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    What Is Mantis Boxing?

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    Randy Brown
    A centuries old martial art known as Tang Lang Quan (Praying Mantis Boxing) with deep historical roots in northern China. But what does it mean? Do practitioners pretend or act like an insect? This article explains in-depth the true function of Praying Mantis Boxing; how it fell from grace, and hopefully a new understanding on a once highly formidable fighting system.

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    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    What Is Mantis Boxing?

    Uploaded by

    Randy Brown
    2K views7 pages
    A centuries old martial art known as Tang Lang Quan (Praying Mantis Boxing) with deep historical roots in northern China. But what does it mean? Do practitioners pretend or act like an insect? This article explains in-depth the true function of Praying Mantis Boxing; how it fell from grace, and hopefully a new understanding on a once highly formidable fighting system.

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    What is Mantis Boxing?

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    A centuries old martial art known as Tang Lang Quan (Praying Mantis Boxing) with deep historical roots in northern China. But what does it mean? Do practitioners pretend or act like an insect? This article explains in-depth the true function of Praying Mantis Boxing; how it fell from grace, and hopefully a new understanding on a once highly formidable fighting system.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    2K views7 pages

    What Is Mantis Boxing?

    Uploaded by

    Randy Brown
    A centuries old martial art known as Tang Lang Quan (Praying Mantis Boxing) with deep historical roots in northern China. But what does it mean? Do practitioners pretend or act like an insect? This article explains in-depth the true function of Praying Mantis Boxing; how it fell from grace, and hopefully a new understanding on a once highly formidable fighting system.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    of 7

    The Heart of Mantis What is Praying Mantis Kung Fu?

    ByRandyBrown 2013 Thestorygoessomethinglikethis... WangLangobservedaPrayingMantisfightingalargerandmorepowerfulCicada sometimeinthe1600s.AfterwatchingtheMantisdefeattheCicadawithease,he adoptedthePrayingMantis'combatstyleintohisKungFu.Hebeganmimickingthe hookingtechniques,aswellasthefightingstrategyintohisownfighting,tomuch success.Mantisissaidtobeahybridof18differentstylesofKungFustreamlinedand polishedforefficiencyincombat. Hereisastylecreatedsome350+yearsagoinan areaofnorthernChinaknownastheShandong Province.Thestylehassurviveddictators killing/imprisoning/exilingmartialartists,rebellions, war,racialboundaries,distrust,andcultural diversitythroughtheannalsoftime.Ithassurvived inpartbecauseofit'slegendasasuperiorfighting art.Sowhyisn'titbeingusedbyanyoneintheUFC (UltimateFightingChampionships)?Whyisntitat theforefrontofselfdefenselikeothersystems? Whyisn'titaswellknownasTaeKwonDo,Aikido, JiuJitsu,Karate? AswithmuchoftheChineseMartialArtsknownasKungFu,thefightingapplicationwaslost overthecenturiesordecades.Practitionersandteacherswereleftwithchoreographedforms emptyshellsofabygonefightingart.SpeculatingonwhatitmeanttofightlikeaPrayingMantis, andwhatthetrueartcontained.Afterall,wedon'thave4legs,2armswithlargehooksand spikesonthem,ortheabilitytofly.Sohowdoesahumanfightlikeabug?Andhowisitrelevant 1

    tohandtohandcombatinthe21stcentury?

    So, what is Praying Mantis Kung Fu?


    APrayingMantisseizesit'sopponentwith it'slargearmsandhooks.Itpullsit'spreyoff balance,anddevoursitontheground. Whenobservingthemantisagainstalarger foe,onecanseethemantispounce,take thebackofitsfoe,useitslegstoholdon, andcontinuallytrytocontrolit'sopponent whileitbitesandgainsbetterhookpositions tokeepitsafe. Wedon'thavelargemandiblestochewon ouropponents,norwouldIadvocatebiting yourenemiesunlessabsolutelynecessary. What'simportantaboutthemantis'tactics is,thecontrolling,theseizing,thebinding up...thehooks!ThisiswhatIloveabout Mantis,andwhatIbelievehasbeen misunderstoodforquitesometimewhere thehooksbelong. WeoftenthoughtMantiswasallaboutgrabbingwristsandpullingouropponentsaround.Some havemadethatworkquitewellforthemselves,especiallythosewithlargehands,orbodytypes. Whatoftherestofus?Howdothosetechniquesgetusedagainstafullspeedattackercoming totakeyoudown,orknockyouout?Howdoesasmallerpersonusethattograbsomeonewith wriststwiceasthick?Itdoesn't,andtheydont.Plainandsimple.Itmightworkonlowskill opponents,orthoseundertheinfluenceofdrugs/alcohol.Ifitworkedinfulloutcombatagainsta trainedopponent,you'dseethatstyleoffightinginavenuesuchastheUFC. Mantisshouldbebasedonthefollowingifyouhadtwolargehooks,notsmallhandswith10 2

    fingers,howwouldyoucontrolahumanopponent?HowwouldyoufightlikeaMantis?What wouldyoutakeawayfromwatchingarealmantisthatcouldfunctioninlivecombat?

    A Stand-Up Grappling Art

    Youwouldusethesehookstoclinch,tocontrolyouropponentlatchingontotheirneck,their upperarms,theirbodyoverhooks,underhooks,clinch.Similartowhatisseeninotherfighting artsJudo,JiuJitsu,Wrestling,MuayThai,etc.Thesetechniquesarestillalivetodayinotherart forms.MinusthedefiningattributeofMantisthehookinghand(moreonthatbelow). ThemovesinsidetheMantisformsmakemuchmoresensewhenviewedfromthisperspective. Manyobscureandoftenseeminglyuselessapplications/movements,suddenlycometolifeas amazingandingenioussolutionstocombatatmidtocloserange.Approachingitfromthis angle,onecanalsodisseminateandgetridofstylizedmarketplaceKungFu,stuffthathasthe practitionerjusttryingtoactlikeabugwithnorealpurpose. Thehookinghandisusedtograbanopponentswristinsomeapplications.Mantisaccountsfor therangeitlikestofunctioninthehookinghandvs.theforearm/wristbecomesanimportanttool formaintainingthedominantpositionorwinningthefightwhengrapplingforcontrol. 3

    The Hooks (Gou)


    TheMantisHookanobvious indicatoroftheKungFustyle. Makingitreadilyapparentthatthe practitionerisdoingPrayingMantis KungFu.Thisseeminglyinnocuous shapeishighlyeffectiveand ingeniousinitsdesign. Othermartialartsstylesusehooks (WhiteCrane,MuayThai,Wrestling MongolianandWestern),butunlike Mantis,thereisnoemphasisonthe curlingofthefingers. Thelittlefinger(a.k.a.thepinky)isthegripfinger.Thisfingercontrolsourgripandgovernsthe strengthofsuch.Whenlatchingontoanopponent,focusingtheenergyandintentinthepinky increasesthetightnessofthehold. WhenpracticingMantisintheair,foldingthefingersintothehookhandengagesthemusclesin theforearm,makingyourhooksstronger,therebygivingyoumorecontrol,andbeingmore difficulttocontendwith.Usethistoclinchandcontrolyouropponentsoyoucantopplethemto theground,orclingtothemwhileyoustrike,knee,elbow.Thecommonhooksareneckhook, overhookonthetricep,underhook,armhook,wristhook,leghook.

    Hook positions, And Where They Attach


    Someapplicationsinvolvewristhookingandlowerarmcontrolasstateddefensivemeasures intheclinch,butpredominantlythehooksareusedtocontrolupperlimbsandbody.Controlthe head,andyoucontrolyouropponent.

    ThefollowingpicturesshowsomeofthecommonholdsinMantis,aswellasotherfightingarts.

    The Mantis Strategy - Bridge, Strike, Kick, Contact, Cling, Takedown/Throw, Destroy

    The5elementsofaMantisBoxer: 1. Bridgeusingdeceptivekicking. 2. Overwhelmwithcrushingstrikes(BengDa)orblockcounterstrikes. 3. Contact/Clingengagethehooksforcontrolintheclinch.Useelbows/kneeswhere necessary. 4. Takedownorthrowtheopponenttotheground. 5. Finishthemwithgroundstrikes,kicks,knees,elbows,orjointlocks. ThisistheoveralloffensivestrategyinMantis.Overwhelm,seize,control,strikewithknees, elbows,tighthooks,uppercutsallfromtheclinchthentaketotheground,andfinishthefight, mimickingthesameactionsofaPrayingMantisinthewild.Iftheopponentisoffensive,block incomingblows,closetotheclinch,thenstrike,knee,andtaketotheground.

    Conclusion

    WhatmakesMantisdifferentfromsomanyoftheotherfightingartsinthelimelighttoday?Not much.AfewincrediblethingsthatweredevelopedfortherangethatMantislikestocontrolfrom, andthenuancesofthehookinghandusingittodelayanopponentsreturntoadefensive positionlongenoughforacounterattack,etc. LikemanyoftheNorthernKungFustyles,MantisdescendsfromcenturiesofMongolian Wrestling(ElephantStyleWrestling).Anartforminandofitself,wherebyGenghisKhantested thefortitudeandskillsofhiswarriors. NorthernKungFustylessuchasPrayingMantisdevelopedfromtheserootsandevolvedto includecombateffectivetechniques.Usedproperly,PrayingMantisKungFucanbeahighly effectiveanddestructivefightingsystem.

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