FELLING AN OPPONENT AS HE ATTACKS WITH AN UNDERCUT

Shaolin Kungfu

Felling an Opponent using "Fell Tree with Roots"

Undercuts, known as “thong thien pau” or “Cannons to the Sky”, are formidable attacks. Many people are at a loss as how to deal with such attacks as they can be very powerful.

Actually they can be countered quite easily — if you know how. Firstly, don't block an undercut or a “Cannon to the Sky”. Doing so may break your wrist or arm, or at best places you in an unfavorable position.

A good counter is to sink back to avoid the undercut, then move forward to fell the opponent. The video clips in this series will show you how.

Please click the pictures or the captions below to view the videos


Shaolin Kung Fu Counter against Boxer's Undercut

How to counter a Boxer's undercut, which is similar to the Shaolin pattern “Cannon Punch towards the Sky”, is shown. Don't defend against the attack. Counter it with a throw, using the pattern “Fell Tree with Roots”.
The size of the video clip is 1.26 mb.

Shaolin Kung Fu Felling Tree with Roots

Don't block an undercut. Sink back your body to “swallow” it, then brush away the attacking arm and fell the opponent. Notice that here the opponent's front leg is his right leg, which makes it easier for you to fell him with the right or standard mode of “Fell Tree with Root”.

Shaolin Kung Fu When Opponent's Front Leg is Left Leg

If the opponent's front leg is his left leg, you would have to move a bigger step to his back right leg in order to fell him with your right leg or standard mode. If you place your right leg behind his front left leg, as many uninformed beginners do, it would be difficult to fell him.

Shaolin Kung Fu Lead Horse Back to Stable

You can fell an opponent if his left leg is in front. The opponent still attacks with his right leg in front, so the Shaolin exponent fells him using “Felling Tree with Roots”. In the second attack, the opponent uses his left leg in front. The exponent fells him using “Lead Horse Back to Stable” The crucial point is that if you use the standard (right) mode, when the opponent's front leg is right, fell him with “Fell Tree with Root”; if it is left, fell him with “Lead Horse Back to Stable”.

Shaolin Kung Fu Fell Tree when Right

To help students remember which technique is preferable, the following mnemonic is useful: “Fell Tree when Right, Lead Horse when Left”. You may remember the mnemonic as follows: “When the tree is right, fell it. When the horse is left in the open, lead it back to its stable.” This video clip shows “Fell Tree when Right”. To fell an opponent with his right leg in front, you place your right leg behind his right leg, and fell him with “Fell Tree with Roots”.

Shaolin Kung Fu If Opponent's Front Leg is Not Right

If you find the left-right adjustment confusing, you can use “Fell Tree with Roots” irrespective of whether your opponent has his right leg or his left leg in front, but you have to move a big step towards his back if his front leg is not his right leg. You fell him when your right leg is behind his right leg.

Shaolin Kung Fu Felling Opponent Whose Left Leg is in Front

The exponent demonstrates from a different angle how to fell an opponent when his left leg is in front using “Fell Tree with Roots”. He has to move a big step towards the opponent's back leg. It is important to cover your opponent well so that you are safe when felling him.

You can view the video clips above by clicking the picture or the caption below

Felling an Opponent as He Attacks with Undercuts from Wong Kiew Kit on Vimeo.

You can view all the videos here

Basic Shaolin Kungfu against Boxing, Kick-Boxing, Muay Tahi and Wrestling

  1. From Shaolin to Instinctive Fighting to Boxing
  2. Basic Counters against a Boxer's Jabs
  3. Chasing after a Boxer's Retreat
  4. One-Step, Two-Step or Multiple-Step Chase
  5. Practicing on your Own, then Testing it on your Partner
  6. Counters against a Boxer's Left Jabs
  7. Handling Unexpected Attacks Correctly and Spontaneously
  8. Progressing to Realistic Sparring with a Boxer
  9. Employing Appropriate Tactics to Defeat a Boxer
  10. Sticking to a Boxer as he Tries to Bounce Away
  1. Advantages of the Bow-Arrow Stance over a Boxer's Footwork
  2. Practicing Numerous Tactics against Boxers
  3. Handling a Boxer Competently despite his Speed and Size
  4. Understanding and Implementing Techniques, Tactics and Skills against Boxers
  5. Countering the Left-Left-Right of Boxers
  6. Kick a Boxer Whenever he Uses his Right Hand
  7. Various Tactics to Handle a Boxer
  8. Attacking a Boxer with a Planned Sequence
  9. Felling an Opponent as he Attacks with an Undercut
  10. Various Ways to Fell an Opponent
  1. Knee Strikes and their Counters
  2. From Simple Techniques to Sophisticated Patterns
  3. Why are many Kungfu Practitioners Unable to Counter Muay Thai or Kick-Boxing Attacks?
  4. Superiority of Kungfu Stances, Footwork and Techniques
  5. Counters against Muay Thai and Kick-Boxing Attacks
  6. Effective Tactics and Techniques against Continuous Attacks Mixed with Feint Moves
  7. How do you Counter Continous Kicks?
  8. Exploiting the Innate Weaknesses of Kicks to Counter Them
  9. Throwing an Opponent as he Kicks
  10. Striking the Attacker as he Attempts a Shoot
  11. Countering the Shoot when an Attacker has Grabbed you or Pushed you onto the Ground

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