The Flying Phoenix Kick - How to Perform the Spectacular Pole Vaulting Side Kick , Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 11:37 PM, in

For more than three thousand years the most dreaded and effective fighting machine throughout the ancient world was the mounted soldier. The fearsome sight of a heavily armed cavalryman charging across the expanse was enough to send the average infantryman running for his life. Sometime in the fourth century BC the Macedonians developed the phalanx, a tight formation of infantrymen carrying 18 foot pikes, as a defence against cavalry. While the phalanx protected the foot soldiers from cavalry it was basically a defensive tactic and could do little to counter-attack the cavalry. This created a kind of stalemate that lasted for more than a thousand years. The Mongols, devised a strategy that put the advantage back with the cavalry. Instead of charging the phalanx with lances or swords, the Mongols carried bows and would ride circles around a phalanx raining arrows into the formation until enough soldiers were killed that the formation would collapse.



Thus the mounted soldier was again the premiere fighting unit until well after firearms were introduced. But in China a technique was developed that gave the foot soldier a chance to unhorse a cavalryman that had its origins, ironically, in child's play. The methodology was simple enough, you just kick the rider in the head so hard he falls off his horse. But how do you kick a moving target seven to eight feet off the ground? That's where the child's play came in.
When most of us hear about pole vaulting we naturally think of a track and field event, but for children in rural areas throughout the world, pole vaulting is just a fun addition to cross-country travel. As a child growing up in the wilds of the Canadian north, my friends and I would spend much of our time exploring the neighbouring forests. Before entering, we would all cut a sapling about an inch and-a-half thick and seven to eight feet long and, using our scout knives, we would whittle the trunk into a smooth pole. This gave us both the moral support of having a weapon handy in case of chance encounters with dragons, and a quick way to cross the numerous streams and creeks that criss-crossed the terrain. Whenever we came upon a stream we would place the pole in the centre of the stream and then pole vault across, thus avoiding the dreaded `soaker'. I had forgotten this skill until twenty years later when I was outside of Chang Mai, Thailand. While riding a motorcycle through the countryside I saw young Thai children pole vaulting across the irrigation ditches used to water the vegetable fields in the same way we used to cross the creeks. And therein lies the answer to unhorsing a mounted soldier. You just pole vault up to his level, then kick him off.





In the 18 Lohan pole style this now rather rare technique is known as the flying phoenix kick. While it was an innovative counter attack against a mounted opponent, it was basically a guerrilla tactic used to unhorse scouts and patrols and was not practical against a full scale cavalry charge. But it was well suited to China's rugged terrain and to its long tradition of guerrilla warfare. Throughout its history, China's rebel fighters took to the mountains in their struggle against corrupt emperors. There imperial horsemen would be forced to ride single file through narrow trails with little or no room to manoeuvre. Under those conditions the flying phoenix kick would have been effective indeed. It is known that the rebel armies would usually include fighting monks from various denominations including Shaolin and that may be why this technique survived as a part of the Shaolin weapons routines. While there is little need for this technique in one's self defence repertoire it does make a flashy addition to a staff form, improve balance and co-ordination, and, most importantly perhaps, it's fun.
Safety and the Staff
First you must have a solid hardwood staff strong enough to support your own body weight. On two occasions while I was in mid-vault my staff broke into sharp shards under me. Had I landed wrong I could easily have been impaled so don't take this advice lightly. I recommend a solid oak staff, at least six feet long. Avoid staffs with tapered ends since these tend to either skid more easily across a floor or otherwise sink several inches into the soil and then break off at ground level. To test your staff place it across two chairs so that approximately twelve inches of each end rests on the chair. Now carefully sit down on the staff at mid-point, if the staff breaks don't use it. This test causes greater stress on the staff than occurs during the pole vault, but it is better to have margin of safety. Another safety concern is floor surface. On hardwood or tiled floors the end of the staff is likely to slip out from underneath you and you could have a nasty fall. The safest place to practise is outdoors on the grass, but if you must practise indoors you should first experiment with either rubber tips on the end of the staff such as those used on canes and walkers, or place rubber backed door mats on the floor. On tatami or high density foam flooring you should also place mats on the floor, not for safety, but to prevent poking holes into the flooring. Test unfamiliar surfaces by practising a few low level vaults before attempting the high flying kicks.
The Grip
Depending on the particular technique there are three way of gripping the staff; both thumbs pointing to the right, both the thumbs pointing to the left, and both thumbs pointing to the middle. For the flying phoenix technique you must use the first grip; both thumbs pointing to the right. (This is for right handed people, south paws will have to reverse the directions from here on in.) Grip the staff with the right hand about two inches from the top and the left hand about two feet below the right. (This is like holding a canoe paddle and paddling on the left.)
The Plant
Hold the left hand section of the staff out and downwards at a 45 degree angle. Too far out and the staff will skid across the floor, too close and you will get no distance or lift. Plant the staff firmly on the ground with your left foot leading. Hold your right hand close to the right shoulder.





The Vault
Use your right leg with the knee bent to kick up and lift your body off the ground while transferring your body weight onto the staff. A key point is to keep the staff tight against your body, like climbing a rope. Lift both knees up as you arch over the staff. Land on your left foot first but don't place all the weight on it. Instead let the weight roll from left leg onto the right reducing the impact stress on both legs. Once you're used to the vault starting from a static position, try to get even more height and distance by taking a couple of quick steps to `run up' to the vault.
The Kick
Practise just the vault a few times until you are able to cross a eight foot distance with no effort. Once you are comfortable with the vault you can progress to the actual side kick. This is performed just like a jumping side kick. After you have transferred your weight onto the staff the right leg is chambered and then kicked out sideways midway through the jump. For proper form make sure the edge of the kicking foot is leading while at the same time the left leg is tucked up against the right thigh. Land as usual. This technique is much easier to perform than it looks and you will soon be able to kick six to seven feet off the ground with little effort.
Conclusion
In the Chinese martial arts we often learn and practise techniques that have little relationship to modern combat reality, but this is not the point. For example sit-ups have little practical use in a street fight yet we all do thousands of them because it increases strength. The flying phoenix kick will not save you from a mugger, but the grace, co-ordination, balance, and timing it teaches will improve the efficiency of the techniques that will save you. So the next time you go for a hike in the woods bring along your trusty staff so that whenever you come to a stream, instead of getting your feet wet, you can just sail across on your staff. And its also good for chasing away the occasional forest dragon.

Stefan Verstappen is a writer and martial arts practitioner who has lived and traveled throughout the Far East. He is a frequent contributor for Black Belt, and Inside Kung Fu Magazine and author of The Thirty-Six Strategies of Ancient China, Blind Zen, Little Warriors and Chinese Business Etiquette.
Author's website: http://www.chinastrategies.com
You can e-mail Stefan with questions and comments to sverstappen@yahoo.com