Hey everyone, I'm looking to get involved in martial arts, mostly internal eventually; however, I have heard it may be a good idea to take another art alongside the more "internal arts" such as Tai Chi Chuan. One of the systems of martial art I have always been interested in and am looking at as a possibility is that of Praying Mantis style. Could any of you give some pointers and experiences of your training, such as ... what are the major differences of the mantis sub-styles (8-step, 7 star, etc)... how long did it take you to reach martial profiency (i.e. how long before you were confident to use your training in defense), plus some general information ... I've heard Mantis incorporates alot of internal and chikung training, and makes relatively strong use of chi and body mechanics vs muscular (li) strength. Any and all comments/advice will be greatly appreciated!

[This message was edited by GreyMystik on 10-11-00 at 10:36 AM.]