Orange Sash

初学徒弟 水平二
Chūxué Túdì Shuǐpíng Èr
2nd Grading – Beginner Disciple Grade 2

Upon graduation, the student will be awarded an

Orange Sash

After some further development, the Chuxue Todai is usually hungry for another grading before long. However, they will only go for it when they are ready so this energy is best put into the training to add extra motivation. Once an Orange Sash is earned, the student really begins to gain momentum with their transformation and is already becoming a very well-rounded practitioner with a good, solid base across most of the conceptual areas of martial arts.

The Orange Sash is where controlling distance really begins to become a prominent feature. 拉手 Lop Sao (Grabbing/Pulling Hand) and 伏手 Fook Sao (Prostrating Hand) give a more active control of the attacker’s position and posture when dealing with strikes and creating opportunities for our own to land more effectively in a close-quarters situation.

This theme of working in close quarters is reflected in the 擒拿 Qínná (Biomechanical Manipulation) syllabus with a broad arsenal of simple but effective beginners’ movements, such as the body lock, foot trap, underhook and overhook, and one of our favourites: “The Shredder”. The student at this stage also begins their journey of understanding how to affect joints, starting with the extremities by learning 指絡 Yubi-garami (“Finger Entanglement”) – finger and thumb locks. Students also progress now from their work as beginners learning how to destabilise someone and take their balance to now effecting simple takedowns and also gaining positions of advantage using the snapdown.

The 轻 功 (Qīnggōng – Agility and Mobility) curriculum also progresses into the essential knowledge of not just absorbing falls but also executing rolls forwards and backwards, as well as learning harder breakfalls (Ukemi) for use on mats when drilling takedowns and throws. They also learn the essential and all-too-often neglected companion skill to learning how to fall: how to get back up again, with the tactical getup.

In striking (打击 Dǎjí) also the awareness of range becomes more necessary than in the first grading. Whereas before we had kicking, now we have specific methods of travel to land those kicks by “Seeking the Bridge”, as traditionalists would say. Now the practitioner is well practiced in kicking at all ranges, from very close up to far away. Reinforcing the centreline principle, we see a major focus on 连环拳 Lin Wan Kuen (Chain Fist) striking at this level. Alternative angles of striking and methods of power generation also begin to come to light for the practitioner undertaking their Yellow Sash, and the knife hand strike comes into play for the first time, offering up new targeting options.

The student continues their study of 五步拳 Wǔ Bù Quán – the Five Fundamental Stances – by demonstrating understanding of all five stances: 馬步 Mǎ Bù – Horse Stance, 弓步 Gōng Bù – Bow Stance, 仆步 Pū Bù – Deep Stance, 歇步 Xiē Bù – Rest Stance and 虛步 Xū Bù – Empty Stance.

As before, the student must continue to manage distance effectively using The Fence, and now they also must demonstrate a good understanding of the Breath Principle.