Many fighters today, regardless of the style of martial art they practice, use Boxing techniques in sparring and fighting. An important reason for this situation is that Boxing is perhaps the closest to fighting instinctively. A kungfu exponent if he wishes to be effective in combat, must therefore be able to handle a Boxer's attacks. The strength of a Boxer lies in his speed. A good way to minimize this advantage of the opponent is to keep him at bay using a stretched arm at a Bow-Arrow Stance in a Shaolin pattern called “Fierce Dragon Across Stream”. Please note that the main objective of this training session is keeping the Boxer away. How to counter-attack him is learnt in other sessions.

Grandmaster Wong demonstrates how to throw an opponent using the Shaolin pattern “Uprooting Tree with Roots”. He purposely chooses a huge opponent, Innes Maran, for demonstration, “When you can throw a big opponent”, he says, “not only you can throw smaller opponents more easily, you will have the confidence to throw them.” Do not attempt this technique if your training partner does not know how to fall correctly. Notice that the last part of Innes' body to reach the ground is his palm, and he is not hurt at all in the fall. If a falling person attempts to stop the fall with his hand, he may dislocate his wrist or facture his arm.

This video clip shows students practicing how to throw opponents using the Shaolin pattern “Uprooting Tree with Roots”. Some of the students are beginning students. Hence you may notice that their movements may not be skilful — yet. But their techniques are excellent. The attackers have good stance, and unbalance the opponents before felling them — two conditions necessary for effective felling. Their partners also have good techniques in their falling, which enable them to be unhurt. Notice especially that they hit the ground with their palm last. Had they tried to stop the fall with their palm first, they might be injured.

Here is a kicking technique, using the Shaolin pattern “Happy Bird Hops up a Branch”. Some people may be surprised that there are many kicking techniques in Shaolin Kungfu, but they are purposely used inconspicuously. An exponent purposesly lets an opponent to attack, then he surprises the attacker with a kick. This tactic is known as “tempting the opponent to attack in futile, then strike him unexpectedly”.

Gripping an opponent by surprise with one hand and simultaneously striking him with the other, is a formidable attack. Here is such an attack, using the Shaolin pattern “Angry Leopard Charges at Rock”. Attacks may come in countless ways but they are grouped into four major categories, namely striking, kicking, felling and “qin-na” or gripping. Although this is an elementary course, it is complete, and all the four categories of attacks and their defences are taught. Learning these defences, however, are not captured in these videos, which were taken without pre-arrangement, but the students can be seen using them in free sparring shown later on.

The technique known as the “shoot”, where the attacker rushes in to grab the opponent's legs to take him down, is commonly used in wrestling and free-style fighting. In kungfu this technique is discouraged because it places the attacker in a vulnerable position while attacking. These deadly counter techniques which could kill or maim the attacker are normally disallowed by safety rules, but in kungfu one is trained to fight without any rules. Even if we leave aside these drastic techniques, there are still many safe and effective techniques in kungfu to counter the “shoot”. Some examples are shown.

Students practice counters against “shoots” where an opponent has just commenced his attack and has not succeeded in grasping an exponent's legs. One can cause serious injury to the opponent by striking his head. A more compassionate yet effective counter is to stop him by intercepting the opponent's forward movement at his shoulder or collar bone. Students need to be careful in their training to avoid injuring their training partner while countering.

What would you do if an opponent succeeds in grasping your legs and is about to take you down. A good counter is to sink deep into your low Horse-Riding Stance and press the opponent onto the ground, using the pattern “Black Bear Sinks Hips”. Another effective counter is to squat down to a Half-Kneel Stance using the pattern “Fierce Tiger Crouches on Ground”.

Students use a variety of counters against the “shoot”, depending on how far the opponent has executed his attack. It is interesting to note that in one of the encounters, having the attacker under control, Jamie plucks his groin from behind without the attacker knowing. This isn't so surprising if we know that Jamie's teacher is Sifu Darryl who specializes in the Shaolin Monkey Set, where such insidious techniques are characteristic.

Although some of the students here are beginners, they can use typical kungfu patterns in their free sparring after only a few days of intensive training. All the categories of attacks — striking, kicking, felling and gripping — are represented here. The two students at the end of the video clip are beginners. It is a credit to them that they apply throws, which are relatively difficult techniques, and counter effectively, which is one reason why some viewers may not realize that throwing attacks have been attempted.

This video clip shows a beginners' class attempting free sparring. For some of them it is their first time, yet they can use kungfu patterns in their free sparring, though their skills, understandably, still need much training to be effective. It is worthy of note that even among beginners, free sparring in Shaolin Wahnam is fun and free of injury. You can also hear Sifu Marcus Santer's voice behind the video camera telling the participants to give their sparring partners a chance if their partners are too slow to respond correctly.

The students here are more advanced than those shown in the previous video clip (Free Sparring Part 2). Some of them are assistant instructors. Although the techniques used are the same, the skills shown here are more advanced. Regardless of whether they are beginners or advanced students, free sparring in Shaolin Wahnam is always fun and free from injury.

This video clips shows students training how to use kicks and their counters in sparring. Sifu Darryl is obviously having a nice time.

In Shaolin Wahnam both Shaolin Kungfu and Wahnam Taijiquan are always practiced as chi kung. In other words, in our Shaolin Kungfu or Wahnam Taijiquan training, it is not necessary to practice separate chi kung exercises because chi kung is already an integral part of the training. Free sparring is no exception. After a vigorous session of free sparring, students go into chi flow. Amongst other benefits, chi flow cleanses away injuries unwitting sustained during sparring, and build internal force.