Original Mantis forms

[Jack Squat]

Hao Lin-

I'm also very interested. Unfortunately, I've never seen nor heard of 8 Elbows (besides what I read in this forum). I'll keep my eyes open and report any and all info I can find. In the meantime, maybe any WLers from the Yao Li era may know of it. Are there any of you out there?

Jack

[Jack Squat]

Hua Lin-

Sorry I keep misspelling your name! It won't happen again.

Jack

[Mantis9]

I don't know that this will help or is what your asking about, but here goes.

In my 7* lineage, 8 elbows is a closed door form, which isn't seen much by the younger students. That could be one reason most of you seemed to have heard about it, but not seen it. I don't where it importance is placed in your respective branches and lineages.

I haven't learned 8 elbows myself, but I have drilled some of its techniques. My sifu often drill techniques in form that student is about to learn, to convey the power generation, overall theme, or whatever he deems necessary to understanding the form (also, I believe, he just likes drilling until you can't hold your arms up).

From the drills, I would say cautiously that it is incredibly close quarters, using, of course, a lot of short power. As you could imagine, elbows coming at you are scary. Very very scary.

I hope that helps, though I admit its not much.

[Tainan Mantis]

This is Wang Lang's 3rd and longest form. Consisting of up to 16 roads in some styles (beng bu has 4).
It is broken up into 2, 3 or 4 sections.

It is found in at least the following styles:

-secret door 4 sec.

-plum flower 3-4 sec.

-TJPM 2 sec.

-Wah Lum. Although MC doesn't seem to have taught anyone, but it is possible someone learned from him. Other Wah Lum schools that have no connection to MC teach it privately.
Also Jiang Bing Do has published a detailed book on the form. He may some day teach it to Wah Lum if he hasn't done so already.

-7*. I am a little confused about what happened to this form in HK7*. WHF's students such as Brendan Lai and at least one other WHF student who came to see my teacher in Taiwan have recorded the form as 8 talons(sounds like 8 elbows in Chinese), but a modern HK publication lists the 7* version as "fen shen ba zhou" This is the complete and correct name of the form.
So when it changed and by who I don't know.

[yu shan]

Tainan Mantis
8 elbows consists of 16 roads, that`s alot of applications! Again looking forward to hooking-up in Taiwan, with Pong Lai!