Chinese “Sticking Hands”

It may seem odd that you are viewing a blog that is mentioning Chinese Martial Arts techniques when it would appear that the website is fundamentally Karate based, but how wrong you are!

One of the good things about being in Martial Arts for some forty one years is that I have met and trained with, and learned from, all sorts of Martial Artists. Many years ago I met a Kung Fu instructor who explained and showed me the technique known as “sticking hands”. Basically what you do is stand face to face with your partner with the backs of your wrists lightly (that’s lightly) touching your partner’s wrists, your left to their right, your right to their left and at face height.

You then begin to softly move your wrists, hands and fingers – but one must not push. You simply move and deflect smoothly and relatively quickly as if you are trying to caress smoke. When a gap appears in the other’s defence you reach through and gently touch their chest of throat. Once you have got the hang of this, and it is not as simple as it sounds, you can then try it with your eyes shut….which is strangely easier.

Why do this? Well, in the Buntingford Karate Club I use this as a teaching aid for defence against any kind of attack. If you keep your hands moving gently it does not allow the attacker to easily spot an opening to strike through and helps develop a blocking/deflecting technique that is both soft and quick but very effective.

I have had my students going over this during this week and you would be amazed to see the difference it makes to their self defence techniques and freestyle.

Unfortunately I do not have any photos of smoke or mist to tie in with this blog…so here’s a nice wave instead!

Sensei Bill.