Dead Verses Live Power

In Mantis is there is an increasing tendency among some players to emphasise hard shock power (Ging Lik), at the expense of other skills and attributes. This has a real detrimental effect on the development of true Mantis skill and is a misunderstanding of the basic principles of Mantis boxing and Chinese martial arts in general.

Such Mantis players become stiff, slow and pedestrian. It is easy to see bad Mantis in paired work: characterised by a staccato action with breaking of contact and minimal interaction and responsiveness: where the partner could just as well be a wooden dummy.

In my experience, many teachers emphasise the banging of arms as a form of conditioning. It does have some small use of building up some small tolerance of pain; nevertheless Mantis practice should always be guided by function where target practice is constantly developed to hit areas of maximum effect.

Stiff, dead power once expressed is difficult to readjust, recharge and reissue. Live power is developed from paired practice where the Mantis player develops the attributes of feeling, sticking and turning with small angles and deflections.

Boxing is boxing, and good boxing is good boxing. Compare the drills of a world champion boxer Mayweather with two Mantis players. It can be seen that both drills are fluid, soft and responsive but within the drills there are strikes to vulnerable areas.

However, it should be remember that drills are not fighting but rather an opportunity to develop certain attributes. So a serious Mantis player should constantly be seeking to increase feeling, turning and sticking to become a true Chinese boxer.

Breathing In Southern Praying Mantis

Here is a demonstration of the first line of Sam Bo Gin by Sifu Mark Foon of Kwongsai Mantis USA. In contrast, to Chu Gar and Ip Shui’s Chow Gar, the relaxation is apparent.

Instead of the forced breathing (Ba Tao) on the strikes, the breathing is natural (Wong Tao). The use of breath is extremely important in Hakka Mantis for the development of internal strength, along with the development of a strong and stable base. It can be combined with micro adjustments of the posture to find the root.  Shallow breathing with the chest should be avoided. In inhaling, the abdomen is expanded and in exhaling the abdomen is contracted: making full use of the diaphragm. In striking the breath may be held.

Mor Sau- The Mantis Grinding Hand

In Hakka Mantis, Mor Sau is said to be the mother, whilst the Mantis horse is the father: showing the importance of the attributes of strong root combined with a feeling hand. Mor Sau is a very practical hand, used to cover the upper, middle and lower gates and can be used to search for the bridge, as the Mantis searches for insects.There are two ways in which Mor Sau can be applied: from the inside to outside, favoured by the Chu gar factions here in China and the outside to inside favoured by Kwongsai Mantis USA.

There are number of common mistakes that a player can make using Mor Sau:

Banging rather than slicing which is usually due to excessive tension

Not redirecting the force past the centre line

The horse is too long: if the horse is too long then the hands are short

Not tucking the thumb in to avoid injury

Not using the second hand (elbow to the wrist) to apply pressure to the opponent’s centre

Note: The material presented in this blog is part of the authentic transmission here in China, using my lesson notes and material by Sifu Roger D Hagood (RDH) Further information on MANTIS HANDS see the book Eighteen Buddha Hands by RDH

Southern Praying Mantis Kung fu- Kwongsai Mantis

Here is a Sifu from Hong Kong, demonstrating Dan Zhuang from China Kwongsai Mantis. In the US Kwongsai Mantis, the first form is Sam Bo Gin with some variations between the generations. However, there is no Sam Bo Gin in China. In China, the first form is Dan Zhuang.

There are some points to note in this performance that can be emulated:

When viewed from behind the elbows cannot be seen

The stance and narrow compared to many players in the West who exaggerate the stance

In the punching/bil Jee the energy isn’t blocked at the shoulders or elbow

Moving forward in Choc Shu and punching there is only forward moment and no retraction

Chu Gar Sam Bo Gin

This is a demonstration of the fundamental form Sam Bo Gin of Chu Gar Gao by Chen Jian Ming Sifu. This particular Sifu is from Huizhou the home town of Lao Sui. I was lucky enough to attend the opening of the Wu Guan in Huizhou, with Sifu Roger D. Hagood  (RDH) and train at the Wu Guan for around a year.

One interesting point to note is that in comparison to Ip Shui's Chow Gar: the Chu Gar Bil Jee is performed functionally with an explosive action. Whilst In Ip Shui’s system the fingers are opened slowly.

Bil Jee or finger thrust is an extremely effective technique, especially when in combination with other techniques. An opponent can be forced to commit to defend a strong punch, once contact is made the fingers explode open to attack vulnerable targets such as the eyes.

The extra distance needed for the Bil Jee can be obtained by:

Straightening the arm: the punch should always have a little in reserve, allowing extension for Bil Jee

Relaxing and rolling the shoulders forward

Use of quick footwork such the advance step

A common fault with Mantis students is that they have energy locked in the shoulders, elbow or wrist joints and the energy doesn't reach the finger tips. So when practising striking, the Mantis player should try to be aware of the importance of relaxation and projecting energy forwards

The Elbows In Mantis

Hat Yi Sao

If one was judge a Mantis Player one criteria to use would be the position of the elbows. In Hakka Mantis, the hands in attack and defence are always held in front of the body. The rationale is simple, better to engage the opponent at a distance rather than allow him to close and risk injury. It is common in China, to observe the practitioner from behind to see if the elbows are visible. With a good Mantis practitioner, the elbows cannot be seen from behind.

Mantis is fundamentally different to Karate in the positioning of the elbow before punching. In karate, the elbow is chambered behind the body as the closed fist is held on the hip. In contrast, with Mantis, the elbows are held approximately at one fist distant from the body. This is in conjunction with other key points of Mantis posture: rounded back, shoulders positioned forward and inwards and a concave chest. The punch drives from the elbow with just a forward motion: to maximize speed and reduce anticipation by the opponent. Increased power is generated up through the legs from the ground and the timing of the footwork.

In Hat Yi Sao (beggar’s hand) stance: the arms generate a triangle: with the apex of the triangle close to the body formed by the elbows. This along with a rotation of the forearms induces an elastic tension body which gives added power to striking coming simply from the body structure and a spiralling motion.

The Bridge in Hakka Mantis

The bridge in Hakka Mantis is the point of physical contact made the opponent: it could be the arm, forearm or leg, either singularly or in combination.

A Mantis player will make the bridge as a means of sensing the opponent’s energy and intentions. If the bridge is there, a player should cross the bridge. If on top, use the advantage to move to the offence. If under the bridge move to the top, regain the advantage and then attack.

In Hakka Mantis, the importance of the bridge is stressed: with contact it is possible to respond immediately to the movements of the attacker on an intuitive level, much faster than using eyes alone.

There are three types of bridge:

·        

      The simplest and still effective, is the hard bridge: where force meets force. The Mantis player literally smashes through the opponent.

·         A higher level of is the soft bridge where contact is made but the opponents force is borrowed and his power ‘cheated’.

·         Evasive bridge where using the footwork and evasion the attacker is met by empty space and the attacker neutralised

China: Hakka Walled Villages 客家圍屋 - DiDi's Adventures Episode 18

Here is a nice video showing Hakka Walled Villages in Guangdong Province.

Training at Pingshan Museum

One of the advantages of training in China with Sifu Roger D. Hagood (RDH) is the authentic atmosphere which seems to make the training even more fun.

Due RDH’s connections here in Pingshan town, I am often allowed to train in the museum, which was an original Hakka Dwelling. The walled villages of the Hakka are distinctive because, like fortresses, they have high walls and no windows at low level. The Hakka were originally from Northern China, and as time went on relations became strained with the local people and the Hakka responded by building these easily defensible structures.

Year of the Monkey

Well, now it is the Spring Festival here in China and the New Year as being welcomed by families throughout China. The year of the Monkey, has replaced the year of  the sheep. I have returned to Qingdao the home town of my wife's family to celebrate and relax.

Qingdao is well-known for its beer and seafood. Occupied by both the Japanese and the Germans, it is interesting for its European architecture and for a Mantis practitioner, Qingdao is also of interest as a center of Northern Mantis.

I briefly trained in tàijí tángláng quán, when I first came to Qingdao many years ago and met my wife. Training was carried on outside and the group was open and friendly and the transmission authentic and of a high standard. Although both Southern and Northern Mantis are inspired by the attributes of the Mantis: they look different in many ways, but in a technical comparison it can be seen that there are also common principles.

Despite the differences between the Southern and Northern branches, it is very obvious when Mantis is performed by an experienced player from an authentic lineage. Here is a good example performed by Sifu Lee a Kwongsai Mantis teacher in Hong Kong.

There are some technical points that area worth paying attention to:

1. The horse is stable and despite quick pace of the form he never becomes separated from his root.

2. The eyes are bright and alert and follow his targeting: his attacks have meaning and purpose.

3. Even though his movements are brisk the different techniques can be clearly seen: a common fault in the desire for speed is that the player merely flicks his hands in attack and defense.

4. The rounded posture: allowing for greater reach and extension

What is Good Kung Fu?

Rooting:

With the plethora of different styles and teachers it can be sometimes difficult to judge the standards of what is good traditional kung fu. Especially since there is a tendency in Chinese martial arts for practitioners to proclaim they have the best style, best teacher and the most esoteric secret. Nevertheless, there are three fundamental characteristics of good kung fu: rooting, feeling hand and target practice. In this blog I will talk about the root and in subsequent blogs I will expand upon feeling hand and target practice.

To develop a good root is not easy, taking both time and effort, but it is an attribute worth striving for. A strong root may not be seen, but it will be felt hand to hand, when in contact with a partner or opponent. There are two aspects of good rooting: first the technical requirements of foot positioning etc. and there is the intuitive development of a root where mind and body come together to find the optimum stability.

The basic technical requirements of the horse are the toes of the back foot in line with the heels of the front foot and slightly wider than the shoulders. The front leg supports most of the weight and the rear leg acts as a support. The weight division is 70 percent on the front leg and 30 percent on the back leg. It is said that the feet are like a ding but not a ding, like the Chinese character for 8 ‘Ba’ but not a ‘Ba’. In practice, this means that the stance is somewhat midway between the T stance of karate and the double weighted riding stance of southern styles.

The Mantis song of body posture is a useful aid to remember the key points:

‘Legs are bent like a frog

Heel to toe shoulder width apart

Hands held like a beggar (asking)

Feet look like ding but not ding

Feet look like ba but not ba………’

When training the horse there are some common faults to try to avoid:

l  stance too long or wide

l  centre of gravity held high in the chest

l  leaning backwards

l  too much tension

The kind of movement of bouncing on the toes as seen in boxing and modern karate styles should be avoided as it can lead to non committal in attack: the rationale is that once the Mantis player closes the exchange should be decisive. As in the Mantis maxim:

‘You don’t come I won’t start.

You start and I will hit you first,

Continuously until you see red (blood)’

Once the basic requirements of feet positioning have been met, the centre should be developed, in which the centre of gravity is lowered. Here is where each individual makes micro adjustments to make the horse stance. This can be achieved with relaxation, breathing and correct body structure. A good visualization exercise to facilitate relaxation is to imagine all your muscles dripping off the bones through total relaxation like melted wax, as you stand in the horse in Hat Yi Sao (Beggars hand).

Mobility is developed by the various stepping patterns: basic stepping such as chop step, advance step and circle step and additional advanced patterns such as diagonal step and four corner steps.

Stepping can be practiced in two ways:

l  Monkey stepping- soft and light with no sound

l  Elephant stepping- hard and heavy

Elephant steps result in a ‘bing bong’ sound from the feet hitting the floor. The bing bong sound is an audible representation of energy being drawn up from the ground. Once walking the horse is stable, then running the horse can be practiced where the steps are practiced in a brisk fashion without losing the connection with the ground.

Note:

The material presented in this blog is part of the authentic transmission here in China, using my lesson notes and material by Sifu Roger D Hagood (RDH) Further information on MANTIS FOOTWORK see Volume 9 in the Jook Lum Temple Mantis Instruction Series by RDH.

Impressions of training in Hakka Mantis Kung Fu in China

 by Sean W. Robinson:

I have been training in China for 3 years with Sifu Roger D Hagood (RDH).First in Huizhou and now in Pingshan Town and it is useful to begin this blog with a perspective of my feelings and impressions of training Hakka Mantis, in Guangdong China, the birthplace of Southern Mantis.

Well, RDH is first Kwongsai Jook Lum Temple Mantis and second, Chu Gar Mantis both by ceremony and transmission, with experience of Iron Ox Mantis in China. He is firmly established as one of the Mantis Pai here in China.

RDH in typical Mantis Posture

I have had a reasonable amount of experience in martial arts with various degree and dan grades having trained in UK.China, India and Malaysia. But RDH, since his twenties made it goal to become Mantis. In my experience, he has done it. In blog 3, I will relate why I believe this, and the attributes of a ‘Mantis Boxer,’ RDH has manifested and attained. RDH has had a varied career in Mantis and martial arts generally. He is also a publisher of books and magazines, actively researching Hakka Mantis. Currently, he is working hard to disseminate authentic Hakka mantis to the wider public via books and multi- media courses.

In practice, the training with RDH is structured, systematic and unadulterated. By unadulterated, I mean that the principles and attributes of Southern Mantis are strictly adhered to without adding techniques and principles from other arts. The Chinese martial arts are very varied in structure, principles, and application. Therefore, trying to mix them with Mantis can result in chop suey Kung Fu, where the core of the art is lost since there are no real standards and without standards there is no art. Of course, some students here in China also train in different arts and instructors without a problem but they tend to be peripheral to both the art and the teacher.

In daily training, the skills are literally built from the floor up, with walking the horse being considered beneficial at all stages of learning, to develop a strong, stable and mobile base. There is constant stress and effort in trying to mold and change into the Mantis body shape: rounding the back and extending the hands whilst holding the root: to engage the opponent early and at a distance. It can be a real exercise in diligence and patience as the results of hard training begin to accumulate slowly but surely. Unfortunately, there are no secrets or magic with ‘short cuts leading to shortcomings.’

Contrary to a lot of Mantis practiced currently in the west, relaxation is stressed so as to develop a ‘feeling hand’ allowing the Mantis player to sense and control the opponent’s attack: to ‘eat or cheat his power’ with superior technique. Relaxing fully also allows the development of the internal aspect of Mantis where power comes not through physical strength but rather through the Mantis shape and drawing the power from the earth with the horse stance.

There is a comprehensive syllabus of single man forms in the three Hakka Mantis Pai: Kwongsai, Chu and Iron Ox Mantis Boxing. The different Pai’s have much in common, although each Pai has a distinctive flavor which I will discuss in a later blog. But without the two man training, Mantis is just ‘shadow boxing’. The constant feeding of hands by a partner allows the instinctive, dynamic fluid development of both the defensive and offensive hands so that they become fully functional. ‘Hard dead power’ may feel satisfying as bone clashes against bone from the standpoint of conditioning and increased bone density. But in reality, the opponent is unpredictable, and is unlikely to stand still. With dead power it virtually impossible to react quickly enough to the attacker. If you can only see the attack rather than feel it then your reaction will probably be too slow and you will be hit.

The principle and attributes finally come together in the two man forms such as Loose Hands and Sam Bo Gin. Each of these forms has core principles, which can be drawn out through repetition. Again I will discuss these in later blogs. So in the future, this blog will be regularly updated with news, publications and technical information regarding Southern Mantis.