Mantis Build

[blackmantis]

What is the best mantis body type?

I know Monkey Style best suits small people, and lohan style best suits tall strong people. Hung Gar is best for stocky, strong people while Long Fist is best for tall, agile people.

What is the stereotypical mantis build?

S

[German Bai Lung]

Hehe, Mantis suits for all kinda people!

If you don´t suit the style, make the style suits you!!!

I got all kind of students, tall ones and small ones, thin and fat ehm strong ones.
They all find techniques and forms that suits them better than others.
Although in generell I think CMA is a little more comfortable for smaller people, I strongly believe Praying Mantis is a good art for all kind of people to teach them the art of fighting!

[EarthDragon]

Stong forearms but thin in build and usually shorter than average. At least in my opionon

[BeiTangLang]

There is no stereotypical mantis build. Not in the masters (past or present), not in the practitioners in general. If there would be an optimal, I could not tell you what it would be because mantis suites everyone I've see to date.

[mantis108]

I am with GBL on this one. If mantis as a system is limited to a certain body type, it would either die out quickly or changed into another art completely. Having said that this is where styles comes in. There are different mantis styles that would suit the fighter who could be a striker, a grappler, or a mixed.

Traditional mantis methology is a three folded process which addresses 6 pillars of marital arts conditioning. It is at the very least aim to make a practitioner strong both physically and mentally. Personally, I would say that I am more of a product of mantis training. I am sure that some people would disagree. But I am a firm believer in you are what you train. Whether a technique, or fighting style for that matter, suits you or not is all in the training that the fighter willing to accept and pursuit. Anyone can brawl, you don't need training for that. Fighting with stylistic techniques is about discipline not physical attributes, which is only an advantage not a guarantee.

Mantis108

[EarthDragon]

In my years of teaching I have found that stocker builds as well as tall builds have more limitation in what applications they can execute effectively. So that's why If I had to answer would be thin and shorter.

I know that you can adapt to any style and any stlye can be adapted to you. But 6'5 and 250lbs would definatly hinder some of the motions.

I used to have a student 5'4 and 240lbs and he had trouble moving through the techniques with grace and agility. So this would mean his body type might not be suited for a quick and agile style like mantis.

[BeiTangLang]

I'm 6'3 285.
Ask my fellow students about my technique usages.
What I loose in sweeps or some kicks I make up for in other areas. Grace & agility come with practice & more practice.

Size will limit what techniques you do or favor to be sure, but mantis is so encompasing that there are enough of them to fit almost any body style.

Fan Xu Dong was reputed to be a large man of about 300 lbs ;
so, once again, I would have to say that mantis can & does remain a fighting system that is well suited for all body styles & sizes.

[Shadowboxer]

I would not want to get hit by BTL ever ;)

[Shen Zhou]

BTL is right he has no problems moving or doing anything anyone one else can do of smaller or bigger size. But in the same breath neither do any of the other tall people in our class. I am 6'4 220 and i have no problems with any applications within the system or limitations of motions. We have a 6'7 lean muscle build student in our class and I dont see any liminations with him either. But I also would guess that if you have people of your size to fight and train with it makes thing alot easier.

Shen Zhou

[bungda07]

I Agree with my Sihing's,

All our big guys move really well. The big thing I see, is they practice and practice like BLT mentioned. They have learned the mechanics of the body used in various techniques well enough you don't notice the size that they are. HATE THE BODY CONDITIONING WITH THEM THOUGH!!!


v/R

Steve M.

[MantisCool]

It is not what body type suits the Mantis. It is what body types suits which forms. Example, tall and lean guy would suit the Mei Hua Chuan and short and stocky type suits the Yan Ching Dan Dao.

Ofcourse, in order to have the best perfomance the guy must also be fluent in the form.

[BeiTangLang]

post an intersting topic!
:confused:

[blackmantis]

hey you don't have to look at this thread if you find it weak. If i try to post interesting threads like "Mantis vs. Bagua" then i get told off by the moderator. Besides it interested me... so maybe lay off?