Wah Lum Forms

[CeruleanRyuujin]

Hello all,

I have a question about the external empty hand forms taught in Wah Lum today. Is there anyone out there who is familiar with the following forms (I have seen the first two mentioned in threads before):

6th Form
Luck Low
So Lo Sow
18 Kicks
18 Locking Hands
Six corners
Tin Fong Fingers
Tong Long Juk Dung

These are from Pui Chan's 1983 Curriculum (signed and dated by Pui Chan) of which I was recently given a copy of by my retired instructor. He studied for 15 years under Yao Li (one of Chan's Chief Instructors when Chan was in Boston and for a short time when he moved to florida) around that time before and durring the "parting of ways" between Yao and Chan. I was surprised to see how many forms are on the list considering I currently train and teach 20 External open hand forms, not to count the many weapon forms from the system... I am looking to pick up these missing forms and any information would be greatly appreciated. It is my understanding from talking with Yao that he does not teach in his current curriculum many of the mantis forms from the "old days", although one of these days I would still love to make it out to Boston to train with him.

I have thought about a trip to the temple, but am unsure as to how that would be recieved as I did meet one Wah Lum student who was less then polite about what he termed, "Renegades " or those who broke off from Pui Chan. Not to mention as I am in the southwest that would be an expensive trip... anyways enough of the long thread...

Anyone know if those forms are still taught or anyone know them?

[Yao Sing]

Those forms are at the higher levels of what's currently being taught. You won't find too many who know them.

I don't think a trip to the Temple will get you these sets, renegade or not, unless you plan on sticking around to move up the ranks to get them.

6th Form and Lok Low (parts 1 and 2) are more common but I don't think he's taught Tin Fong Fingers to anyone. That set targets pressure points so just learning the moves is useless.

[ironfenix]

Tong Long Juk Dong - would that be praying mantis exits cave?
Also So lo Sow, is this soft form? If so my teacher has it.

[CeruleanRyuujin]

Yes, Tong Long Juk Dung is Praying mantis exits cave.

Also, Soft form is a seperate form.

The external empty hand forms from the 1983 Curriculum are:

Level #10
16 Hands
Little Open Gate
Wah Lum 1st form
Straight Form

Level #9
Seven Kicks
Second Form
18 Elbows
2 Men Forms
Little Mantis

Level #8
4th Form
36 Hands
Leopard
Lo Han

Level #7
3rd form
Buddha Palm
Fan Cha

Level #6
5th Form
6th Form
Big Mantis

Advanced Level
Drunken Form
Swallow
Plum flower
six corners
18 kicks
18 locking hands
tin fong fingers
so lo sow
luck low
Tong Long Juk Dung
Soft form

[Shaolin Dude]

Hello all,

I have a question about the external empty hand forms taught in Wah Lum today. Is there anyone out there who is familiar with the following forms (I have seen the first two mentioned in threads before):

6th Form
Luck Low
So Lo Sow
18 Kicks
18 Locking Hands
Six corners
Tin Fong Fingers
Tong Long Juk Dung

These are from Pui Chan's 1983 Curriculum (signed and dated by Pui Chan) of which I was recently given a copy of by my retired instructor. He studied for 15 years under Yao Li (one of Chan's Chief Instructors when Chan was in Boston and for a short time when he moved to florida) around that time before and durring the "parting of ways" between Yao and Chan. I was surprised to see how many forms are on the list considering I currently train and teach 20 External open hand forms, not to count the many weapon forms from the system... I am looking to pick up these missing forms and any information would be greatly appreciated. It is my understanding from talking with Yao that he does not teach in his current curriculum many of the mantis forms from the "old days", although one of these days I would still love to make it out to Boston to train with him.

I have thought about a trip to the temple, but am unsure as to how that would be recieved as I did meet one Wah Lum student who was less then polite about what he termed, "Renegades " or those who broke off from Pui Chan. Not to mention as I am in the southwest that would be an expensive trip... anyways enough of the long thread...

Anyone know if those forms are still taught or anyone know them?

since when did you talked to yao?

[CeruleanRyuujin]

I want to say about a year ago or two... I would still like to get up there to train with him, but that going to have to wait on funds...

[Donkwoon]

I would love to learn that stuff as well but I'm not even sure how much of it my Sifu even knows. Besides that, even if I could find someone around here to teach it, I can't really afford it right now. Let me know if you have any luck.

[CeruleanRyuujin]

who is your sifu and where do you train? ill keep you posted.

[Donkwoon]

I wrote a little about him in the other thread that you started.

[Shaolinlueb]

ive only seen mantis in 2 wah lum forms, the rest look like a combination of long fist and hung gar.

[Yao Sing]

Which ones do you see the Mantis?

Most seem to feel there's a lot of CLF in Wah Lum.

[Shaolinlueb]

Which ones do you see the Mantis?

Most seem to feel there's a lot of CLF in Wah Lum.


little mantis and big mantis. thats it really. sometimes there is a mantis hand pose but thats it.

*edit
im not dissing wah lum, its a pretty style to watch, and has some tough stuff to do in it. im just saying i dont see a lot of mantis in it. but it claims to be a mantis style doesnt it?

[ironfenix]

LOG, 2nd form ... etc
Praying mantis isn't just mantis hand poses man. I think wah lum has a lot of mantis stuff all over the place you just have to know where to look.

israel

[Donkwoon]

LOG, 2nd form ... etc
Praying mantis isn't just mantis hand poses man. I think wah lum has a lot of mantis stuff all over the place you just have to know where to look.

israel

I agree. There are some forms that are more mantis than others. Stright form has no mantis but Little Mantis and 3rd form has a lot.

[Yao Sing]

little mantis and big mantis. thats it really. sometimes there is a mantis hand pose but thats it.

*edit
im not dissing wah lum, its a pretty style to watch, and has some tough stuff to do in it. im just saying i dont see a lot of mantis in it. but it claims to be a mantis style doesnt it?

That's what I thought you would say, which is why I asked. BTW, it's a hybrid style with a lot of southern influence. In the full name Tan Tui comes before Mantis which would suggest more of the former and less of the latter.


LOG, 2nd form ... etc
Praying mantis isn't just mantis hand poses man. I think wah lum has a lot of mantis stuff all over the place you just have to know where to look.

Bingo! We have a winner.

[ironfenix]

I just got Big Mantis. Really nice set. Really tough to do. I can see some similarities to bung bo.

[SoCo KungFu]

Big mantis is a pretty cool set. Its one of the few that I still really like to practice from my mantis training. I wouldn't say its really hard, just that its a bit different. I'm not sure how your school lays out the curriculum but if your training is anything like mine was then Big mantis is probably the first real heavy duty "mantis" set in that it largely breaks away from the heavy southern base that is in the early material (again as I learned it). Little mantis is there yeah, but that was more a short glimpse than a real nose dive into the material.

Of course I say its not so bad now that I have had about 5 years to practice that set haha! I hope you enjoy it. Its one of my fav. mantis ones for the apps. 1st form wasn't too bad. Didn't like 2nd form, Sei Lok though. Never learned the rest of the numbered sets. 18 Elbows is probably my other fav. set from that system though, maybe tied with Big mantis but 18 elbows is more southern material. 36 hands was good for endurance but I'm not as fond of the techniques for fighting, I just don't really get into the kicking as much as I did before...maybe its the Hung gar I train now who knows.

What's your fav. part of the big mantis so far? I like the elbow breaks...oh and the whole neck torque into stomp the hollow of the knee with that little shot to the back of the neck :)

I still remember when I learned it. 8 hours on a Saturday in August...hot Florida sun. Good times.

I would agree with you though there is a lot of mantis that people don't realise is mantis. Its just masqued by the southern stuff in the earlier material. There is actually principle cross-over between the 12 keywords of praying mantis and the 12 bridges of hung gar. Which is not surprising, there is only so many ways a body can move.