How many people here do mantis?

[Pete]

Northern mantis... this section seems a little dead! i'm currently learning taiji mantis which seems a little different from other styles :eek:

what style do you guys do?

[Tainan Mantis]

I have not posted lately as I am working on a book about the culture of kung fu and Mantis from the Ming Dynasty.
The THirty-Six Mother Technqiues of Praying Mantis
The cultural aspect that I am writing now mostly deals with the stories and figures that men of rivers and lakes entertained themselves with and used as the inspiration for mantis kung fu (as well as other styles)

For example, in the list of 18 styles that comprise Praying Mantis Kung Fu there is Zhao Kuang-Yin's longfist. It is listed as being the beginning taizu de changquan qi shou.

During the Ming there were popular stories about the exploits of Kuang-Yin. These stories served to contrast and compare different virtues and vices with the goal of presenting the martial virtue wu-de for the common man and the men of the "greenwoods" to use as inspiration in their conduct and training in life.

One of those stories involved Kuang-Yin's uncle.
Kuang-Yin had an uncle who lived as a recluse in a Buddhist temple on the border region of Shandong and who provided Kuang-Yin with rare medicine which he used to help others.

The life style of Kuang-Yin's uncle is illustrated by a short 28 character verse poem roughly translated:


I don't detest the poverty of wearing poor patched up clothes.
In idle time I burn cypress twigs as incense.
Meditating by the window I disregard worldly affairs.
Just one pot of clear tea and one scroll of sutra.


Anyway, this work is keeps me from posting much here these days.

[Pete]

sounds interesting, i'm familiar with wu de but never really looked into the history surrounding mantis! good luck with your book :)

[MightyB]

the mantis forum isn't as lively as it used to be. Fact is, the shiite's hard to discuss - it's easier to show or experience in person.

Here's a term you'll have to learn

"One Family"

[mooyingmantis]

Qixing & Hao family Taiji Meihua Tanglangquan.

With whom do you study Taji mantis?

[HmorenoM]

Liu He Tang Lang Quan from Wu Tan Lineage :) still a newbie

[xiao yao]

Hi

Do you train the Taiji Mantis of Chu Chuk Kai or the Taiji Mantis of Song Zi De..... coz they are very very different.

I train the latter, under Master Zhou Zhen Dong in Yantai.

http://www.monkeystealspeach.co.uk/praying-mantis.php

Heres some info about our style

[xiao yao]

I think we (usually) do a much better job with the One Family thing here than the Wing Chunners!

[YouKnowWho]

I think we (usually) do a much better job with the One Family thing here than the Wing Chunners!

How can we not have love to those who also uses Gou Lou Cai Shou? As long as you use Gou Lou Cai Shou, you are one of us.

- Some mantis brings Taiji into it.
- Some mantis brings Baji into it.
- Some mantis brings Liu He into it.

We truly don't care, do we?

[Pete]

One family... i like that! :cool:

i guess i should have asked a different question, i've never heard of most of those styles! haha

i only know what i learn is "taiji mantis" and it's abit different to any others i've seen


Qixing & Hao family Taiji Meihua Tanglangquan.

With whom do you study Taji mantis?

my shifu is Andy Zhou, i always forget his full chinese name sorry!


Hi

Do you train the Taiji Mantis of Chu Chuk Kai or the Taiji Mantis of Song Zi De..... coz they are very very different.

I train the latter, under Master Zhou Zhen Dong in Yantai.


I'm not sure if it's either of the ones you mentioned! i remember your website though, i emailed you about a year and a half ago about coming to china to train :p

was your shifu at the competition in kaifaqu a few weeks ago?

i'm also in yantai :eek: :D

[xiao yao]

Im youre in Yantai, its not the first. Chu Chuk Kai lineage isnt found in the mainland.

Yes I am in Yantai, we went to the Aug 8th competition at Yantai Uni, but not the Kai Fa Qu one.

I think I know who your shifu is, does he learn from Sun De?

[YouKnowWho]

Do either one of you guys know him? I met him in the 1st and the 2nd 济南Jinan tournament.

http://imageshack.us/a/img854/5711/mantismaster.jpg

[Paul T England]

7 Star Mantis Under Derek Frearson (Lee Kam Wing)

Paul
www.moifa.co.uk

[xiao yao]

I know of Sun De Long, but I dont know him personally.

He teaches Taiji Meihua and is the older brother of Sun De Yao, who is teaching in the US

[TaichiMantis]

Hi! Welcome!

[Pete]

Do either one of you guys know him? I met him in the 1st and the 2nd 济南Jinan tournament.

http://imageshack.us/a/img854/5711/mantismaster.jpg

the link is a 404 for me?



Yes I am in Yantai, we went to the Aug 8th competition at Yantai Uni, but not the Kai Fa Qu one.

I think I know who your shifu is, does he learn from Sun De?

Sun De sounds familiar... i know his face, met him and his son a few times but i'm not 100%

i asked my teacher today, he's heard of your shifu, said he's one of the higher teachers in yantai :cool:


Hi! Welcome!

hey! thanks :D

[Codeboy]

I'm 7 Star Praying Mantis under Sifu Henry Chung.

[Jimbo]

The Mantis I studied was a mixture of 8 Step and 7 Star, learned in Taiwan under the late Peng Han-Ping. Overall, I trained Mantis (under his tutelage and apart from) for 10 years.

Although I began studying CLF 20 years ago, and eventually switched completely over, I still retain skills of Mantis, such as Gou-Lou-Cai shou, Kao, etc. Mantis still holds a big place in my heart, and even though I no longer practice it as a style, I will keep those aspects from it that have served me well.

[MightyB]

No one here actually practices praying mantis kung fu. We're actually entomologists. But, we really do like kung fu movies and the wearing of funny pants.

[mooyingmantis]

Sun De sounds familiar... i know his face, met him and his son a few times but i'm not 100%

Sun De 孫 德 & Sun Deyao 孙 德 蕘 are two different people. Sun De teaches Taiji Tanglangquan. Sun Deyao teaches Hao family Taiji Meihua Tanglangquan.

[Pete]

Sun De 孫 德 & Sun Deyao 孙 德 蕘 are two different people. Sun De teaches Taiji Tanglangquan. Sun Deyao teaches Hao family Taiji Meihua Tanglangquan.


I asked today, it sounded familiar because it is Sun De :p also makes sense why i was told taiji mantis :D

edit: i guess it's good some of you know the name too even if i didn't!

[Pete]

soo i guess the next question is - how long have you guys trained for? i already see 2 people have been going at it for a few decades!

i've only been training mantis maybe 3 months now so i pretty much have no skill :)

step by step and all that :p

[xiao yao]

so what have you learnt so far?

[Pete]

i was here for 6 months last year but i mainly did tai chi and got the basics of 'kung fu'... the 5 stances and a basic (shaolin?) form that goes with them.

about 3 months before i left i started learning my first mantis form and i've finished it off since coming back...but i'm still really bad at it! lol

i've also started learning my second form, but only a few actions in so far :o

[mantiskickboxer]

Warm greetings to all my fellow mantis fighters of all styles! Taiji Tanglangquan of Chiu Chuk Kai lineage reporting.. So glad to be posting here let's make this discussion forum the best one on the board!

[Pete]

Warm greetings to all my fellow mantis fighters of all styles! Taiji Tanglangquan of Chiu Chuk Kai lineage reporting.. So glad to be posting here let's make this discussion forum the best one on the board!

hey hey welcome! :D where are you from? how long have you been training?

[mantiskickboxer]

hey hey welcome! :D where are you from? how long have you been training?

hey pete,

I'm from Toronto and have been training in tai mantis for about 8 or 9 years. I've been practicing martial arts for almost 20.. including krav maga, taekwondo, jujitsu, and ninjutsu. I've also studied bits and pieces of other arts through friends and friendly sparring sessions. But tai mantis is by far my favorite.

How are you enjoying the TCPM style so far? Stick with it and practice it as much as you can, by the time you get to the intermediate and advanced stages you will develop a very high level of fighting ability.

[Pete]

nice! theres quite a few on here with alot of experience :) i hope to learn abit of taekwondo in the future once i get my flexibility up :p

i'm really liking mantis so far, most of the applications are pretty savage! lol looks like i'll be sticking with it for life, wish i had started earlier though now im 25...my lifes half over! :o

[mooyingmantis]

nice! theres quite a few on here with alot of experience :) i hope to learn abit of taekwondo in the future once i get my flexibility up :p

i'm really liking mantis so far, most of the applications are pretty savage! lol looks like i'll be sticking with it for life, wish i had started earlier though now im 25...my lifes half over! :o

Pete,
I have been training martial arts for about 45 years. A mix of Japanese, Korean, Philippine and Chinese arts. I started Monkey boxing in 1976 and Mantis boxing in 1984.

Of all the arts that I have studied, I believe monkey boxing and mantis boxing are the most effective for fighting. Mantis has the added benefit of being an art that can be still practiced in one's twilight years, while monkey boxing is excellent for younger practitioners.

I am 55 years old with bad knees, a bad shoulder, bad lower discs in my spine, diabetes and I have had quadruple heart bypass surgery. However, I am still able to practice Qixing Tanglangquan and Taiji Meihua Tanglangquan. My moves may not be as "pretty" as they were ten years ago, but I still have the confidence that I can defend myself with my art. :)

Good luck in your training! I suggest you give mantis boxing at least three to five years before dabbling in or switching to another art. This should give you sufficient time to develop very good hand skills.

[-N-]

lol looks like i'll be sticking with it for life, wish i had started earlier though now im 25...my lifes half over! :o

Lol, So I've been dead for the last 3 years, haha.

[TaichiMantis]

Lol, So I've been dead for the last 3 years, haha.

Hah! Me too :eek:

[Pete]

Pete,
I am 55 years old with bad knees, a bad shoulder, bad lower discs in my spine, diabetes and I have had quadruple heart bypass surgery. However, I am still able to practice Qixing Tanglangquan and Taiji Meihua Tanglangquan. My moves may not be as "pretty" as they were ten years ago, but I still have the confidence that I can defend myself with my art. :)

Good luck in your training! I suggest you give mantis boxing at least three to five years before dabbling in or switching to another art. This should give you sufficient time to develop very good hand skills.

hey thanks for the advice :) it's good to hear you can still train after all those problems :cool: i was only thinking of taekwondo because my legs seem better than my hands at the moment! :(

sorry to the 3 of you guys over 50 too, i just had my birthday last weekend so i'm feeling really old! :eek: haha

[mantiskickboxer]

nice! theres quite a few on here with alot of experience :) i hope to learn abit of taekwondo in the future once i get my flexibility up :p

i'm really liking mantis so far, most of the applications are pretty savage! lol looks like i'll be sticking with it for life, wish i had started earlier though now im 25...my lifes half over! :o

haha i think that's what all of the veterans at my school say when we start studying TCPM after having practiced other arts for many years.. we wished we had started training the mantis style much sooner! We have guys from all sorts of styles - taekwondo, MMA, jujitsu, karate, aikido, muay thai etc and all of us prefer the mantis system to anything we've done before. And yes you're right, from the get go in the mantis system we're taught very vicious applications that focus on grabbing, breaking elbows and wrists, twisting necks, and striking the eyes and throat. And don't feel too bad, 25 is still a great age to start. You're mature enough to stick with it.

A lot of the mantis system's kicks are identical to those used in taekwondo, such as the front, roundhouse, side, spinning hook, and tornado kicks. Some of them are delivered in a slightly different way however. Even today I still find my grandmaster trying to correct me from the habits of more than 10 years of taekwondo training.. also the taekwondo forms are much more linear and broken than mantis forms which tend to be more flowing. Honestly, I think if you're attending the right school you will get everything you want out of TCPM, though it may be wise to try out other systems such as muay thai and BJJ to get well rounded training.

I agree with mooying mantis though, stick with TCPM and try not to absorb other arts till you've been studying this one for at least a few years.

[Jimbo]

lol looks like i'll be sticking with it for life, wish i had started earlier though now im 25...my lifes half over! :o

Hey, I turned 50 in May and my life is anything BUT over! Careful what you consider old...you'll get there before you know it.;)

Although I've been involved with martial arts since I was 10, I took up Mantis at 21, and didn't begin my focus art, CLF, 'til I was 30. Sure, the earlier experience helped me, but all we have is the present. Enjoy your training and don't worry about numbers.

[Pete]

went off the radar for abit... wheres my thread gone?!! :confused:

edit: ok thanks for making it reappear lol

[Biyn Jiu]

Tainan, If you stop eating and sleeping you can finish quicker and we will be able to read your book that much sooner. I will be anxiously awaiting your completion. Please keep us updated.

[Pete]

And don't feel too bad, 25 is still a great age to start. You're mature enough to stick with it.

I agree with mooying mantis though, stick with TCPM and try not to absorb other arts till you've been studying this one for at least a few years.


Hey, I turned 50 in May and my life is anything BUT over! Careful what you consider old...you'll get there before you know it.;)

Enjoy your training and don't worry about numbers.

thanks guys! been busy looking for a job last few weeks so i can continue training :p

[xiao yao]

can you read chinese? i you walk down nan da jie theres signs for english school posted up everywhere, they are all desperate for teachers

[YouKnowWho]

Hey, I turned 50 in May and my life is anything BUT over! Careful what you consider old...you'll get there before you know it.;)

If you don't think old, you are always young.

Last week when I walked on the beach with my dog, I saw a guy was training on the beach. I walked toward him and asked if he wants to be my training/wrestling/sparring partner. We were supposed to meet on Monday 6pm in the park. About 2pm, he called me and told me that he is a Karate instructor. If I want to train with him. I would have to pay for his instruction time. At my Medicare age, I'm 15 years older than him. If he still think that I'm just a young guy and looking for some Karate instruction, I must still have my young look. That made me feel really good.

[-N-]

About 2pm, he called me and told me that he is a Karate instructor. If I want to train with him. I would have to pay for his instruction time. At my Medicare age, I'm 15 years older than him. If he still think that I'm just a young guy and looking for some Karate instructor, I must still have my young look. That made me feel really good.

Wow. Some people are just all about the money. He missed out on an opportunity.

Funny thing happened to me when I took my 85 year old mom to the hospital today.

The two nurses looked at me for a while after I told them my mom's age. Finally they asked, "Oh, are you the youngest?"

Told them I was the oldest, 53. That went back and forth for a while and they had a hard time believing me. They thought I was in my 30's. Told them it must be the American rice or something.

Last month some cutie chick at work asked if I had any kids.

I guess that must be woman-talk for "are you single?", without actually asking directly.

I said, Yeah, blah blah blah... in their 20's blah blah...

She was like, "Wtf, did you have them when you were 10 years old???"

Cracked me up.

Told her it must be the Asian genes, but that she should have been able to tell since she was Korean.

My teacher passed away at 59. I told my students that I don't intend for that to be me.

[Jimbo]

If you don't think old, you are always young.

Last week when I walked on the beach with my dog, I saw a guy was training on the beach. I walked toward him and asked if he wants to be my training/wrestling/sparring partner. We were supposed to meet on Monday 6pm in the park. About 2pm, he called me and told me that he is a Karate instructor. If I want to train with him. I would have to pay for his instruction time. At my Medicare age, I'm 15 years older than him. If he still think that I'm just a young guy and looking for some Karate instruction, I must still have my young look. That made me feel really good.

YKW,

It sounds like he never intended to train with you, but probably thought he simply roped in a new student at the beach. Either that, or maybe he wasn't confident enough that he could hold his own if he trained with you(?).

I always get mistaken for about 15 or more years younger than I am. Then again, people mistook me for a minor when I was in my early 30s. It's a good feeling.

[YouKnowWho]

YKW,

It sounds like he never intended to train with you, but probably thought he simply roped in a new student at the beach. Either that, or maybe he wasn't confident enough that he could hold his own if he trained with you(?).

I always get mistaken for about 15 or more years younger than I am. Then again, people mistook me for a minor when I was in my early 30s. It's a good feeling.

I didn't say who trains with whom but just be a training/wrestling/sparring partner. I made it clear to him that he could pick up a technique that he wants to train and I would be his dummy. I then pick up a technique that I like to train and he would be my dummy. After we have known each other better and build some trust between us, we could start some wrestling and even sparring after that.

This just remind me when I was young, I tried to build up a fighting club. I had found 3 guys. One day we visited the 4th guy, the guy kept saying, "What do you want from me?" I said, "We don't want anything from you. We just invite you to join in our fighting club."

[Kellen Bassette]

We just invite you to join in our fighting club."

You just broke the first two rules of Fight Club. :mad:

[MightyB]

YKW,
I always get mistaken for about 15 or more years younger than I am. Then again, people mistook me for a minor when I was in my early 30s. It's a good feeling.

I'm 39 and a girl invited me last week to her "Yoga Hoes, Workout Bros" college party. I thought it was pretty funny. Granted I do like seeing hot college girls in yoga pants and sports bras, but there's no way in h3ll I'd go.

[Pete]

can you read chinese? i you walk down nan da jie theres signs for english school posted up everywhere, they are all desperate for teachers

i can't read or speak chinese...i can sometimes understand a few (spoken) words :o

been observing a few classes in kai fa qu and i'm hoping they will take me...didn't realize next week was a festival until today so might not hear back for abit :rolleyes:

hows it going downtown ?


but there's no way in h3ll I'd go.

waaa why? :confused: lol

[YouKnowWho]

You just broke the first two rules of Fight Club. :mad:

May be I should call it "sparring club" and not "fighting club". In that club, we had,

- MT guy,
- Hapkido guy,
- TKD guy,
- Okinawa Karate guy,
- Kung Fu guy.

There were no MMA guys back then.

[Tainan Mantis]

Tainan, If you stop eating and sleeping you can finish quicker and we will be able to read your book that much sooner. I will be anxiously awaiting your completion. Please keep us updated.

I am on book four of san guo yan yi about 1800 pages into it so far. A Chinese novel from the early Ming. Praying Mantis references two characters that are in this book.

After having read this book I will probably come to the conclusion that Praying Mantis reference to these two characters, Zhang Liao and Zi Long, were not from San Guo Yan Yi but were from some-now obscure-play of the mid-Ming dynasty.

I have a collection of over 4,000 pages of plays from late Yuan to early-mid Ming with the scripts of all the remaining plays. All written in a combination of classical -songs and poems- and vernacular Chinese-dialogue.

I still will have to comb through this to find Zhang Liao and Zi Long.

[bagchun]

Our lineage is as follows.

Wang Lang
Li Bing Xiao
Zhao Zhu
Liang Xue Xiang
Jiang Hua Long
Wang Zhen Gao
Wang Xi Shan
Wang Bai Li ( my sifu )
Me

[Pete]

hey welcome :)

now i will sound harsh but is lineage really that important? :p

[mooyingmantis]

hey welcome :)

now i will sound harsh but is lineage really that important? :p

It just depends on your goals.

If you want to be able to defend yourself. Nope!

If you want to win forms tournaments or cage matches. Nope!

If you want to represent your particular family's lineage as an instructor. Maybe!

Lineage is kind of a funny thing. It means very little outside of your own particular family. It may even mean little outside of your own school.

When someone walks into most schools, they will be judged more on ability than lineage. I know several people with impeccable lineage who can't fight worth a ****. I also know several people with questionable or no lineage who are awesome fighters and/or teachers.

So, lineage only means as much as the value you and your immediate peers place upon it.

Let me tell you a little "secret" which most people who have been around a while already know. Most Chinese instructors only pretend to respect others of their own family outside their own school. They bicker within their own family and believe that only they have the true teachings. In fact, I can't think of one famous Chinese shifu that I have not heard dirt about by another famous Chinese shifu.

Is it any wonder that non-Asians often act so contentious?

[xiao yao]

Actually, I think lineage is important. Bagchun mentioned in his lineage that he comes through Jiang Hua Long. That means technique wise I probably have more in common with him than I do a Seven Star person etc.

Also from looking at lineage you can see if somebodys teacher is good or not, or their teachers teacher.

The problem is when lineage becomes more important than skill.........

[Pete]

It just depends on your goals.

If you want to be able to defend yourself. Nope!

If you want to win forms tournaments or cage matches. Nope!

If you want to represent your particular family's lineage as an instructor. Maybe!

Lineage is kind of a funny thing. It means very little outside of your own particular family. It may even mean little outside of your own school.

When someone walks into most schools, they will be judged more on ability than lineage. I know several people with impeccable lineage who can't fight worth a ****. I also know several people with questionable or no lineage who are awesome fighters and/or teachers.

So, lineage only means as much as the value you and your immediate peers place upon it.


boom! i think you read my mind :D




Also from looking at lineage you can see if somebodys teacher is good or not, or their teachers teacher.

The problem is when lineage becomes more important than skill.........

that's the thing i don't like about it :o to me it only matters if i think my teacher is good, i don't care about his teacher or teachers teacher...

if his teacher was bad maybe he learned more from it :p

definitely agree with your last point though :)

[Pete]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5RU-2eIbKU :eek::eek:

haha i guess this is southern mantis but oh well :p

what do you guys think? couldn't stop laughing :D MANTIS BEAK! FUH FUH FUH FUH!