Prelude #59
 
Theme: Hexagram:
  G major    Huan "dispersion"

Iron Palm is not officially part of the acknowledged Chen Family style curriculum, but we have seen at least one practitioner in the Chen Village. We teach Northern Shaolin style Iron Palm from the lineage of Yim Kai Wun through Gu Ru Zhang through Yim Shang Mo to Grandmaster Wing Lam. This Iron Palm training uses four diferent strikes against a canvas bag filled with (in progression) mung beans, gravel and iron shot, and features the use of Dit Da Jow afterwards. The Tiger Iron Palm from the mysterious Leung Hua Chu adds a fifth strike, has a specialized table and adds an herbal soak (Si Sou Fang - sometimes spelled Sai Sou Fang) before practice.
The objectives of Iron Palm are to be able to break concrete pavers and single wood boards. The boards are laminated pine and come in two  different shapes. Both are 1" thick and 12" long. The 4" wide boards need 50 pounds of force to break and 10" wide boards need 100 pounds of force to break. Technically, you actually tear the boards. Currently, we are NOT recommending that anyone learn these techniques at home without first attending a seminar.
I trained in what was supposed to a Cheng style Bagua Zhang Iron Palm which involved eight different strikes and two liniments - one warming and one cooling - plus an elixir. I am not sure how authentic / canonical the training was, nor if I can find suitable liniment and elixirs recipes.
<movie goes here>

To go to the next preludes page click here
To go to the prior preludes page click here
To return to the preludes page click here
To return to the home page click here