Footwork 7* Taiji 8 Step

[mantis108]

On the Footwork thread:

Earth Dragon wrote:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>BA BU – ( LONG LEAPING STEP ) FLYING FOOTWORK
CHUANG BU – ( LONG STEP ) AT AN ANGLE
DAI BU - ( CROSS STEP ) SIDEWAYS
RU WAN BU – ( FAKE STEP ) IN ONE DIRECTION MOVE ANOTHER
NOU BU – ( CIRCULAR STEP ) SIDEWAYS CIRCULAR FAKING MOTION
CUAN TA BU – ( JUMPING DODGING STEP ) EVADING A PUNCH
XIN BU – ( RETREATING STEP ) ZIG ZAG SKIP BACKWARD
TUO BU – ( FORWARD STEP ) FOLLOW WITH SAME FOOT

BA CHING BU ( 8 SHORT STEPS )
HEN YE BU – ( SIDE STEP ) DEFENSIVE STEP TO AVOID A PUNCH
SU JIAO BU – ( TRIANGLE STEP ) 3 PART FORWARD STEP MOTION
FANG XING BU –( SQUARE STEP ) DODGING FORWARD & BACKWARD
MEI HUA BU – ( FIVE CORNER STEP ) STEP AROUND OPPONENT
LIU XING BU – (TWO TRIANGLE STEP) POINTED OPPOSITE DIRECTION
QI XING BU – ( 7 STAR STEP ) FORWARD TRIANGLE
ZOU ZHAN BU – ( 3 STEP ) FOLLOW FOOT 3 STEP FORWARD & BACK
BA GUA BU – ( 8 CHANGING STEP) TURNING IN A CIRCULAR FASHION[/quote]

First off, I appreciate Earth Dragon sharing this info. A job well done. I believe it helps understanding his argument about the founder of the style "improving" on the footwork (as he sees it). Nevertheless, I also think this "improvement" does not necessarily makes 8 Step PM superior than other Mantis footwork by default.

I can understand, by looking of the list above, that considerable work has been done to analyzed the older and formulate newer types of footwork to suit the practitioners. It certainly making footwork more "tangiable". It is after all quite vague and frustrating to try to understand what exactly is Monkey footwork of the 7 Stars PM. May be the 7 Stars folks can clarify on that with examples of theories, drills,etc... In TCPM, the Basic 8 Stances is emphasized for footwork, which is essential for our applications. Again, we see a different approach to the footwork but it does not mean that TCPM has "superior" footwork than other PM systems by default. The footwork simply gives a stylized flavor and advantage to use the mantis hands from the stylized perspective.

I think a clear defination of Monkey footwork from the 7 Star camp would help clear up the argument of "improvement" on the footwork issue. BTW, I believe improvement is a big word, which implies an overall change or perhaps even paradigm shift, that should only be used carefully. Just some thoughts

Regards

Mantis108

Contraria Sunt Complementa

[yin lion]

the steeping is like that of my bagua (bagua is noted for it's very effective foot work) the fake steep is the liein' steep of the rooster system and the dodging strike is the main method of the phoenix system (with it's own foot work).
Triangle, square, and 8 changing steeps are all different ways of using the circle to apply steeping methods the four corners or the square are on the circle and the triangles (4) are in the square and the dragon circle is four to six steeps for a full circle so it all seems to be to much of a mirror image of bagua.
even the last tech he mentioned the "ba gua" bu is a form of "turning" which is what we call circle walking in yin style bagua I think the foot work is mainly yin style and maybe some hsing-i I suggest that earth dragon take a class with jin bao when he teaches in your area or take a trip to learn from him I'm sure it would help to give you a better understanding or what systems you art has contained in it. :D

you must unlearn what you have learned then and only then will you be wise and have knolage

[Tainan Mantis]

Also called monkey step in English, is actually gibbon step. In 8 Step (as well as several other styles of PM) is called Ba Bu, or uprooting step.
It is a way of retreating while still being able to attack.
In the 2 man drills, that I learned in Taiwan, it is paired up with the partner doing forward jump kick.
In TJPM at the end of Beng Bu they say Mandarin duck kick. It is that jump.

It is not unique to any particular branch of PM although I don't recall ever seeing it in any non PM art.

[EARTH DRAGON]

you mentioned jin bao, who is he and where does he teach? I have been exposed to ba gua before from master Dewei Lu a freind of my shrfu from taipei. He showed all the forms, all the variations of circle walking and all the applications, it was awsome and I was able to video tape it and quite offen use it for reference how ever I would love to be able to ask a master some certain questions about the roots and lineage of our bagua footwork, plewase let me know thank you

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