Bi Zhou-The Outer Forearm Elbow

Within Mantis Boxing exists a manuscript about the coiling elbows.
"Divide the body and attach the twelve hidden coiling elbows."
 

Within these twelve coiling elbows is one commonly seen in our mantis school called bi zhou or outer forearm elbow. Here is a sample of the characters from Li Kunshan's manuscript.

On the bio of my shifu, Shi Zhengzhong, is a picture  of him doing this technique. Here he applies the force in a downward direction. This was taken in the later years of my Tainan occupation by my wife behind his house in Tainan county.

During his younger days, while studying with Zhang Dekui, he had this picture of bi zhou taken.

In this version he performs bi zhou with a horizontal force. Note in this one the extreme twisting of the waist. This is using bi zhou for simultaneous striking and tripping of the opponent. It requires clever timing as well as a strong waist.

Zhang Dekui, when performing his Luanjie form, pulled his rear hand near his waist when doing bi zhou. Here he is performing the technique to the left and right from his version of Luanjie. Doing bi zhou to left and right like this is often called Jade Maiden Weaves the Shuttle.

Here is a sample from Li Kunshan's Luanjie manuscript. Jade maiden weaves the shuttle is an important part of the old Mantis form Luanjie. In that form the move is followed by interconnected breaking punch.

What follows is a pictorial representation of these techniques connected together. My shidi Yaw is the defender. It takes a minute or two to go over these pictures, but in actual practice it takes a moment.

Jade Maiden Weaves the Shuttle

We face off.

I hook and pluck with the right and fasten with the left. This must jolt him in order to force him to alter his balance.

As he tries to raise his body I follow his motion with the hooking step and outer forearm elbow. It is important to firmly secure and pull his right hand the entire time.

He doesn't get tripped, but instead steps back with his lead foot while raising his free left hand to defend himself.

My left hand follows his defending hand with a hook and pluck and I fasten with my right.

Again, I follow his motion with the hooking step and outer forearm elbow.

Interconnected Breaking Punch

Once again he is able to step back and defend himself.

I pull his top hand down over his bottom hand in order to expose his face.

I pull with one hand and punch with the other. This is the straight punch to the face.

Again he steps back and defends.

I pull his top hand down and punch to his chest or face. This ends the techniques of Luanjie third road in Plum Flower Mantis Boxing called jade maiden weaves the shuttle and interconnected breaking punch[

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