The Shaolin Praying Mantis

[Luo Lang]

That's right Chia Hua,
The hand form used in the single whip may also be used as a strike.

It's is again important to mention that the knuckles are used to strike. For the Praying Mantis Claw as well as for the Monkey Paw and also the Crane Bake.

The back of the hand is not very wise to use as well, as it has a lot of nerves which passing through. Also the wrist is a weak spot (physically and energetically) which should not be used to strike. It could result into fatal injuries.

This is something which many Kung Fu practitioners actually are not aware of. Training for example regularly the back of the hand for strinking may affect the hand nerves and create serious problems like stiffness for example and a loss of sensitivity.

Injuries of the wrist are often very complicated to heal and need a lot of time to recover.

Then again, while using the knuckles to strike, this can only be succesfully done with the right amount of internal force. So that said relatively said also the Praying Mantis is using "soft force", compared to a Black Tiger strike for example.

[Shaolinfist]

I have heard of the crane beak being used to strike the temple with the fingertips, and also using the wrist to strike the armpit. I can understand how it can be risky striking with the wrist though as it is a weak point. If you were to inadvertently land the strike with the back of the hand instead of the wrist it would really hurt!

[Luo Lang]

I have heard of the crane beak being used to strike the temple with the fingertips

You can but it's not the speciality of the Crane one must realise. This would be more be Praying Mantis. the speciality of the crane is to go into the eye and ripping/pulling it out, or to any suitable part of the body like the throat.

and also using the wrist to strike the armpit

again wheater Crane or PM or Monkey this strike is done with the knuckles not with the wrist!

[Shaolinfist]

Ahh ok I must have heard wrong then! Thank you for the clarification brother.

Phil

[Luo Lang]

No problem Phil,
It's actually quite common to mean that the wrist is used to strike, but this is not the case! So if you try to strike strike with the knuckles. It's very powerful.

Actually it was Sifu, who was pointing out the Crane's speciality last year. Someone asked him the very same question, though I don't know who it exactly was who asked. The Crane beak can be used in many ways, but the speciality is not the dotting but rather to going in grip and pull out.

This actually went in line with an old training method of past Crane Masters. The had a small water basin in front with little fishes swimming in it, and sat into the horse stance. They used their Crane beak to catch the fished. Actually the momentum was to catch it it and pull it out. imagine what a high level of speed timing and spacing was needed to catch such a fish

[Luo Lang]

The Hook against Grips

The Sever Star Hook Hand may also be successfully applied against Grips.

An an opponent grips your right wrist with his right hand, which means diagonally or cross. A Pm practitiner may sink down into his typical Seven star stance, with his left hand fixing the opponets gripping hand and turning his right hand/arm in a clockwise circular manner hooking in typically and breaking the opponents wrist.

Sometimes you may kick the opponent at the very same time. Of course the movements must be done in one smooth flow to be effective.

The same can be applied if the opponent hold or grips our right arm hand with his left hand. Bascically the very same movement with body and feet may be dine except, that the hand would be turned in a counter-clockwise manner.

Some Wahnam TCC people may have seen Sifu doing a similar application, thoug in another stance when showing the use of the Single Whip Hook-hand

[Shaolinfist]

Very nice explanation Siheng, thank you. I have never actually learnt the seven star stance as far as I know, are there any pictures of it on shaolin.org?
I practiced very similar locks in Aikido once upon a time, albeit without stances or the breaking of the wrist. I can clearly picture the technique you are describing though and I can imagine the power you could deliver with it if applied skillfully.
Do you think there is much similarity betweem the mantis claw and the one finger zen handform? I mention this because both have the emphasis on the index finger and use it for striking.

Regards,
Phil

[Luo Lang]

Do you think there is much similarity betweem the mantis claw and the one finger zen handform? I mention this because both have the emphasis on the index finger and use it for striking.

There is a similarity, the Index Finger
Both use it to dot Vitalpoints. Actually striking is at a lower level.

One Finger Zen, as we useit is charakteristically a dotting, eamning shhoting out of energy. they may or may not be any physical contact.
One Finger Zen used like a strike, saying going through the physical body to hurt an opponent is less advanced and if I remeber correctly it's called Golden Finger.

The same applies for the Mantis. It's use is to dot vitalpoints energetically. This makes sense as Wang Lang's Brothers practicing Lohan Kung Fu for sure had Golden bell, at least Iron Shirt.

Yet the applications and tactics may differ a little.

I will go deeper into this interesting topic after returning from the Triple Strech and after having completed the Mantis course. After that I shall have a first hand experience and shall share it here.

Best regards,

Roland

[Luo Lang]

the pattern Ascend Mountain Ellbow strike, is very similar to the Monkey pattern Old Monkey looks at Mountain.

Let us imagine the opponnent is rishing in with a fierceful Tiger speeds through the Valley. The defenders Stays in a left mode Riding Tiger Catching Cicada. He would shift back into a left mode Seven Star Hook Hand and grip the right wrist.

He may then follow up with putting his right leg on the floor, still griping and moving in with a stolen step, right mode
unicorn step, using his right ellbow to strike the solar plexus of the opponent. It is a typical close combat application

[Chiahua]

Here's a video of Old Monkey Looks at Mountain for reference.
One thing I notice is the stance. The Monkey pattern is in unicorn stance, while the Praying Mantis pattern is in bow-arrow. Just speaking provisionally, it seems the Monkey pattern requires more skill or able footwork to apply effectively, since the unicorn step may be a bit less stable, especially when applied at close range?

I'd be interested in hearing about the stance pictured below too, when Sihing finds the right time to discuss it. I don't think it's a stance that's commonly used in our school.

[Luo Lang]

Dear Chia Hua,
Thank you for the picture. The stance on the picture is often called SevenStar stance. As it is often used in Praying Mantis Kung Fu, it is also often called Praying Mantis Stance. Sometimes the name Front-Arrow stance may be used.

It may be fruitful if students try to figure out what it's purposes is.

Happy finding out.

[Luo Lang]

Dear Chia Hua,
The picture shows a famous Praying Mantis master named Chew Chong Kai.

The name or writings though refer to the Taiji stance, that is because you have asked me in one post what the name of this stance is right?

So the stance may have some different names. Sifu told me as a confirmation of what I wrote, that it is often called Sever Star Stance.

Interesstingly this is not the same stance as it is found in a very advanced and secretive Set called Seven Star Set, which Sifu learnt from Sigung Ho. In this Set there is also a Seven Star Stance, but as said, it's different. For those who don't know the value of this Set in our school, please refer to the story of Sigung Ho refusing to train what his Master told him and missing so the invaluable opportunity to learn The Art of lightness from him. The Master's wife had mercy on Sigung and thought him the Seven Star Set.

So how you think can this stance be used? I am pretty sure some will be amazed of it's profound application and it's use!

[Chiahua]

Yes, I was curious what names this goes by. I studied under one of Master Chew's students briefly, and they referred it to the Taiji stance. I thought it might be the seven star stance, but I've also seen the following referred to as the seven star stance:



I was curious what name the Taiji stance is given in our school.
As for its usage, I find it to be a very stable stance for hand techniques, as shown in the Eighteen Elder set. It feels more stable than the false leg, at least it does for me. The heel could be used for attacking the foot of the opponent, and I've seen the front foot used for hooking the opponents leg to prevent them from retreating.

[Luo Lang]

Dear Chia Hua,
Very intersting indeed, thank you very much. The stance in the picture remebers me a lot of the 4-6 stance in our school. I ask Sifu how the Seven Star stance in Sigung's Seven Star set looks like. I don't think any of us have allready seen this Set

I don't know if we have any Taiji stance. But wait, isn't Taiji refering to Cosmos? Taiji stance could mean Cosmos stance and then, I think it's the Goat stance with both hands hanging down at the sides. I think another term of it was the Choper Bell stance in Shaolin Kung Fu for those who trained the golden bell specifically.

Your thoughts about the application are very nice indeed!

[Luo Lang]

Dear all,
As for the Seven Star stance applications. Watch 0.51 - 3.06 on this video just for an example. You may find it elsewehere too. You see some of the many possible applications. Here it's often used as a kind od Leg-Anchor, Leg-Hook, to fix an opponets front leg and to trow him with different hand forms or to fix him a kind off and punching him. This stance may not only give us an Anchor to throw, but it may also just simply prevent an opponent from shifting his front Leg back.

Here we go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChEdQIoI04I

I suggest to turn off the musik