THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PATTERNS AND TECHNIQUES

Traveling Dragon Thirteen-Technique Spear

An important spear technique

Many kungfu practitioners may perform spear patterns well but may not know spear techniques. What is the difference between a pattern and a technique?

It is easier to answer this question by giving some examples. If you use a Bow-Arrow Stance and shoot your spear straight ahead, this form is a pattern and is called “Green Dragon Shoots Pearl”. The way the spear is applied for combat is a technique, and this particular technique is called “spear”.

The “spear” technique has two main variations, namely “shoot” and “thrust”. When you use your front hand as a pivot and push the spear shaft along it, as in this pattern, it is called “shoot”. If you hold the spear firmly with both hands and push the spear forward without moving the hands, it is called “thrust”. The pattern “Yellow Dragon Emerges from Cave” executes the “thrust” technique.

The same pattern may execute different techniques, and the same technique may be executed by different patterns. For example, the “shoot” technique can be executed by the patterns “Golden Beam Supports Sea” and “Point at Star, Look at Moon”. On the other hand, the pattern “Golden Beam Supports Sea” can also executes the “lift' technique.

A picture-series and a video series of the set can be found here and here respectively.

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


“Traveling Various Spear Techniques

This set is called “Traveling Dragon Thirteen-Technique Spear”. Can you tell what the thirteen spear techniques are. Martin volunteers some techniques, namely, single-handed spear, shoot, and return-head spear.


“Traveling Difference between Techniques and Patterns

Alex demonstrates a few spear techniques. They are circle, shoot and single-hand spear. Please note that a technique is not exactly the same as a pattern. Do you know the difference?


“Traveling Different Patterns Executing the Same Technique

David shows many spear techniques, like return-horse spear, single-hand spear, horizontal sweep, sweep, brush and circle. He also uses the spear as a dagger and as a staff. The pattern that executes the return-horse spear is called “Point at Star, Look at Moon”. There are other patterns that can execute this return-horse spear technique.


“Traveling What are the Others of the Thirteen Techniques?

There are numerous spear techniques, like shoot, circle, float, wave, sweep, brush, flick and shake-head. What are the others of the thirteen techniques?


“Traveling Different Versions of Same Technique

There can be different versions of the same technique. For example, there are different versions of spear and of circle, as well as lift, sweep, flick, cover and brush.


“Traveling Ground, Sideway and Slanting Body

There are more spear techniques, like ground, side and slanting. There are different versions of the side technique, and that the slanting technique is useful in avoiding an opponent's attack.


“Traveling Return-Horse Spear and Making Flowers

Here are two very important spear techniques, namely return-horse spear and making flowers. Do you know why these two techniques are so important?

You can view all the videos above by clicking the picture or the caption below

Difference between Patterns and Techniques from Wong Kiew Kit on Vimeo.

Review of UK Summer Camp 2007 Weapon Course

Traveling Dragon Spear and its Combat Applications

  1. Introducing the Traveling Dragon Thirteen-Technique Spear
  2. The Circling and the Thrusting Techniques of the Spear
  3. Using the Spear against the Butterfly Knives and the Big Knife
  4. Spear Counters against the Downward Chop and the Reversed Sweep of a Big Knife
  5. The Spear against the Versatile Three-Sectional Staff
  6. Circling and Shooting against Various Sweeps
  7. Once you have the Skills, learning Techniques become Fast and Easy
  8. Sharing Secrets of the Spear
  9. The Shoot -- the Most Representative and Most Deadly of Spear Techniques
  10. Learning Various Spear Techniques like Circling, Flicking and Lifting
  11. How would you Counter the Downward Chop of a Big Knife?
  12. Using the Spear like a Dagger or a Staff
  13. The Spear Thrust and the Spear Shoot
  14. Reviewing the first Five Sequences of the Set
  15. Outside-Door and Inside-Door Applications
  16. Covering the Four Corners against All Attacks
  17. Remarkable Achievement at the Weapon Course
  18. Making Flowers with the Spear
  19. Various Ways of Making Flowers
  20. Confusing your Opponents with Variations and Changes in Making Flowers
  21. Learning the Spear Set in just Two Days
  22. The Difference between Patterns and Techniques
  23. The Thirteen Techniques of the Traveling Dragon Spear

LINKS