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Hsing-I Crushing Fist, aka Beng Chuan:

Minoru Akuzawa unpacks it for you around 0:50. Watch that step he does from 1:00-1:20. Gold. See how it adds power to the strike and then better sets a second blow (around 1:45).

So this is a traditional fencing balestra which is really just a hopping advance and then a lunge in quick succession. (& http://sworddueling.com/2009/08/12/the-balestra-quartata/). So what I’ve been calling a balestra isn’t one – ah, terminology.
What I’ve been doing is when leaping forward powering out with the leading leg, with a rising hip & the quad kicking, like skipping on air, out forward, gaining extra distance. It works best with backhand & rising cuts.

For full post – check this great blog – http://northstarmartialarts.com/blog1/?p=1412

The first level of practice is called “Icy Woman.” At this level we develop a root so that when pushed the opponent’s force is directed through our body down to the ground. As the Icy Woman’s structure improves she is able to keep this rooted quality continuously during dynamic movement. If played as a game, both people will try to keep even pressure on their opponent’s root. The moment the pressure is broken either partner can move to sever their opponent’s root. The game can also be won root-to-root. In this case each person uses a blend of twisting, wrapping, expanding and condensing to improve the integration of their root. Root against root, the better root will win.
…
The second level of practice is called “Watery Woman.” At this level it is necessary to become weak. If played as a game, the goal is to try and find some ice in your opponent. Ice is either structure or rootedness. The Watery Woman does not attempt to compete structure-against-structure nor does she try to uproot her opponent. She gives up rootedness and structure for fluid movement and weight. The Watery Woman sloshes her weight in and around her opponent, she only wins when her opponent makes a mistake–the mistake of becoming icy.
…
The third level of practice is called “Steamy Woman.” At this level her body becomes cloud-like. Empty and full at the same time. When the Steamy Woman meets ice or water in her opponents she simply floats them out of the way. Her mind is not on her body at all, but all around it at play with the elements of volume, momentum, and density. Inside a steam-like feeling moves around freely without regard to purpose or concept. Like a cloud, it has no agenda. Outside the game is played by the shifts and swirls of presence.

So I found a list of startlingly effective streetfighting tactics on UFC.com:

1.   Butting with the head.
2.   Eye gouging of any kind.
3.   Biting.
4.   Hair pulling.
5.   Fish hooking.
6.   Groin attacks of any kind.
7.   Putting a finger into any orifice or into any cut or laceration on an opponent.
8.   Small joint manipulation.
9.   Striking to the spine or the back of the head.
10. Striking downward using the point of the elbow.
11. Throat strikes of any kind, including, without limitation, grabbing the trachea.
12. Clawing, pinching or twisting the flesh.
13. Grabbing the clavicle.
14. Kicking the head of a grounded opponent.
15. Kneeing the head of a grounded opponent.
16. Stomping a grounded opponent.
17. Kicking to the kidney with the heel.
18. Spiking an opponent to the canvas on his head or neck.
19. Throwing an opponent out of the ring or fenced area.

Wow, it’s like a Rosetta stone for defending yourself against an MMA-trained mugger.  In actuality, the above is a list of the fouls that the UFC  prohibits because they’re too harmful to the fighters.  I’ve been thinking about self-defense (as opposed to dueling) lately.  Some of the above goes beyond what’s legally acceptable for self-defense. But turn it around — how do you defend against these things? Hair pulling, back attacks, slamming into walls, and stomping are all standard procedure for crackhead muggers, street thugs, and other predators. The fouls later in the list are also thought-provoking:

20. Holding the shorts or gloves of an opponent. (using their clothing against them; grab their sleeves, collar, pants legs.)
21. Spitting at an opponent. (as a distraction?)
23. Holding the ropes or the fence.   (using the environment as a shield or weapon)
24. Using abusive language in the ring or fenced area.  (intimidation, psychological assault)
29. Timidity, including, without limitation, avoiding contact with an opponent, intentionally or consistently dropping the mouthpiece or faking an injury.   (elusiveness, trickery, running the fuck away like a smart guy)
30. Interference by the corner. (If you’re male, you’ll never get jumped by just one person.)

It’s interesting to track the evolution of the UFC rules.

(* I swear the UFC created rule #7 especially for Forrest Griffin; in his book he recommends a technique he calls “The Asian Dart”, where you… ugh, no, it’s too nasty, I’ll spare you the details.)

Oh hell yes.  Somebody uploaded Yang Jwing-Ming’s entire Shaolin Chin-Na video to YouTube, one technique at a time:

Muscle grabbing Chin Na hurts just to watch:

Presumably Dr. Yang has crazy grip strength from all the White Crane conditioning exercises he’s done.  In his book, he mentions that you need to be considerably more skilled than your opponent in order to use any Chin Na effectively.  If you’re evenly matched, it’s better just to hit them — “In such a situation, to show mercy to your opponent is to be cruel to yourself.”

The whole collection: http://www.youtube.com/user/ApocalypseJournal

This was a bonus feature on the Reclaiming the Blade DVD, which was somewhat hokey but interesting enough to be worth a library view. Basically it was half about swords in the cinema and half about the resurgence of interest in Western martial arts.

Anyways, I thought this was interesting conceptually.

The “Case” of Two Swords
from School of the Sword

The use of two swords simultaneously has always attracted interest. It is a difficult and interesting style to interpret and has oft been misunderstood. Often the term “case of rapiers” is used, this appears to come from Giacomo DiGrassi’s “True Arte of Defence” (London 1594), however it needs to be borne in mind that this is an anglicised version of the original 1570 text and the translator (the enigmatic I.G) has simply substituted the more fashionable word “rapier” for  spada in the original text (it should also be noted that the illustrations in the original Italian edition are somewhat superior).