Babu Tanglangquan - calling Earthdragon!

[mooyingmantis]

OK, this is me trying to bring the Northern Praying Mantis forum BACK on the topic of Northern Praying Mantis. :)

I thought it might be interesting to interview some of the forum members to get their take on their art and practice of Mantis.

Earthdragon,
I have a few questions about Eight Step Praying Mantis. Since you are the resident Babu Tanglangquan man I was hoping I could pick your brain for some information. Of course, anyone else who trains in this art can feel free to step in also.

1. What was GM Wei's purpose in creating another branch of Mantis?

2. How is BB TLQ different from the other branches of Mantis and/or what defines the art?

3. What similarities does BB TLQ share with other branches of Mantis?

4. How have you interpreted the art and what do you emphasize in your teaching?

5. In what direction would you like to take Eight Step Praying Mantis?

[EarthDragon]

wait you really want ot talk about kung fu? are you sure? do I need to post a youtube clip of me doing mantis? LOl Ok kidding aside, there are far more educated 8 stepers out here but I will gladly answer your questions. Tainan chime in anytime:D


1. What was GM Wei's purpose in creating another branch of Mantis? it was actually Chiang Hua Long from Plum blosson mantis who created
(ba bu) 8 step. He realized as he aged that the monkey footwork that is in most mantis styles needed a lot of effort to perform and had alot of hopping and jumping, and so he sought out more effecient styles that focused primarily on foot work...... This lead him to study Bagua from ____________ help here and while using the hands of plum blosson and the feet of Ba Gua he created a hybrid mantis style and named it 8 steps for the 8 long and 8 short steps.

2. How is BB TLQ different from the other branches of Mantis and/or what defines the art?
the footwork, we use sliding, angular and circular stepping pattens unique to this style of mantis

3. What similarities does BB TLQ share with other branches of Mantis?
trapping, joint locking/manipulation, throwing, and the in some cases the medical side though much is lost from other branches, form my understanding.
4.
How have you interpreted the art and what do you emphasize in your teaching?
I came form a karate background 6 years with Go Ju and 2 with isinryu and the first thing I noticed was relaxed effortless movement, even though I am a big guy 6'2 220 compared to my kung fu borthes its wored really well for me and it was exremley effective and lighting quick. I teach my studetents to focus on what works best for them, keepin it simple is best for combat, parry counter lock throw. If you love the style then explore it till the end, its has much to offier unlike some styles that platue' after years.

5. In what direction would you like to take Eight Step Praying Mantis? seeing it make it known the world for the UFC was a huge leap for this rather unique and unknown system. Also to be able to keep in touch with the other masters form Wei Xiao Tung adn have them correct anyone who dedicates thier life to its growth. how was that?

[mooyingmantis]

Excellent information Mike! Thank you for helping get this forum back on track!

I have never studied or seen Baguazhang, other than on the internet. Do you have any videos (yes we want some dang videos :) ) of the footwork used in your style?

Also, do you mind listing the eight long and short steps you mentioned in your post?

Can you recommend any YouTube links that you feel are good representations of your style?

What weapons, if any, do you teach as a part of Babu Tanglangquan?

[EarthDragon]

now worres I love discussing the arts. I will look for some videos on bagua, unfortunalty there are not a lot of 8 step videos on youtube other than an old Master Wei video but it doesnt show much but here it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofwK8twKfIk

heres some basic bagau tech didt look long theres a ton out there
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rA_AuE5Z0ZA

and here you go.
The long steps
Ba bu
Cuan bu
Diei bu
Ru huan bu
Nou bu
Tuan bu
Ta bu
Xing bu
Tuo bu

The short
Huang bu
San jioa bu
Feng xing bu
Mei bu
Hua bu
Lin cun bu
Qi bu
Bagua bu
Jia bu

there are hardly any weapons in 8 step is a empty hand system, which i like cuz you never get into a fight when you are carying a weapon, your mind hands and feet shoudl be all you need. Wei did love a hevan sun moon somethign or other maybe someone here will know the weapon in which i am thinking of

[YouKnowWho]

Master Wei was a very cautious person. He always said one should be careful when someone serve you Chines tea on dinner table. The person may throw hot tea at your face and then beat you up. Anybody with that kind of cautious, his life experience must be different from others. Sometime I just feel that my alert system is too low (compare to the old generation). After few drinks on the dinner table, I could trust everybody on that dinner table as my own brothers.

I have heard that master Wei had some personal killing experience.

[EarthDragon]

nice refreshing post Andy, well said

[Tainan Mantis]

This is possible due to Dzuo Hsienfu, Wei Hsiaotang's long time student and most outspoken 8 Step Shrfu in Taiwan...

Jiang Hualong, famous master of Mei Hua Mantis, was friends with Ba Gua Chuen master Wang Dzongching and Hsing Yi and Tong Bei master Chen Deshan.

Together these three masters combined the best techniques of their respective styles to create new Mantis forms.
The basics of this new style had eight postures and eight moving steps so it was named Eight Step Praying Mantis.

Jiang Hualong taught this style to Feng Huanyi.

In 1917 Wei Jiyun, Wei Hsiaotang's father, invited 38 year old Master Feng to their home to teach a 16 year old Wei Yentong. Not till many years later would Wei Yentong change his name to Wei Hsiaotang.

The young Wei, already proficient in the Ditang school of boxing immediately invited Master Feng to cross hands and compare skills.
But the young master soon discovered that he was no match for Feng as he was easily tossed to the ground.

Instead of getting up, Wei stayed on the ground and waited for Feng to attack.
Wei hoped to use his Ditang Chuen "scissors kick" or "lying break kick" to attack Feng as he advanced.

But Master Feng didn't even bother to attack, he just stood there and shouted out," To lie on the ground is a shameless man, it's a good man who will get up and fight again." ...

[Tainan Mantis]

...On hearing these words from Feng Huanyi, master Wei came to a realization and respectfully honored Feng Huanyi as his shrfu.
After 4 years of bitter practice master Wei attained the essence of 8 Step PM.
He was 20 years old.

At this time he was invited to Fushan county to be a MA coach.
At 23 he was posted in the military as a MA instructor.

In 1931 master Wei took a pleasure trip to Korea.
Several of his Chinese friends in Korea knew that he was a MA instructor and would get up early in the morning with him to practice kung fu and chat.

One day, his friend Tsuei, who managed a restaurant, ran into some serious business trouble.
He was being chased and beaten by 4 or 5 Koreans.

He ran to master Wei crying out," The Koreans are beating me with sticks!"
As master Wei ran forward he shouted out to the Koreans," Don't strike! Don't strike!" Trying to stop the Koreans from using their sticks.

Unfortuneatly they didn't speak master Wei's Shandong dialect.
They could only understand that master Wei and Tsuei where friends...so they hit them both!

Master Wei and all his friends had no choice but to run back to Tsuei's restaurant and hide.

The Koreans wouldn't give up so easily and used their sticks to smash through the windows and jump in.
Master Wei and his friends wouldn't survive in there so they escaped through the back door.
The Koreans quickly gave chase with shouts of death.

At this point he realized that he'd be beaten to death if he didn't fight back.
As he ran he pulled out from inside his jacket a weapon unique to 8 Step PM, "Reach to Sky Palm", and attached it to his hand (there is some controversy on what it is he actually pulled out)...

[Tainan Mantis]

As mentioned above, there is a bit of controversy on what it is that he pulled out.

The so called "Reach To Sky Palm" is what people normally call the finger puller.
It is worn on the finger or thumb to assist in pulling back the bowstring when hunting with arrows.
It is a wide ring made of metal or jade with one end protruding from the side.
It somewhat resembles E- Mei Needles, but half the length and more nimble.

Back to the story.
The Koreans were about to smash Master Wei and his friends with sticks.
As Master Wei ran he suddenly turned around and dodged to the side using the technique "Green Dragon Shakes its Tail" and with his concealed weapon cracked the skull of the nearest Korean, knocking him to the ground.

The other Koreans saw this and started shouting out something to the effect,"Chinaman kills Korean!"

Since it was now only Master Wei standing there they didn't run figuring his two fists couldn't take all four of them.

Just then the electric tram stopped nearby and many of the passengers, hearing the shouts, jumped off and surrounded Master Wei.

The mob grabbed whatever was available and advanced on Master Wei ready to strike him to death, but as soon as Master Wei was attacked he fought back with the speed characteristic of a fighting mantis.

Later, he couldn't recall what techniques he used when fighting and running he only knew that he had managed to smash his way out of the circle and escape back to his friend's house.

On reading the next day's newspaper he discovered that he had seriously injured one and killed three Koreans.

He was able to return back to Shandong thanks to the help of his friends.
He didn't return to Korea for another 17 years.
By that time his name had already changed from Wei Yentong to the now well known Wei Hsiaotang.

[Tainan Mantis]

So, the above are from some translations that I did some years ago when I was working with Mike Martello on the Wei Xiaotang Tribute website.
Sadly, I don't where that it is now.
It footage of Master Wei performing some of the basic steps of Babu also.

The weapon was also said to be the hook used in the cooking kitchen for moving burning wood.

[EarthDragon]

Kevin, your awesome! I was waiting for you to chime in as you and Robert are far well versed in he arts than myself. BTW Ii met Rayond Fogg last month adn he mentioed your name.. thought you woudl get a kcik out fo that

I hade been told this story by shyun, though with not as much detail and the story was little different, but thats expected. I was told it was over Wei's freind gambling and they beat up the korenas at a tea house and Wei after the fight was snuck to Tawain as he could not return to China because of the governent not wanting kung fu to contiue or something like that. Tehn got a job as a cook at the high school where Shyun attended and thats how they met. Thank you so much for sharing.

I am curious to know more about Fen Huan Yi, Shyun said not much is known about him otehr than he was hiding from a group of people and Wei father allowed him to hide at htier house and saw Wei practicng kung fu and Feng sid he would teach Wei some better moves for repayment. I do have a scnned phot of him on my schoolds wall but not much else. What do you knwo of him? thanks in advance

[DBAC]

I'm curious, does 8-Step incorporate the 12-characters or any other principles that exist in other Northern mantis styles?

[YouKnowWho]

In 1931 master Wei took a pleasure trip to Korea.

I have heard that master Wei went to Korea because he had killed someone in China.

[EarthDragon]

interesting post Andy, it must have been awesome to be able to live in Chian nad ge the insde scopp on all this stuff.. Im jealous LOL.
one thing though, the picture on my site, that you mentioed was scanned and given to me by shyun when he hgave me mater Wei pic for my school and it says Feng Hua Yi name on the bottom.. but I dont read Chinese very well, so who knows....

[mooyingmantis]

Excellent information everyone! Thanks for sharing!