Tongbei in Mantis

[Tainan Mantis]

Tongbei in Mantis

These are characteristics that we would expect to see in the Tong Bei aspect of Mantis.

1. “Han Tong de Tongbei wei mu.”
Han Tong’s Tongbei is the mother. From this sentence we can infer that these techniques are one of the main reference points for the application of other techniques.
2. Part of military curriculum.
Han Tong’s techniques were taught in the military during the Ming dynasty and we should try to find traces that entered the Ming though written means.
3. Seven Long
Heaven-Ascended Taoist wrote down the names of the techniques and their applications, making their identification easier.
4. Tan Fang’s Piercing the Ear
Heaven-Ascended Taoist makes it clear that the ‘ear piercing’ technique(hook punch) has sixteen gates for defeating Han Tong’s techniques, and vice versa, in thirty-two lines of seven character rhyming verse. You can see the styles through the eyes of the author.

Based on these facts (and a few others) I have determined that these techniques are part of or make up the old Tongbei of Mantis boxing.

Tongbei in Mantis ----- 初級拳 Chuji Quan

The extra steps I take are to fit everything within the available training space

[Tainan Mantis]

Here is another example of Chuji Quan. This includes the solo form, the two man form and a competition (first place). The direction I travel is often different, making the form done in two version look more different than it actually is.

'The techniques that make up Seven Long of the Northern Praying Mantis style.
包含螳螂拳的七長
Practicing in Tainan
在台南

Chuji Quan 初級拳