quicktime clips

[Tainan Mantis]

Any comments on the clip (will have more when I figure out how to post).

A type of long range training for attempting to close the gap.

http://tainan.colugo.org/

[mantis108]

Nicely done! But then it looks like you are going half speed 'cause I know you can go much faster than this, man. ;) :D

Seriously, it's great. Hands are clear and pretty sharp. The Shan Zhuan, which here is interpreted with the Nao Hao Sheng Feng, is very fluid. I think it also a good idea to add the chuan chui (round house punch). I see your 4 main entry techs as well. Come to think of it, you might want to add Kao (backfist as in Kao da) plus the Tiao (lifting) and An (pressing) with the kick. All in all, mI likes very mooooch. :D :D :D The only thing is - why cut off at the hair grab??? :confused:

This type of live drill with footwork and all are just what we needed to showcase mantis in action. Well done, my friend.

Warmest regards

Robert

PS Looking forward for more....

[EarthDragon]

why cannot I not view this clip? I get promted to a parent dir and floder but cannot open either

[Mr.Binx]

Does the same thing happen if you click on this link (http://tainan.colugo.org/shao%20xun.mov)? If so, then you might want to save the file to your own harddrive first and then view it locally. The clip requires the Quicktime Player to view.

[Tainan Mantis]

Mantis108,
I can not tell a lie.
My full speed is your half speed.
My student Shao Xun looks a little confused as I make him rely more on skill and less on knowing a drill.
In fact that day is the first he trained this.

I kept it short to showcase a specific aspect.

[Tainan Mantis]

The following shows Sun Bin's reliance on aggressive strategies in battle.

Tien Ji was asking Sun Bin about "the most urgent matters in military operations." Each example brought forth by Tien Ji was acknowledged by Sun Bin as important but "not at all" most important.

At last, "Tien Ji flushed and said with irritation, these six factors are utilized by all those good at military operations, and yet you, sir, claim that they are not the most urgent considerations?"

Master Sun replied,"...but the most urgent matter in military affairs is to always take the offensive rather than the defensive..."

Within these posted clips you see me on the offensive, but what about my partner who looks to be playing a non -agressive defense?

[Tainan Mantis]

From the left stance I lure out my opponents left hand in order to secure it so that I can throw the homerun style right hook punch.
It is powerful, but easy to block.

He blocks my hook punch with his right hand.

My left hand follows his block pushing it up and out.
This creates a hole at his solar plexus which I take advantage of by rushing in with a right punch.

In the above example my opponent is passive and lacking in offensive manouvres.
It can clearly be seen in the clip that he is not aggressively defending.
Here is an example of how his passive defense could be become aggresive defense(sorry no clip to view this yet).

His right hand blocking my slow right hook hook would best be used to punch me in the nose.

To save my face my slow right hook instead blocks down with my left hand also following to block downward(originally it pushed up)
My right foot still steps in but, now the solar plexus punch is a backfist to his nose or eye socket.

Both examples of what I do are similar as far as body mechanics go with alterations easily made along the way.
The difference in what I do is based on him and his degree of aggression.

So the skill required is being able to read his aggressive nature while I am in the midst of attacking.

[KWUsCRD]

My only comment is, and trust me take this with less than a grain of salt, because I have only just begun as a student... I mean literally, I'm not even 3 months in...

In the hit to the waist movie, it seems that the first jab the guy in the blue t-shirt throws, is going above the other guys head (I assume you) as opposed to directly at its target.

Regardless, I thoroughly enjoyed all 3 of those video clips, thank you for sharing.

[Tainan Mantis]

K,
Good eye.
The guy in blue, Zak, is intercepting my punch with a block.
His block is a punch.

We are slow in this clip as it is showing a technique not really trying to hit.

But this brings up a good point.
Which is how do you start contact with someone who is well defended and offers no chance for a successful good first strike?

It is to provoke him or lure him out with his hand or foot or a body motion so I can apply the clever technique

[mantis108]

Man, you are too modest! Anyway, do we have an ETA on your Meihwalu video? I think it's about time to have another wonderful material from you. ;)

Warmest regards

Mantis108

[KWUsCRD]

Thanks for the explanation and for the chance to view those clips.

[Tainan Mantis]

Rush has posted 2 clips of my shrfu, thanks Rush, performong the Mimen lanjie form.
The first road is many years ago at Tainan Confucious temple.
The 2nd road is early 90's. It has a section of Mimen 4th zhai yao added if you are wondering what those extra moves are.

This type of PM motion is a little different from other versions that are usually seen these days.
Zhang Dekuei himself never used the term Mimen Tanglang, but said it is gu tanglang.
Which means old.

This type of motion is taught in the 7 basic roads of his style.
He demanded 6 months of training in these 7 roads before starting the first form.
His first form was lanjie, most essential of his style as well as easiest.

[Mr.Binx]

Tainan's quicktime clips from an older message thread have been moved over to tainan.colugo.org (http://tainan.colugo.org/) as well. The Mimen lanjie clips that Tainan has just introduced to us are the ones labeled luanjie 1st.mov (http://tainan.colugo.org/luanjie%201st.mov) and luanjie 2nd.mov (http://tainan.colugo.org/luanjie%202nd.mov).

[Tainan Mantis]

A new clip has been added called "Kevin & Zak"

There are four exchanges.
1. -double sealing low leaking. This is the punch to chest and neck.
-Finishes with adding punch(bu chuei).

2. -double sealing low leaking.
-sealing with backfist.
-adding punch.

3. -Plucking with eye protecting palm(tsai shou hu yen zhang).
-plucking with inner elbow(tsai shou ge zhou).
Here ge zhou can also be called hook punch(chuen chuei).
-adding punch.

4.-same as 3.

In 3 and 4 you see a good example of Zak applying fanche in its defensive mode.

[Tainan Mantis]

No comments on the Kevin&Zak clip?
Anybody see it?

I need feedback, good or bad, or I can't always remember to post new clips.

Well, here is a clip of my Shrfu called, "Shr ZhengZhong's Beng Bu"

It includes most of the first road.
I had to take out the 1st move to fit it in the time limit.

I posted this road so you can see how he puts a very large emphasis on running forward.
This is because once contact is made, no matter how the opponent tries to extricate himself, the aggressor should keep connected to apply the final technique, in this case the folding elbow.

Also, is part of the third road.
This version differs from other schools in that there is more forward momentum and more distance covered.

[18elders]

can't open the clip of Master Shr's beng bu.

can open all the others though

[Mr.Binx]

18elders, are you getting a ripped quicktime icon when you try to open that particular file?

Edit: Also, try saving the file to your hardrive and see if it will open properly when you click on it from there.

[18elders]

Yes, that is what i get, a ripped QT icon

[Mr.Binx]

Heh... It looks like Microsoft Windows just had a problem with reading the apostrophe in the filename. I removed the apostrophe and it should be viewable to you now. :D

[18elders]

saved it to my hard drive and then it opened, thanks for your help Mr. Binx.

[Tainan Mantis]

Here is some footage shot the other day on a clip called:


Tina Spar.



The girl Tina is 14 fighting my student who just was discharged from the army.

I put this here to show how I train a girl like this to deal with bigger people.
You can see that the guy, Hsiao Shun, is not being aggressive, too bad, he should have been more so, but it is the stigma of beating up little girls.

Which is also why I didn't post myself hitting her.
I don't want any proof to come back and haunt me.

This clip can be divided into 8 times of contact.
What follows is the play by play.
If you are not into deep analyzing of a fight you may find this boring.
But it is useful for me to help my students(and myself) improve as well as pinpoint what went wrong.

1. Tina takes the initiative to seal and throw a right hook, left seal and right backfist.

2.Tina expects to attack again, but misreads Hsiao's intentions.
Hsiao seal with go lou tsai and punches her in the face.
She dodges, but takes a bit of it.

Getting hit like this is good for her so she realizes that she will get hit, doesn't mean she has to lose too. It doesn't bother her anymore thanks to me slapping her in the face frequently. So she comes back and takes the initiative for...

3.Tina attempts a gou lou tsai chest punch, but at the same time Hsioa does the gou lou hook punch.
I have to admit he throws a craapola punch. Maybe he felt bad about hitting her in the face a second ago.

"No mercy on the battlefield!" is the Shaolin motto.

Tina throws a left hanging block, but she is too late.
Well, it doesn't matter as Hsiao's hook is intercepted by low flying aircraft.

4. Tina comes in again, but loses confidence on initial contact and gets out.

Good idea when you don't have a good feeling.

5.
Tina comes in with the gou lou tsai punch to the chest.
If you go slow you will notice that her left sealing hand loses contact with Hsiao's right hand.
She is now in deep danger,but Hsiao doesn't take advantage of it.
She continues with the right hook backfist combo anyway.

Interesting point, in PM the hook is very often followed by a backfist. Here the backfist blocks Hsiao's right head punch.
It is a good combo that is useful even when you don't have a clue as to what is going on.

6. Odd coincidence they both do a kick.
Notice how her lead hand occupies his before the kick.
Good principle to follow to help prevent your leg from being grabbed.
But, her kick should have hit hsiao in the grion.
We need to work on the accuracy of that.

I speciffically blame this mistake on her old TKD training.
I would consider this a good example of how studying a MA makes you a worse fighter.

The groin is what should be hit, not the point scoring belly.

7.
Tina comes in again with the sealing and hook punch, but loses on her short range, luckily she keeps her hand down to help absorb some of Hsiao's kick.
Though, for the record it is sloppy and worthless kick.
I would stand on the side and curse up a mighty fit after that kick.

8.
TIna tries to come in for the go lou tsai combo as Hsiao also tries that combo.
She is overpowered, but is able to get the left hand up in time.
truthfully it wouldn't matter as his hand is just swatting flies.
Again with the curses and sarcastic questions to him by me.

I don't think she is going to get skill by him pulling his punches away, but don't worry this was his first time crossing hands with her(if you can call it that).
I think even she would have liked it much more if he had been more aggressive.

[18elders]

i sent a video over with john to give you. Did you get it yet?

[yu shan]

With the help from 18-Elders, I finally got to view Master Shr`s two roads out of Beng Bu. A little differant than the way I got it, but inspirational. Wish I could get his video on this form. Tomorrow`s computer lesson, Tina Spar!

[Tainan Mantis]

About sparring thread.

Here the clip called shao xun is a single drill repeated all day to ingrain the attack and defense.

The clip called Kevin and Zak I attack with several different methods and Zak doesn't know which I will use.

Tina spar. The beginning of aggresive defense comes out.

18 Elders,
Got the vid. Thanks. We can talk privately about it.

Yushan,
I learned Beng Bu 1st road how it is filmed here.
This is a good example of how a move contains a principle, in this case to keep connected to your opponent to apply the elbow technique.

You can cover a small distance or a large one it doesn't change the principle that Shi Laoshi is trying to impart.

[B.Tunks]

I couldn't see a link for the tina clip in your post Tainan. Am I blind or just lost?

bt

[Tainan Mantis]

Third clip down called,
"Tina Spar"

[TheBlackDragons]

Are all those videos Northern Praying mantis?

[TheBlackDragons]

Tainan Mantis

Your really good

It's refreshing

1. Are you an instructor?

2. How many years of training do you have?

3. If you teach where?

Thanks for your time

[Tainan Mantis]

All forms are PM except weapons.
And the blue uniform stuff is from a video I made on Shaolin.
The drills are PM But the 2man form shown is not.

Trained around 20 years and now teach in Tainan, hence my name.
I am actually a better vid editor than MArtist.
You should see the vid crud I keep locked up at home before judging me.

Well, actaully you shouldn't. It is my bigget secret.

[sayloc]

Tainan

Very nice video clips! Thanks for sharing them.

Do you know of a Short stick system (single and double) taught in Taiwan? On of the clips there is a two person short stick sequence that looks familiar.

Thanks for your time

[yu shan]

Maybe someday, if I`m worthy enough, I`d be honored to see this so called vid crud.

[TheBlackDragons]

Try to open the file ,,then before it opens ,save target as,
and the video should open before it fully down loads

it's kinda werid but that was the only way i could see it

maybe this will help

[Tainan Mantis]

sayloc,
I know of the single and double stick method.
The double is really 6 harmony double saber.

I have a 12 second clip of it as a partner set, but it is a little dark in filming.

The single stick stuff is chan tou guo nao-wrap the head pass the brain.
And li nao cang dao. In the brain hide the saber.

These two methods are common to almost all short club and saber methods.

It is based on a somewhat heavy weapon.

With a lighter weapon the stick or saber moves a little differently, but the same principle still applies.

[sayloc]

Tainan

Sir, Thanks for the previous reply.

Do you know if this single and double stick system is taught as a complete system in itself or part of other systems?

I have seen (what I think is a complete system supposedly out of Taiwan) 5 different single stick two person drills and hundreds of tecchniques used in the same system involving block and strike,wrist locking, elbow locking, knee locking, throwing and choking technique techniques. Very effective stuff.

The name of the system would be wrap the head pass the brain or is this the name of just one technique?

Thanks again

[Tainan Mantis]

wrap the head prass the brain etc. are single techniques.
But they comprise the essence of most short stick and saber(not jian).

Our concept of what comprises a system in single and double stick likely differs.

I think that a small amount of moves are all that is required.

The student must have the ability and understanding to adopt the moves to other short, long and bladed weapons.

Also, drills for explaining these concepts.

So under my definition I have the outline of the system.
All it needs is practice.

I have noticed that some schools have huge piles of techniques to train.

I think it clutters the mind.
Since you need to a clean uncomplicated mind in fighting it is good if it is clean and not complicated in training.

[sayloc]

I wasnt really wanting to dicuss the theory of what a system is.

I knew you lived in Taiwan and you seem to be very knowledgable about such things. I just wondered if you have heard of such a system. I am told one exists, I thought it may be included in another system though.

Thanks

Have a great day

[Tainan Mantis]

I do not know of a school that teaches the way you mention.

[Tainan Mantis]

About the latest clip calld Kevin Spar.

My opponent was just released from is tour of military duty and this is the first time we cross hands in several years.

As you watch this short clip you still have enough time to notice that he is overly timid, maybe even afraid.
Slightly OT, but to me it is a sad note on the Taiwan Military.
Two years in the service, a war looming with China(don't get me started), and no ability to bring out aggresive tendencies, and this is not an islated case.

Anyway, the fellow is not ready, and in a situation like this, where this level of "intensity" is frightening for him I will use a different method in the future.

He should do more of the attacking drills and nurture his aggressive abilities.

So about the movements themselves.

1. he comes out with a weak right
My right "appears" to come out, but it is a ruse, my left controls his right so I can throw a right hook.

He blocks it with a left gua and his right hand wisely frees itself to throw a short punch to my face. Notice how my left hand recovers after his right slips out.
It quickly goes to my face expecting to be hit by his right.

My problem here is that my left sealing hand was too weak and I didn't take the chance to advance more thus allowing his right hand to escape.

On a side note, that block or one just like it caused the fight to end after about 30 seconds.
2 years away has caused his arm bone to become too soft and can no longer withstand my hook punch.
His left forearm immedietly swelled up as if he had been bitten by a rabid dog there.

2.
He comes in with the same weak right.
My right hand fools him again, but this time my left hand parrys upward to deliver a right adding punch.
Once again I suffer from floating right elbow here. Back to the practice room.
But i do lightly tag him with this one(I know pointless).
This is "bu zhao er da"
Strike with out blocking, since my left hand function is minimal here.

3.
His timidness is becoming contagoius.

4.
almost a repeat of 2, but from a different angle.

5.
(ala Mantis108)
to show that these gloves don't interfere with grabs.
Right hands meet.
I take the chance to launch myself to his back gate and attack the side of his head.
(shan zhuan teng nuo-dodge, decieve, leap and turn.
Key aspects of PM fighting.)

He blocks it.
My angle of attack and momentum allow me to get a very solid grab on his hands.
You can see how I use strength to jolt him towrds me to upset his root.
My left still has a solid grab so I go for the right head lock.
He gets out of it, but because of my solid grab I get another chance.

This is called hug the head deng pu(bao tou deng pu).

I could have dropped my knee on his rib like someone mentioned(or my body and kept the headlock on), but that is not needed.
Only if I want to seriously hurt someone do I need to smash is ribs.

6.
Again my right hand tricks him.
I make contact with the left so I can throw the right hook punch.
Notice how I move in before the punch even sticks to his gua.
Also, my left does a much better seal(feng) here.
The right hand contacts and sticks(zhan nien) to his block.

This is deng ta.

[German Bai Lung]

Thanks Kevin,

a good explanation of what we see. Your techniques are clear and fits to the level of your opponent!

But to me your opponent seems like a beginner: no feel of the distance, no solid defence, he could not deal with your techniques and (worst) like you said he is anxious.

It would be interesting, if his fighting with a guy of his level is better and more couraged!

But the most negative of the clip: it´s too short! More of it! ;)

[Tainan Mantis]

GBL,
You are right about him looking like a beginner.
I blame the Taiwan military for taking all the fight out of him.

You may notice he is the same guy in clips with me in the blue uniforms.

I'll make another clip with Yu Shan's student.
He has the Tennessee spirit.

[Oso]

Ya, let's see some MetalMantis !!!

TM, did you video the busted nose I heard about???

[mantis108]

Hi Kevin,

I don't think it is just with the Taiwan military culture. Canadian soldiers seem to show similar traits to the point that they are attack friendly yet defense fiercely. I guess that has something to do with their mandate that is based in national security which is mainly defense mode. Interestingly, they have something called debrieving these days. They would have this after a mission. So, I guess you could have a debrieving session with your student before hand after his next service in the military which briefs him to fight in a civilian mode. I know it's rather a weir concept talking and prepping someone, who serves in the military, to fight but it could happen.

Your explanation of no. 5 is excellent! (now I have to send my ninjas after you, the chosen one! lol...)

Warmest regards

Robert

[Oso]

NINJAS??????????

[Tainan Mantis]

A new clip has been posted called "sticky Jian"

This is the very beginning level of learning how to fight with the straight swords.
It is based on sticking(nian) to the opponent's sword at all times.

Once the student masters this level she can move onto the next which is
-sticking-detaching-striking(though any aspect of the 3 is a strike)
-using the left hand.
-cleaving. This is the scarier part as the sword chops very quickly.
-bu zhao bu jia. Which means no blocking.
It is the hardest aspect to master as the block is to "not be there"
(BTW, there is a body of old PM material under this title listing specific methods and techniques)

Some people think bu zhao bu jia is the epitome of the straight sword.
Against the straight sword it is, but not against other weapons.

Eg it is almost impossible if your opponent uses a spear to dodge his stab, move in and slice him.

So for this reason there is emphasis needed for touching the opponent's weapons in combat.

Those who learn the sword method "san tsai jian" get a good grasp of bu zhao bu jia earlier in their training as it is taught in the beginning of that method.

THE SWORDS
They are steel swords with a pingpong ball taped to the end.

This is so that we don't actually poke out eyes or the throat.

When my shrfu trained us he didn't have the pingpong balls and we sometimes got bloody.
(Once John had to be taken to the clinic for stitches)
(Once I was stabbed in the cheek, luckily that was wooden sword day)
(etc)

Although this method seeems dangerous, I think it is important to have respect for the fact that you are close to death when you take up a sword in combat.

So I ridicule those soft and painless, insurance friendly, methods that allow you to play with weapons of death in a "fear free invironment"

EG, my friend learned knife fighting in the Phillipines. They only practice at his school with heavy steel blades(non bending) and that is the way he taught me.

In the clip...
Though it looks like I don't have to worry as the girl only gets hit by me in these clips(2 months ago), but she is already better and able to hit me if I am not extremely careful.

I try to hit her every chance I get, but it is now very difficult.
You will notice that most every strike is to the knee, except the initial high stab.
Later the opening strike is usually cleaving.
(An article about Wang Lang and this sword strike is upcoming in MQ!)


Interesting experience:

Some years ago I was performing my sword at the Confucious temple.
I was challenged to a duel by a lady who was in her 50's.
It was done thru an intermediary, another lady who taught Taiji.

We used the steel practice swords and she tapped me several times(no blood).

So I lost.

One thing I have noticed is that some old masters in Taiwan have passed on their 2 person sword fighting to ladies, not men, or at least not many of them.

When shrfu taught us straight sword I was the only man, so even he continued that tradition.

[WanderingMonk]

Tainan Mantis,

I watched the tina and kevin_spar clip. I noticed in these clips the actions are alway initiated with the hands. But, when the square off began the gap between the participant seem to be kicking range. Why is the hand technique favored to open the action. The weapon seems too short for the gap and the initial action is basically a wate of motion.

[Tainan Mantis]

Hi WM,
I am not sure which clips you mention go to which questions.

I personally favor my punches over my kicks, especially as I get older.
For example, 10 years ago I felt it was easy to do a right bimen kick(like a round kick) to my opponents head.
Now I feel a bit crickety, and it won't be easy to do without warmup.

Besides that I only have my groin kick.
The other kick I use is knee, which isn't really a kick since I am hitting with my knee.
For me, the groin kick is 2 kinds.
Moving forward to initiate the attack, otherwise, at the end of the attack as a departing gift.

Tina usually favors the opening groin kick to start the action, but it wasn't filmed here.

Also, if the students haven't trained the drills extensively, then I won't use the techniques on them, unless they can beat me, or almost beat me with the techniques they already know.
Or if none of my techniques can hit them anymore, I will consider that student to be ready for the next level, and then use the next technique( in the progression of teachng)to attack.

When you mention weapons, I assume it is "sticky jian" clip.

The stab you see as the opening move, I don't think is a waste of motion.
But it seems that way, because the defender moves out of the way while simultaneusly rerouting my sword.

But, please keep in mind that we are doing nothing but the first level of drills only.
So other techniques that are common in jian are not yet drilled.

I think you know the san tsai jian set?
In that partner version I would attack similar to what is shown here, but the defensive by the opponent is to slice my wrist.
That is actaully a better move usually, but much more difficult.

[WanderingMonk]

TM,

Sorry, when I wrote "weapon" I was just referring the mantis style punches your student was using. I thought it was supposed to be free sparring clip, so I thought the initial attack should be disguised.

In the kevin spar clip, you closed the gap pretty fast, but your student helped by meeting you half way.

In the tina clip, she jumped toward her opponent to cover the gap. No disguise of initial intention and over committing. The guy is also bigger than her. She is showing her aggressiveness but if the opponent wasn't so timid, she might be in trouble.

I even attached visual aid.