SHAOLIN 36 LEG TECHNIQUES

Hook-Spring Leg -- Do you know its combat application?

When Grandmaster Wong mentioned that there were more kicks in Shaolin Kungfu than all the kicks in all other martial arts put together, some people were angry. The reason Grandmaster Wong made this statement was because he knew the Shaolin 36 Leg Techniques which included all kicks of all other martial arts, but there were kicks not found in any other martial arts.

The Shaolin 36 Leg Techniques, or Shao Lin San Shi Liu Tui Fa in Chinese, were kept as top secret, and known only to a few masters. It is called 36 leg techniques and not 36 kicks because while kicks form the main part of the collection, some of the techniques are not kicks, like using the knee to lock an opponent's stance or the buttock to fell an opponent.

To preserve the 36 leg techniques for posterity, Grandmaster Wong has decided to list the techniques below. This list is a good example of hiding secrets in the open. Even when one knows how the techniques are performed, he may not know their combat application or fine points. Would you know, for example, how Hook-Spring Leg, pictured above and found in the famous Tiger-Crane Set of Wong Fei Hoong's lineage as well as the Essence of Shaolin, is used in combat? Or would you know why Double Flying Kicks, pictured below and found in the Choe Family Wing Choon 72-Pattern Tiger-Crane Set as well as the Northern Shaolin Seven-Star Set, are so deadly?

Shaolin 36 Leg Techniques

Listed below are the 36 leg techniques and their representative patterns. Please note that there may be more than one pattern (not listed below) for each technique. Hence there are actually more than 36 different types of kicks.

  1. Side Body Kick -- Happy Bird Hops up Branch
  2. Frontal Thrust Kick -- White Horse Presents Hoof
  3. Organ-Seeking Kick -- Yellow Oriole Drinks Water
  4. Whirlwind Kick -- Naughty Monkey Kicks at Tree
  5. Sky Kick -- Spiritual Dragon Rushes towards Sky
  6. Step Kick -- White Crane Steps on Snow
  7. Nail Kick -- Heron Enters Nest
  8. Hook-Spring Leg -- Hook-Spring Chop Sword
  9. Swaying Kick -- Light Breeze Sways Lotus
  10. Interception Kick -- Single Wander Thousand Miles

  11. Floor Sweep -- Immortal Sweeps Floor
  12. Sweep Leg -- Left Right Sweep Leg
  13. Overhead Kick -- Reverse Hitting of Purple Bell
  14. Tiger-Tail Kick (Straight) -- Fierce Tiger Tests Claws
  15. Tiger-Tail Kick (Side) -- Lazy Tiger Stretches Waist
  16. Spade Kick -- White Ape Tests Cave
  17. Squat Leg -- Fierce Tiger Crouches on Ground
  18. Upward Snap -- Strange Bird Searches Sky
  19. Upward Thrust -- Lazy Monkey Kicks at Leaves
  20. Upward Sweep -- Carp Hits Boat

  21. Frontal Knee Strike -- Golden Cockerel Stands Alone
  22. Sideway Knee Strike -- Jade Girl Kicks Shuttle
  23. Knee Lock -- White Horse Locks Hoof
  24. Stomp Step -- Old Elephant Stomps Ground
  25. Reverse Heel Kick -- Horse Reverse Spring Kick
  26. Reverse Snap -- Dragonfly Plays with Water
  27. Reverse Thrust -- Reverse Thrust Leg Technique
  28. Toe Kick -- Little Bird Shows Toes
  29. Hanging Kick -- Continuous Hang Legs
  30. Buttock Strike -- Black Bear Strikes Hips

  31. Throat Kick -- Swallow Flying through Clouds
  32. Scissors Leg -- Scissors Leg Technique
  33. Circle Leg -- Gold Coin on Ground
  34. Clutch Kick -- Immortal Li Steps on Clutch
  35. Drake-Duck Kick -- Mandarin Drake-Duck Leg Technique
  36. Double Flying Kick -- Single Leg Flying Crane

Double Flying Kicks -- Why is this technique so deadly?

LINKS

Special Course on 36 Leg Techniques 2015
Picture Series of 36 Leg Techniques
Pattern Names of 36 Leg Techniques

Courses and Classes