Progression from foundational forms through advanced partner and weapons training, organized by rank. Select any rank to explore.
Lian Bu Quan (連步拳, liánbù quán) means “Continuous Stepping Sequence.” It is the first and most fundamental Northern Shaolin Long Fist form and was trained in the Jingwu Association. This form is usually taught as an introduction to footwork and postures, particularly strategies for advancing and withdrawing in long-range fighting. Stability and fluency in stances is essential prior to learning this sequence.
Fighting Forms or Pan Shou (盤手, pánshǒu) means “Bridging Hands,” or “Connecting Hands” and is a set of 2-person Shaolin White Crane barehand exercises designed to train specific blocks and strikes. It is also know as Qiao Shou (橋手, qiáoshǒu) — meaning literally “Bridge Hands,” or Da Qiao (搭橋, dāqiáo) — meaning “Building a Bridge.” The Wing Chun style variant is called Qi Sao. This Pan Shou set is one of the first exercises a beginner student should learn to become acquainted with a limited set of basic stances and hand forms.
Shang Xia Zhi (上下肢, shàngxià zhī) means “Upper and Lower Limbs” and is a 2-person Shaolin White Crane barehand form. It emphasizes simple techniques that teach the student how the hands are used in the White Crane style. This sequence is primarily made up of 8 punches and 8 blocks, but from this limited set of movements comes the 64 basic White Crane hand techniques. It will form the basis for more advanced White Crane practice. There are 2 sections to this sequence, simple and complex.
Qin Na (擒拿, qínná) means “Seize and Control” and is applicable to all martial arts styles. It includes joint locks and cavity press techniques. Altogether, it is estimated that over 800 Qin Na techniques exist in martial arts. The YMAA system consists of about 120. As this is an introductory level, the goal is to understand the correct angles for successfully locking an opponent and a building a general awareness for methods of entry without exposing vulnerabilities. There are 5 techniques in this set.
