The Heart of Mantis pt.

2 - The 12 Keywords of Praying Mantis Kung Fu

byRandyBrown 2013 The12KeywordsofMantisareprinciples passeddownfromgenerationtogeneration,to defineMantisBoxing.Asimplifiedframeworkofa fightingstylethathighlightswhatismost importanttoitsfighters.Someofthese principlesmayvarybasedonthesystemof Mantis,butthecoresetisconsistent. Earlyon,Ispentagreatdealoftimeresearching these(asmanyothershave),tryingtofigure themoutlearnhowtoapplythem.Somewere simple,othersmoreelusive.Ihaveseen numeroustranslationsofthese12Keywords, anddifferingopinionsonwhattheymean. Intheend,myunderstandingoftheseprinciples onlycamefromonethingwalkingaway.Igave uptryingtosolvethemfrombooksandinstead spentmytimewhereI'dratherbeonthemats. Itwasafterdoingthisforafewyears,thatatrueunderstandingofMantisandhowtheseprinciples applied,wasbornswellasanevengreaterrespectforthefoundersoftheart,andthedetailthey includedintheforms.Thefollowingarethe12KeywordsofMantisandhowtheyfunction.

Gou, Lou, Cai - Hook, Grapple, Pluck

ThefirstthreeareconsideredtobethedefiningprinciplesofMantisandexistacrossthevariouslines ofPrayingMantisKungFu.

Gou - Hook
Aspointedoutinpart1ofTheHeartofMantisthehook isasignificantpartofthefightingstyleknownasPraying MantisKungFu. Othermartialartsstylesusehooks(WhiteCrane,Muay Thai,WrestlingMongolianandWestern),butunlike Mantis,thereisnoemphasisonthecurlingofthefingers. Thelittlefinger(a.k.a.thepinky)isthegripfinger.Thisfingercontrolsourgripandgovernsthe strengthofsuch.Whenlatchingontoanopponent,focusingtheenergyandintentinthepinky increasesthetightnessofthehold. Thecommonhooksareneckhook,shoulderhook,overhookonthetricep,underhook,armhook, wristhook,leghook.

Lou - Grapple
TheLoucharacterfoundinMantis12Keywords means"tograpple,hug,embrace,todragpull". Anintegralpartofthemantisstrategyisto grappleitsopponenttoaninferiorposition. Afteryoubridgethedistancewithyouropponent strike,kick,block,longenoughtolatchonto themwithyourhooks.Onceyouhaveachieved thisposition,yourobjectiveshouldbetothrow, trip,takedown. Iftheyresist,thenitbecomesagrapplingcontestaseachplayerviesforpositiontoeventuallycatch theotherunaware,offbalance,oroutofposition.

Cai - Pluck
Pluckisaquick,sharp,downwardpullofthe opponentsarm,orneck.Thisisusedto opendoorsforastrike,ortopullthemoff balanceprecedinganattackorthrow.Used properly,thiscanstealamoveawayfrom youropponentsotheyareunabletoblockin timelymanner. Pluckcanalsobeusedinconjunctionwith UpperBlock(Gua).Aftertheinitialblock,the handisquicklyconvertedtothehookand pluckstheopponentsarmawayfromthem allowingforacounterstrikeopportunity. a

Zhan - Contact
Contact/Clingareusuallylistedtogetherasthey workinconjunctionwithoneanother.Contact(Zhan) meanstojoin,tostick.ThisimportanttoMantis becauseofthefightingrange. Whensomeoneistryingtohityou,thereisoneof twothingsyouasahumanbeingwilldonaturally, withzerotraining1)stayoutsideofrange (common),or,2)closeintograbandclinchyour opponentmakingitdifficultforthemtopunchyou,or atleasttakingsomeofthepoweroutoftheir punches. Contact,takesthissecondapproachintoaccount.Whengrapplingwithanopponentthatistryingto 3

strikeyou,makecontactwiththem,tosticktothemsoyoucandeflectstrikes,andcontroltheir arms/body. Zhanistojoin,meaningconnectwithyouropponent.Thistactileapproachinfightingallowsoneto feelwheretheiropponentwantstomovenext.Asmentionedabove,itisalsoatactictoclose distanceandcontrolthelimbstoavoidgettinghit.ThenNian(Cling)comesintoplay.

Nian - Cling
Nianmeanstostickorcling toyouropponentonceyou havejoined(Zhan).Holding armstight,bodyholds,trying topreventgettinghit,andthe reciprocalstaying connectedwhilehittingyour opponentand/ortakingthem down. Thisallowsyoutomaintain thattactilesenseofwhere theyaremoving,andtofire counterstrikesafterblocking theincomingblows.Inessence,followingtheopponentbackhomeaftertheyarestriking.Onan outsidepunchsuchasahook,thisgivesyoutheinsidelinetoahighlydestructivecounter. Note:ClingexistsasasecondaryprincipleinTaiChibutisoftentranslatedasstickversusclingas inMantistexts.Theyarethesamecharacter.

Tie - Adhere (Tag)

Tie(TagorAdhereinTaiChi)Adheringtoyouropponentthroughholdssuchasbodyclinches(front orrear).UsuallyfollowedupbyatakedownorthrowsuchasCrashingTide,ReapingLeg,orHip Toss.ThisprinciplealsoexistsinTaiChibutistranslatedasAdhereversusTagwhichisusedin 4

mostMantiscircles.

Kao - Lean
LeanisavitalprincipleinMantisBoxingand existsinMantis12Keywords,andinTaiChis 13Characters.Leanisseeminglyobviousonce youknowwhatitmeans,yethighlightedinthe 12duetoitscriticalimportance.InTaiChi circles,thisprincipleistranslatedasShoulder Stroke.Asifoneishittingsomeonewiththeir shoulder,orusingtheshouldertoassistina takedown. Whilethereisnothingwrongwithagood shouldercheckduringcombat,orthisconcept beingusedincertainleghooktakedownswhere oneappliesforcewiththeshoulder,whywouldtwostylesdevelopedwithregardstostandup 5

grappling,listsomethingasaprimaryprinciplethatisnotentirelyeffectiveonitsown(shoulder checking),orasaminordetailinpropertakedowntechnique(leghook)? Thereasonthisislisted,andwhyitisso importantiswhenoneisinvolvedinstriking andkicking,thenleaningisanincrediblybad idea(seeboxing).However,ifoneisstrikingand kickingandthengrapplingwithanopponent lockingontotheirbodyandvyingfor position/control,andultimatelyatakedown,then posturebecomescrucial. Engagedinhookingandgrappling,aMantis Boxerthatstandsupstraight,isamantisboxer thatisnowlayingontheground.Keepingaforwardleantoyourbodyonceengagedinhooking (clinching),isastrongpositionthatgivesoneanadvantage,whilehelpingtokeepthemfrombeing thrown.

Gua - Upward Block

Itcannotbestressedenoughtheimportance ofthisprinciple.UpperBlockbecomescrucial forblockingstrikesthatareinsidegrappling range.Whyisntmiddleblock,orlowerblock mentioned?Becauseoftherangemantis ultimatelyadheresto.Inthisrange,oneisin dangerofhooksanduppercuts. Upperblocksareimperativetoourdefensein thisrangeinordertostopthehookpunch. Onceablockhasbeeninitiated,itconvertsto HookandPluckaccessingmanyofMantis strikingcounters. 6

Diao, Jin - Intercept, Advance

InterceptandAdvanceisespeciallyimportantwhenit comestocounteringsuchattacksastheroundkick. Goingforwardwhentheopponentattacks,cutsthe powerofthekickbeforeitmakescontactwithyou, therebylimitingitsdamagepotential. Whenthekickfinallylands,itlacksthedestructive effectsitwouldhavecontainedhadyoustoodstill.With MantistechniquessuchasSeizeLeg,andSplit/Carry, thisprincipleiskeytotheeffectivenessofthe takedown.

Beng-Da - Crushing Strike

ThecrushingstrikesofMantisconsistsof overheaddownwardstrikesthatblastthrough anopponentsguard.Usedinconjunction withBridge(seebelow),thiscanbea surefirewaytogetinonyouropponentand takethesuperiorposition,effectthethrow,or followupwithstrikes. Thechoppingfist(choplikechoppingwithan axe)ismostprevalent.Cominginfromover thetop,itbringstheweightofthebodybehind itfordestructivepower/forceafterbeating downtheguardorcounteringastrike.Thehookpunchisanothercrushingstrikeandusedasa precursortothechoppingfisttoconfuseandoverwhelm.

Bridge
Bridge(orBounceinsometexts)with deceptivekicking.Mantishasacouplewaysto closethegaponyouropponentfromoutside CriticalDistancethelinewhereyougofrom outofrange,toinrange,ofyouropponents longestweapon. Thisisadangerousmovementandusuallyone ofthemoredifficultareastopassthrough withoutgettinghit.ClosingDoorKickand DoubleKickaretwoofthekicksMantisusesto overcomethis,andareusuallyfollowedwith CrushingStrikes(BengDa)sincethe opponentisotherwiseengagedwithtryingtoblock,defendagainstthekick,ortheyaregettinghit.

Dodge - Avoiding Strikes

Commonlyknownasslippinginboxing,dodgeisusingourbodytonegatetheopponentsstrikeor kick,removingtheneedtoengageoneofourlimbsfortheblock,orlimitingthecommitmentlevelof thatarmparryingversusblocking.Dodgeisusefulforcounterstriking.Sliporduckwhilemovingto anadvantageousposition,thenfiringourcounterorclosingforaclinchandtakedownasseenin CrazyGhostFist.

Summary
Thesekeyprinciplesthefoundersdeterminedweredistinctandsignificantindefiningthisstyleover otherfightingartsofthetime.Eachprinciplecontainedherewithin,isimportantinandofitselfin regardstohandtohandcombat.Takenasawhole,Igainedadeepappreciationforwhatitmeansto beaPrayingMantisBoxerafterdiscoveringtheirmeaning. ThisistheHeartofPrayingMantisKungFu.WhatIhavefoundtoworkinthetestinggroundsonthe mat.Whatfitsthestrategyandtacticsofahumanbeingmimickingthecombattechniquesofa PrayingMantis.ItismyhopethatMantisgainanewfoundrespectandappreciationintheworldof martialartstodayandinfuturegenerations. 8