A Discourse of the History of Praying Mantis Boxing...

[mooyingmantis]

Friends,
I have just begun translating portions of Hon-chiu Wong's book, A Discourse on the History of Praying Mantis Boxing in China for the Last One Hundred Years. On pages 171-173 is a table with three categories of several columns. It seems to list several sets that were taught at various times.

Here is my translation of the names of the texts:

Category 1:

tong long quan shu chan mi - Praying Mantis Fist Method Explanation of Secrets 1946 (lists 13 forms)

Category 2:

tong long quan pu - Praying Mantis Fist Manual 1953 (lists 28 forms)

Category 3:

zeng ding tong long quan pu - Revised & Enlarged Praying Mantis Fist Manual 1959 (lists 39 forms)

I can list the forms mentioned if anyone is interested.

I have not translated the surrounding text yet. Is anyone familiar with these titles?

[Oso]

does that imply that a bunch of forms are really very, very new?

I would love to see the lists

do any get dropped from list to list or is each list the previous list plus more?

all empty hand or are weapon forms listed as well?

is this all Sevenstar line?

[Sal Canzonieri]

It would be beautiful to see the evolution of when what forms were introduced, please, thanks!

[mooyingmantis]

Friends,
Below is my transliteration and partial translation of category one, which consists of 15 columns. It is a list of thirteen Seven Star Praying Mantis forms (eight empty hand and five weapon forms). Each successive category seems to build on the last with both an increase in empty hand and weapon forms.
I do not claim to have the expertise of a historian, so I will just provide the translations and allow those more knowledgeable than myself the draw conclusions from the information. :)
The forms are transliterated into Cantonese, since I believe most of you will recognize the names this way.
I will post the other two categories later when I have more time.
Enjoy!

Pg. 171

Column 1:
Praying Mantis Fist Method Explanation of Secrets 1946 year
tong long kuen shut chin pei 1946 nin [Cantonese]
tang lang quan shu chan po 1946 nian [Mandarin]

01. kei poon sup say lo kuen po - foundational source 14 road fist song
02. beng bu kuen po - crushing step fist song
03. sub bat sou kuen po - 18 old men fist song
04. chop chui kuen po - piercing strike fist song
05. daw ghong kuen po - avoiding hardness fist song
06. yut lo zhaat yew kuen po - first road essential fist song
07. tong long chut dong kuen po - praying mantis exits cave fist song
08. mui fa lo kuen po - plum flower road fist song
09. long tsz in tsing do po - wave character green swallow saber song
10. dzee ung gim po - meridian sword song
11. shaat tik dai do po - kill enemy big saber song
12. look hup gwun (sheung saam hup po) - six harmony staff (upper three harmony song)
13. chun tsau dai do po - spring autumn big saber

Richard A. Tolson

[Oso]

Thanks.

Judging by the forms list then this is specifically 7*....right?

[mooyingmantis]

Thanks.

Judging by the forms list then this is specifically 7*....right?

Yes, that is correct. It deals with the teachings and history of 7* under Lo Guang Yu and Won Hon Fun.

[mooyingmantis]

Friends,
Here is my transliteration and partial translation of Category Two. This contains twenty-eight forms (twenty empty hand and eight weapon forms).
This manual was written seven years after the previous one.

Column 2:
Praying Mantis Fist Manual 1953
tong long kuen po [Cantonese] - tang lang quan pu 1953 [Mandarin]

01. taan teui sup say lo- spring leg 14 roads
02. beng bu - crushing steps
03. sub bat sou - 18 old men
04. daw ghong - avoiding hardness
05. chop cheui - piercing fist
06. yut lo zhaat yew - first road essentials
07. mui fa lawk - plum flower falling
08. mui fa kuen - plum flower fist
09. mui fa sao - plum flower hand
10. bak yuen chut dong - white ape exits cave
11. tong long chut dong - praying mantis exits cave
12. dai fan che - big windmill
13. bak yuen tao tow - white ape steals peach
14. yao ling - flexible & agile
15. dai gah sik - big motion pattern
16. siew gah sik - small motion pattern
17. say lo bun da - four road chase & strike
18. hak fu gau cha - black tiger criss-cross
19. hak fu chut dong - black tiger exits cave
20. fay ngaan jeung - flying goose palm
21. ung long gwun sheung lo - five brother's staff upper road
22. in tsing daan do - green swallow single saber
23. shaat tik dai do - kill enemy big saber
24. chun tsau dai do - spring autumn big saber
25. man sik bat sin gim - coin pattern eight fairies sword
26. dzee ung gim - meridian sword
27. fu mei saam dzeed gwun - tiger tail three section staff
28. yut lo mui fa tserng - first road plum flower spear

Richard A. Tolson

[Sal Canzonieri]

I only know mandarin, not cantonese.

[mooyingmantis]

I only know mandarin, not cantonese.

Sal,
I added the English translation of the forms for you. :)

[Sal Canzonieri]

Sal,
I added the English translation of the forms for you. :)

Wow, thanks, that was very nice of you!

[mooyingmantis]

Friends,
Here is my transliteration and translation of the Revised & Enlarged Praying Mantis Fist Manual of 1959. It appeared six years after the previously mentioned text. This time thirty-nine forms (twenty-six empty hand and thirteen weapon forms) appear. A few forms from the previous lists were dropped, while several more forms, both empty hand and weapons, were added.

Column 3:

Revised & Enlarged Praying Mantis Fist Manual 1959
zeng ding tong long kuen po

01. taan teui sup say lo- spring leg 14 roads
02. beng bu - crushing steps
03. sub bat sou - 18 old men
04. daw ghong - avoiding hardness
05. chop cheui - piercing fist
06. bak yuen chut dong - white ape exits cave
07. bak yuen tao tow - white ape steals peach
08. dai gah sik - big motion pattern
09. siew gah sik - small motion pattern
10. dai fan che - big windmill
11. siew fan che - small windmill
12. mui fa lawk - plum flower falling
13. mui fa kuen - plum flower fist
14. mui fa sao - plum flower hand
15. yut lo zhaat yew - first road essentials
16. yee lo zhaat yew - second road essentials
17. saam lo zhaat yew - third road essentials
18. hak fu gau cha - black tiger criss-cross
19. juey law hawn - drunken monk
20. say lo bun da - four road chase & strike
21. fay ngaan jeung - flying goose palm
22. leen wahn gum tow - linked flamboyant sets
23. yao ling - flexible & agile
24. tong long chut dong - praying mantis exits cave
25. tong long tao tow - praying mantis steals peach
26. laan tsit - intercept
27. ung long gwun sheung lo - five brother's staff upper road
28. ung long gwun ha lo - five brother's staff lower road
29. look hup gwun - six harmony staff
30. look hup seung do - six harmony double sabers
31. in tsing daan do - green swallow single saber
32. ung hung daan do - five elements single saber
33. gwun jung dai do shut - two-handed saber device
34. chun tsau dai do - spring autumn big saber
35. yut lo mui fa tserng - first road plum flower spear
36. man sik bat sin gim - coin pattern eight fairies sword
37. dzee ung gim - meridian sword
38. fu mei saam dzeed gwun - tiger tail three section staff
39. tsui tsau day tong daan do - drunken ground rolling single saber

Richard A. Tolson