best wishes for a great new year

[Art D]

Just a note to wish everyone a great holiday season and the best of luck in the coming year, I hope all your dreams come true. Some things I’d like to see are, a mantis get together to share information and get to know each other in person. A greater cooperation among Mantis teachers and practitioners, a kung fu practitioner (mantis, would be great) to kick some bootie in a MMA event. For more fun w/ you guys, that means women too on KFOL. Post some of your thoughts for the coming year. Let’s make it one to remember!!!!

[KickingMantis]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to ALL!, from Wright's Praying Mantis Kung Fu Academy, North Hollywood, CA.

I agree! there should be a gathering of mantis practitioners. It would be nice to meet everyone. Everyone speaks of it, but no one puts it into action. only words!.

People are too busy feeding there egos, who they think they are because of who they train with or what level they are or how many sets they do or don't know, WHO CARES!

It means nothing if you hold it to yourself! It should be shared so that the level of all martial artists increase, then we can have a better quality of martial artists among the mantis community.

We should all get together and make it happen this year, regardless of whether you are WHF, CCM, 8 Step, Wah Lum,
TAI , Etc Etc... we can openly learn from our differences, doesnt make anyone right or wrong, better or worse, it is what it is. People can only become better martial artists by knowing how and why others do things differently.

[yingching]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Rochester Shaolin Kung Fu Academy. :)

[Frogman]

:)
Happy Holidays everybody and best wishes for the New Year!!! :*0
I think a mantis convention would be awesome but where would you hold such an event?

RibHit
fm

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

Thanks, Art.. for putting things in perspective.. Indeed, Happy Holidays to ALL..

I hope to see more respect for everyone, for each life that graces this planet.. I hope that the CMA community becomes a "community" rather than warring states.. I hope that whatever you perceive to be the source of your blessings smiles generously upon you..

Peace and goodwill to all..

[SaMantis]

Happy Holidays, everyone.

[Hua Lin Laoshi]

Happy Holidays to All! Remember, when after mice it doesn't matter whether you use a black cat or a white cat. Wish I could remember where I read that one but I like it and it fits.

[SaMantis]

:D LOL!

HuaLin, it was great seeing you on the cruise. Hope everything is going well! Happy new year!

[MantisifuFW]

In '99 I believe, there was an attempt at an all mantis meeting held at the Tai Chi Legacy in Dallas. Sifu Funk, Sifu Henry Chung of the WHF tradition were there with their students, also Sifu Puyot and others of the CCM tradition were present. Unfortunately it ended up with no one really being willing to "share" other than, notably, Sifu Funk and Sifu Puyot personally carrying most of the theoretical and technical end though many sifu were present, (I shared what I could too).

There were even some really sad incidents of cheap shots during sticking hands, on the few occasions where it took place, with senior sifu using fa jin and really striking junior students of other schools.

The event ended with a group of sifu trying to create an umbrella mantis organization which they would administer. That someone would take on such a task was interesting but a it was a rather premature venture which was voted down. We need to be able to get along first.

Before that time and since, we have visited many schools here in the U.S. and abroad. It has been good as we have found groups of all branches and lines of Tanglang who are really willing to share. As such, since that dismal beginning, we remain positive that such an event could take place. At present though, we are taking incremental steps towards building unity such as a little newsletter we are working on, "Mantis Quarterly". As it develops we will inform others about it. We have writers from Meihua, Taiji Tanglang, Qixing in its mainland, Taiwan and HK branches. It will be a chance to talk long distance and move towards doing so in person.

Anyway we will keep you informed. It is good to hear others speaking about unity in the community.

Steve Cottrell

[Art D]

I think that having a meeting at a tournament is not the best format for this type of thing. After all it’s a tournament/ competition. I think that it needs to be done on its own merit, in its own place. That way we all are there for the same reasons, I hope that that would predispose those that come to the essence of what we are trying to accomplish.. As well as meeting we would benefit from social interaction (make new friends). I think those that wish to present should do so with out a discussion of it (at that time) let’s get the information then process it with in our selves. As far as formal associations and organizations, I am fully against it. It has never worked in my opinion and never will. It is hard for some to meet on level ground, and not be in a controlling position. If that’s the case then so be it, maybe this is not the place for them. I see it as our past that has nothing to do with our future if we wish to share openly and break down the barriers. W/ respect for our past and a thirst for a more open future, I say lets move forward.

[MantisifuFW]

I agree with many of your points. However, in the original meeting, we did not meet to compete, only to discuss and with the understanding that it was to be a learning process for all, a beginning so to speak.

The examples I gave of both the attempt to form a national organization, (something which was never on the agenda for the meeting) and the striking of junior students by sifu in order to make some kind of point were given as a kind of caveat as to what has happened in the past.

I believe that when such a meeting takes place, as I hope it does, there will be people there for many reasons. Some will indeed be there to share equally and fully in order to learn. But others will be there to advance an agenda, as in the last meeting, and others will be there to take but not share, as in the last meeting.

For example, I remember, (after much discussion on differing theories of stance usage, balance and what constitutes the process and techniques of sticking hands), when we had ended our discussion, a sifu who had been silent throughout the meeting spoke up and said, "Its been interesting listening to you guys, we have all those theories you mentioned and others too!” Obviously he was not going to share those other theories but wanted everyone to know he had them, whatever they were.

This kind of thing will simply have to be accepted for now and those sifu and their schools who wish to go beyond this will have to proceed without or in spite of others.

In short, all in attendance will have to arrive with thick skins intact and ready to go.

I appreciate your perspective,

Steve Cottrell

[Art D]

Does anybody have ideas for a format? Maybe, Work shops on tech, theory, strategies, attributes training, history.Keep them short so we can see more , hear more, talk more. I would like to have a dinner or some fun thing just to hang out. Let’s pick a fun place ,beaches in FL, maybe mountains would be nice. Any thing, I’m just throwing out some ideas to start the ball rolling.

[Ye Gor]

Originally posted by Art D
maybe mountains would be nice. Lotsa mountains, lotsa fresh air, no tourists, middle of the country... guess where?