Correlation between Praying Mantis and Choy Lay Fut

[cha kuen]

Choy Lay Fut has three famous movements: Kwa, Sow , Chap.

In Praying mantis we also have these movements but with slight variation.

KWA: This appears in Spear Hand I think. It's the movement where we use the left hand to do an outside block with a left palm strike. This is also accompanied by a right toe kick - all in one motion.

Application : In CLF or Mantis we can use the first outside block movement to block and strike with the backfist. We can also use the outside block to clear the enemy's hand and create an opening for the left palm strike.

Sow: This is the famous hook in CLF. In Praying Mantis we also have hooks. This appears about 4 movements after the "mantis catches the cicada" movement in Bong Bo.

Chap: This is CLF's leopard twisting straight punch. It can be used with a left inside block followed by the right " chap" fist. The "Chap" fist can also be used in angular ways to hit the opponent and not allow the opponent's fist to hit. For example, if the opponent throws a left punch to my mid-section, I can use the "Chap" fist to intercept and hit him without allowing him to hit me.

In Praying mantis we also have this technique. Ours is a right horizontal straight punch, with the left hand inner block ( done in a 7 star stance) It's the first movement in Plum Blossom Hand.

I put this post up just to clarify that there are no such movements that just belong to one style. Somewhere in another style, not necessarily the exact same movements, but the same concepts do appear.

[8stepsifu]

From talking to him I can tell that he has respect for the style.

From what I gather Grandmaster James Sun considers it to be one of the few complete systems left because of the generation inheritor(???Name?) that lives in Australia.

I've also heard other people that I respect talk about good CLF fighters. I've seen some mpegs of it from some wussy students that don't train traditionally, but application wise it looked very similar to our apps. Hitting from a long range to close to short range, while hitting to set up for the throw, then hit then on the ground or end in a joint lock.

don't worry be happy