands to explode outwards. Waist movements are left, right, left and centring back to right.

Figure 13 Figure 14 Figure 15 Figure 16

Method Three — A closed-side Method

Solo

Figure 17 Figure 18 Figure 19 Figure 20

Start in a reverse bow stance as in the previous method [Figure 17]. This time we are working on the closed side. All three strikes are carried out by the same hand!

Your waist turns to the right as your right hand strikes to the right with a back fist [Figure 18]. The waist immediately turns back to the left, you step forward with the right foot with your right hand forming a tiger paw as it whips up and across to the left [Figure 19]. Instantly, the waist shakes back to the right, as the right hand now rolls into a ‘dog-fist’ [see below] and whips to the right [Figure 20] as the back foot catches up.

Again, all 3 strikes are done on the count of one — an explosive movement of the waist right, left and right as the hand spirals upwards. This is a difficult dynamic. Like in all the methods, it is the body which is doing the strike following the Classic:

Starting from your foot, issue through your leg, directing it at your waist, and expressing it at your fingers.

Two-Person Method

Points struck are CO10 [Colon/Large Intestine] just below the elbow, followed by GV26 [Governing Vessel] below the nose and finally, GB3 [Gallbladder] in the temple area by the side of the head.

Colon/Large Intestine [CO/LI] 6 Governor Vessel [GV] 26 Gallbladder [GB] 3

Dog-Fist: The arrows indicate the striking portion of the bottom 3 knuckles.

Your partner stands with their guard up. As your waist begins its shake to the right, the right back fist [using top two knuckles] strikes your partner on CO10 [Figure 21, reverse image below]. This causes their angle to change to their left. Instantly the waist continues to shake to the left as the left foot steps up and the right hand now ricochets and whips across under the nose, striking into GV26 [Figure 22] with a tiger paw. The waist now turns back to the right as the right tiger paw opens and the hand whips back to the right, closing and forming a dog-fist, with the last 3 knuckles striking into the temple [GB3].

All three of the above methods deploy a single fa-jing shake. As already stated above, the images here are for illustrative purposes only to show what is happening during the shake from a static perspective. It is not possible to show the method at full pace.

We will continue with the next three methods in Lift Hands Volume 25, available in March 2023.

Figure 21 Figure 22 Figure 23