Inspired by the flapping wings of a white crane defending her nest from a predatory ape, this style's long-range strategy is, "To keep the opponent at a distance with long punches and kicks, use evasive footwork rather than blocking, and aim all strikes at vulnerable points." 

Powerful Swinging Arms
If your goal is self-defense, then long-range fighting gives you the best opportunity for escape. In a street situation the fight may begin or rapidly move into close range, so hap gar also has an arsenal of short-range strikes, throws and defenses against attacks found on the street. While this article deals with long-arm techniques, realize they are only one piece of a complete self-defense method. 

In the kung-fu styles of South China, especially Canton, several disciplines use the long bridge. The hap gar, lama and white crane systems, as well as the choy lay fut system, use them as their main method. Other systems such as hung gar have incorporated the long bridges to complement their own techniques. One form is the famous tiger and crane.

The long arm strike features a swing rather than a thrust. The fist moves in a long arc on the way to the target. Think of a slingshot with the fist as the stone. The arm is relaxed and the force is generated as the hips turn. Long-arm punches are thrown from a variety of angles, both forehand and backhand, and usually come in combinations. They often come from outside the opponent's line of vision, making them difficult to defend against.




This kind of strike would not be efficient in Western-style boxing, because the rules and large gloves favor a tight defensive stance; this stance is better suited for thrusting-type punches. However, in no-holds-barred type fights, the defense cannot be so tight because: without large gloves, a barefist or MMA glove can get around a boxing-type defense; and because the fighter also has to worry about kicks, takedowns and clinches.

Some boxers have criticized MMA striking for its swings and haymakers, but this is actually a valid way of striking if the rules allow punches, kicks, grabs and wrestling. When my sifu explained this to me—and before I discovered the truth for myself in hard sparring—I found it a little difficult to appreciate. Now you can see the truth for yourself: Watch a left hook or an overhand right in boxing, then in MMA: it's not the same technique. The range, power generation, stance and set-up are all different. In the chaos of a street self-defense situation, where there are no rules, the strikes will resemble hap gar strikes, because these movements are primal. They are a natural way to create an exclusion zone around the body and generate a lot of power.




Consider the Thai round kick. While one of the most-feared blows in martial arts it:
* Telgraphed by a turn of the foot and a shift of the body before delivery; and
* Thrown in a big swing, making it slower than the snappy kicks of tae kwon do or karate.

On paper it doesn't seem so good. So why is this kick a staple of every full-contact fighter? In a word: power. The same applies with the long bridges. If you try them in chi sau or play fighting, your opponent can counter them rather easily. Yet, if you throw them with full power, and the ruthless intent that they require, your opponent will usually be too worried about keeping his head on his shoulders to counter.

What is the difference between mere untrained flailing, and the scientific application of the lobng bridges?

Balance
An untrained person who swings wildly will often lose his balance if he fails to connect. For the hap gar stylist, using the hips and stance maintains balance, often by counterbalancing with the non striking arm or shortening of the striking arc. This takes some practice.

Conditioning
If you are untrained, swinging your arm at somebody with full power will probably hurt your arm more than your opponent's head. The key is systematic conditioning of the striking surfaces of the fist and forearm, which is achieved  by striking pads, dummies and partners in various conditioning drills.

Set-Up
These strikes would be considered telegraphic by their very nature. No legitimate opponent is going to stand still while you wind up and open fire. There are two solutions to this: One is to shorten the blows, so you learn to deliver power in a shorter movement. Thids makes it hard for the opponent to see it coming. This is the short bridge method. The long bridge method takes another approach: Instead of trying to throw the strikes non-telegraphically, the strikes are delivered in such a way that each strike incorporates the wind up for the next. The strikes are blended within the continual motion of the arms, where the attacking and defensive motions seamlessly connect and the arms strike from a variety of angles.

The key to success lies in the footwork. The stance is never placed directly in front of the opponent where straight blows would prevail. Rather, the body continually shifts from side to side. Using triangular stepping, attack the opponent from his side doors.




In a real fight, there is no pacing, no feeling the opponent out with jabs. The goal is to finish and get out as quickly as possible, which is what the barrage attack accomplishes.

Basic Long Arm Strikes
Following are the six most common swinging blows. They are divided them into three pairs: diagonal, horizontal and vertical.

There is a special fist formation used with the long strikes. The more common fist with the thumb across the index and middle finger would result in the thumb becoming injured on contact. So the thumb is tightly pressed to the top of the fist.

1. Kup Choi (Covering punch)
An overhand strike connecting with the inside knuckles. The arc begins from behind the back and ends with the wrist at the opposite hip. The target is in the middle of the arc and the rest is a follow through motion.
2. Gwa Choi (Hanging punch)
A backhand strike, thrown at a 45-degree downward angle, that uses the back of the fist as the striking area. The arc begins from the opposite hip and finishes behind the back, which is  the opposite of the kup choi.
3. Lam Choi (Hugging punch)
A horizontal inward swing that strikes with the inside knuckles. The arc begins from behind the back and ends with the forearm across the abdomen.
4. Bin Choi (Whipping punch)
A horizontal backhand swing using the back of the knuckles. The arc travels across the abdomen and finishes behind the back, which is opposite lam choi.
5. Pow Choi (Throwing punch)
An uppercut strike that can be performed palm up or down. The palm-up variety  strikes with the inside knuckles, beginning below the waist and finishing higher than the head.
6. Pek Choi (Chopping punch)
A downward strike using the back of the fist. The strike begins from above the head and finishes below the waist, which is  the opposite of pow choi.

Developing Long Arm Power
You must understand that power comes from speed, and the looser the shoulder joint, the more whipping force will be generated. The first stage is to stand in a bow stance and rapidly swing the arm forward and backward in a complete circle. The biceps should brush close to the ear. Keep the hand open and relaxed. If you perform this exercise correctly you will feel the blood rush into your fingers. Start with about 20 circles each direction then switch stances. Aim to gradually build up the speed and repetitions to about 100.

The second stage is the yee pai weights. You can use a dumbell, but the traditional weight is better because it also strengthens the wrist and fingers. There are many exercises, but a simple includes turning the waist, swinging the weight and catching it at the top. This will strengthen the core muscles, helping the transmission of power from the legs into the fist.

The third stage is using a sandbag. Now that the student has a flexible shoulder and powerful waist turn, it's time to add a plyometric element to increase explosiveness in the strike. Instead of a medicine ball, hap gar uses a cloth bag filled with sand. The advantage is that you can practice the forehand and backhand throws. Peform the six basic strikes and try to throw the bag as far as you can, or against a wall as hard as you can.

The fourth stage involves hitting the pads. I think a modern focus mitt is best. Since most people tense up too much for these strikes, it is a good idea to start using an open hand to slap the focus mitt with a heavy feeling in the arm. Then make a fist, but keep the arm loose until the moment of contact.The fist is squeezed tight for a fraction of a second, then the whole arm is loose again. Gradually increase the speed and power of the strike, but keep the loose, heavy feeling. A great deal of power can be developed in a short time.

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David Rogers runs the Rising Crane Centre, which is a full-time Chinese martial arts school and acupuncture clinic. He has trained in kung-fu since 1984 and is a graduate of the South China School of Martial Arts in Canton. A disciple of Deng Jan Gong, the 5th-generation kung-fu master in his family and a Chinese National Champion, Rogers can be reached at www.risingcrane.co.uk