Over the many years that I have now been practicing and teaching the Li Style (Lishi) Chinese Internal Martial Art of Feng Shou-Kung Fu. I have come across many other teachers of this particular internal martial art style who advocate using a different stepping method to link their foot flow pattern (Kicking Methods) together. I have seen them use a stepping method that involves them using the Monkey Stance (Hou Shi) were their bodyweight is kept on the rear leg and their body shape is Square on to the opponent, another method that I have seen being taught is to step forwards using a Snake Stance (She Shi), but this time the bodyweight is kept fifty-fifty between the legs and again the torso is kept Square onto the opponent.
Both of the two stepping variations that I have mentioned above are incorrect. They are not the stepping methods that Master Chee Soo mentions in his book of Feng Shou-Kung Fu and was not the way he taught them to myself. The correct stepping method that is mention in his book and the way he actually taught, was to use the Scissor Stepping Method (Jian Dao Fa) as seen in the accompanying photo of myself in the Scissor Stance. By using the Scissor Stance stepping method to link your kicking methods together with your defensive or offensive hand & foot techniques (Shoujiaofa) adds more strength and power (Fali) to every practitioners fighting techniques, this is because of the torque or twisting of the whole body, like a spring that as coiled up ready to release and expand its energy.
To use the Scissor stepping method correctly the whole body must twist from the feet to the shoulders. The head is kept upright and facing your opponent, but the shoulders, waist, hips and knees are torqued, allowing the body to be kept side on to your opponent as you are advancing or retreating towards or away from them, not giving them a big target to strike or kick at. When using offensive striking methods alongside the use of the Scissor Stepping Methods when advancing towards an opponent, they are enhanced with more strength and power because of the energy that is stored within the twisting of the body’s Joints, which is then suddenly released (Fajin) as the joints spring open to to allow the practitioner to strike with great power.
Learning to use a combination of offensive striking methods alongside the correct usage of the Scissor Step Methods, can also help to disguise the practitioner offensive kicking methods, giving the Feng Shou-Kung Fu Practitioner a greater chance of landing their kicking methods successfully onto their opponent, as the opponent cannot see them coming, but can only feel their powerful arrival.
LFIAA Under Technical Director Keith Ewers 