Great Lakes Kung Fu Championships

[mooyingmantis]

Friends,
Sunday, April 10th at 10 AM I will be teaching a seminar for the Great Lakes Kung Fu Championships.

The seminar topic will be PRAYING MANTIS KUNG FU - MASTERING THE COMBINATIONS.

I will be teaching what I feel are some of the best combinations for self-defense and sport fighting found in the forms of the various Praying Mantis families.
The combinations will be practiced in the air, with a partner, and then on focus mitts. Proper form, speed, power and footwork will be emphasized.

The seminar cost is $50 per person and will be held at Case Western Reserve University in the Adelbert Gymnasium - 2128 Adelbert Drive Cleveland, Ohio 44106.

[EarthDragon]

awesome, I am talking it over with my students to see if they want ot make the trek down, I will keep u posted. i would want my students to do the seminar for sure. thanks for doing this

[-N-]

How about a list of the combinations that you'll be teaching?

Or even take some requests for particular ones to cover at the seminar?

A little marketing, as it were :)

[B.Tunks]

I will be teaching what I feel are some of the best combinations for self-defense and sport fighting found in the forms of the various Praying Mantis families

MM,

To be bluntly honest, I'm curious as to how you can teach the material found in the forms of the various Tanglang families outside of your own. Or will this be based solely on analysis of material from the internet, DVDs and books?

I ask as I recently read on your website that your art consists of:

'old school praying mantis kung fu theories & techniques taken from the Grand Ultimate Plum Flower Praying Mantis, Secret Door Praying Mantis, Eight Step Praying Mantis and Seven Star Praying Mantis styles'

http://www.mantismasters.com/index.html

I was under the impression that you had studied QXTL principally under Mike Biggie but did not know that you had in fact formally studied under masters of the above mentioned families. I was also surprised to see a picture of Cui Shoushan on your website and did not understand your familial relationship to him.

Cheers for any info you care to share.

BT

[B.Tunks]

Why I ask this now - until I visited your site recently I had no idea that Wuying Tanglang was your own style, which sparked my curiousity regarding your TLQ background.

BT

[mooyingmantis]

ED,

Hope you and your guys can make it! I believe that it will be a fun and informative time.

BT,

Yes, Wuying Tanglangquan is MY interpretation of what I have learned over the past couple decades from Mike Biggie (my past NPM teacher) and several other people of various Praying Mantis lineages.

Yes, some of my knowledge has come from translated books and videos from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China. As well as books in the English language. Though most of my knowledge was gained by touching hands with various practitioners.

I placed the photo of Cui Shoushan on my website simply because he was a famous PM teacher. I expect that most peeps who visit my website probably know nothing about tanglangquan. I could have put a picture of Lou Guang Yu or Mr. Dong who cooks at my favorite Chinese take-out restaurant and few would know who it was. To them it is just some "Chinese guy". It is simply eye candy.

All,
If you don't give a s-hit about lineage and want to learn some effective mantis combinations. My seminar will be a great place to do it.

If you are a board member, attend the seminar and think it was crap, I will gladly refund your money. I usually do not charge for seminars. However, it would be unfair to other presenters to offer a free seminar when they are charging for their seminar. Gino Belfiore said $50 is the typical charge, so that is what I am charging.

For those who have questions about my understanding of mantis and my personal ability, this will be a great opportunity to meet me, see what I do, see how I teach, touch hands if you like, and report back to the board on whether I am the real deal or a flake. I have no fear of showing what I do and having my skills assessed by my peers.

Given the above, I really don't see what anyone could lose by attending. You might even actually learn something from a guy with a combination of 43 years of martial arts experience.

[B.Tunks]

Thanks for answering so honestly regarding your sources. Out of interest, I'm keen to know who are the other TLQ people that you have trained under.

As far as lineage - my enquiry wasn't really about that per se, apart from the question about Cui Shoushan (which you have answered clearly). I wasn't sure what your TL background was apart from Mike Biggie and therefore looking at your site I was given the impression that you had also studied/were teaching Cui's Tanglang (I couldn't find reference to Mike Biggie either). Given that the average person visiting your website knows nothing about Tanglang, he may also think the same thing. Yes, you could have used a pic of anyone there but for example, if you had put Li Zhanyuan's pic there I would ask you to remove it.

I think people attending the seminar should give a sh.it about lineage in this case, specifically because you will be demonstrating combinations from the various families. I agree people certainly should attend the seminar and make up their own minds about what is on offer and I wish you all the best with it. Of course there is something valuable to learn from a guy of 43 years experience, but I would think that it would be the material that is rightfully his.

BT

[Young Mantis]

Richard,

While I appreciate your honesty in answering BT's questions about your website, I am also somewhat appalled by it as well. I agree with BT 100% that by having a photo of any PM master on your site implies that you represent that lineage. And to refer to the image of anyone, whether a revered TLQ master or a Chinese cook in your local restaurant as simply "eye candy" says to me that you believe as long as there is a picture of a Chinese looking person, then it implies authenticity to your school and website. That a person's image can be just a token symbol. I hope you will reconsider your choices for how you wish to present yourself and your school through your website.

Vance

[mooyingmantis]

BT,
Thank you for your kind well wishes!

As far as my other instructors, I am sorry but I am not free to give out that information. I am not trying to be elusive or mysterious. I have received things from others in the US and abroad who have asked to remain anonymous. As I am sure you have seen on this forum and others, the Internet is full of p i ss ing contests. Some of the people I have received information from do not want any part of it and have asked to remain anonymous. Sucks for me, but I have to respect their wishes.

Though I disagree that placing a picture of a famous PM instructor on my website equates to lineage, I will take it down since a couple of you are offended by it. I try to conduct myself as a gentleman, so I can easily acquiesce on this point. However, please be patience, I am having trouble with the site building device and was unable to delete the picture a few minutes ago. My Computer Fu is very weak.

All the material that I will be presenting is "rightfully" mine. It is MY interpretation of the lessons I have learned from others.

[mooyingmantis]

-N-,

The combinations I am teaching will come from the following tao lu:

Black Tiger Crossing
Praying Mantis Steals the Peach
White Ape Offers the Book
First Essentials
Second Essentials

[EarthDragon]

though I disagree that placing a picture of a famous PM instructor on my website equates to lineage,

Richard,
I have pics of many PM teachers on my website, adam hsu, raymond fogg, branden li, however they are on my "photos" page as I have had the pleasure to meet and touch hands with them.

However this obviously could not be construed as I learned from or was a student of them as they are not in my lineage form Chiang Hua Long and are shared on this page with karate, qigong and taji teachers i have had the pleasure to meet.

You dont have to necessaily remove this photo but perhaps if you post the pics as I have done in a general "photos" page no misunderstanding or offending can occur. just a suggestion

[mooyingmantis]

Richard,
I have pics of many PM teachers on my website, adam hsu, raymond fogg, branden li, however they are on my "photos" page as I have had the pleasure to meet and touch hands with them.

However this obviously could not be construed as I learned from or was a student of them as they are not in my lineage form Chiang Hua Long and are shared on this page with karate, qigong and taji teachers i have had the pleasure to meet.

You dont have to necessaily remove this photo but perhaps if you post the pics as I have done in a general "photos" page no misunderstanding or offending can occur. just a suggestion

Sounds like a plan. :)

[-N-]

-N-,

The combinations I am teaching will come from the following tao lu:

Black Tiger Crossing
Praying Mantis Steals the Peach
White Ape Offers the Book
First Essentials
Second Essentials

More than enough to keep people busy :)

[mooyingmantis]

More than enough to keep people busy :)

Thanks!

Probably after the seminar I will post my seminars notes here and maybe a short videoclip (if peeps do not mind being filmed).

[Luk Hop]

Great. More Authentic Kung Fu.

[ironfenix]

The man has offered to refund any money if anyone isn't satisfied. He has offered to cross hands if anyone doubts his skills. Its not about the moves, its how you move...

[EarthDragon]

mooying mantis aka Richard Tolson is an awesome teacher, and has been doing kung fu for over 4 decades is a ery knowledgable about praying mantis and I' m sure can put anyone on thier ass if you ask him politely.:D


this will be a great time for all, see you there . support kung fu and TCMA events. or stop complaining that taekwondo and karate have so many more. attendance and support is the key...... please do your part, thanks hope to see every there

[mooyingmantis]

How about a list of the combinations that you'll be teaching?

Or even take some requests for particular ones to cover at the seminar?

A little marketing, as it were :)

Here are my class notes for one of the techniques that will be taught at the seminar:


White Ape Offers Fruit
白 猿 献 果
bái yuán xiàn guo


Beng Chui - Crushing Strike
1. The beng (crush or smash) is often used as an example of the first of the 八 剛 手 - bā gāng shǒu - 8 Hard Hands of Seven Star Praying Mantis. This first principle is called 太 山 壓 頂 - tài shān yā dǐng- Tai Mountain Crushes the Head. It is representative of the principle of falling power, dropping the attack while sinking the root.

2. Also known as bēng diǎn (崩 点 ) it moves as the “dot” of a brush stroke in Chinese calligraphy, quick and powerful. The strike should move outward and downward with explosive power, then withdraw immediately like a recoiling spring. Concentrating on the recoil rather than the extension can sometimes cause one to move quicker.

3. In White Ape Offers Fruit the beng chui is the opening strike of the combination. If effective, it momentarily stuns the opponent and opens the way for the next techniques (three picks) to be used in an aggressive manner. If it is blocked, the next techniques become defensive maneuvers that close the gap left by the attempted attack as the crushing arm becomes a bridge that transforms into the hooking arm.

Three Picks
1. The three picks (采 三 手 cǎi sān shǒu) are one of the most commonly known techniques of Seven Star Praying Mantis. The three picks consist of the hook, hold and pluck.

A. The hook (勾 gōu) is a passive hooking method that simply redirects the wrist of the opponent’s attack or lead guard. It is representative of the first of the twelve 十 二 柔 手 - shí èr róu shǒu - 12 Soft Hands of Seven Star Praying Mantis, which is 直 統 而 抅 手 - zhí tǒng ér gōu shǒu - Attach the hook to straight attacks.

B. The hold (摟 lōu) is an assertive and controlling grab. While the hook is attached to the wrist, the hold is attached to the elbow to control the opponent’s entire arm. In Wuying Tanglangquan the hook is light and feathery, while the hold strikes the elbow joint with an iron palm slap that pastes the opponent’s arm to his ribcage and knocks him off balance to the rear.

C. The pluck (采 cai) is a jerking action that pulls the opponent toward the mantid to uproot his stance and bring him crashing into an oncoming attack. My Seven Star instructor, Mike Biggie, emphasized blending the actions of hold and pluck into one seamless motion. Some others emphasize making the hook, hold and final strike move and sound like three equal “taps” on a drum.

D. The strike (捶 chuí) in the form is a simple uppercut strike.

2. The three picks are the set up that clears the way for the next technique, the waist chop.

The Waist Chop
1. The waist chop (腰 斬 - yāo zhan) is one of the most common throwing techniques found Praying Mantis Kung Fu.

2. The waist chop flows out of the three picks.

3. The waist chop found in the White Ape Offers Fruit form can be broken down into the following four actions that happen almost simultaneously:

A. The arm of the plucking hand leaks from underneath the striking arm and falls soundly across the opponent’s chest (palm facing upward).

B. The rear foot is brought forward behind the opponent’s lead leg.

C. The arm on the opponent’s chest is rotated to a palm downward position and sunk downward at a forty-five degree angle toward the ground, while dropping into a Kneeling Stance.

D. The rear palm is swung horizontally to strike the opponent and topple him over the mantid’s forward thigh.

The Waist Action
As in many kung fu systems, power is generated from the root and transferred into the strike by means of waist and shoulder rotation. During the hook, hold and pluck movements the waist should be coiling like a spring. The waist should uncoil to add power to the strike. When the arm is laid on the opponent’s chest in preparation for the waist chop, the waist should again coil. Then the waist uncoils with the actual waist chopping action.

[-N-]

Thanks for sharing, Richard.

I don't know the form. What motion/sequence precedes the bung, in that one?

[mooyingmantis]

Thanks for sharing, Richard.

I don't know the form. What motion/sequence precedes the bung, in that one?

Hope you enjoyed!

The preceding movement is:

Turn Body, Overlord Swings Whip
轉 身 霸 王 甩 鞭
zhuan shēn bà wáng shuǎi biān

1. Pivot to face opposite direction in a right Hill Climbing Stance with a right rising palm.
2. Close right fist and bring it back to the hip while swinging the left fist upward.
3. Step the left foot forward into a Kneeling Stance and execute a high block and right waist chop with closed fists.