Not many practitioners may know that footwork is the core of Shaolin defence

Not many think that hand techniques are all important and may realize that footwork is a core factor in both attack and defence. Indeed, in many cases, your defence against an opponent’s attack is due to your footwork, with your hand techniques being merely supportive. In conjunction with footwork is body-movement. Footwork, body-movement and hand techniques constitute the three external harmonies. The three internal harmonies are essence, energy and mind. All these factors are manifested here in Combat Sequence 16.