Sho Tan Kwok
Begin facing 12:00 o’clock with hands in front position. Step out with your right foot into a horse stance and put your forearms together in front of you to deliver a slow knuckle roll as you exhale (dynamic tension). Bring your right fist into your left palm at your belt level (both hands come from your sides following the knuckle roll – left open palm up and right in a fist palm up) as you bring your right foot back to your left as in front position (your right fist should come to rest in your left palm the same time your feet come together). From here, raise them up to your chest as in front position as you flamingo your right leg. Once your hands reach your chest, turn them palm down (keeping the right fist in your left palm) and lower them to your belt as you lower your left leg from its previous flamingo (the raising of the hands and leg happen simultaneously).
Cross your arms in front of your chest with the palms open and facing your chest (arms left over right), look left and then right, and step your right foot out into a horse stance facing 12 o’clock as you deliver simultaneous palm heel strikes to 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock. As you strike, your head should be facing 12 o’clock tilted slightly downward. Step your right foot over your left toward 9 o’clock as you pivot 180 degrees from right to left so that you are facing 6 o’clock. As you are pivoting, circle your left arm down and your right arm up along the 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock line. As you complete the pivot to face 6 o’clock, your right arm is straight up and your left arm is down. Both arms continue to circle counter clockwise and you step your left leg behind your right toward 9 o’clock into a low twist stance. Your left arm comes to rest with your left hand in a claw at your right shoulder and your right arm swings down to deliver a back fist strike to the groin at the 9 o’clock position.
Stand up as you pivot 90 degrees form right to left into a right half-moon stance facing 3 o’clock. Begin “trotting” (running slowly) toward 3 o’clock as you deliver a right claw block from right to left, a left claw block from left to right, and another claw block from right to left. After the last right claw block (block using the forearm and your hand in a tiger claw formation) deliver a right overhead block and then a left overhead block (a circular flowing version of the 5 and 6 blocks from 8-pt. blocking.) (Note: Your “trot” cadence goes along with the blocks – left foot steps with right tiger claw block, right foot steps with left tiger claw block, etc.). You stop with your left leg forward and right back facing 3 o’clock with your right hand delivering a thrust punch to the solar plexus at 3 o’clock position. Pivot your upper body from left to right 45 degrees to deliver a left spear hand poke to the throat at 5 o’clock position. Drop your left leg back into a right bow stance (drop back keeping your weight over your right front leg (left foot angled with heel on the ground)) as you simultaneously deliver a right tiger’s mouth to the throat at 5 o’clock position and a left reverse hammer strike to the groin at the 10 o’clock position.
Pivot left to right on your right foot into a left cat stance facing 12 o’clock as you deliver a left pressing palm block left to right and a right knife hand block resulting in a “sticky hands block” securing the attacker’s arm. Step your left foot forward toward 12 o’clock and pull the attacker with your right hand and deliver a left two-finger poke to the eyes. Step your left foot over your right toward 12 o’clock into a twist stance and deliver a right back two-knuckle punch to the ribs. Step your left foot toward 12 o’clock into a side horse stance (torso facing 3 o’clock) and deliver a left back fist strike to the face. Deliver a right reverse back kick to 10 o’clock and pivot slightly more than 180 degrees left to right on your right foot as you pull the kick back into a chamber position so that you are now facing 10 o’clock. Immediately deliver a left front ball kick toward 10 o’clock and keep the leg in a flamingo stance as you deliver a right raking tiger claw and then a left raking tiger claw. Place your left leg down into a left half-moon stance facing 10 o’clock and deliver a right tiger claw strike to the face at the 10 o’clock position.
Pivot 180 degrees right to left into a left cat stance facing 5 o’clock as you circle your hands counter-clockwise delivering a deflecting hands block. Immediately deliver a right side kick to the ribs at the 5 o’clock position and step your left foot behind your right into a low twist stance as you circle your hands clockwise to deliver a left downward pressing palm block (fingers pointing toward your right and palm down) and a right back fist strike to the face at the 5 o’clock position. From this position, raise your body and simultaneously deliver a left eagle’s talon strike to the throat (hooking the throat from left to right) and a left inward crescent kick to the attacker’s leg both toward 2 o’clock. After the eagle’s talon strike, deliver an upward immortal man strike under the attacker’s chin with dynamic tension.
Pivot 180 degrees from left to right to face 8 o’clock and draw into a right cat stance as you simultaneously deliver a left downward tiger claw/rake and a right upward tiger claw/rake using dynamic tension. Follow this with a left upward tiger claw/rake and a right downward tiger claw/rake using dynamic tension. Immediately turn hands over to simultaneously deliver a left tiger claw strike on top of an inverted right tiger claw strike. Step your right leg out toward 8 o’clock and deliver a right stepping stool kick followed immediately by a left side kick to the ribs (both toward 8 o’clock) and pivot from left to right as you pull your leg back from the kick so that you are in a horse stance facing 3 o’clock and deliver double forward knife hand blocks in front of your chest (as if blocking a roundhouse kick coming at your chest/head).
Deliver a right overhead knife hand block toward 2 o’clock and grab the attacker’s arm as you deliver a left inverted palm heel strike to the ribs (fingers pointing toward your right). Chinese leg maneuver your left foot pivoting on your left 180 degrees from right to left as you slide your left hand up the attacker’s ribs and grab his arm above your head. As you land in a side horse stance, deliver a right thrust punch to the ribs toward 2 o’clock as your left hand goes to a fist at your left hip.
Pivot from left to right 180 degrees on your right leg into a left cat stance facing 5 o’clock as you circle your hands counter-clockwise delivering a deflecting hands block. Deliver an inverted ridge hand block at the groin from left to right and then step your left foot out toward 5 o’clock. Deliver a left trigger finger strike over your left shoulder toward 5 o’clock simultaneously with a right rising heel kick behind your left leg toward 5 o’clock. Pivot from left to right to face 10 o’clock in a left cat stance as you deliver upward praying hands block (as in the front choke defense). Step drag your left leg forward as you deliver double downward shuto strikes to the collar bones and as your right leg comes up deliver double rakes to the eyes. Step drag your left leg forward as you deliver double immortal man strikes and then step drag your left leg forward as you deliver double trigger finger strikes. All of these step drag movements and strikes are toward 10 o’clock.
Deliver a right inward crescent kick toward 12 o’clock and without putting your right leg down, chamber and deliver a right side kick to the ribs toward 12 o’clock. Step your right leg down toward 12 o’clock and draw into a left cat stance facing 6 o’clock with your left hand in front of you toward 12 o’clock palm open and to the right with the fingers up. Your right hand is over your head with the palm open and facing 9 o’clock (your right) with the fingers pointed toward 6 o’clock. Note: This stance looks as if you are pressed up against a wall at your right side. From this position, Chinese leg maneuver your right foot toward 6 o’clock (pivoting form right to left) into a side horse stance (torso facing 3 o’clock) as you deliver a left overhead knife hand block and a right thrust punch to the solar plexus toward 6 o’clock. Chinese leg maneuver your left leg toward 6 o’clock (pivoting left to right) into a side horse stance (torso facing 9 o’clock) as you deliver a right overhead knife hand block and grab the attacker’s arm (close fist) and a left inverted thrust punch to the solar plexus toward 6 o’clock. Chinese leg maneuver your right leg toward 6 o’clock (pivoting right to left) into a side horse stance (torso facing 3 o’clock). Immediately pull your left leg to your right leg as you circle your left arm clockwise and your right arm counter-clockwise. As your legs come together, your left hand should come to rest in a tiger claw at your right shoulder and your left delivers an inverted hammer strike to the groin toward 6 o’clock and your knees bend for the strike.
Pivot on your right foot from left to right 180 degrees into a horse stance facing 9 o’clock as you deliver a right high outward ridge hand block and a left low outward ridge hand block using dynamic tension. Simultaneously deliver a right forearm block (a number 3 block from 8 point) and a left thrust punch to the groin and pause. From this position, deliver a right downward block (number 7 from 8 point) and a left back fist strike to the face, followed immediately with a right thrust punch to the groin and double immortal man strikes to the eyes.
Pivot on your right foot 270 degrees from left to right so that you are in a horse stance facing 6 o’clock and deliver a right rake to the ground, a left rake to the ground, a right rake to the ground, and then a left back fist to the ground with your right hand supporting (bridge) your left elbow.
Pivot on your left foot from right to left into a horse stance facing 3 o’clock as you deliver a left high outward ridge hand block and a right low outward ridge hand block using dynamic tension. Simultaneously deliver a left forearm block (a number 4 block from 8 point) and a right thrust punch to the groin and pause. From this position, deliver a left downward block (number 8 from 8 point) and a right back fist strike to the face, followed immediately with a left thrust punch to the groin and double immortal man strikes to the eyes.
Pivot on your right foot right to left 90 degrees so that you are in a horse stance facing 12 o’clock as you put your forearms together in front of you to deliver a slow knuckle roll as you exhale (dynamic tension). Bring your right fist into your left palm at your belt level (both hands come from your sides following the knuckle roll – left open palm up and right in a fist palm up) as you bring your right foot back to your left as in front position (your right fist should come to rest in your left palm the same time your feet come together). From here, raise them up to your chest as in front position as you flamingo your right leg. Once your hands reach your chest, turn them palm down (keeping the right fist in your left palm) and lower them to your belt as you lower your left leg from its previous flamingo (the raising of the hands and leg happen simultaneously) and bow.
Additional front and rear view:
