Fist forms or empty hand forms, forms without weapons are a sequence of moves that teach techniques such as striking grappling and more importantly stance work.Learning these forms enables a Choy Lee Fut practitioner to fully utilise all power generated. This happens by using; stancework for stability, the knees, waist and shoulders for power, arms and legs to attack defend and lock, which coordinates the body into one effective unit.

The Choy Lee Fut forms were developed by Chan Heung over 200 years ago. These forms have been taught the same way they have been taught in the past. The moves and sequences still remain the same till this day.

Primary Level Forms

Intermediate Level Forms

Advanced Level Forms

The fundamental traditional forms focus primarily on stance work or horse stance. This is the base to building up strong legs and good footwork. The focus is also on developing power for the hand and legs. The first form, “Ng Lun Ma or Five Wheel Horse” focuses on the footwork and developing power starting from the knees, waist and shoulders. This power developed uses the whole body to turn effectively forming one cohesive unit when punching and kicking. The second form or “Ng Lun Choy or Five Wheel Fist” focuses on the same footwork but now develops the hands. The second form teaches basic punching, counterattacking, kicking and grappling. The third form or “Siu Moi Fa or Small Plum Blossom” in the curriculum teaches speed and fluidity of moves whilst developing stancework, punching and kicking. These three forms teach long hands. These long hands keep the opponent at bay or what is known as bridging. Within these three forms the student also learns blocking and conditioning. A primary focus is to understand breathing as well. The primary level forms teach the students animal aspects as well focusing on the horse stance, tiger fists, tiger claws, panther fist, elephant trunks, horse palms and legs, snake hands to name a few.

  • Ng Lun Ma
  • Ng Lun Choy
  • Siu Moi Fa

These forms focus on new attacks, counterattacks, angles of attacks and defense, stronger blocking and deflection. “Jet Fu or taming the tiger”, focuses on developing hard energy or yang power with blocking and attacking. It teaches the student how to further develop the “Qi” from the “dantien or lower stomach”. The student will learn jumping attacking, counterattacking and blocking. This form focuses on the essence of the tiger. “Sei Mourn Kiu Jo Sung Ma or 4 door bridge running the live horse” focuses on footwork and changing angles in attacks and defence. “Dai Sup Ji Kao Da or Big Cross” teaches the student stamina. It is a longer form in length that encompasses jumping and high energy. This forms also starts teaching soft energy in unison with trapping.

  • Jet Fu
  • Sei Mourn Kiu Jo Sung Ma
  • Dai Sup Ji Kao Da

The advanced forms allow the students to fully harness speed and power. The moves are taught with fluidity and in chinese, “relentless”. “Peng Kuen or Level Fist” teaches the student attacking, defending and counterattacking on different planes. It changes from high to low and vice verse. A distinct move is the long leg sweep in the form. “Peng Jung or Level Elbow” teaches short techniques such as elbows as bridging is now better by this stage. The student also learns trapping of the gates (wrist, elbow and shoulder) whilst attacking. “Bak Gwa Sum or heart of the 8 diagram” teaches the student soft power, bridging and fighting multiple attackers. “Sup Ji Dwoi Chag or Two Man Big Cross” is a two man fighting form. It teaches reaction and timing when the students execute moves on their partners. In depth counterattacking is learnt and when executed in full power, blocking and conditioning.

  • Peng Kuen
  • Peng Jung
  • Bak Gwa Sum
  • Sup Ji Kao Da Dwoi Chag

There are many other forms that are taught to students at Choy Lee Fut Pennant Hills along with this basic curriculum. These are the main forms taught.

Animal aspects are taught within the Choy Lee Fut forms, with the 5 animals of Shaolin including dragon, tiger, snake, crane and panther as well as the Choy Lee Fut animals of horse, monkey, lion, elephant and deer. Within these animals are different types of striking: fist strikes (tiger fist, panther fist and ginger fist); claw strikes ( tiger claw and dragon claw); palms strikes and finger strikes; elbow and knee strikes as well as leg strikes or kicking. Grappling, trapping and joint locking also feature in these forms.