Wah Lum Forms

[ironfenix]

I just got Big Mantis. Really nice set. Really tough to do. I can see some similarities to bung bo.

[SoCo KungFu]

Big mantis is a pretty cool set. Its one of the few that I still really like to practice from my mantis training. I wouldn't say its really hard, just that its a bit different. I'm not sure how your school lays out the curriculum but if your training is anything like mine was then Big mantis is probably the first real heavy duty "mantis" set in that it largely breaks away from the heavy southern base that is in the early material (again as I learned it). Little mantis is there yeah, but that was more a short glimpse than a real nose dive into the material.

Of course I say its not so bad now that I have had about 5 years to practice that set haha! I hope you enjoy it. Its one of my fav. mantis ones for the apps. 1st form wasn't too bad. Didn't like 2nd form, Sei Lok though. Never learned the rest of the numbered sets. 18 Elbows is probably my other fav. set from that system though, maybe tied with Big mantis but 18 elbows is more southern material. 36 hands was good for endurance but I'm not as fond of the techniques for fighting, I just don't really get into the kicking as much as I did before...maybe its the Hung gar I train now who knows.

What's your fav. part of the big mantis so far? I like the elbow breaks...oh and the whole neck torque into stomp the hollow of the knee with that little shot to the back of the neck

I still remember when I learned it. 8 hours on a Saturday in August...hot Florida sun. Good times.

I would agree with you though there is a lot of mantis that people don't realise is mantis. Its just masqued by the southern stuff in the earlier material. There is actually principle cross-over between the 12 keywords of praying mantis and the 12 bridges of hung gar. Which is not surprising, there is only so many ways a body can move.