Mantis footwork

[SevenStar]

Are there any sites online that feature some mantis training vids I can download? maybe several still photos, although the vids are preferable - anything that will allow me to see the footwork.

[yu shan]

Can`t help with online stuff, but can get together to exchange one-on-one. What do you think...better than video. C-Ya

[Oso]

Where in Tennessee are you?
I'm in Asheville NC, how close are we?

Matt

[yu shan]

Nashville...music city...what a joke. :)

[SevenStar]

Sounds good. we should do that.

[yu shan]

Wah Lum was big on Jong Pole work (possibly mispelled), have you ever heard of this? An effective way of practicing precision footwork and balance. Kind of a neat way of sparring, when your standing on a narrow pole 6' up!

[SevenStar]

On an anime called Ranma 1/2, Ranma and his father trained that way - I didn't know it was actually done though, other than training on plum flower posts.

[TaiChiStorm]

Hello guys ,
I have seen quite a lot demonstrations on video tape and from the net. I showed one of them to my master and said: how can they be so quick in their footwork?? He answered that they were just crap ,because they pay no attention to a correct stance.
So I have looked at this aspect in some other demonstrations ,and it was often the same. They were very quick and it looked very solide ,but their stances were not so good. I think in my style ,which is TJP ,it is most important to have a rooted stance in the form. So I guess when you do a form ,there is no need to do it so quick. It is much more important to be rooted in the stances in order to connecting the QUICKlY.
Also look at the PM form in wushu. I've downloaded one at Kaaza ,and it lookes really great. But the guy is only running and jumping around and waving around his arms ,but he NEVER shows a rooted ,stable stance.
What do you think??

Greets TCS

[mantis108]

I think that CMAist often paint footwork and stancework with the same brush. Stancework no doubt teaches rooting statically but that is more passive in thinking. Footwook on the other hand, teaches rooting dynamically and it is more aggressive. A lot of the older generations preferred Stancework over footwork because it is the first thing you would be training and it took a lot of dedication (Kung Fu). However, there are just as much Kung Fu in footwork as stancework. Without good footwork it would be hard to apply the last road of Yantai Beng Pu moves which are throwing combinations. In our TJPM lineage, we have quite a few drills that trains footwork:

4 Way jumps
4 Way punches
leap punches
Jin bo sarm Tsui
Mandarin Duck Kicks

Just to name a few. All these drills can be connected together as one long cardio session. BTW, there are strengthing exercises (ie monkey walk) to go with the footwork training. These stuff will teach you to strike hard while on the move. It kills the legs just as bad as stancework, lol... So it is not just that simple to conclude that stancework is better that footwork. They have their own time and place in Mantis training.

Mantis108

[grifter721]

Mantis 108 if you mean that CMA footwork is a ll the same I have to disagree with you because I have seen a few different mantis styles footwork and they are differnt and those are just between mantis styles.

[mantis108]

Hi Grifter721,

Of course, there are myriad of footwork available in CMA. You are right that they are not all the same. In Mantis alone there are incredible amount of them available. That's why we have styles. ;)But then we can not deny the fact that in many CMA styles Stancework is more favorable that footwork. Look at the amount of criticism on things like "their stance are not solid or they move arround to much." All I am saying is that footwork is just as important as stancework. At the same time, I am pointing out that we have such a training program, which IMHO is quite unique, in our TJPM lineage. I am sure other Mantis would have their very unique training programs as well.

Regards

Mantis108

[grifter721]

cool, you are right. Stancework is very important, we train to be well rotted yet flexible, that is another good point againts kung fu vs othe rarts such as muay thai.