First, be advised that all of these VCD's are IN CHINESE ONLY. In our opinion that doesn't matter much because the instruction is clear and the quality of photography very good. But we will not accept returns just because people didn't read... IN CHINESE ONLY. Given that, these are really tremendous deals for the money. Each of these special VCD's can be played on a computer for full enjoyment. Made for PC's they are also Mac compatible by downloading Quicktime (for free) and any simi liar VCD player program.Also playable on most DVD players. For less than $10.00? Wow!

MIEN ZHANG (Cotton Palm Style)

Demonstrator/Teacher:Qiao XiuChuan.
This style is strong and long with very changeable movements that are beautiful and traditional. Cotton Palm emphasizes a great deal of waist twisting and very low stances. Angles at this level are becoming even more interesting.
NOTE: These VCDs are Special Order so allow a couple more days for fulfillment.
Want to see comments by practitioners?

Note: these are Special Order VCDS; however,
they should only take a few days extra to obtain.

Cotton Palm Kung FuVCD#579 Cotton Fist Applications
About 1 Hour, VCD pricing, Chinese Only

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NOT a special order

With Qiao Xiu Chuan. This new series emphasizes usage much more than form. In this case a number of the basic forms of Cotton Fist are performed first without instruction. They all show a strength and a deep horse reminiscent of Tan Tui practice. Many roads are rows of repeated movements. From there the applications are shown with a distinct emphasis on coiling motion and efficient actions. A nice over view of the style.

Cotton Palm Kung FuVCD#143 Cotton Fist First Form Level 1
About 1 Hour, VCD pricing, Chinese Only

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special order only

These tapes are divided not only by forms but also levels. This tape includes:The 1st Level of Cotton Palm (Yi Tang Mian Zhang) including Applications. The form is strong and long with very changeable movements that are beautiful and traditional. Cotton Fist emphasizes a great deal of waist twisting and very low stances. Not too long but intense and spirited. It is said to be performed as one burst.

Cotton Palm Kung FuVCD#145 Cotton Fist Following Hand
About 1 Hour, VCD pricing, Chinese Only

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special order only

The 2nd forming the Cotton Palm series is Following Hand (Sui Shou).This is a bit like a Cotton Palm Tan Tui, numerous moves are repeated on both sides as the practitioner traverses back and forth on the form "road".

Cotton Palm Kung Fu

VCD#144 Cotton Fist 5 Flower Cannon & Hammer
About 1 Hour, VCD pricing, Chinese Only
special order only

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Now we are entering sets in the Cotton Palm Tumbling level of the art (Mian Zhang Fan Zi). These VCDs have separate forms but represent the higher level of the art known as Fan Zi. includes:
The 1st form Five Flower Canon (Wu Hua Pao).
The 2nd form Five Flower Punch (Wu Hua Chui) and suggestions indicating usage.

Cotton Palm Kung Fu

VCD#146 Cotton Fist Heart Splitting Palm
About 1 Hour, VCD pricing, Chinese Only
special order only

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The 3rd Level form Penetrate the Heart Palm (Pi Xin Zhang). This form continues in the manner of Roads with repeated actions. Possibly a little "harder" than the previous "Following Hand" with distinct strikes and blocking actions. Feints are mixed with "real" attacks.

Cotton Palm Kung FuVCD#147 Cotton Fist Quick Hammer & Mule Kicks
About 1 Hour,
VCD pricing, Chinese Only
special order only

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Now we are entering sets in the Cotton Palm Tumbling level of the art (Mian Zhang Fan Zi). These VCDs have separate forms but represent the higher level of the art known as Fan Zi. This 3rd Level form Quick Footwork Hammers (Ji Bu Chui). A couple of key points: this form starts to "soften" with movements similar to T'ai Chi. Also there is a raised leg position toward the back that emphasizes balance and control.

The 4th Level form Backward Kicking (Jue Zi Jiao). A much wider selection of kicks. Some of them live up to the forms name with motions much like the famous back flipping kick of Chuo Jiao (another style that married with Fan Tzi). In fact we would say that the Fan Tzi flavor is starting to be more evident in this set. Click picture for enlargement.

Cotton Palm Kung FuVCD#148 Cotton Fist PiGua Linking Form
About 1 Hour, VCD pricing, Chinese Only
special order only

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The 4th Level form PiGua (Split-Deflect) Linking Form (PiGua Lian Huan). This set continues the theme of introducing more leg actions but now they are directed downward with tripping and low kicking motions. Reprising the road theme many actions are very functional and repeated on both sides. Movements are a nice mixture of hard and soft. The entire, very compact, can be practiced in an area three or five steps wide.

Cotton Palm Kung Fu

VCD#149 Cotton Fist 7 Stars Falling
About 1 Hour, VCD pricing, Chinese Only
special order only

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Now we are entering sets in the Cotton Palm Tumbling level of the art (Mian Zhang Fan Zi). These VCDs have separate forms but represent the higher level of the art known as Fan Zi.
This tape contains:
The form Seven Stars Falling (Chi-Xing Luo Di) is simple and brief with fierce actions and the "T" stance utilized.

Cotton Palm Kung Fu

VCD#150 Cotton Fist Four Energies
About 1 Hour, VCD pricing, Chinese Only
special order only

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This tape contains:
The form "Sticking, Blocking, Grasping and Striking" (Zhan Lan Ba Da). The movements are considered loose but not flimsy. The emphasis here is on transition and coordination.

Cotton Palm Kung FuVCD#151 Cotton Fist Applications
About 1 Hour, VCD pricing, Chinese Only
special order only

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Mian Zhang Fan Tzi Self defense applications. Many are demonstrated with Chinese subtitles naming them. A wide variety of grabs and punches covered give the viewer an idea of Cotton Palm's use of softness and hardness. Many of the movements could also be used for linked partner practice. This is an ancient and authentic style and it's not that often we see information about usage for self defense. Teachers in the old days were often restricted by law from showing the "best" of their hands. Get some idea of Kung Fu applications here.

Cotton Palm Kung FuVCD#152 Cotton Fist Survey Weapons and Fists
About 1 Hour, VCD pricing, Chinese Only
special order only

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A survey of Cotton Palm forms. In this case there are a number of sets NOT SEEN on the other disks. Besides the bulk of the empty hand sets this VCD contains demonstrations of

The Rainbow Sword, the Horsetail Whisk (Fu Chen), Kuan Knife, One person and Two person Staff and the Six Harmony Spear.

Cotton Palm Kung FuVCD#153 Cotton Fist Rainbow Straight Sword
About 1 Hour, VCD pricing, Chinese Only
special order only

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The Cotton Palm Rainbow straight sword set (Ni Hong Jian). This is a long-tasseled weapon that demands considerable control. As always with tassel swords it is impossible to completely control the tassel, the expertise is shown in how well you adjust to its movements and this is a good example of that skill. ShihFu Qiao demonstrates many of the breakdowns himself. Cotton Palm practitioners consider this to be a practical, rather than decorative, form.

...like Cotton Fist...
Hi Debbie,
you're right about that; you see, by now I have watched some very representative Northern wushu styles (Eagle claw in Leung Shum's book, Cha Chuan, etc.) and found them all very beautiful; however the Cotton Fist series is not only well structured (there is a curriculum, or syllabus behind) but well demonstrated and explained -this including applications- as well. Besides, I personally find this system (which is mixed here with Fan Tzi kung fu) the most elegant from all the ones I have the chance of watching. I really would recommend it as a standard sample to anyone curious about Northern Style kung fu. Now, I'm surprised at the fact that Cotton Fist seems to be virtually unknown outside China, whereas there is a lot of fuss about other Northern style systems. I forgot mentioning that: the Tai Chi Mantis and Tong Bei (Chi Family and Liu He) series are also great. This not just because they are interesting styles but also because there are applications and hints about usage. Unfortunately though I cannot state the same about the Seven-Star Mantis series: beautifully performed tao lu, but no information about usage, thus a reduction of the style to a performance art. Pity!
Yours SR -Spain

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