Introduction
In BFQ our teaching emphasis is to pass on practical classical Southern Shaolin techniques and applications through forms, drills and skills. These techniques encompass the full range of physical techniques expected from classical Chinese kungfu, some techniques widely used in modern-style controlled sparring, as well as the essential and complementary internal disciplines of Qigong and meditation.
The syllabus is structured such that at each grading candidates will be examined in the following areas:
Stance and dynamic footwork
Hand strikes
Kicking techniques
Contact defence and interception techniques
Paired drills
Form
Qin na
Meditation and Qigong
Free movement, which builds from structured response drills with limited choice, through sparring to combat
Stick work from 4th Grade onwards
The drills introduce and teach skills which are employed in the forms, which are in turn applied in the free movement part of the grading examinations. These skills are built in a natural and very efficient hierarchy where each grade’s techniques are employed in later grades at a higher level using the “spiral approach” to teaching. Instructors receive and study a detailed mapping of the techniques and skills in each of these specific areas onto each item in the syllabus, with appropriate supporting drills.
The syllabus is the Copyright of Ba Feng Quan, and is subject to revision from time to time.
9th grade - White Belt
1. Stances and Dynamic Footwork
Static Stances
Feet-together / Ready stance
Natural / Upright stance
Horse (Horse-riding) stance
Front stance (Bow-and-arrow stance)
Back stance (Dropping stance)
Cross stance
Cat stance
Sparring stance
Dynamic Footwork & Movement Drills
Basic step forward and backward
Slide forward and backward
Change stance
Turn around in stance
Tap kar step into cross stance (advancing and withdrawing)
2. Hand Techniques (Hand Work)
Striking Techniques
Long-fist punch
Upright punch
Palm strike
3. Kicking Techniques
Stepping Kick Combinations
Short side kick
Front kick
Instep
Ball of foot
Instep roundhouse kick
4. Contact Defence and Interception Techniques
Blocking and Intercepting Actions
Mirror block (hinge-out block)
Press-in block
Outward grasp
Knife-hand press-down block
5. Paired Drills (Partner Work)
Non-Qin Na Paired Drills
Palm strike vs mirror block
Horse-stance mutual grasping hand
Press-block vs long-fist punches
Movement sensitivity drill for distance
Forward-only linear footwork
Continuous hand contact
No strikes or counterstrikes
Qin Na (Seizing & Locking Skills)
Same-side wrist grasp
Inward grasp
Drop elbow and flip hand over
Lift hand
Cross-body wrist grasp
Outward grasp
Drop elbow and flip hand over
Lift hand
Single-hand front strangle (body-movement escape)
Double-hand front strangle (body-movement escape)
Elbow-down elbow lock techniques (from inside)
Single elbow trap wrapping from inside
“Snake wraps around the tree branch”
6. Form (Solo Form Work)
None examined at 9th Grade
7. Meditation and Qigong
Standing Practice
Standing monitoring meditation (natural stance)
8. Free Movement Drills
Controlled Free Movement
Shoulder tapping
Shoulder and knee tapping
8th Grade - Yellow
1. Stances and Dynamic Footwork
Transitional drills between pairs of stances from 9th grade
Crane stance
Movement drills
Cross / switch step into cross stance
Breakfall / front roll from kneeling
Indirect step forward / backward
Step through forward and turn
Spring to switch stance
2. Hand Techniques
Snap punch
Back fist (outward, descending)
3. Kicking Techniques
Push kick
Side kick
4. Contact Defence and Interception
Low Press down block
Hinge down block
Wing block
5. Paired Drills
Non-Qin Na
• Upright stance: Outward grasp to upright punch drills
• Fighting stance: Attacker slide forward front kick, jab, cross; Defender slide backward press down, press in, press in
• Three-way arm knocking (adults only)
• 8th Grade movement sensitivity drill for distance
- Attacker moves using only footwork from 9th Grade
- Defender matches stance
- No hand contact
- No attacking strikes
- No counterstrikes
- No off-the-line defensive footwork
Qin Na
• Same-side grasp to wrist
- Pull attacker’s hand inward to centre line
• Cross-body grasp to wrist
- Pull attacker’s hand outward away from centre line
• Both hands grasp single wrist
- Step forward while lifting hand
- Pivot to attacker’s outside
• Single-hand strangle from front
- Break the strangle by manipulating the attacker’s joints
• Double-hand strangle from front
- Break the strangle by manipulating the attacker’s joints
• Head lock
- Reach down/round and grab/strike attacker’s groin
• Basic wrist locks
- Same-side basic wrist lock
• Elbow-down elbow lock techniques from outside
- Using our shoulder and body for leverage
• Elbow-down elbow lock techniques from inside
- Single elbow trap wrapping from inside (“Snake wraps around the tree branch”)
6. Form
Three Battles 1 (San Zhan 1)
7. Meditation and Qigong
Seated monitoring meditation
8. Free Movement
• Use of press blocks to defend against upright punch (including to face for adults), long fist punch (including to face for adults), slide and step
• Free sparring
7th Grade - Yellow with Green Stripe
1. Stances and Dynamic Footwork
All 8th Grade stances transitional drills
Kneeling stance
False-kneeling / half-kneeling stance
Movement drills
• Spring rotate forward
• Spring rotate away
• Step away and turn
• Pull to point and step out with same leg
• Pull to point and step out with opposite leg
• Pull to point and pull back maintaining stance
• Pull to point and step forward with opposite leg
• Pull to point and pull off line
• Pivot off front foot
2. Hand Techniques
• Knife hand: advancing, outward, inverted inward, descending, reverse upward
• Club hand/kow chiew: outward, descending, ascending, step through reverse
• Elbow strikes: horizontal inward blade, rising blade, diagonal descending blade, descending blade, advancing point, outward point, descending point, reverse high point, reverse low point, reverse step through point
3. Kicking Techniques
• Ball of foot short turning kick
• Back kick
• Knee strike
4. Contact Defence and Interception
• High press down block
• nterchange block: Press in block followed by mirror block
• Press up block with fingers away from face
• Outer forearm block
5. Paired Drills
Non-Qin Na
• Sparring stance: Press block, interchange, backfist or joint smash responses to upright punches
• Drills using grasp out and in
• 7th Grade movement sensitivity drill for distance
- Attacker moves forward or backward using footwork from 8th Grade
- Defender matches stance
- Defender may try to establish/maintain hand contact if they wish
- Attacker uses 1 x linear hand strike
- Defender uses 1 x hand counterstrike
- No off-the-line defensive footwork
Qin Na
• Both hands grasp single wrist
- Pull then return
- Dropping step forward under attacker’s cross arm
• Both hands grasp both wrists from front
- Simultaneous application of any of the same-side grasp to wrist techniques
• Single-hand strangle from front
- Break the strangle by attacking vital points
• Double-hand strangle from front
- Break the strangle by attacking vital points
• Rear choke
- Reach down and grab/strike attacker’s groin
• Head lock
- Reach down/round and grab/strike attacker’s groin
• Basic wrist locks
- Cross-hand basic wrist lock
• Elbow-down elbow lock techniques from outside
- Using our shoulder and body for leverage
• Elbow-up elbow lock techniques from outside
- Arm wraps over the opponent’s upper arm from the outside
- Arm pressures opponent’s elbow from the outside
6. Form
Grasping Hand 1 (Zhua Shou 1)
7. Meditation and Qigong
Static qigong breathing
8. Free Movement
• Breaking out of grasps
• Free sparring
6th Grade - Green
1. Stances and Dynamic Footwork
Examiners choice
Movement drills
• Hourglass stance
• Advancing natural stance
• Drop to floor with knee and hip down
• Drop to floor with knee down, hip up
• Lift leg with cover/block and rotate backward/forward
• Reverse step through
• Tap kar step into cross stance: across the centre line with the front foot, across the centre line with the back foot, through behind with the back foot, away across the centre line with the front foot, away across the centre line with the back foot
2. Hand Techniques
• Spear hand: horizontal, vertical, inverted horizontal
• Inner kow chiew/club hand
• Hammer fist: advancing, outward, inverted inward, descending, reverse upward
• Inverted (Luohan) punch
3. Kicking Techniques
• Stamp kick
• Roundhouse kick with shin
• Roundhouse kick with ball of foot
4. Contact Defence and Interception
• Cross block
• Inward grasp
• Hard hinge down block
• Hard hinge out block
• Hard outer forearm block
• Hard bar block, including use as descending smash against prone elbow
• Rising club hand/kow chiew as rising smash against prone elbow
• Hard rising block
5. Paired Drills
Non-Qin Na
• Three-directional dynamic off-the-line drills
• Drills using cross block
• Pushing hands drills: Direct block and counter
• 6th Grade movement sensitivity drill for distance
- Attacker moves forward or backward using footwork from 7th Grade
- Defender chooses opposite stance
- Defender may try to establish/maintain hand contact if they wish
- Attacker uses 2 x linear hand strike
- Defender uses 2 x hand counterstrike
- No off-the-line defensive footwork
Qin Na
• Same-side grasp to wrist
- Figure 8
• Cross-body grasp to wrist
- Figure 8
- Wrist wrap lock
• Both hands grasp both wrists from front
- Ignore one of the grasps
- Pull then return
• Both hands grasp both wrists from behind
- Simultaneous application of any of the same-side grasp to wrist techniques
• Basic wrist locks
- Wrist wrap lock
• Goose neck wrist locks
- Goose neck wrist lock using body to immobilise the elbow
• Elbow-down elbow lock techniques from inside
- Double elbow trap wrapping from inside
• Figure 4 locks
- Figure 4 lock, upper arm horizontal
- Figure 4 lock, elbow high
6. Form
Grasping Hand 2 ((Zhua Shou 2)
7. Meditation and Qigong
Five Qi Gathering Exercises
8. Free Movement
• Pushing hands
• Use of press and cross blocks to defend against upright punch, long fist punch, front kick and roundhouse kick: no face contact for children
• Free sparring
5th Grade - Green with Blue Stripe
1. Stances and Dynamic Footwork
Examiners choice
Cartwheel
2. Hand Techniques
• Ridge hand: inward, inverted outward, descending, advancing, inverted advancing
3. Kicking Techniques
• Front leg sweep
• Front sweep from back leg (180/360/etc deg)
• Back sweep from back leg (180/360/etc deg)
4. Contact Defence and Interception
•Shin block
• Stamping block
• Knife hand hinge out block
• Single/double low press down block with fingers to front versus kick
• Simultaneous press down and press in block
• Press up block with fingers toward face
5. Paired Drills
Non Qin Na
• Three-directional dynamic off-the-line, keep hand contact, and re-enter drills
• Drills for hard block and counter
• Pushing hands drills: Indirect block and counter
• 5th Grade movement sensitivity drill for distance
- Attacker moves forward or backward using footwork from 6th Grade
- Examiners request that Defender chooses matching or opposite
stance every time
- Defender may try to establish/maintain hand contact if they wish
- Attacker uses 2 x hand or leg strikes which may be linear and/or
circular
- Defender uses 2 x hand or leg counterstrikes which may be linear
and/or circular
- Off-the-line defensive footwork is permitted, but not compulsory, but
must in any case either be in matching or opposite stance as per the Examiners’ request
Qin-Na
• Both hands grasp both wrists from behind
- Ignore one of the grasps
- “Monkey scratches the ear”
• Single-hand strangle from front
- Locking the attacking arm
• Double-hand strangle from front
- Locking an attacking arm
• Over-arm bear-hug from front
- Use hips to create space
- Drop weight into horse-riding stance to strike
• Under-arm bear-hug from front
- Counterattack without shifting
- Make space to counterattack by dropping the weight
• Over-arm bear-hug from behind
- Drop weight into horse-riding stance
• Under-arm bear-hug from behind
- Use hips to create space
- Drop weight into horse-riding stance
• Rear choke
- Rear elbow strike then monkey scratches the ear escape
• Goose neck wrist locks
- Goose neck wrist lock using forearm to immobilise the elbow
• Hammer locks
- Hammer lock with forearm against back
- Hammer lock with forearm pulled away from back
6. Form
• Intercepting Fist ((Lanjie Quan)
7. Meditation and Qigong
Breath-following meditation
8. Free Movement
• Non-impact joint locks in response to grab
• Pushing hands
• Free sparring
4th Grade - Blue
1. Stances and Dynamic Footwork
Advanced dynamic transitional stance and movement drill from 5th-9th Grade
- Ba Bu Quan (Eight Stance Drill)
- Breakfall/front roll from standing
- Boxing-style slip
- Boxing-style duck
- Boxing-style roll
- Boxing-style lean back
- Examiners’ choice
2. Hand Techniques
• Boxing jab
• Boxing cross
• Boxing hook
• Boxing upper cut
3. Kicking Techniques
• Oblique front kick
• Axe kick
• Front hook kick
4. Contact Defence and Interception
• Boxing parry
• Boxing absorb/“telephone” block
5. Stick Work
Stepping combinations of:
• Basic strike
• Overhead strike
• Thrust strike
• R mirror block, L hook block
• L/R press block
• Cross block
• Press up/down block
• Diagonal guards L/R forward
• Single hand guard L forward
6. Paired Drills
Non-Qin Na
• Three-directional dynamic off-the-line with kick and re-enter drills
• Interchange and control drills
• Pushing hands drills: Open main door entry
• 4th Grade movement sensitivity drill for distance
- Attacker moves forward or backward using footwork from 5th Grade
- Examiners request that Defender chooses matching or opposite stance every time
- Defender may try to establish/maintain hand contact if they wish
- Attacker uses 3 x hand or leg strikes which may be linear and/or circular
- Defender uses 3 x hand or leg counterstrikes which may be linear and/or circular
- Off-the-line defensive footwork is compulsory, and must in any case either be in matching or opposite stance as per the Examiners’ request
Qin-Na
• Over-arm bear-hug from front
- Drop weight into horse-riding stance to take down
• Over-arm bear-hug from behind
- Drop weight into horse-riding stance to take down
• Rear choke
- Rear elbow strike then hip throw
- Rear head butt then push head and upper body backwards
• Head lock
- Drop body and step behind
• Goose neck wrist locks
- Inverted goose neck lock using hands to immobilise the elbow
- Inward goose neck lock using opponent’s body to immobilise the elbow
• Elbow-down elbow lock techniques from outside
- White Crane spreads its wings
• Elbow-up elbow lock technique from inside
- Outer forearm from outside rotates arm inwards
7. Form
Eight Winds Fist (Ba Feng Quan)
8. Meditation and Qigong
Small circulation meditation
9. Free Movement
• Free response to grab from attacker
• Pushing hands
• Free sparring
3rd Grade - Blue with Brown Stripe
1. Stances and Dynamic Footwork
Advanced dynamic transitional stance and movement drills 4th-9th Grade
Spring rotate to switch stance
Spring rotate 360°
Examiners choice
2. Hand Techniques
Review and consolidation of prior hand strikes – focus will be stick work
3. Kicking Techniques
• From 7th Grade onwards examiners may request jumping versions of any of the relevant syllabus kicks.
• From 6th Grade onwards, examiners may request reactional versions of any of the relevant syllabus kicks.
• Back swing kick
• Front slice/crescent kick/inside-out kick
• Back slice kick
4. Contact Defence and Interception
• Soft rising block with forearm muscle
• Rising block with point of wrist
• Outward chicken fist hook
• Inward chicken fist hook
• Downward chicken fist hook
5. Stick Work
• Diagonal block
• Inward and outward strikes to head
• Up strike
• Scissor strike
• Pump
• Sweeps (knee down or in back stance or as low block)
• Reaps
• Smashes/discharges
6. Paired Drills
Non-Qin Na
• Cover/Absorb/Duck/Slip/Roll
• Pushing hands drills: Closed main door entry
• 3rd Grade movement sensitivity drill for distance:
- Attacks: Jab/ cross/ hook/ uppercut
- Defence: Head movement slip/ duck/ roll/ lean back
- Defender keeps hands down and doesn’t counter, just avoids
Qin Na techniques at this level may be examined:
• as standalone techniques and/or
• in combination with each other to show understanding of the flow of lock-escape-counterlock and/or
• incorporated into any other Paired Drills or Free Movement
• The individual qin na techniques will be drawn from the syllabus up to and including 4th Grade, but at this level may also include other techniques shown in class from time to time.
7. Form
Eight Winds Fist (Ba Feng Quan)
Southern Stick (Nan Gun)
8. Meditation and Qigong
Seated Iron Belt gathering
9. Free Movement
• One step free response
• Free response to grab and strike from attacker
• Pushing hands
• Free sparring
2nd Grade - Brown
1. Stances and Dynamic Footwork
• Backward roll from standing
• Drop to floor with knee and hip up
• Examiners’ choice
2. Hand Techniques
• Phoenix eye fist: direct upright fist, long fist, direct upper cut, descending upright fist with wrist flexion, inner kow chiew with wrist flexion, rising kow chiew, descending kow chiew, back fist, swinging upper cut
• Crane fist: descending upright, inward, horizontal spear, vertical spear, inverted horizontal spear, ridge hand inward, advancing ridge hand
• Hand swipes to ankles
3. Kicking Techniques
• All previous – high kicks
• Inner crescent kick/Outside-in kick
• Reap
4. Contact Defence and Interception
• Hooking hand
• Hooking hand hinge out block
• Hooking hand hinge down block
• Intercepting jab punch
• Intercepting knife hand
• Intercepting uppercut punch
• Intercepting Luohan punch
5. Stick Work
• Smothering blocks
• Redirecting blocks
• Sweeping block
6. Paired Drills
Non-Qin Na
• Close-range strike/trap/escape drills
• 2nd Grade movement sensitivity drill for distance
- Attacks: Jab/ cross/ hook/ uppercut
- Defence: Head movement slip/ duck/ roll/ lean back
- Defender keeps hands up, avoids, then throws 2 hands-based counter strikes
· Qin na techniques at this level may be examined:
• as standalone techniques and/or
• in combination with each other to show understanding of the flow of lock-escape-counterlock and/or
• incorporated into any other Paired Drills or Free Movement
The individual qin na techniques will be drawn from the syllabus up to and including 4th Grade, but at this level may also include other techniques shown in class from time to time.
7. Form
• Eight Winds Form (Ba Feng Quan)
• Southern Stick (Nan Gun)
8. Meditation and Qigong
Iron Belt Form (Tie Dai Quan)
9. Sparring
• Two step free response with takedown
• Two step free response with lock/choke
• Two step stick response
• Pushing hands
• Free sparring
1st Grade - Brown with White Stripe
1. Stances and Dynamic Footwork
• Full junior stance syllabus
• Heel-raised feet-together stance
• Butterfly legs from floor to stand
• Examiners’ choice
2. Hand Techniques
• Full cumulative hand syllabus
• Shadow hand: advancing shadow back hand, direct shadow hand, outward shadow back hand, inward shadow hand, inverted inward shadow back hand, descending shadow back hand, descending shadow hand, rising shadow back hand,upward shadow hand
• Dummy hand strikes
3. Kicking Techniques
• Full junior kicking syllabus (including high kicks)
• Big toe front kick
• Big toe short turning kick
• Dummy kicking techniques
• From 7th Grade onwards examiners may request jumping versions of any of the relevant syllabus kicks.
• From 6th Grade onwards examiners may request reactional versions of any of the relevant syllabus kicks.
4. Contact Defence and Interception
• Intercepting horizontal palm-down spear hand
• Intercepting horizontal palm-up spear hand
• Intercepting vertical spear hand
5. Stick Work
• Examiners’ choice
6. Paired Drills
• Stick responses 1-6
• Empty hand drills using bracketing
• 1st Grade movement sensitivity drill for distance
- Attacks: Jab/ cross/ hook/ uppercut
- Defence: Head movement slip/ duck/ roll/ lean back
- Defender keeps hands up, avoids and throws 1 intercepting hand strike, then throws 2 further hands-based counter strikes
• Examiners' choice empty hand drills
• Examiners’ choice stick responses
• Note that drills from previous grades may be requested:
- at a more intense level of performance and/or;
- using the same principles but with hand strikes, kicks and/or contact defences more appropriate to the level being examined and/or;
- requested in combination with each other as “drill transition drills”
• Qin na techniques at this level may be examined:
- as standalone techniques and/or
- in combination with each other to show understanding of the flow of lock-escape-counterlock and/or
- incorporated into any other Paired Drills or Free Movement
The individual qin na techniques will be drawn from the syllabus up to and including 4th Grade, but at this level may also include other techniques shown in class from time to time.
7. Forms
• Eight Winds Form (Ba Feng Quan)
• Southern Stick (Nan Gun)
• Three Battles 2 (San Zhan 2)
8. Meditation and Qigong
• Tie Dai Quan (Iron Belt Form)
9. Free Movement
• Three step free response with takedown
• Three step free response with lock/choke
• Light contact stick sparring
• Pushing hands
• Free sparring
10. Destruction techniques
• 2 x wooden boards
• Typically we examine
- 1 x hand technique
- 1 x leg technique