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Strikes and Explanation |
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A strike is the action of swinging the staff in an arc to hit the target from above or from the side. |
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| The pictures below show a double handed downward strike. Raise you arms above your head as if you were pushing the staff up and back, so that the staff points behind you. | |||
| Spread your elbows as you raise your arms (PIC 1). Swing your arms down sharply to complete the strike. As your arms swing down move your elbows together by extending your arms and by wringing the staff with your hands (PIC 2). The wringing helps your wrists take the impact of the strike. | |||
| Your left arm powers the strike and swings down as it extends. Your right arm directs the strike and pushes out as it extends (PIC 3). The strike stops naturally when your right arm is fully extended. | |||
| As you strike, let your right knee accept some weight so that your hips will drop and add weight to your strike. | |||
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| PIC 1 | PIC 2 | PIC 3 | |
| Feet and Knees: Your left foot should remain stationary throughout the strike. Your knees should straighten on the lift of the staff and bend when you strike. | |||
| Hips: Your hips should face 45 degrees to the left to lessen your own target area. | |||
| Back: Keep your back straight throughout the strike. | |||
| Arms and hands: The strike involves three separate motions of your arms and hands. | |||
| The first motion involves swinging your hands down, particularly your left arm, which provides most of the power for your strike. Your left arm should swing down in an arc that, if continued, would pass by your left side (PIC 4) (short distance arc which centres at the shoulders). | |||
| Your right hand directs the strike by pushing the staff towards your opponent. | |||
| The second motion of the strike is the wringing motion of the hands that puts your wrists on top of the staff so that they can withstand the impact of the strike. | |||
| Your thumbs should rotate towards each other, as if you were wringing a dish towel to dry. | |||
| Tighten your grip just before impact and extend your arms out. | |||
| The third motion is the direction of the staff which is controlled by your right hand. This second arc commences before the left hand and ends with the centre of your left hand (PIC 4). | |||
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PIC 4 |
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GRADING WORK |
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(1) OVERHEAD STRIKE |
(2) UPWARD STRIKE |
(3) SIDE STRIKE |
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(4) REVERSE SIDE STRIKE |
(5) DOUBLE HOLD OVERHEAD STRIKE |
(6) LOW STRIKE |
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(7) REVERSE LOW STRIKE |
(8) RIGHT REAR DEFENCE STANCE | (8) SIDE SNAP STRIKE TO RIGHT | |
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(8) LEFT FOOT FORWARD LEANING STANCE |
(8) REVERSE LEFT SIDE STRIKE |
(9) RIGHT FOOT FORWARD LEANING STANCE |
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| (9) OVERHEAD STRIKE | (9) REVERSE LEFT SIDE STRIKE | (10) RIGHT FOOT FORWARD LEANING STANCE | |
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| (10) LEFT SIDE STRIKE | (10) OVERHEAD STRIKE | (11) OVERHEAD TWIRL | |
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| (11) INTO A SIDE STRIKE | (12) OVERHEAD TWIRL | (12) INTO AN OVERHEAD STRIKE | |
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| (13a) DOUBLE OVERHEAD STRIKE | (13b) DOUBLE OVERHEAD STRIKE | (14a) DOUBLE SIDE STRIKE | |
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| (14b) DOUBLE SIDE STRIKE | |||
