8 chain punch of Wah Lum Mantis

[Tainan Mantis]

I learned 8 Chain punch but the precise details escape me.
Would someone be so kind as to write out the moves.

I ask this question because I believe that this basic exercise is another version of what TJPM calls "strike four doors".

According to my understanding this method as I learned it from TJPM's Mantis108 should be among the oldest and most important aspects of PM.
It is quite simple though, as any good theory should be.

Confirming the similarity will be one more step in connecting WL Mantis to Sun Yuan Chang's lineage as I believe with a small degree of evidence that that is where WL PM's mantis comes from.

Furthermore, if someone can get MC Chan's ear it would be nice to hear the Chinese name of this 8 chain punch. I think a language barrier has caused it to be translated not quite perfectly.

[PlumBlossomPalm]

Ping Choi, straight punch
Gwa Choi, Crushing or Rolling Fist
Chow Choi, Upper Cut
Bien Choi (?), Whipping Back Fist
Huen Choi, Circle Punch
Cern Ping Choi, Double Straight Punch
Dai Huen Choi, Big Circle Punch
Dai Chang Choi, Low Side Punch

[mantis108]

Thank you Tainan for bringing up a great topic. I think what we are touching on one of the important concepts of Tanglang - "Si Fang Ba Mian Da" (four directions eight faces strike). We have yet to see how TJPM's "Da Si Men" connects with 8 Chain Punches of Wah Lum.

Personally, and I stress a straight personal view, I believe that Wah Lum might have something to do with Bao Guangying who seemed to have passed down a manuscipt titled "Meihua Tanglang Shuaishou Tupu". His lineage(s) can be found in Beijing (?) and as far south as Guangdong (canton). From the impression that I have of a clip from one of their forms. I tend to think it might have ties with Jiang Hualong's side of things. Why would I think that? Here's a reason:

Jiang Hualong and Sun Yuan Chang seem to differ quite a bit in their approaches to Mantis. Jiang Hualong would be more rooted down and there are fewer kicks. This could have something to do with his physique (short and stocky). He also seemed to favor Yuhuan Bu (Jabe ring step) more so than the other footwork namely Hanji Bu (winter rooster) aka monkey step. I would think of him as a breaking the gate (Po Men) specialist. Because of the way he fights which often end up throwing or bumping someone off, he was often described by others that he's a great Qigong exponent.

Sun Yuan Chang is not so well known. From the lineages that associated with his teaching, which includes CCK TCPM, I think his approach is more about Zhan Zhuan Teng Nuo (body methods) which make good use of Hanji Bu and kicks. It is dynamic and based a lot more on finesse. BTW, this doesn't mean that Jiang's approach has no finesse. This just means that Sun was more of a finesse fighter relative to Jiang who is more of a power fighter. This is perhaps the reason why people would think that Sun Yuan Chang's Shou Fa is amazing. Finesse sometimes implies aesthetically pleasing but it is subject to the eyes of the beholders. This is just differences in characters and attributes. There are more different types of kicks in the forms in Sun's approach.

I recently came across some old forms Quanpu that were said to have came from Jiang Hualong. They included 2 very interesting forms. One is called "Feng Mao Chuan" (Pheonix's Plume Circle). The other "Kailu" (open road) might be more of an interest to Wah Lum because of the form big mantis of WL seem to be remarkably similar to the openning of the Kailu form. Since I have only seen the pu but not the form, I would have to be cautious and reserve about the possible link. I will try to attached the A
Quanpu here if people are interested.

Mantis108

[Frogman]

Plum Blossom Palm,
You have described the eight basic punches. Eight chain punch is a basic exercise that consist of block punch, turn block punch, done in a set of eight sequences.
TM,
To me eight chain punch is similar to a Karate type kata, at least in the beginning. I can now see the importance of such a basic exercise as I watch others go through it. The moves as I stated above short block long punch. Perhaps my Sifu can help you with the details, as I do not want to over speak nor give inaccurate data. Even the simplest forms can have more to them then meets the eye. I look forward to your results.

RibHit
fm

[Joe Mantis]

Tainan Mantis

8 Chain Punch (as I was taught)

AFter the WL ebay....

Open into a ma bu. 3 straight punches, beginning with the Left hand.
Step w/left foot into Lt forward stance: Block w/Lt arm and straighht punch with right. Step forward again, block w/Rt arm, Lt straight punch. Rt forward stance

Turn to your left (180 degrees), block w/lt hand, rt straight punch.
Turn Rt 90 degrees, rt block, Lt hand straight punch.

AGain Turn 180 Lt, Lt block, Rt punch. Again 90 Degrees Rt, Rt block, Lt punch.

turn 180 to left. (original facing position) Lt block, Rt punch.

All stances are in Hill climb/Forward stance.

Hope this helps.
Any luck with the Yao Ling Kuen info?

Joe Mantis

[Tainan Mantis]

Thanks JM,
WL folks, does this conform to everyone?

TJPM is in there for a fact.
What I see is that WL put a head and tail on an even shorter exercise, of only 4 punches.
The repetitive turning is that which embodies the PM principles.

Two important differences.
1. In WL version when turning 90 degrees TJPM turns 180 degrees and vice versa
2. a biggy.
TJPM uses that old principle of stepping called "hou shr hanji bu"
We can translate as monkey manuover with stepping of the winter rooster.

This type of stepping is the most difficult to coordinate.

So I noticed that my beginner students who where uncoordinated performed this drill like WL.

Hence, thru circumstantial evidence, I deduced that the WL verson was the TJPM version which had been simplified, maybe when LKS moved south, to accomadate many uncoordinated new students he had suddenly acquired.

Afterwards the "hou shr hanji bu" was lost or not popularly taught.
With the result that this exercise in WL has a very Southern style flavor.

Here is TJPM version
1. jump forward on right foot-right stance right punch
2. jump back on left foot-empty stance left punch
3. turning left 90 degrees-jump back on right foot-empty stance right punch
4. turning right 180 degrees-jump back on left foot-empty stance left punch
5. from this new direction you begin with #1.

So in this drll this is no start or finish like in WL.
More important, it goes on forever, it serves a purpose of skipping rope cardio while imparting essential aspects of PM motion, trapping and striking.

Mantis108,
I really want to see the clip you mention.

[PlumBlossomPalm]

Oops my bad,

I was always taught that this is 4 directional fist. because you are moving in all four directions. Why 8 chain punch? you are not using all 8 punches linked together. Anyone knows?

[Hua Lin Laoshi]

PlumBlossomPalm
Common mistake for beginners to confuse 8 Basic Punches with 8 Chain Punch.

Tainan Mantis
I don't know of anyone in or out of WL that has modified Baat Choy. Joe Mantis described it acurately. Other than the opening moves it can be done continously without end. Or at least until you get dizzy. :-)

8 Chain Punch (Baat Choy) can be thought of as 8 Continous Punches. If you notice, WL has 8 Basic Stances - 8 Basic Punches - 8 Basic Kicks, but not 8 Basic Blocks. What's taught as a block in Baat Choy is actually a Gwa Choy used as a clearing motion before punching. When this exercise is done quickly you see the 4 directions continous punching. It's a good coordination exercise and is an early introduction to combining hands and feet.

[Jack Squat]

Great posts everyone..........

PlumBlossomPalm-I believe it's called "8 chain" because there are 8 linked punches (the first set of three that are done in ma bu are counted as "one" strike). If you count that as one, the total number of strikes is eight.

There is a huge difference in a beginner who does this exercise and an advanced practioner. The newbies make it look like a karate form, while the experienced make it look like "continuous 4 direction boxing". I have heard many complain of this exercise (too karate like, etc) but those who say such things have never seen it done in the fluid, constant motion manner in which it should be performed.

I think that it is a great exercise for beginners. Thanks everyone for their insights into this seemingly simple exercise.

[PlumBlossomPalm]

Hua Lin Laoshi
Always Learning

Registered: Dec 1969
Location: Kissimmee, Florida
Posts: 364
PlumBlossomPalm
Common mistake for beginners to confuse 8 Basic Punches with 8 Chain Punch.


Oh OK, LOL

actually,

1) I just misread the post

2) Was taught that it was 4 directional fist

If that makes me a beginner, I guess i am according to you. since I learned it about 10 years ago.

[Hua Lin Laoshi]

PlumBlossomPalm
I thought about that afterwards but couldn't tell anything about you by your profile. You say you learned it 10 years ago but did you continue on with Wah Lum? Where do you train? I suspect you learned from from someone who left WL but continued teaching it since you learned it as "4 directional fist" instead of 8 Chain Punch. You can send me a PM if you want to remain anonymous on this forum.

Whether you are a beginner or not it's still a common mistake. Quite often a student will say they know 8 Chain Punch when asked but then do the 8 Basic Punches.

[PlumBlossomPalm]

" I suspect you learned from from someone who left WL but continued teaching it since you learned it as "4 directional fist" instead of 8 Chain Punch."


You have suspected correctly.

[FlowerForest]

I learned the movements described by Joe Mantis under the name 8 Chain Punch. My teacher is someone who is no longer on the official certified list (and probably hasn't been for more than 30 years) but makes no bones about having attained teaching level in Wah Lum.

In other places on this board it has been asserted that the Wah Lum of today is not the same as the Wah Lum pre 1984. The version of 8 Chain Punch that I learned would have been from the 70s when Master Chan was teaching in Boston. So that might help also in terms of tracking this form in recent times.

These movements were taught to me as a "basic exercise" and not as a form. It was the first thing I learned. I remember learning a lot about not getting dizzy and remembering which turn goes where.

I was told that this is one of those things which contains nearly everything that is needed in a self-defense situation; even though it's a basic thing it works and develops critical skills for application. I believe that more now than I did when I was told it.

It's also enjoyable to watch people try to teach these movements to new students because there are so many ways to describe the turning movements and nearly all of them confuse new students. Which isn't really a bad thing, a little confusion is good sometimes.

I agree with the people who feel that it seems kind of karate-like until you've worked it through enough. Also, in my practice of it anyway, the way the steps are taken in between each position is one of those fine tunings that makes all the difference.

I am interested to hear more about Tainan's theory on the potential connection between Wah Lum and Sun Yuan Chang. I don't get overly worked up about lineage stuff, I'm simply curious. I've started to consider doing a comparative study of forms available on YouTube to see which styles may have the closest similarities. But maybe that's a total waste of time.

I'd love to see a version of TJPM's strike four doors that is considered canonical.

[Yao Sing]

Wow, blast from the past!

[Featherstone]

I've noticed that 8 chain and buddah rings the bell exercises confuse a lot of newer students. I've been trying to show one of newer older students 8 chain, he was a goju practitioner for 15 years, and has a lot of the basics but the man moves like a brick house.

Ah well, good times!