Training: Day of the Monkey

Training: 
Day of the Monkey

    Monkey style (Hou Quan) favors a playful nature. It's all about the rolling, turning, feinting, and going for the unexpected. Quick snapping strikes are set ups to sweeps and trips. There is also an element of ground fighting in Monkey Style.

    This is my monkey style inspired training. The focus is on some (very basic) floor mobility motions. The strikes are in the cup hand, hammer, back fist, knuckle rap, and fist forms. The cup hand is meant to be similar monkey claw fist which is basically a loosely opened fist (hand is half-closed). The knuckle rap is applied similarly but for more penetration to soft or small targets.

    The kicks I'm including so far are mostly low, and I include a combination of kicking techniques which is meant to be both evasive and efficient. Also included are sweeping techniques and the scissor drop technique. I used to include crescent kicks.

My monkey style training is as follows...

Warm-Up:

Windmills:

• Hand in cup position.

Strikes:

• Backfist
• Hammer (Vertical)
• Cup strike
• Knuckle Rap
• Fist

Stretching:

• Forward Bend Heel Stretch 
• Forward Lunge/Hip Stretch
• Back Heel Stretch
• Thigh Stretch (Forward Bend)
• Triceps Stretch (Hold Above/Behind Head)
• Heel Stretch Along Wall
• Hamstring Stretch (Hold /w Hand Leg Backwards)
• Hamstring Stretch (Lift and Hold /w Hand Leg Backwards)
• Leg Stretch (Hold /w Hand Forward Crescent)

Kicks:

• Stepping Snapkick
• Inside Crescent Kick
• Turning Side Kick
• Turning Back Kick
• Roundhouse Knee

Footwork:

• Monkey walk
• Stumbling Ape

Groundwork:

• Back Sweeping Kick
• Leg Scissors
• Rolling Leg Scissors

Leap Work:

• Jumping Up
• Arching Jump 
• Arching Jump to Knee Drop

Practice:

Drills:

• Crossblock to Cup/Rap, Backfist with lifted knee
• Rap to knuckles
• Upper Combo to Kick
• Backstep hammer, backhand, palm drop
• Backstep backhand, hammer, backhand, palm drop
• Snap kick, skip heel kick, knee
• Windmill to sweep
• Windmill to scissor
• Leaping Fist

Conditioning:

Push-ups:

• Cartwheels

Core:

• Leg windmills
• Inside
• Outside
• Double In
• Double Out
• Lateral
• High Knee Walking

Reflection:

        The monkey workout is the funnest workout in so far as it involves a lot of rolls and turns. There's a lot of motion and flare. It's unconventional. It doesn't have a serious face; it doesn't seem to take itself too seriously, but it's effective, and it's fun. Monkey Kung Fu is pretty awesome, and I use this workout to emphasize the San Soo techniques that resonate with the monkey's carefree spirit. Both styles definitely embody the notion that when it comes to combat, one doesn't have to be tied down to tradition or convention. When you understand what your body can do, and you train it to move flexibly, you can engage from any angle, any direction, and you can make it work for you.