Favorite sets

[Drunk mantis]

I was just wondering whats everyones favorite set to play, and why?

[KickingMantis]

I particularly like the Mui Fa Sets. Because I think the Palm Techniques of the Mantis System are awesome and not given their proper respect. Although, Many other sets contain palms, I like the way these sets move, flow and the patterns.

When people think of mantis, they generally think of the diu sow, used for the hooking and etc.

[yingching]

I agree with Kicking Mantis on the Mui Fa sets... I really like Mui Fa Jeung. Say Lo Bung Da is a real nice set as well.....

[Young Mantis]

In the WHF lineage of Northern Praying Mantis, there are three advanced level forms named after Mui Fah (Plum Flower): Mui Fah Lawk (Descending Plum Flower), Mui Fah Kuen (Plum Flower Fist), and Mui Fah Sao (Plum Flower Hand). I think the Mui Fah sets are very important because they collectively offer a wide range of the Praying Mantis style. Mui Fah Lawk is comprised of mostly long range fighting techniques, utilizes aggressive offensive movements, and is considered the more rigid of the three. Mui Fah Kuen uses sudden changes of angle and direction of attack, alternating high and low attacks, left and right combinations, and is the more flexible of the Mui Fah sets. Mui Fah Sao combines the hard and soft elements of the other two and uses mostly short but also some long range attacks and quick movements.

One of my all time favorite sets though is Bahk Yuen Tao Tow (White Ape Steals the Peach). Although it is an intermediate level form and I think the shortest in the WHF curriculum with 24 movements, it is comprised of mostly short range fighting tactics which I prefer. I think this form is great for teaching short range fighting using in particular the jim-nim and tiep-kao concepts to stick or stay close to an opponent. The Ling Bahk Yuen Tao Tow (White Ape Steals the Peach partner form) is by far my favorite Ling form because this one feels the most like I am actually fighting with an opponent. Most of the techniques are short range and so they are usually delivered faster, at closer proximity, and just generally tighter overall. However, the Ling Bahk Yuen Tchut Dhong (White Ape Exits the Cave partner form) is great too for the take-down techniques such as the yiew dzahm (waist chop) and dung pawk (leg trap).

As for training palm techniques, Fay Ngahn Jurng (Flying Geese Palm) and Lawk Ying Jurng (Descending Eagle Palm) collectively utilize most of the palm techniques of the style. There are great palm techniques contained in them that include striking, coiling, trapping, and joint locking.

YM