Wushu - Chinese Martial Arts.

Wushu Slapkick

The slapkick (dan pai jiao - lit: "single slap leg") is the last of the 5 basic wushu kicks and should be practiced in every training session. Wushu slapkicks are only done with the right leg and are often seen in freestyle longfistand wushu ditang forms. Typical combinations are slapkicks followed by smash punches or arm circles. Learn the wushu slapkick before you try your first flying wushu frontkick. 

Execution

• Stand upright with your left foot a bit more than one shoulder width in front of the right foot. The right leg is extended and the left leg is bent slightly. Extend your right arm almost horizontal in front of you and let the fingers point slightly down. Both hands form palms. The left hand is held upright about one inch next to the right elbow. Look straight forward and keep your upper body extended and vertical.
• Swing your extended right arm back and watch the right hand for a moment (turn the head short moment). The left hand sinks down slowly until the arm is extended and both arms are in one line. At the same time make a hop to switch legs. This hop should not be high but fast. Instead of doing this hop you can also walk forward fast.
• Land on your right leg. Now the left foot is one shoulder width behind the right foot. The left knee is extended and the left foot "can" touch the floor slightly. Look straight forward again before the right hand passes horizontal level. Keep swinging your extended, lined up arms forward up, until the left arm reaches head height.
• Step forward with your left foot and stop swinging the left hand at head height. The right arm still moves. So the arms are not lined up anymore !
• Swing up your extended right leg (with the ankle extended totally) and clap your hands together in front of your head, as short as possible before you will slap your foot. It is very important that you keep your right leg and your upper body extended (upper body vertical), that your right heel stays on the floor during the whole kick and that you don't look down or up as you kick. Also don't extend the hips to kick higher. The kick has to be fast, not high!
• Clap your right foot and your right hand together shortly after the hand-clap. At the same time, move your left back.
• Snap down you right leg even faster than you kicked up. Extend the right arm in front of you and the left arm behind you. Look straight forward and keep your head as high as possible without lifting the left heel (extend upper body). Both elbows and both knees have to be extended totally.

Advice

• Try to do your wushu slapkicks as fast as you can.
• Don't open your hips as you kicks.
• The time between hand and foot slap should be as short as possible.
• The wushu kick should be part of your daily warm-up routine.

Wushu Toe Fist Kick

The toe fist kick is one of the most basic wushu kicks. However, most wushu practitioners don't practice it every day. In Chinese this kick is called "Tan Ti". Tanti is a horizontal wushu kick with a synchronous punch. Punch with your left hand when you kick with your right leg and the other way around. 

Execution

• Beginning position: Stand straight with legs closed and let your arms hang down on your sides. Look straight forward.
• Make a fast, short step to your right, like if you were doing a small horse stance. Pull your right fist to your right hip and put your left palm in front of your right shoulder. The fingers of your left hand have to point up. Also turn your head and look down 45° (to the right). Inhale at the same time.
• Then turn your head forward again a and punch with your right fist. Exhale at the same time and extend your left leg so that only tip of your shoe touches the floor. Pull your left fist to your left hip.
• The wushu toe fist kick: Step forward with your left foot (heel first) and kick with the right foot (ankle fully extended - toes point straight forward). Lift your knee first and then extend your leg. At the same time, punch with your left fist.
• Keep looking straight forward and exhale as you kick/punch.
• Hold the end position for a short moment and then let your foot fall slowly.
• Step forward with your right foot and to a wushu toe fist kick with your left leg.

Advice

• Kick and punch horizontally.
• By holding each kick for a few seconds, you can improve your hip strength.
• Do 8 kicks in a row. 4 left kicks and 4 right kicks.
• The toe fist kick should be part of your wushu warm up routine.

Wushu Heel-Palm- Kick

The heel palm kick is one of the most basic wushu kicks, but you don't really have to practice it every day. In Chinese (Mandarin) this kick is called "Deng Tui". Dengtui is a horizontal wushu heel kick with a synchronous palm punch. When you kick with the right foot, you punch with the left palm and when you kick with the left foot, you punch with the right palm. For more wushu kicks and basics,

Execution

• Beginning position: Stand upright with legs closed and your arms relaxed.
• Make a fast step to your right (about 2 ft, like if you are doing a half wushu horse stance), pull your right palm to your right hip and put your left palm in front of your right shoulder. The fingers of the right hand point down and the fingers of the left hand point down. Also turn your head and look down 45° (to the right) for a moment. Inhale at the same time.
• Then turn your head forward again and punch with your right palm. Exhale at the same time and extend your left leg so that only tip of your shoe touches the floor. Pull your left palm to your left hip.
• The toe-fist- kick: Step forward with your left foot (heel first) and kick with the right foot (ankle flexed - toes point up). At the same time, punch with your left palm.
• Keep looking straight forward and exhale as you kick/punch.
• Hold the end position for a short moment and then let your foot fall slowly.
• Now step forward with your right foot and do the whole thing the other way around.

Advice

• Kicks and punches have to be horizontal.
• To improve your hip strength, try to hold each kick for a few seconds.
• Do 8 kicks in a row. 4 kicks with the right leg and 4 kicks with the left leg.