Biu Da 鏢打

Biu Da 鏢打 – a sidewards wedging block, for defence against long, wide swinging hooks by coming inside them, and simultaneously counter-punching down the middle

Biu Da 鏢打 (point & hit) is a sharp emergency move (when done on the Inside Gate, which is where it’s most useful). It can either be done very aggressively or very passively but must be done very carefully either way, since it’s a high risk position to be in. This is a sidewards wedging block for dealing with long, wide swinging hooks around the side of your head, that you need to come inside the arc of, because you can’t lean back enough to avoid it.

Bruce Lee demonstrating Biu Da in his early 20s.
Bruce Lee demonstrating a version of Biu Da in his early 20s, on his student and dear friend Taky Kimura. In this picture, Bruce’s left hand is doing a Biu Sau block, while his right hand is doing a palm-up version of a Biu Jee finger jab to the throat. Black & White pictures from this photoshoot were used in Bruce Lee’s first & only book, called Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self-Defense, which he self-published in 1963 at the age of 22 while living in Seattle, before moving to California to pursue a career in Hollywood. Other books were made in Bruce’s name but were never published during his lifetime or with his approval.

If you want to block a wide hook, you may be able to step back with a slapping parry, if you’ve got space & time, and the punch is short enough. But if it’s a really long, wide swinging hook, like a bowling haymaker, and you can’t step back quick & far enough to avoid it, then your best bet, so long as there’s enough of a lateral arc in the punch, may be to step forward with Biu Sau 鏢手 (meaning ‘pointing hand’) to cover the punch, while your spare hand strikes or covers the opponent’s centre at the same time. In Japanese Karate, the main (palm down) version of this move is called Shuto Uke 手刀受 (meaning ‘knife-hand block’).

Alternatively, instead of doing Biu Sau where your palm is facing down, so long as the punch is not too high, you may prefer to invert your hand, so the palm faces up – this can also be called Biu Sau but is usually given it’s own name: Tan Sau 攤手 – this palm-up variation of Biu Sau can sometimes be quicker, more relaxed, more natural and easier to tuck into the arc of the hooked punch. Other popular variations include Jam Sau 枕手 (sinking hand) where you palm faces sideways, for more downwards pressure, like a downwards Karate Chop, or Fak Sau 拂手 (side palm strike) for more outwards chopping energy, with a more extended arm; but on this course we’ll focus on the palm-down version of Biu Sau primarily, and the palm-up version (Tan Sau) secondarily, and that should be enough, because I believe these are the safer, more balanced moves in this context, and between them they can solve pretty much all problems of this type, with palm-down Biu Sau being the more broadly relevant technique of the two.

Bruce Lee doing a Biu Da block & counter in Enter The Dragon doing Biu Da
Bruce Lee doing a Biu Da simultaneous block & counter-punch against a wide swinging hook punch in Enter The Dragon (1973).

You can throw either one of these sidewards wedging blocks assertively, by cutting into the opponent’s arm as you step forward in a straight line; or you can do this very passively, by stepping towards the opponent’s non punching arm while spinning in the same direction as the punch is going, to keep it at arm’s length from your head, with optimum structural strength and minimal effort.

Passive versions of Biu Da 鏢打 (Biu Sau plus simultaneous counter strike) and Tan Da 攤打 (Tan Sau plus simultaneous counter strike) are commonly seen in Tai Chi and Aikido because they’re quite effortless moves, but effective. In his 20s at least, Bruce Lee was more a fan of the assertive version of palm-down Biu Da, where you don’t spin, you just move forward, with your blocking arm out at an angle, and your counter strike going straight forward down the middle. But Bruce grew up on Tai Chi – taught by his father – and enjoyed training in Aikido until the year he died, so I believe he was gradually coming round to the less-energy-consumptive passive way.

Generally, when the Biu Sau is receiving passively, assisted by spinning in your stance, your simultaneous counter should be an uppercutting check hook punch, or a neck chop with Tan Sau / lateral Jam Sau arm structure. The closed-fist variant of this counter-strike, ie, the uppercutting check hook punch here – is roughly the same as the Drilling Fist (Zuan Quan) from Xing Yi. It’s also roughly the same as the Gwa Choi backfist from Jeet Kune Do.

But sometimes a palm-down Biu Sau can’t get inside the arc of the punch, because you’re elbow sicks out a bit, while palm-up Tan Sau can, because it points more into the arc and the elbow doesn’t get in the way so much – this is an example of why you may sometimes prefer to use Tan Da against wide hooks, especially from an already sticking hands position where you’re confident of optimal trajectory & energetics needed. Tan Sau is best complemented by a simultaneous hook with the other hand, using a Bong Sau or Lan Sau type structure.

If you want to chop into the opponent’s arm with maximum power to injure their arm, you may prefer to use Jam Sau or Fak Sau. If you want to apply downwards pressure to take them to the ground, you may like Jam Sau. Some martial artists will say it’s good to double up, with two hands doing Jam Sau against one punching arm, but in Kung Fu we generally avoid this – the second hand should cover the centre, delivering a counter-strike or just waiting in anticipation of the opponent’s other hand or even a headbutt coming at you next.

Bruce Lee doing another Biu Da technique in Enter The Dragon
Bruce Lee doing another Biu Da technique towards the end of his movie Enter The Dragon – just a few seconds after the previous one. This time his Biu Sau block is higher than usual, so his counter-strike is lower than usual, to keep his over-all structure balanced and flowing optimally. He could be going for the nuts or the bladder or the liver or the solar plexus here.

Five Elements analysis

Inside-Gate Biu Sau and Tan Sau are both expressions of Yin Metal energy (Splitting), according to Five Elements theory, since they are splitting open the opponent from the inside. A simultaneous neck chop with the spare hand, would be Yang Metal energy (Chopping).

If someone throws an extended swinging hand to slap you around the ear, this would be a form of Yin Wood energy (Crushing), similar to Gam Sau energy. The is the ideal example situation where you’d use an Inside-Gate Tan Sau or Biu Sau to split them open from the inside.

Now if we reverse the roles, and someone is trying to split your guard open using such Metal techniques, the ideal response according to Five Elements theory would be to “melt the metal” using Fire techniques, for example Jut Sau (Yin Fire) into laterally circling punches (Yang Fire). In practical terms, this is totally true, since their Metal move becomes a lever tailor made for Jut Sau, so long as you respond instantly to their thrust of energy; then as you open them up, high hooks are an ideal continuation of energy without breaking the balanced flow. But don’t expect nothing to come back at you. Once you’ve thrown your short combination, end with a high Wu Sau guard (Yin Earth energy) to catch anything that may be coming back at you. This is a natural continuation of the flow, and is a very important defensive manoeuvre in my experience – it’s also the recommended kind of continuation according to Five Elements theory. Fire feeds into Earth, by way of ashes – the ash is literally a kind of soil, but it’s also a potassium-rich fertiliser (Pot Ash) that nourishes the pre-existing soil. Now let’s assume they respond to your Fire energy with Water energy – something that moves you – this is a perfect response by them, but that’s OK, because you’ve just transitioned into Earth energy to soak up all that Water. This is an example of how the Feeding cycle, also known as the Creation cycle, in Five Elements theory, not only balances your flow, but keeps you one step ahead of the opponent’s best counter.

This may seem like some kind of magic, but it’s best not to force yourself to flow this way if it doesn’t feel right, as that will only slow you down and make you tense up, etc. When you’re experienced & skilled enough, you’ll naturally flow according to Five Elements theory without specifically intending to do so, because you’ll be pre-empting your opponent’s moves based on your vulnerabilities in any given moment. The Five Elements theory is only a tool for reflection, to gain inspiration on what kinds of moves & combinations to explore, in case they click together unexpectedly well, but don’t force yourself to do any of this in the middle of a fight – just stay natural and keep a clear but deeply sympathetic mindset. Natural reaction from the position of complete awareness, trumps learned skill every time. This is why the Five Elements system can be called an unnecessary, unhealthy over-intellectualism, liable to distract you from perfect natural feelings, so don’t worry too much about it.

Morihei Ueshiba doing an uppercut or backfist
Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, doing Noi Moon 內門 (Inside Gate) Lap Sau 拉手 (Grabbing Hand), while his other hand is demonstrating what may be an uppercut or backfist or Drilling Fist. This combined technique has similar mechanics to Biu Da 鏢打. The main difference is, when spinning with Biu Da, the opponent is driving the rotation and you’re sticking to them – in dancing you would say they are the Leader and you are the Follower. But with Lap Da, you’re driving the rotation yourself, by pulling them – in dancing you would say they are the Follower and you are the Leader. In his old age, after the war, Ueshiba did a lot more of following his training partner’s energy, and a lot less of assertively leading it. In Tai Chi there is an old saying: 4oz moves 1000lbs. This is based on mostly following while subtly leading the opponent’s energy. This is how to use someone’s force against them. This is the essence of what people call ‘internal’ martial arts, like Tai Chi and Aikido.

OR

OR