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.