MANTIS in ACTION!

[blackmantis]

Hi all,

I was just wondering if any of you have been in any fights or situations in which you have needed to use your mantis skills. If so, i would be interested to know more...

S

[mantis108]

Well, here's some stories of mine, actually of my students, to share with you.

I have a student who works as a bouncer in bars. Tainan Mantis met him as well when he came to visit me before. My student likes to tell me what he would use on his "clients". One time, I adjusted his rear naked choke. He went to work and applied it and came back to tell me how it worked effectively. Another time, we did some close range stuff (knees and eblows stuff). He went and use it again. I have to always remind him to be careful not to be too "trigger happy" with the stuff. Anyway, he get "interviewed" by the RCMP on occassions about excessive force that bouncers employed while carrying out their duties.

few years ago, one of my young student got bullied by others at school. He punched once (like I always telld him to fight back) and he never get any trouble from then on. He did get the school's officials' warming.

While Tainan visited me, we worked out at my store. A half drunk Taxi driver came in to rent a movie. He saw Tainan showing one of my students some stuff. So, he suggested to show the "correct" Karate way of how things should be done (he's a blackbelt supposedly). Tainan and I both retired to a corner and let my student to "learn" his way. Anyway, after a few karate style punches and a few kung fu parries (from my student). He was frustrated and left.

Another student, who will appear in the article with me that I wrote for the MQ, was involved in a situation where he was pretty drunk and was sized up by 4 guys outside of a local bar. He could remember exchanging a few blows with one guy and he was down on the ground. The other 3 guy jumped in at that point. Somehow, he remembered to keep his guard up kicking from the ground to keep the guys away and got up quickly and he fleeted quickly. So he wasn't hurt.

Finally, There was a drunk native guy who came into the store and start calling me names and stuff. I wasn't even about to remove him yet. Suddenly a young fellow (a customer) whom I knew his parents, came rushing and took the drunk out. Later that night RCMP came in and did some inquiries about the incident. No one got charged. Appearantly the young man beat the drunk quite badly. BTW, I think I wasn't exactly a witness because I didn't follow them outside. Had I followed, the young man might have to be charged with an offence out of his "good" intention of coming to aide. That's about the closest of an incident that I have. Anyway, I have not lay a finger on anyone and I need not to.

Personally, I don't believe in fighting can solve or prove anything. The moral to the stories is simple. Real life encounters are short and not always about using Kung Fu. The real Kung Fu is to exercise the biggest and strongest piece of Muscles between your ears. Sometimes you may not even need to raise a hand against a fellow human being (or beast in most cases). There will be consequences most of the time. You don't want to wrestle the long arms of the law after fighting a personal physical battle. If you have to fight, fight smart and get of there quick. So these days I would rather have people sparr and work out their inner demons or whatever. If you spent enough time in the Kwoon, where do you find time to hang out at potentially dangerous places such as a bar or school for that matter (lol....)?

Anyway, hope this helps you to see that Kung Fu isn't about all those tall tales of heroic acts. It isn't glamourous at all.

Regards

Mantis108

[Mr.Binx]

Since I have only been practicing northern tanglang for a year, my encyclopedia of mantis technique is significantly miniscule, but I ended up using one particular technique by reflex because I had been practicing it with our sealing hand drills in class so frequently and it was applicable to the situation.

6 weeks ago I was jumped by two men after work while I had my car stopped at a red light waiting for it to change. I won't go into the whole story, but near the end of the fight, I guided a punch from one individual through my steering wheel with a fung sao (grasping hand) that effectively tied him up for the remainder and allowed me to tenderize choice parts of his anatomy while using him as a shield against his accomplice. I didn't even realize that I had used a mantis technique during that encounter till several hours later when I was thinking back over the event. I dare say I really enjoyed that fight... maybe a little more than most people would think was healthy.

I wouldn't say I *needed* the tiny piece of mantis I used in this particular instance as I was already practiced in fighting multiple opponents... that being incapacitated with the motion of a single arm left a lasting impression on both my assailants. Had I been more practiced in my tanglang with a stronger array of techniques to choose from then this battle would probably have gone from "4-5 minutes" to "1 minute or less". Regardless, it was definately effective.

[bungda07]

Mr. Binx,

Perhaps the best course of action in your case was "none". You already had practiced fighting multiple opponents. Why bother. Driving off would be the best defense. Anybody that has the guts to approach a vehicle, probably has weapons that fire projectiles. Hard to block. Like Mantis108 said, don't be trigger happy to prove yourself. Better to retain your vitality from within.
Glad the Fung Sao worked! See ya at class.


V/r

Steve M.

[redtornado]

I love seeing the Mantis Style in action!!!! I would like to learn it also.. Relax and stay ready for anything