The Shaolin Praying Mantis

[Chiahua]

When I read about the hand anchor, I immediately was reminded of the seven star anchor in Chen Style Taijiquan:


which has elbow applications shown here:

http://www.shaolin.org/combat/seven.html

[Luo Lang]

Dear ChiaHua,
Many thanks for your contribution! Well that's a very nice application of the Hand-Anchor, or Ascend Mountain Ellbow Strike.

For those who got a little confused or curious:
In my provided list the Hand-Anchor was kept free. And at first I put the Ellbow strike to the feature of Han Tong's extended arm. This is not wrong at all of course, but considering some points the ellbow strike is also found in Huang Nian’s Hand-Anchor.

Dear Alex,
To come back to your question of the jumping step, avoiding force. You are actually very right: it's Monkey feature. The monkey footwork is found in almost any pattern, as it's the very base of this style.

When I mentioned there are more obvious Monkey features, I was refering, but not very clear though, to some obvious Hand movements.
This handmovements are most obviously found in the pattern Riding Tiger Catching Cicada, which is very similar Spiritual Monkey Brushes Leaves.

Now we wait for Sifu's list, which is what I believe another Masterpiece!

The next step shall be, after the most difficult part, to discuss the patterns and features applications.

One question arised though. While in the set you may find any of the possible attacking form, namely striking, gripping, felling and kicking one may wonder where are the counters of the kicking attacks? Can you find them or can you think of any pattern which is suitable for kicking defence?

Have some fun thinking and discussing of it!

[AlexBaranosky]

Hi,

I must be quick... but, I think a kick defense could be the rotating waist sort of move that comes right before the double punch.(whose name eludes me at the moment)

[Kingmonkey]

Here are the patterns, that I imagine, in some way could be related to kicks, defending and/or countering



12. Grip Hand Lift Knee (0.16, 0.17)


this one could be helpful against a low or sweeping kick


17. Slant Body Swing Hand (0.23, 0.24)


could this one be useful in getting out of the way and felling the kicker?



21. Jump Step Avoid Force (0.28, 0.29)


........


32. Lift-Strike Lift Leg (0.45)


could this one be an answer against the sweeping kick?


33. Seven-Star Chop Fist (0.46)




could this one be used similar to immortal stamps insignia or something like that?


looking forward to an upcoming lively discussion


Pat

[Andrea]

Dear Family

I was also thinking about

- Slant Body Swing Hand (0.23, 0.24) as Pat has mentioned and
- Double Hooks Sweep Leg (0.47)
both felling techniques used in response to a kick?

There were two more, but I need to watch the video again to find their names, hopefully tomorrow.
One was the "hanging fist" like pattern, the other one the "continuous kick" (as direct counter against the supporting leg.)
EDIT: I just realized Pat mentioned both of them above as well. Big time to get some sleep

Andrea

[Chiahua]

The punch and lift knee pattern reminded me of some of the applications of the Shaolin Pakua set, where the knee could be used as a counter to a straight toe kick. This movie in particular (Embracing Dragon Kick):

http://www.shaolin.org/video-clips-3/shaolin/special-02/sp153.avi

From my understanding, the applications tend to be very direct, employing "interception" or defence-cum-counter. The pattern has superficial similarities to Golden Cockerel Stands solitarily (bottom of the page):

http://shaolin.org/combat//repulse.html

Sijie Andrea, I was also thinking of the double hooks sweep leg. I don't know if it is in the nature of the pattern, but it might also be successfully employed as a nail kick to directly attack a kicking leg:

http://www.shaolin.org/video-clips-3/shaolin/special-02/sp157.avi

[Luo Lang]

Thanks for you contributions! you have done some very interesting observations!

Grip Hand Lift knee can provide an answer against kicks. Pat and Andrea said that it may be used to avoid a low roundhouse kick. That's one possibility of course to avoid the circular force coming in. That said to aplly it as such, the timing ans spacing must be correct.

Chia Hua has given also a very nice possible app, he would see a similar app like the Golden Cockerel, which would privide a interception at the opponents weak spot, the inner tigh. The upward movement of the lifting knee would have to be adjusted slightly the movement would be more circular upwards.

Then Andrea alo mentioned the Sweep leg which may provide another nice counter, also an interception like counter. It may be also used to atack the standing solid leg of the opponent, where the inner tigh or knee xould be attacked.

To give you some food:
Slant body Swing hand/fist could be applied similar like The Lohan strikes drum in combat sequence 9. the leg movement is the same, though the hand movement changes from a dowdward movement to an upward movement, which could give the possibilty the hold the leg. This counter could be applied againt side kicks an trust kicks.

Riding Tiger catching cicada would be if an attacked person would move back or sink back to hook the attackers kicking leg.

there are many more possibilities, do you see any other pattern which may be used against kicks?

[Luo Lang]

Dear all,
We may have a break now for some time beeing regarding the kicking counters. We can easily come back to this aspect. For learning purposes, it may be suitable to make it step by step.

The reason is straight forward: after you have viewed the following lists provided by Sifu, it may be even more easy to have a relation between the pattern and the features!

That said, there are many counters against kicks found within the Set. It's worth to mention that the counters are not only not easy to see from the first view, it's also that the counters are very advanced.

It was though intersting to see what you see from the first view, and you did a great job on this.

Sifu is simply amazing. Just to state that again. He made a huge step forward and crystalised the features and patterns:

originally posted by Sifu:
Patterns to features relation:

1. Seven-Star Hook Hand (18) Wang Lang’s Praying Mantis
2. Seven-Star Chop Fist (2) Han Tong’s Extended Arm
3. Grip Hand Lift Knee (11) Liu Xing’s Hook and Grip
4. Ascend Mountain Elbow Strike (7) Huang Nian’s Hand-Anchor
5. Ascend Mountain Crush Fist (15) Meng Su’s Seven-Step Pressing Attacks
6. Ascend Mountain Thrust Punch (1) First Emperor’s Long Fist
7. Seven –Star Thrust Punch (5) Ma Ji’s Close Combat
8. Slant Body Swing Hand (10) Huai De’s Grab and Throw
9. Jump Step Avoid Force (6) Sun Heng’s Monkey Style
10. Ascend Mountain Double Fists (17) Yang Gun’s Gripping Techniques
11. Cover Hand Thrust Punch (9) Jin Xiang’s Deflect and Strike
12. Seven-Star Turn Cart (4) Wen Yuan’s Short Strike
13. Bosom Strike Lift Leg (16) Cui Lian’s Strike from Bosom
14. Lift-Strike Lift Leg (14).Lin Chong’s Continuous Kicks
15. Double Hooks Sweep Leg (13) Yan Qing’s Felling Techniques
16. Double Covers Palm Strike (8) Mien Shen’s Cotton Palm
17. Distract-Trick Chop Waist (3) Zhang En’s Close and Cover
18. Ascend Mountain Ear Strike (12) Tan Fang’s Ear-Strike

Features to patterns relation:

(1) First Emperor’s Long Fist 6. Ascend Mountain Thrust Punch
(2) Han Tong’s Extended Arm 2. Seven-Star Chop Fist
(3) Zhang En’s Close and Cover 17. Distract-Trick Chop Waist
(4) Wen Yuan’s Short Strike 12. Seven-Star Turn Cart
(5) Ma Ji’s Close Combat 7. Seven –Star Thrust Punch
(6) Sun Heng’s Monkey Style 9. Jump Step Avoid Force
(7) Huang Nian’s Hand-Anchor 4. Ascend Mountain Elbow Strike
(8) Mien Shen’s Cotton Palm 16. Double Covers Palm Strike
(9) Jin Xiang’s Deflect and Strike 11. Cover Hand Thrust Punch
(10) Huai De’s Grab and Throw 8. Slant Body Swing Hand
(11) Liu Xing’s Hook and Grip 3. Grip Hand Lift Knee
(12) Tan Fang’s Ear-Strike 18. Ascend Mountain Ear Strike
(13) Yan Qing’s Felling Techniques 15. Double Hooks Sweep Leg
(14).Lin Chong’s Continuous Kicks 14. Lift-Strike Lift Leg
(15) Meng Su’s Seven-Step Pressing Attacks 5. Ascend Mountain Crush Fist
(16) Cui Lian’s Strike from Bosom 13. Bosom Strike Lift Leg
(17) Yang Gun’s Gripping Techniques 10. Ascend Mountain Double Fists
(18) Wang Lang’s Praying Mantis 1. Seven-Star Hook Hand

Now to make it very simple it would be nice of you all, to find out some simple applications of the obvious seen pattern and features. make it easy for yourself. Start with the beginning of the list and try to write down one or more applications for each pattern respectively feature. To make it simple, also try to imagine attacks, defences or counters of patterns you already know, like black Tiger, White Snake and so on. It makes it not only more simple, but the basic patterns of our syllabus cover all types of attacks.

It may take us some time. We shall take it it's worth. Write down clearly the name of the pattern or feature with the number and work on it systematically. One pattern may be applied in many different Ways, so don'tm worry about it meanwhile.

Of course you may see also counters against kicks, you may write them down. but that said, as they are not so easy to figure out, start with more simple applications.

have some fun,

Roland.

[Luo Lang]

If you miss the following patterns, then you may match them with the following features:

- Riding Tiger Catching Cicada
This pattern could be rated to Wang Lang's Praying Mantis (18) and and Sun Heng's Monkey style (6)

- Seven-Star Chop fist
This pattern could be rated to Ma Ji’s Close Combat (5) and Liu Xing’s Hook and Grip (11)

- Ascend Mountain Double Fists
This pattern could be rated to First Emperor’s Long Fist (1), Yan Qing’s Felling Techniques (13) and Huai De’s Grab and Throw (10)

[Luo Lang]

Riding Tiger catching Cicada

To have some inspiration of the famous Praying mantis Kung Fu Master Lo Kwang Yu

Here I have found a picture of one of the most famous patterns Riding tiger Catching Cicada.

The picture is taken from the following website:

http://www.psykenpology.org/praying_mantis.htm

[Luo Lang]

Applications of Riding Tiger catching Cicada

Now it would be nice to have your thoughts on possible applications.

That said the shown pattern is representing the feature of Wang Lang's Praying Mantis (18) and to probably have a better Way of observation also Sun Heng's Monkey style (6)

[Shaolinfist]

Now it would be nice to have your thoughts on possible applications.

That said the shown pattern is representing the feature of Wang Lang's Praying Mantis (18) and to probably have a better Way of observation also Sun Heng's Monkey style (6)

How about hooking an attacking limb while dotting a vital point?

[drunken boxer]

This to me is a very signature Praying Mantis pattern, I've always wondered if this could be used to parry punches (like jab/cross type punches)?
Or maybe as Shaolinfist says there is a more intricate way of using it for these like hooking them before striking them?
I believe this handform can also be used to strike though maybe not in this pattern?

[Martin Do]

Dear Roland Sisook,

I can see a few possible applications from the pattern (how old is that picture ). In addition to the good suggestions above, I think it could also be used:

1) To break the striking arm of the opponent. The rear arm pull, the front arm push (from the outside gate) on the striking arm of the opponent (ie right Black Tiger Steals heart).

2) If the front leg were moved back into a Unicorn Stance with the same hand form it could be used to tame the head of shoot into the knee of right leg then some more immediate decisive praying mantis stuff can be applied to conclude combat .

3) As in the Unicorn Stance above or in a Horse Stance it may also be used to tame a White Horse Presents Hoof or Happy Bird kick.

4) With Sufficient skill , the hand form may also be used to fell an opponent (with the option to break the elbow) in the same way we execute Lead Horse Back to Stable.

5) The patern may also be used as force training, I guess this is not application. However, as a poise pattern could it be used to settle at the dantian and allowing force to build at the mantis fingers for a decisive counter / attack. Man, scary stuff .

6) Most importantly, the pattern can be used to look cool in front of the camera .

Happy training everyone

Martin

[Luo Lang]

Many application possibilities

Hello all,
Both answers of Drunken Boxer and Shaolifist are interesting.

Let's look at the defence of punches, strikes first! They can be classified into middle, top, and side attacks.

The pattern Riding Tiger catching Cicada is very useful against middle strikes. On this Way it may be used similarly like Spiritual Monkey Brushes Leaves:

http://www.shaolin.org/video-clips-3/shaolin/special-03/special19.html

It is to mention that this counter is a very soft one. The attacked person drops in with the Praying Mantis Claw to avoid the incoming straight force. Most of the time this pattern is used while taking a step back to the false leg stance.

The same principle may be used for bootom attacks, like the precious Duck One.

Then and that would cover Drunken Boxers observation the very same pattern may be used for top attacks both the front hand ones and the cross ones as well, if the attacked person holds the hand forms at the shoulders level.. it's very useful to close the incoming punshes in a circular manner from outwards inwards. In this case the attacked person would also slighly move his body accordingly to the sides. The movement seems to be very similar to Monkey washes face.

Then as for the top-side attack there are also different possibilities:
One may sink or step back and simultaniously brushing away and let the hand of the attacker pass. I saw some PM practitioners even intercepting-hooking with this handform the incoming top-side attack at the ellbow level. Similar to the immortal we know.

Then I see a useful application also against hooks, side-bottom attacks. In this case one may also drop in with the mantis Claw, again similar to Monkey Brushes leaves.

Then the pattern may also be used as an attack with the knuckles, like Spiritual Monkey emerges from cave. And of course not to forget various possibilities to use the index finger to dot soem vital points.

That's it for the moment. There are many more applications, do you have some other guesses?
The forte though from my humble experience may lie on the fact that the hand form of Praying mantis can allow a person to hook the attacked arm, limb.