The David Brent Wolfe Dictionary of

Chinese Martial Art Terms

When possible, terms are given in Mandarin (Hanyu) pinyin spelling. The older spelling of the Wade Giles method is used when it is the more commonly known version. For some terms the most common version is given in Cantonese.

- D -

• Da means big.
• Da means to strike, hit, or swat.
• Da cheng quan means will fist, i.e., will boxing.
• Da dao means big knife, i.e., a single edged broad sword type weapon. It is a long handled sword.
• Da Fan Che is a Fan che praying mantis routine meaning big chariot. It contains large arm swinging movements.
• Da gia shyh is a Guang Bang praying mantis routine meaning big gesture form. It teaches sweeps and repetitive attack as skills.
• Da hong quan means big red fist. This is the name of a routine.
• Dai means to draw back or to pull. It is one of the basic straight sword techniques.
• Dai Hung Kei Guen means Great Banner staff form. It is a Choy Li Fut single ended staff routine. Single ended means that both hand grasp on end of the pole.
• Dai Hung Kuen means Great Hero Form. It is an Eagle Claw style routine.
• Dain means point. It is one of the basic straight sword techniques.
• Da ji means a punch or a strike.
• Da ji means to cuff someone.
• Da ji xiong bu de quan means to strike a blow to the heart.
• Da lu means big roll back. Da lu is a pushing hands exercise taught in Taiji quan.
• Da Luohan Quan means Large Worthy One Fist. It is a Shaolin style routine. It is one of a pair of Luohan/Lohan routines, large and small.
• Dan bian means single whip. Single whip is a technique from the Chen family style Taiji quan routine called old frame first set, Lao jia yi lu.
• Dan bu means single step.
• Dan dao qi shi means opening the routine. It is the name of the opening technique in the Chen family style Taiji quan routine Chen village broadsword.
• Dan Fa Che means Big Wheel Fist. It is an empty hand routine in the Northern Preying Mantis style.
• Dan gong means a bow, as in bow and arrow.
• Dan kai means to fend off.
• Dang tou pao means cannon right in front. It is a technique in the Chen family style Taiji quan routine called old frame first set, Lao jia yi lu.
• Dan ji means a single halbred. This is basicly a spear with a curved blade extending out parallel to the spear head.
• Dan jian xuan zhuan means to pivot.
• Dan pai jiao means to hop.
• Dan sao means one or single arm. It is the name of a Black Tiger style routine.
• Dan tian (Tan t'ian) means the belly. The center of gravity is located about 4 inches below the navel. It is considered the place where most of the body's energy is stored.
• Dan zhi means a single finger.
• Dao means the way. It is the same word as Tao.
• Dao means backward.
• Dao means a broadsword. They sometimes have a ring pommel with a scarf tied through it. The Taiji Dao has an S-shaped guard used to catch opponent's swords. The Taiji dao has a hand-and-a-half handle. This sword is also known as Shisanshi Dao, 13 dao. Another variation of the dao is the Jia Dao which has a straighter blade. The Jia Dao has a one hand length handle. The thirteen techniques of Taiji quan broadsword are cutting (kan), mincing (duo), rowing (hua), poking (jie), scraping (gua), flicking (liao), stabbing (zha), chopping (pi), fanning (san), blocking (fan), sliding (wan), twirling (liao), and slicing (che).
• Dao cha bu means back cross step. It is used to describe when a foot steps behind the other foot.
• Dao ba means to hit.
• Dao bei means the back edge opposite a broadsword's blade.
• Dao cai means the silk scarf tied through the ring pommel of a broadsword.
• Dao di means to fall down.
• Dao gen tou means a back flip.
• Dao guerk means blade kick. (1)
• Dao jian means the tip of the broadsword.
• Dao juan gong means backward wrapping skill or more commonly known as stepping back and wrapping the upper arms. It is a technique in the Chen family style Taiji quan routine called old frame first set, Lao jia yi lu.
• Dao mei means jinx.
• Dao qiao means a broadsword's sheath.
• Dao qou ti means an overhead kick.
• Dao ren means the edge of a broadsword.
• Dao sau is the Chow gar term for single clamping hand.
• Dao shen means the blade of a broadsword.
• Dao ti tui means a back circle kick.
• Dao wu means a broadsword dance.
• Da Qiang is the long spear of Xing yi quan.
• Da quan means shadow fist, i.e., shadow boxing. This is usually taken to mean practicing without the use of a partner or opponent.
• Dar means to strike.
• Da shan men means fist mountain gate. It is a Shaolin style form.
• Da tui means thigh.
• Deng means a heel stomp. It is a technique in the Chen family style Taiji quan routine called old frame first set, Lao jia yi lu.
• Deng jiao means a heel kick.
• Deng shan bu means mountain climbing stance. It is one of the fundamental stances in northern Chinese martial art styles.
• Deng tui means a heel kick.
• Di means ground.
• Di means bottom.
• Dian means to point and exert pressure. It is one of the basic straight sword techniques. Dian is also an empty handed Taiji quan technique. The motion is usually understood to describe hooking over and in to strike the opponent.
• Dian bu means a half step forward.
• Dian dao means the point of a broadsword.
• Dian jian means the point of a straight sword.
• Dian mai means blood vessel or energy channel. It is the same words as Dim mak. It refers to the exerting of pressure on a blood vessel or energy channel to close off the flow of blood or the flow of energy.
• Dian qiang means the point of a spear.
• Dian xue are the techniques performed by pressing selected acupunture points and cavities to immobilize, injure, or kill an opponent. It is considered to be the source of Japanese shiatsu techniques and theory.
• Dian zhou means to push the elbow.
• Diao means to lift or hoist something.
• Diao means a hooking motion.
• Die means to fold.
• Die jiao means foot.
• Die jiao da cha means foot big splitting or more commonly as shake foot and fall into a split. It is a technique in the Chen family style Taiji quan routine called old frame first set, Lao jia yi lu.
• Di gong quan means di gong fist. It is a style of Chinese martial art.
• Dim mak is the Cantonese form of Dian mai. It means exerting pressure upon a blood vessel or an energy channel.
• Ding means to butt an opponent. It is a technique used in xing yi quan.
• Ding bu means a stance with the feet in a T shape. It is also used to describe static posture techniques.
• Ding jarn, (Cantonese), is a Wing Chun term meaning butting elbow.
• Ding zhou means an elbow strike.
• Ding zi bu means a stance with the feet in a T shape.
• Dip sau, (Cantonese), is a Wing Chun term meaning butterfly hand.
• Dit da jow is a Chinese herbal medicine used to toughen and heal the skin when training iron palm techniques and selected other skills.
• Di tou means a head drop.
• Di tou shan dou means the head moves up and down.
• Dizi means a female student.
• Di zi shi means a low form.
• Do means to go or move through. It is a Black Tiger style term used to meas a follow through force. It is a way of inflicting powerful strikes.
• Doi jong is a Chow gar drill called heavy arm.
• Doi Min Jeung means Smooth Palm two man set. It is a two person empty handed Eagle Claw routine.
• Dok sei is a Chow gar weapon routine meaning poison snake pole form.
• Dong sau is a Shaolin Fut gar term meaning slicing hand. (1)
• Dong zuo yi means movement.
• Dou means to shake.
• Dou gang means concealing the hard. It is a Chi xieng seven star praying mantis routine teaching skills in joint locking.
• Duan bing means a short weapon.
• Duan quan means short fist. Sifu Wong Yuen was known for his useage of this technique. It is also known as tuan ch'uan and as tuan kuen.
• Duen kuen means short fist. Sifu Wong Yuen was known for his useage of this technique. It is also known as tuan ch'uan and as duan quan.
• Dui da means sparring.
• Dui kok ma, (Cantonese), is a Wing Chun term meaning diagonal stance.
• Dui lian means sparring.
• Dui shou means an opponent or a rival.
• Du li tuo jian means to stand on one leg while holding a straight sword level.
• Du mai means governing vessel. It is a traditional Chinese medicial term.
• Dun means to escape.
• Dun means shield. Twin shields would have sharp edges to be used as weapons.
• Dun means to crouch.
• Dun tiao means to knee hop.
• Duo means mincing. It is one of thirteen Taiji broadsword techniques.
• Duo yu dong zuo means wasted motion.

Sources of information

1. Suggested by Mrs. Jay Acdan in an email dated 13 March 2004.