The Complete Guide to Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu

139 Pages·2016·2.95 MB·English

by  Stuart Alve Olson

Copyright © 2005, 2010 by Stuart Alve Olson. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without written permission of the publisher. For information contact Blue Snake
Books c/o North Atlantic Books.
Published by Blue Snake Books
Originally published by Valley Spirit Arts, 2005
Blue Snake Books is an imprint of
North Atlantic Books
P.O. Box 12327
Berkeley, California 94712
Cover design by Brad Greene
This book contains translated selections from:
Shih Yung T’ang Lang Ch’uan by Wei Hsiao-T’ang
Shih Yung T’ang Lang Ch’uan Hsu Chi by Wei Hsiao-T’ang
Shih Pa Lohan Kung by Huang Han-Hsun
The Complete Guide to Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu is sponsored by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and
Sciences, a nonproɹt educational corporation whose goals are to develop an educational and cross-cultural perspective
linking various scientific, social, and artistic fields; to nurture a holistic view of arts, sciences, humanities, and healing; and
to publish and distribute literature on the relationship of mind, body, and nature.
North Atlantic Books’ publications are available through most bookstores. For further information, call 800-733-
3000 or visit our websites at www.northatlanticbooks.com. and www.bluesnakebooks.com.
PLEASE NOTE: The creators and publishers of this book disclaim any liabilities for loss in connection with following any
of the practices, exercises, and advice contained herein. To reduce the chance of injury or any other harm, the reader
should consult a professional before undertaking this or any other martial arts, movement, meditative arts, health, or
exercise program. The instructions and advice printed in this book are not in any way intended as a substitute for medical,
mental, or emotional counseling with a licensed physician or healthcare provider.
The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
Olson, Stuart Alve.
The complete guide to northern praying mantis kung fu / Stuart Alve Olson.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-1-58394-692-3
1. Kung fu. I. Title.
GV1114.7.O58 2009
796.815′9—dc22
2009038598
v3.1
Attributed Praying Mantis Kung Fu Founder, Wang Lang—Seventeenth Century
Acknowledgments
I wish to oʃer my deepest gratitude to the late masters Wei Hsiao-T’ang and Huang
Han-Hsun (Wong Han-Fon), whose works provided an incredible amount of information
I was able to draw upon in forming this book. I also oʃer my deepest thanks to Master
T. T. Liang for teaching me the Praying Mantis Kung Fu styles he learned from Wei
Hsiao-Tang and Huang Han-Hsun, and to Master Kung Wei for instructing me on the
Plum Blossom Praying Mantis style. I truly miss both of these great men and wish the
entire world could have known them the way I had.
Special thanks to Patrick Gross for his editing and design work on this book and for
appearing in the photographs of the Lohan exercises, Daniel Dale for appearing in the
Theory and Practice section, Vern Peterson for sharing his knowledge of Southern
Praying Mantis Kung Fu, Louis Sacharske for sharing many of his insights into the world
of Praying Mantis Kung Fu, and, lastly, Lily Shank, Karen Morodomi, and Annetta Luce,
my initial female Praying Mantis students, for all their support, dedicated learning, and
insights regarding how eʃective and beneɹcial Praying Mantis Kung Fu can be for
women—after all, it is the female mantis that dominates this particular insect species, so
it seems just that women take their rightful place in both the lineage and practice of this
particular martial art.
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Praying Mantis Kung Fu
Brief History of Praying Mantis Kung Fu
The Story of Wang Lang Creating Praying Mantis Kung Fu
Praying Mantis Kung Fu Lineage …
Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu Styles
Theory and Practice of Northern Praying Mantis
1. Twelve Principles for Self-Defense and Offense
2. The Eight Hard and Twelve Soft Ways I
3. The Eight Hard and Twelve Soft Ways II
4. The Twelve Ideals for Body Movement
5. Eight Training Divisions
6. Eight Striking and Eight Non-Striking Points
7. Eight Long and Eight Short
8. Five Internal and Five External Activities
Student and Teacher Requirements
Student Requirements
Teacher Requirements
Skills Acquired from Practicing
Activating the Qi
Mind-Intent
Strength
Developing the Breath
Intrinsic Energy
Gaining a Root and Agility
Skills of the Eight Hand Uses
The Process of Internal Refinement
Advice on Practice Sessions
PART ONE
Eight Kung Methods
Prelude
Exercise 1: Iron Ox Ploughs the Earth
Exercise 2: Riding a Horse, Single Fist Pulling
Exercise 3: Riding a Horse, Double Fist Pulling
Exercise 4: Mantis Colliding Its Arms
Exercise 5: Tyrant King Raises the Cauldron
Exercise 6: Immortal Pushes the Void
Exercise 7: Planting Flowers, Left and Right
Exercise 8: Pushing Over a Mountain to Uproot a Tree
PART TWO
Eight Stance Methods
Prelude
Song of the Eight Stances
Stance 1: Riding the Horse Stance
Stance 2: Mountain Climbing Stance
Stance 3: Seated Tiger Stance
Stance 4: Seated Coil Stance
Stance 5: Empty Stance
Stance 6: Tiger’s Head Stance
Stance 7: Pretending to Be Defeated Stance
Stance 8: Chicken Standing in the Snow Stance
PART THREE
Eight Footwork Methods
Prelude
Footwork Method 1: Up-Rooting Step
Footwork Method 2: Striding-Over Step
Footwork Method 3: Folding Step
Footwork Method 4: Encircling Step
Footwork Method 5: Shifting Step
Footwork Method 6: Backward Crossing Step
Footwork Method 7: Walking Step
Footwork Method 8: Long-Striding Step
PART FOUR
Eight Kicking Methods
Prelude
Kicking Method 1: Pulling the Yin Kick
Kicking Method 2: Mandarin Ducks Kick
Kicking Method 3: Axe Blade Kick
Kicking Method 4: Penetrating the Heart Kick
Kicking Method 5: Knocking Over the Tablet Kick
Kicking Method 6: Sweeping Away the Lotuses Kick
Kicking Method 7: Closing the Gate Kick
Kicking Method 8: Whirlwind Kick
T’ai Chi Ch’uan Master Liang Tung-Tsai
About the Author
Other Books by This Author
Introduction
Praying Mantis Kung Fu is the only martial art based on the ɹghting abilities of an
insect. The Chinese, in particular, have had a fascination and preoccupation with
modeling their martial arts on the inherent skills of animals. The indigenous martial art
forms of Shaolin Temple Boxing were based on the movements of ɹve animals: Crane,
Tiger, Leopard, Dragon, and Snake. Praying Mantis Kung Fu, on the other hand,
incorporated defensive and oʃensive maneuvers stemming from the insect world,
namely the manidae (praying mantis). Biologically designed for fighting and killing prey
with eɽciency and technique, the praying mantis is capable of destroying other insects
six times its own size. Few animals can achieve this feat, and those that can do so only
by sheer ferocity and strength. The mantis, however, relies on methodical, swift
movements for defense and oʃense. Considering the incredible skills of this insect, it is
no wonder the martial artist Wang Lang created a style of martial art based on the
mantis three hundred years ago.
Wang Lang was not the first to notice the great fighting skills of the mantis, especially
in regard to its preying upon its larger and blustering natural enemy the cicada. An
example comes from the T’ang dynasty poet Lo Hung-Chien, who makes the following
analogy about life through the actions of a mantis:
The desires of men are as insatiable as a snake desiring to swallow an elephant;
while life itself resembles a praying mantis seizing a cicada.
The praying mantis was named for the look of its front forelegs, which appear to be
folded in prayer as it patiently awaits its prey. They have a voracious appetite, and the
females are larger and ɹercer than the males. After mating, a female will turn on the
weakened male and quickly devour his head. Scientists theorize that this may be a
response to her need for added nourishment for her upcoming pregnancy or that it is a
way of maintaining population control. Or, it may be that they just attack and eat
whatever is available at the moment.
In Chinese thinking the praying mantis represents greed and perseverance: greed in
how voraciously it devours its prey and perseverance in how patiently and constantly it
hunts. No other insect is quite as skilled or persistent as the praying mantis. Nature
obviously designed this slender insect for ɹghting, with its spiny raptor-like forelegs
attached to a cylindrical prothorax that gives it complete articulation of body movement
and allows for wide arcing of its entire body. The praying mantis is exactly what Master
Liang humorously called it, “a lean, green, fighting machine.”
The martial art of Praying Mantis Kung Fu (traditionally called T’ang Lang Ch’uan, or
Praying Mantis Boxing), like most of the martial art styles created in China, developed
into both southern and northern systems. In the case of Praying Mantis Kung Fu, the