10 Questions on the famous and legendary Seven-Star Set (七星拳)

[Luo Lang]

Seve-Star Set: Question-Answer 1

Here we go, Seve-Star Set: Question-Answer 1:

Question 1

Can you tell us of some famous practitioners of the Seven-Star Set, and possibly some stories on how the set was developed and used in the past?

Sifu Markus Kahila


Answer

I don’t know of any famous practitioners of the Seven-Star Set. The kungfu set itself was not widely practice, which does not mean it is not effective. Dragon Strength, for example, is also not widely known, but it is the pinnacle of my kungfu development.

One main reason why effective kungfu sets are not well known was because masters of these sets kept them as top secrets in the past. We must, of course, guard against dualistic thinking. This does not necessarily mean that popular sets are not effective. The 108-Pattern Yang Style Taijiquan Set is very popular, and it is also very effective for combat as well as good health and spiritual cultivation, though today many people who practice this set daily may not have these benefits.

I also don’t know much about how the set was developed and used in the past. The Seven-Star Set was recorded in the Shaolin Classic written by the abbot of the northern Shaolin Temple, the Venerable Fu Yu, around the year 961 during the Song Dynasty. The routine of the set recorded in this classic, however, was not the same as the routine I learned from Sifu Ho Fatt Nam.

But I believe it was the same set, and the philosophy was also similar. The difference was due to the long time between the two versions. Even within about 40 years since the time I learned the set from my sifu, I cannot remember the exact routine. (Videos were unknown then, or not widely used.) But the philosophy, principles and characteristic forms are the same. I also have included some applications which I have found useful.

But I can clearly remember the stories, which were about real experiences, related to my learning of this set.

My sifu learned the set from his simu, the wife of my sigung who taught my sifu the art of lightness. When my sigung, whose name I do not know, stopped teaching the art of lightness to my sifu, his simu pitied him and taught him this Seven-Star Set. My sifu told me that his simu was small-sized but very combat effective. Her feet were tiny, bound in a traditional way, but she was excellent in the organ-seeking kick derived from the Seven-Star Set.

Before teaching me the Seven-Star Set, my sifu asked me a rhetoric question. “How would a fragile-looking lady counter the ferocious sweeping kick of a Muay Thai fighter?” he asked. Before I could answer, which probably was “I don’t know”, he continued, “The way you see in movie how a heroine blocks the powerful sweeping kicks with her delicate hands is disastrous. Her hands would be fractured, and the kick would continue to hit her face.”

“A Muay Tahi fighter’s sweeping kicks are very powerful,” my sifu continued. A professional Muay Tahi fighter kicks at a ‘pinang’ tree (which is like a small palm tree) 200 or 300 times every day until the tree shakes!”

I was quick to grasp the learning opportunity. “Then, how would she block a powerful sweeping kick, sifu?”

“You will learn it in this set I am going to teach you. But don’t block a powerful kick,” he advised.

I taught I would learn the set in a few months. I was mistaken. All my sifu taught me was some typical movements, especially a typical Seven-Star jump. As a good student, I practiced those few movements every day for many months. I was quite proficient in kungfu then. I was an assistant instructor helping my sifu teach Shaolin Kungfu at the Guangdong Association in Kuala Teengganu, the capital of the state of Trengganu in Malaysia.

Eventually my sifu asked my siheng, Pok Kai, who injured me with a gentle tap of his cup fist on my solar plexus that took me six months to recover, to teach me the Seven-Star Set. He taught me the set in a relative short time.

I was too young to understand the significance of kungfu training then. I thought, wrongly, it was a waste of time practicing the Seven-Star jump daily for many months. My siheng could just teach me the set in a few weeks. But I still practiced the Seven-Star jump dutifully and diligently as my sifu told me.

On hindsight I now realize that the best benefit I got was not from the set but from the jump. My daily practice made me very agile, which in not only important in kungfu but more importantly in daily ife. I believe my physical agility derived from practicing the Seven-Star jump daily also contributed to my mental agility.

<End>

[Luo Lang]

Seven-Star Set: Question/Answer 2

Seven-Star Set: Question-Answer 2:

Question 2

Considering the story of how Sigung Ho learned the Seven Star Set, is there something special about the origins or character of the set that made it suited to a master of the Art of Lightness and his family?

Sifu Mark Blohm


Answer

The Seven-Star Set was taught to my sifu, Sifu Ho Fatt Nam, by his simu, the wife of a Northern Shaolin master who taught my sifu the Art of Lightness. I don’t know the names of the master and his wife.

My sifu was a kungfu apprentice to the master who earned his living as a traveling medicine man. At that time transportation was poor. My sifu told me that he had to carry all the luggage on his back and walked from town to town. With typical Shaolin Wahnam attitude, my sifu said this was good for him as it contributed to his training in the Art of Lightness, which he did not realize at the time.

Every morning my sigung would take my sifu into a woods for training. My sigung would mark ten trees in a large circle which were far apart and not within vision from one another. My sigung and my sifu would start running together round the ten marked trees..

After some time my sigung, despite his age, would be far ahead. Then my sifu would lose sight of my sigung. After a while my sigung, having completed the round, would be behind my sifu. As my sigung passed my sifu, he would hit my sifu hard on the back if the head, say “You are very slow.” This continued everyday.

“One day,” my sifu said, “I got out of the wrong side of bed.”

I can remember this occasion very well. I was naïve, and asked, “What’s wrong with getting out on any side of the bed, sifu?”

“Oh, it’s an idiomatic expression. It means every thing went wrong that day,” my sifu kindly explained.

“What went wrong, sifu?”

“I refused to go training. I am not going to train, I told my sifu,” my sifu said.

“You’ve done well, my sifu said. Now, let’s continue the training,” my sifu continued. “But I was stubborn. I said to my sifu that he told me he would teach me very good kungfu but all he did was hit me at the back of my heard during running.”

I just listened.

My sifu continued. “My sifu said that he was teaching me excellent kungfu. Now it’s the third time I am asking you. Are you going to train? But, as I said, I got out from the wrong side of he bed. I actually saw my simu giving me an eye signal asking me to continue to train. But I was just stubborn. I told my sifu that even if he skinned me I would not go to train.”

My sigung led my sifu to the back of the hotel they were staying. My sigung tugged his long robe under his waist slash.

“Now, don’t blink your eyes,” my sifu reported to me. “I saw my sifu bend his knees slightly, and in the next moment he was in the air, above the high wall at the back of the hotel.”

“How high was the wall, sifu?”

“About 10 feet high. There were pieces of glass on the wall to prevent burglary. . I saw my sifu do a summersault in the air above the wall, scrape off some pieces of glass with his long pipe and when he was upright again, stood on one leg on the high wall in the pattern, White Crane Flaps Wings. Then he jumped down from the wall and landed without a sound.”

I listened in awe.

“I suddenly realized that my sifu was teaching me the almost-lost Art of Lightness. I knelt down and beg him continue teaching me. But he refused. It was a tradition among elderly masters that if a student was asked three times and the student did not want to learn, he was not destined to learn it,” my sifu explained.

“I learned an invaluable lesson,” my sifu continued. “So, the next time when I had a rare opportunity to learn from your sigung, Yang Fatt Khun, I just followed whatever he taught me. He taught me One-Finger Shooting Zen, and almost nothing else for more than two years. I just trained what he asked me to. I was richly rewarded. I learned the Art of Dim Mak.”

This was an inspiring story my sifu told me.

He said his simu took pity on him, and taught him her specialty, the Seven-Star Set.

I don’t know much about the origin of the Seven-Star Set except that it was recorded in the Shaolin Classic authored by the Venerable Fu Yu, an abbot of the northern Shaolin Temple, in the year 961 during the Song Dynasty.

The main character of the set is agility, which is most suited to a master of the Art of Lightness. Like my sifu when he learned One-Finger Shooting Zen from my sigung, when I learned the Seven-Star Set from my sifu all I did and almost nothing else was the Seven-Star jump form many months. This practice certainly gave me a lot of agility.

<End>

[Luo Lang]

The Seven-Star jump for agility

The Seven-Star jump is very beneficial for the development of agility:

The main character of the set is agility, which is most suited to a master of the Art of Lightness. Like my sifu when he learned One-Finger Shooting Zen from my sigung, when I learned the Seven-Star Set from my sifu all I did and almost nothing else was the Seven-Star jump form many months. This practice certainly gave me a lot of agility.

Isn't that a blessing disguise? Sigung missed the golden opportunity to learn the Art of Lightness. In the Seven-Star Set though there is the Seven-Star jump, which trains the agility, which is still most suited for a master of the Art of Lightness. I tend to say that even being introduced only into this amazing jump, one will enhance ones performance tremendously.

Nevertheless the Seven-Star Set course will cover much more. Interestingly it will cover also principles and body mechanics which are found for instance in other very advanced Kungfu styles.

[Mark A]

Nice

Dear Sifu and Roland,
Thank you for the answers and insight.

Peace

Mark

[Markus Kahila]

Sifu,


Thank you for your illuminating answer. It's a very exciting opportunity to have this inspiring set in our school.


Best wishes,

[Luo Lang]

Seven-Star Set: Question-Answer 3

Seven-Star Set: Question-Answer 3:

Question 3

I have learned a version of the Seven Star Set before in the past while visiting Yunnan province of China (learned provisionally, rather than learned adequately!)

One aspect of the Set was noticeable at the time:
- it seems suitable for a smaller and weaker opponent (such as a female) versus a larger and stronger opponent.

One aspect of the Set seems noticeable with the benefit of hindsight:
- the footwork and Seven Star stance seem particularly useful for countering wrestling shoots and throws.

Please can you confirm or correct these observations, and discuss these aspects of the Set if applicable.

Sifu Andy Cusick


Answer

The Seven-Star Set is a rare art though it is well known but little seen by those knowledgeable in kungfu history. The next time we meet, you should demonstrate to me whatever you can remember about the set, and I shall comment on its benefits for both kungfu application and daily living.

Although the initiated have heard of the Seven-Star Set, though they may not have seen it, even amongst them not many know it is suitable for a physically weaker and smaller sized opponent again a stronger and bigger sized one, and of course less know why it is son.

A great Taijiquan master, Huang Zhong Yue, commented that there was nothing unusual for a physically stronger a bigger sized person to defeat a physically weaker or a smalerl sized opponent. But if the case was reversed, i.e. a physically weaker or smaller sized person defeat a physically stronger or bigger sized opponent, then the art was great.

Many people know that this it is possible for a physically weaker or smaller sized exponent to defeat a physically stronger or bigger sized opponent, though they may not know how. Taijiquan and Wing Choon Kungfu are two arts famous for this achievement.

This achievement is possible due to two factors, namely internal force and mechanics. If you have much internal force, which does not depend on muscular strength, size and gender, you can defeat an opponent who may be physically stronger and bigger in size. Even if you do not have internal force, by employing body mechanics you also can defeat an opponent who is physically stronger and bigger.

Taijiquan makes use of both internal force and Taijiquan mechanics. Wing Choon Kungfu, being an external art, makes use of Wing Choon mechanics.

A principal factor in both Taijiquan mechanics and Wing Choon mechanics is waist rotation. But the use of waist rotation in these two arts is quite different.

However, judging from the performance and appearance of Taijiquan and Wing Choon practitioners today, it seems that many of them do not employ internal force or the mechanics of their art to enable a physically weaker or smaller sized exponent to defeat a physically stronger or bigger sized opponent. Most Taijiquan practitioners today in Pushing Hands do not use internal force or waist rotation. Many Wing Choon practitioners today develop big muscles and use mechanical strength.

Personally, I find Seven-Star mechanics even more sophisticated and effective than that in Taijiquan and Wing Choon Kungfu! The body mechanics in all these there kungfu styles are quite different, though the one used in the Seven-Star Set by all initiated practitioners is also sued by high-level Wing Choon masters. The movement of the mechanics is so subtle that most people may not realize it, and , of course, it needs much skill to perform it perfectly.

The footwork in the Seven-Star Set and the Sever-Star Stance are agile and useful for combat. Congratulations for your sharp perception that they are particularly useful for countering wrestling shoots and throws. Most people may not realize their combat application.

I spent many months just practicing the Seven-Star footwork and the Seven-Star Stance, and nothing else. In my ignorance at that time I did not know their usefulness. I thought my sifu could have just taught me the Seven-Star Set. But I was a good student. I did what my sifu told me to. With hindsight I realize that the practice contributed much not only to my combat efficiency but also my physical and mental agility.

We shall, of course, learn and practice the footwork and stance, and other important aspects of the Seven-Star Set. Those attempting wrestling shoots and throws will be surprise at the ease and efficiency of the counters. I am happy to have an opportunity to transmit this well-known but little-understood set to deserving students.

<End>

[Luo Lang]

Seven-Star vs. Taijiquan vs. Wing Choon

The similarity of using the waist rotation of the Seven-Star Set and high-level Wing Choon. I have found that most interesting:

Personally, I find Seven-Star mechanics even more sophisticated and effective than that in Taijiquan and Wing Choon Kungfu! The body mechanics in all these there kungfu styles are quite different, though the one used in the Seven-Star Set by all initiated practitioners is also sued by high-level Wing Choon masters. The movement of the mechanics is so subtle that most people may not realize it, and , of course, it needs much skill to perform it perfectly.

[Andy]

Thank you very much Sifu for your answer!

We shall, of course, learn and practice the footwork and stance, and other important aspects of the Seven-Star Set. Those attempting wrestling shoots and throws will be surprise at the ease and efficiency of the counters. I am happy to have an opportunity to transmit this well-known but little-understood set to deserving students.

What a wonderful opportunity for Course participants

[Andy]

I should also add that I only realised the potential of Seven Star for dealing with shoots and throws after I had learned how to use stances to counter shoots and throws from Sifu (i.e. with hindsight)

Also, I can only remember some of the stances and a few movements (such as swallowing from the bow arrow) from the Seven Star Set as I did not practice it subsequently or record it for posterity. Regardless, I am sure that Sifu's version will be far superior to the version I learned, which was probably Wushu-diluted.

Moreover, Sifu's ability to bring the combat aspect to life and realise the finer points, as already quoted by Sihing Roland, is priceless

[Luo Lang]

Seven-Star Set: Question-Answer 4 Part 1

I'd say, we get now some really profound idea about what Kungfu practitioners can expect from training the Seven-Star Set diligently!

Seven-Star Set: Question-Answer 4 Part 1:

Question 4

In your autobiography you mention that the Seven-Star Set "is excellent against Muay Thai". May I kindly ask why?

You also mentioned that "the Seven-Star Set is excellent for the small-sized against bigger, stronger opponents". May you explain how this set would overcome bigger and stronger opponents in comparison with Taijiquan?

Santiago


Answer

As my sifu was about to teach me the Seven-Star Set, he asked me a rhetoric question, “How would a fragile lady defend against the ferocious sweeping kicks of a Muay Thai fighter?”

Before I could answer, which would be “I don’t know”, as I didn’t know at that time, my sifu continued, “What you see in kungfu movies how a heroine would defend against the ferocious kicks of a Muay thai fighter by blocking them with her both hands is disastrous.”

Muay Thai was very popular at that time, and there were many kungfu movies from Hong Kong showing how fragile ladies defended against Muay thai sweeping kicks using their delicate palms.

“Her hands would be broken, and the sweeping kicks would continue to hit her face,” my sifu explained. “The sweeping kicks of Muay Thai fighters, especially professional ones, are very powerful. They kick at a pinang tree (like a small palm tree) two to three hundred times a day until the tree shakes.”

I was quick to grasp the opportunity. “Then, how should she defend against the powerful sweeping kicks, sifu?”

“You’re going to learn them in this Seven-Star Set I ‘m going to teach you. But don't block a powerful sweeping kick,” my sifu advised.

When my sifu said that techniques from the Seven-Star Set were excellent to counter Muay Thai attacks, it had a lot of weight, as my sifu was formerly a professional Muay Thai fighter. Sever-Stars techniques were not just excellent against Muay Thai sweeping kicks, they were excellent against all Muay Thai attacks, including all other kicks, knee strikes and elbow strikes.

I would even go to the extent of saying that as far as techniques are concerned, a Muay Thai fighter has no chance against a Seven-Star exponent. As soon as the Muay Thai fighter makes a move, he would be defeated by the Seven-Star exponent! Even when the Muay Thai fighter is more powerful, he would still be defeated because the Seven-Star exponent does not use force against force.

But if there is a wide difference in skills, like the Muay Thai fighter is an expert and the Seven-Star exponent a beginner, the beginner would be no match against the expert. The decisive factor for victory is not techniques but skills.

However, even when you are skillful, if you do not know the Seven-Star techniques, you would not be able to beat a Muay Thai fighter. Just like even when you are a good driver, but if you don’t have a car, someone riding a bicycle would be faster than you.

It is worthwhile to mention that by watching the Seven-Star Set or even being able to perform the Seven-Star Set is insufficient to know the intricacies and sophistication of the Seven-Star techniques. Students must learn them in a course taught by a competent teacher.

In fact, this is a main problem facing most kungfu practitioners today. Excellent combat techniques are found in kungfu, but most kungfu practitioners do not know how to apply them, even when they may perform these techniques beautifully in solo demonstration. It is like having a car but not knowing how to drive it.

(Part 2 follows)

[Luo Lang]

The opportunity to learn the Seven-Star Set

Originally posted by Sifu:
It is worthwhile to mention that by watching the Seven-Star Set or even being able to perform the Seven-Star Set is insufficient to know the intricacies and sophistication of the Seven-Star techniques. Students must learn them in a course taught by a competent teacher.

We are very lucky: we do not only have the opportunity to learn this wonderful Set full of secrets from a competent teacher. We are able to learn it first hand from a world-known Shaolin Grandmaster.

[Luo Lang]

Seven-Star Set: Question-Answer 4 Part 2

Seven-Star Set: Question-Answer 4 Part 2:

(Continued from Part 1)

Why are Seven-Star techniques excellent against Muay Thai? This is because the techniques as well as the principles of the Seven-Star Set were constructed with the philosophy in mind of small-sized exponents defeating bigger-sized opponents who are powerful, fast and agile. It is as if the Seven-Star Set was constructed as a nemesis against Muay Thai.

The term “as if” is used here because I believe the masters who composed the Seven-Star Set did not have Muay Thai in mind. Muay Thai just happens to fall in the category of a martial art that is powerful, fast and agile, though its exponent may not necessarily be big-sized.

Will the Seven-Star Set also be effective against martial arts that are not powerful, not fast and not agile? Of course, it is. In fact it would be easier from a Seven-Star exponent to beat someone who is weak, slow and clumsy. Just as if a car is specially built to beat other cars which are powerful, fast and agile, it will be easier for this special car to beat cars which are weak, slow and clumsy. So, the Seven-Star Set is excellent not just against Muay Thai, but also against other martial arts.

Let us take an example of a martial art that is quite different from Muay Thai – Lohan Kungfu. Are Seven-Star techniques excellent against Lohan Kungfu? Yes, they are. Lohan Kungfu, where being big-sized is an advantage whereas it is a disadvantage in Muay Thai, is also powerful, fast and agile.

A Lohan exponent may not use a lot of sweeping kicks like a Muay Tahi fighter does, but swinging arm movements in Lohan Kungfu are similar in principles. Seven-Star techniques are excellent to counter these swinging arm movements.

A Lohan exponent many not use a lot of elbow strikes like a Muay Thai fighter does, but the upward cannon punches and horn punches are similar in principles, and Seven-Star techniques are excellent counter. Lohan Kungfu uses a lot of powerful thrust punches, and Seven-Star has excellent counters. Indeed, I believe it was against Lohan Kungfu in mind that the masters composed Seven-Star.

Both the Seven-Star Set and Taijiquan are excellent for the smaller-sized against the bigger-sized, and for the physically weaker against the physically stronger. But they achieve this special ability in different ways. Personally In find the methods used in Seven-Star even more effective.

The main principle in this special ability in Taijiquan is to deflect an opponent’s force and motion by using circular movement, which can be realized with waist rotation. The opponent’s force and motion are then redirected back to himself in a figure-of-eight movement. Taijiquan techniques are circular and extended.

When an opponent throws a powerful punch, for example, instead of blocking it head-on, a Taijiquan exponent deflects it and turning it back to the opponent by first following the punching momentum, next turning it away, and then pushing the punching arm back to the opponent in a circular movement and striking him.

A Seven-Star response is faster and direct. As an opponent throws a powerful punch, instead of blocking it or deflecting it, a Seven-Star exponent also shoots out his Seven-Star palm. His timing and spacing must be perfect so that his shooting arm will brush away the opponent’s attack, and his Seven-Star hook grips the opponent’s throat at a time when the punch is brushed off. If the opponent moves back or moves away, the Seven-Star hook will grip the opponent’s upper arm.

For those who heard the story of my fight with a Muay Thai fighter in my younger days, this was the Seven-Star hook I used to grip his throat. The back-hand slap on his groin in another situation was from a Monkey Set.

Other famous kungfu styles or sets that utilize the ability of the weaker beating the stronger, the smaller-sized beating the bigger-sized are Monkey, Wing Choon, Praying Mantis, Baguazhang and the Flower Set. They use different techniques and different principles to achieve the same aim, illustrating the richness of kungfu.

Personally I find the Flower Set and the Seven-Star Set the most effective. They use similar principles, but the Flower Set uses the techniques of dim-mak whereas the Seven-Star Set uses the techniques of chin-na. In this aspect I would consider the Seven-Star Set has an edge over the Flower Set. If an opponent dodges the initial attack, a Flower Set exponent would have to use another technique, but the Seven-Star Set exponent would change grip the opponent’s throat to gripping the opponent’s arm.

Seven-Star techniques are amazingly effective, but they are secretive. This was probably a main reason why this effective set was not widely practiced as its masters wanted to keep its secrets.

<End>

[Luo Lang]

High-level skills in the Seven-Star Set

It gets even more interesting, with every other question answered by Sifu:

Originally posted by Sifu:
A Seven-Star response is faster and direct. As an opponent throws a powerful punch, instead of blocking it or deflecting it, a Seven-Star exponent also shoots out his Seven-Star palm. His timing and spacing must be perfect so that his shooting arm will brush away the opponent’s attack, and his Seven-Star hook grips the opponent’s throat at a time when the punch is brushed off. If the opponent moves back or moves away, the Seven-Star hook will grip the opponent’s upper arm.

[sancrica]

Thank you :-)

Wow. What an amazing answer! It is always so inspiring and enriching to read Sifu's answers.

Thank you Sifu again for your endless dedication and patience. It is always very humbling to read the Questions and Answers Series as I can truly understand how much is yet to be learned in these wonderful arts.

Thanks to Siheng Roland too for contributing to another thread full of wisdom. :-)

With Love, Care and Shaolin Salute,

Santiago

[Luo Lang]

Seven-Star Set: Question-Answer 5

Seven-Star Set: Question-Answer 5:

Question 5

I noticed a couple of people mention that Seven Stars set is good for a small sized person (something which always catches my eye!) which means I can't resist asking the question I was thinking of asking earlier. When I heard "Seven Star Set" my first thought was "Is this related to Seven Star Praying Mantis?" and especially given it is being taught in Switzerland, our cradle of Praying Mantis Kungfu! But I thought others would probably already know this, and from reading what others said I figured it was probably something completely separate. However knowing that Praying Mantis was known as being good for small people, and hearing now that Seven Star is as well, I do want to know if they are related?

And I would ask a related part of the question which is, if all things were equal, ie same time spent in stance training and combat application, same force developed, which would be the best combat art for small people to practise, or even what would be the top 3 in order?

Paul – Drunken Boxer


Answer

No, the Seven-Star Set is not related to Seven-Star Praying Mantis Kungfu.

The Seven-Star Set was already recorded in the Shaolin Classics in the Song Dynasty, where Praying Mantis Kungfu was invented in the Ming Dynasty a few hundred years later. Seven-Star Praying Mantis is a branch of Praying Mantis Kungfu, and was first defined even much later.

Although both are effective for the small-sized exponents against bigger-sixed opponents, they developed differently with different philosophies and methods.

The Seven-Star Set is a kungfu set of Northern Shaolin Kungfu, whereas Seven-Star Praying Mantis is a kungfu style. There are many kungfu sets in the Seven-Star Praying Mantis Style.

Both the Seven-Star Set and Seven-Star Praying Mantis are effective for small-sized exponents against bigger-sized opponents. But the principles and techniques they use are different.

Seven-Star Praying Mantis uses the curved arms of an exponent to neutralize the force of an opponent, whereas the Seven-Star Set uses the “threading” movement of the exponent’s arm. Both attack an opponent’s vital points, thus causing serious injury without using much muscular strength.

Seven-Star Praying Mantis uses the index-fingers and the knuckles of the mantis hook for this purpose, whereas the Seven-Star Set uses crab-pincers and fingers of the palm for the purpose. Both use kicks, but while the kicks in Seven-Star Praying Mantis are more varied, those in the Seven-Star Set aim specifically at the sexual organ.

Both the Seven-Star Set and Seven-Star Praying Mantis have their Seven-Star Stances, but they are different although the name is the same. The Seven-Star Stance of Seven-Star Praying Mantis is high, like a high False-Leg Stance but the front leg is straight with the heel touching the ground and the toes pointing skyward. The Seven-Star Stance in the Seven-Star Set is low, like a Unicorn Stance low on the ground. We should think of a different name for either of these stances to differentiate them.

If all other things were equal, in my opinion the best three types of kungfu in descending order are Monkey Kungfu, Seven-Star Set and Flower-Set. Three other kungfu types that are also very effective for the small-sized against the bigger-sized, i.e. the fourth, the fifth and the sixth top in order are Taijiquan, Wing Choon Kungfu and Praying Mantis Kungfu.

It is worthwhile to note that while these six types of kungfu are suitable for the small against the big, the reverse is not necessarily disadvantageous. In other words, if you are big-sixed, by practicing any one of these six types of kungfu, you may not be at a disadvantage against opponents who are small-sized. Some of our Monkey specialists, for example, are not small in size.

This principle actually applies to all styles of kungfu – if the exponents know how to use the kungfu for effective combat. If they don’t know, and most don’t, it does not matter what style of kungfu they practice, they will still be unable to apply their kungfu for combat.

<End>

Seven-Star jump, Seven-Star stance, Seven-Star threading palm, Seven-Star crab-pincers, Seven-Star hook....That's gonna be a not to be missed opportunity...