Three Plates (San Pan)

[Wanderer]

San Pan means upper (head/chest), mid (lower chest and abdomen), and lower (legs and feet) regions of the body or Shang; Zhong; Xia.

All schools of Kung Fu have strategy for the San Pan.

How do you train and study them in your MA?

Comments?

Shaolin fists have a lot of leg sweeping (Sou Tui) to attack lower plate (Xia Pan), if the opponent is strong and fast at upper plate.

[Wanderer]

In Ba Gua, the training may be done at three levels.

Strategy for lower level (Xia Pan).

San Pan Luo Di (your 3 levels are close to the ground):

1.White snake spreading grass. (Bai Ce Pu Cou)

You may attack the knee or shin with your hands, strike (Kao) with your shoulder or upper arm, uproot and throw the opponent etc.

2. Walking horse kicking off the noose of the rope (Zhou Ma Fo Xie)

3. Sparrow touching the water (Yen Zi Cou Sui)

etc.

What is your MA strategy to attack the lower level?

[Wanderer]

In Ba Ji;

San Pan Lian Ji (attack the three levels);

1. Huo Da Ding Zhou.

You Luo with your left hand, you punch the opponent's chest or chin with your right fist and kick his shin with your right foot. And say Wuh. (Huo Da) (Shang and Xia Pan)

You place down your right foot and use the right elbow to strike (Ding Zhou) his chest. (Shang Pan)

2. Yi Da Ding Zhou Zuo You Fan.

Your right foot to trap the opponent's foot, and you are close to the opponent. You use your hands to control the chest or neck. One hand may go to his back; under the armpit; or grab upper arm. You control his upper level with your hands, and/or the mid with your body and lower level with your feet. You may throw or flip the opponent to the left or right (Zuo You Fan)

Ba Ji is coming at you at the 3 levels and keeps coming.

San Pan Lian Ji.

What is your MA strategy to attack the 3 levels at the same time or in a squence?

[Wanderer]

In Tai Ji;

Lead on the high and move or strike at low. (Shang Yin Xia Jin or Ji).

You may guide the opponent's fist and forearm laterally to your rear by Peng first to contact then Lu.

You move your foot to hit his shin or trip the opponent to fall.

You may knee in to pressure his knee.

It is a common method to think about the three levels.

[Wanderer]

In Tong Bei;

It is nonstop strike to the left, right, at high, mid and low levels with both hands.

You lead with the right throwing palm (Shuai Zhang) to the face of the opponent.

The opponent would raise one arm to block your right fist.

You turn your right hand around to grab his blocking arm and pull down a little. Your left hand is a throwing palm to hit the face again.

The opponent blocks again. You use your right fist to punch his abdomen (Zhong Pan) since you pull down his left forearm.

The opponent blocks or grabs your right wrist. You use your left palm to strike to the grabbing wrist and move back your right hand. You use your right fist to hit the high again. The opponent blocks again. You use your left fist to hit the abdomen.

Or retract your right fist and hit the abdomen. Your left hand may palm strike at high while you retract your right fist.

On and on and on.

The pulling back hand is Yin. The attacking hand is Yang. They are interchangeable. The Yang Shou may turn into Yin Shou. The Yin Shou may turn into Yang Shou. Left, right, left. high mid low on and on.

[Nataraya]

Dear Wanderer,

Skills in systems like (for instance) Hung Kuen is indeed based on 'Saam thingy', I think it is the San pan as you describe/ A deeper and more detailed model are the use of the 64 windows (to kill).
On a martial level we have single techniques, that attack one level, and simultaneous skills that attack two levels at the same time. You must think of skills like; Monk Sounds The Bell, Butterfly Palms, and for instance the shadow skills.

We discussed this once before, I think it was about Mo Ying Geuk or Shadowless Kick? But I am not 100% sure…. The hands operates as shadow (Ying Sau) while the kick search for a level to penetrate. Practically this can be done almost at the same time, in which the hands NOT always can be qualified as a feint.

On a dynamical level, we have the sounds (in our system). Both breathing skills ( as sound is part off) can mobilize energy from a specific level. In relation with this, the stepping methods (Pu Faat) can play an role too.

Warm regards,

Evert.