Guide to Pek Kwar Fighting Techniques

Dating back as far as the Ming Dynasty, Pek Kwar, also known as Tai Shing Pek Kwar, is a popular Northern Chinese style of kung fu. This fighting style, first taught to the Chinese armies as a practical form of combat, concentrates on the forearm and fist as a means of attack, low stance training and body coordination. Once learned, Pek Kwar can be an effective means of combat and is favored by many champions of the sport.

  1. Defining Pek Kwar

    • To understand the basics of the kung fu fighting style of Pek Kwar, you should turn to the roots of its language. In Chinese, "Pek" means chopping with a downward arm thrust or fist attack. "Kwar" is a swing in the opposite direction; an upward strike with a closed hand. This one-two, downward-upward combo style makes up the basis of Pek Kwar, but that is not the only means of attack. According to Kung Fu Magazine, there are 128 unique forms of attack settings in Pek Kwar, moves ranging from punches and Kwan Dao to sword and spear thrusts, plus many other diverse and effective methods. With this many skill sets to learn, the discipline of Pek War is difficult to master, but highly effective once learned.

    Tai Shing Pek Kwar

    • Perhaps the most famous of all the Pek Kwar forms is Tai Shing Pek Kwar, which translated from Chinese means Monkey Ax Fist. This martial art style combines the basic principles of Tai Shing and the traditional Monkey style with the unique moves of the Ax Fist style of Pek Kwar. Basic principles of movement in monkey boxing are described as light, agile, lunge, full and grasp. Monkey boxing also uses mental combat with moves described as sneaky, devious and chaotic meant to frustrate, confuse and, ultimately, defeat an opponent. This style utilizes five empty-hand routines, each following a different principle of movement.

    The Monkey Styles

    • The five basic movement forms are named after monkey behaviors: the lost monkey, the drunken monkey, the tall monkey, the stone monkey and the wooden monkey. The lost monkey routine focuses on self-defense and counterattacking surprise strikes utilizing quick reactions. The drunken monkey primarily is concerned with confusing an opponent with off-balance body positions and movements that keep an opponent from finding proper rhythm. The drunken monkey often is portrayed as a comical routine but is effective for disorienting opponents. Featuring long distance, sweeping and swinging arm movements and low, deep stances, the tall monkey routine mimics the movement style of a monkey with long arms. Relying on power and strength, the stone monkey routine features somersaults, daring rolls and spectacular falls. Finally, the wooden monkey is used as a form of deception. The fighter uses quick wits, clever and sneaky tricks to lure the opposition into an attack.