Paul asked me about learning the 7-Points Dotting Hands as he was under the impression that it would be easy to learn. Yes and no.

Yes, in that moving the arm is not difficult.

No, in that the challenge is to do justice to the sequence in terms of application, proper structure, power generation, etc.

For Paul, I pointed out to him that the practice of the 6-Blocks is one way to leapfrog the learning of the 7-Points. This is because when I designed the 6-Blocks I took into account the learning of Wing Chun, Tai Chi and NGK. In this regard, when you practice the 6-Blocks you are not just practicing blocks. Instead the 6-Blocks teaches several things such as :-

a) If you do Wing Chun it reinforces the learning of the elbow as a hinge to make the arms move like a swing door and softens your arm movements.

b) If you do Tai Chi its a way to learn how to actually use the 3 Chi Rings while using the techniques. You will feel as if you can control a sphere right in front of your chest. And of course, if you get the 3 Chi Rings then you also acquire the beginnings of the ability to use the arms as a bow to issue power.

c) If you are into NGK then you need to go far enough into realizing how to use body movements not just to complement hand techniques but how the body moves to conceal your techniques and use hidden techniques. This is why there is a saying that NGK is to be taught to instructors and not to students because a student would not realize what is hidden in plain sight.

So there’s a lot that went into this simple exercise of doing 6 blocks. Most people would read the word “blocks” and thought it was nothing more than that. This is like my hidden joke, like that ending in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, where in the cave guarded by the ancient knight Indiana and the Nazis finally found the Holy Grail. However, they were confronted by many grails, of which one is the real one. How would the Nazis and Indiana choose?

To get the most out of 6-Blocks and move towards the capability to jump right into 7-Points training :-

1) Learn each movement. Count out loud the 6 movements in this way – 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3. Do each movement deliberately, visualize how they are used as a block. Keep body still and just do arm movements. If practicing with right arm, have the right leg forward.

2) After many repetitions you should be able to count 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 and do the movements quickly without stopping. Try doing 3 repetitions non-stop. Count 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 (Rep-1), 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 (Rep-2), 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3 (Rep-3). This trains you to automate the movements.

3) Try starting from any of the movements. You should be able to move into the sequence easily from any of the blocks.

4) Study the movements as a paired movements. 12, 34, 56. Next try 23, 45, 61. You can create other pairs for example, 42, 15. This teaches how to flow even if you are out of sequence and as a technique how to close a space or open up a space. Prior to this you are focussing on the arm move. When you study paired movements especially on how to open or close a space that’s when you see how moving your body as well can help. After this stage your practice of 6-Blocks will no longer be just doing the sequence as an arm exercise but as a arm-body movement exercise.

5) From (1) to (4) you practice with right arm, right leg forward. Now practice with right arm, left leg forward. This will train your body to move in another way. Learn how to switch from right arm to left arm without pausing.

6) Practice the sequence with right arm, right leg then step (whether forward or backward) to left arm, left leg. Next do right arm, left arm, right leg and step to left leg.

7) Add a punch to each block. We can start with same hand block, same hand punches. Once familiar try right hand block, left hand punches.

8) Continues the punching exercise with two punches for each block. For example, Block-1, right punch, left punch. Later switch to Block-1, left punch, right punch. You can also try three punches. Example Block-1, right punch, left punch, right punch and Block-1, left punch, right punch, left punch. Once familiar you can add advancing as you step.

9) Study how the body moves to generate power when you do right hand block, right punch and right hand block, left punch whether doing one punch, two punches or three punches sequence.

10) Study how to apply all 6 blocks to control space, how to close space, how to open up space, and how to attack. This part you need a partner. You can do line drill like partner feeds you a punch, you do the blocks. You can also do push hands or sticking hands and drill the blocks within.

11) Practice until arm moves like a whip. Then learn to put entire body behind arm when it stops to generate feeling of hitting like iron bar.

12) Are there more? Probably, the above can occupy a few weeks, if not months of practice.

If you can to (11) you have already picked up some of the essentials of NGK even if you do not know what it is. But then its like opening a Christmas present. When you finally receive the present and you open it then you will see what it is.