What is your favorite Northern Mantis form?

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to start a thread on your favorite form:
1. what you feel the logic behind the form is?
2. what accomplishments are gained through the practice of that form?

To start my favorite forms are:
Bai Yuen Tuo Tau (Bak Yun Tau Tuo)

For me it incorporates level changes, low to high strikes with proper jing transmission and uses multiple strikes simultaneously. The benefits are better flow, simultaneous offense and defense, balance and the list goes on (probably about the same for most forms)

On a side note my next favorite form would probably be "sern bei" (sau-jong)

Tong Long Chit Don (Praying Mantis Exits the Cave)

forgot to add what I like about it---

It's Mantis-riffically Awesome

Next on the list is Siu Fu Yin

Cuz it looks like something from a Jet Li Movie

For the Weapon

Lok Hop Darn Do or Gun Le Guan - both are ol' skool cool looking. Could also be Bot Sim Gim cuz I like to think of myself as a stereotypical video game business man bad guy - and a stereotypical businessman bad guy would use a gim (jian).

I agree Siu Fu Yin is totally awesome! And pretty much every Gim (Jian) form I've seen is always stylish. I also enjoy "Jeet Kuen" it always works up a sweat and gets the cardio going.

Lien Her Zhang (Six Harmony Palm)

Sher Feng Dao (Blade Testing Broadsword)

Not that I have a ton under my belt to choose from, but so far for me I'd say Sap Baht Sao. It has quite a few elements that I enjoy and isn't super long. I like reversing motions a lot, moving one direction and then the next. In this form, you turn 180 and do a downward strike then turn 180 again and go into a fung sao bung choi. Fun. It also includes quite a few elbow strikes and yiu jam (sp?). :D

Dai Fu Yan, Big Tiger and Geese Boxing is my fav hand form at the moment, Siu Fu Yan and is great with the sweeps. Also love the over hand in Moi Fa Kuen

Weapons, Hammers, 5th Son Staff and Chi Ng Gim......

Paul
www.moifa.co.uk

Usually the one that I am learning or the one I am teaching.

White Ape Steals the Peach.....so far.

Zhai Yao looks good from what I have seen, I have not learned it yet.

maybe also post a link to video of your fav form (youtube) etc? eg Siu Fu Yin

just for interesting :)

thanx

I agree with mantid1, I tend to dig the form I am currently learning. Each form has its uniqueness and flavor. My favorite part of learning a new form is learning each individual manuever/application, then the drill for that application. I can easily see how one could spend a long period of time on just one form. Many of our forms have a two-person version so then there is that training as well. At this stage of my training it is all about the fighting though, and not quite the devotion to the ling forms anymore. Keep some of the best ling forms for demonstrations, and teach newbies some ling sets, heck they are fun and they do teach you a lot. Another point mantid1 mentioned was the form he is currently teaching. As a coach, I am of course always going back to our beginner forms (systematic way of teaching) to teach to a new student or group of students. I never get bored with this, because even the basic forms of tanglang are chock full of good fighting!

Back to topic: Current favs

Hand form- Mei Hua Lu
Weapon- six harmony staff

yu shan = thread killer