MantisQuarterly he Mental Battle Afighter may have xcellene physical Ts, but if his posure can be die rupted by surpriee, intimi= dation oF fea, the quality and tactical appropriate ress of his actions can be degraded significantly In western boxing, for ‘example, competitors will tay t appear invulnerable to the opponent's attacks, joke with them while Fighting or wy 1 provoke anger in an effort to dis- rupt che opponent’ fous, If fighter can "get inco the hesd” of his opponent this way, he may be able to defeata technically and physically superior adver sary. Sun Tau's admoni- ‘ion to beat an opponent's will ro resieexty on is good advice, and fighters Whether on the battlefield or in the ring, ae well served to heed him. ‘Similey, in real com- bat or self-defense sina- ations. a fighter may be faced with aggressive and inimidating individuals, attackers with weapons or tren multiple opponents. Rote} ‘Mena Tonglang Quen mester Wang Yushon competes in is final ght tthe ‘ncn Toxinament in 133, This phot provided to Ntants Quart by ve Prfe toy the earls photo of Mantis Boring bing aed in competion (ita) Wherever real physical harm or death is an issu, the possibility ofthe fight er being psychologically disrupted and thereby being rendered les effec: tive is serious factor that must be addressed. San Ding: Three Conditions of Stability Tanglang Quan address the ise of preparing Fighters for combat in its Sn Ding, the Three Conditions of Stabilry. These condicions address the fighters psychological preparation for combat and how the effects ofthis preparation ace reflected in the Mantis Boxer’ physical conduct, ‘The thrce conditions are Yan Ding Stability of the Eyes), Xin Ding (Stability of the Mind) and ‘Zhan Ding (Stability of the Seance) ‘Yan Ding: Stability of the Eyes The reflex to blink is one ofthe most funds rental protective messes we posses, but in combat, blinking a the wong, time can be— +> adie San Ding the difference between suc cessflly defending and being defeated. The fighter must learn 10 observe his opponent's ‘oncoming atack without the natural rection of blinking, flinching or turning 2a. The only way to learn this Three Conditions of Stability fendamenliso pice sh Hep acs a lend the while eon > fides Goer ad eee ee \ ened Slte eee ted rvcing tort poe Xin Ding incor Making : : Tobie ete Stability of the Mind scarsng to jg the dvance HR XE Yan Ding Stability of the i Zhan Ding Stability of the Stance ‘oan opponent and estimate accurately che distance that can bye reached in a single artack ing move or the distance an ‘opponent can reach in a single artcking move. Knoscing this distance, the fighter can tain himself noe to react to distrac- tions outside this none. He also learns to judge when an oppo- nent has strayed into his each. nally, che fighter learns to view his opponent's entre bady ‘sing his center and pesipheral vision, Excited fighters often get “tunnel vision” inthe course oF combat, ad their field of vision narrows drastically. This pre- ‘ents them from sexing attacks tha they could otherwise easily counter, Tetining this reaction Js similar to stopping the finch refler. Ukimataly, the ightoe should be abe to see the entre field of bate, enabling hima co track multiple opponents and react effectively. Xin Ding: Stability of the Mind While raining the eyes, che ight i, by the same actions, taining dhe mind. Through exper ence the fighter learns to process and erust the Accuracy of the information his eyes convey. The ighicr learns o observe opponents more calmly and notallow his thought proces and trained rezetions 10 be disrupted by fins or evn real antacks, Able to se the entirety af his opponent Eyes the fighter is nor easily caught by surprise or shocked by an opponent’ sudden attack. ‘When he sable to accurately perceive the cmtte Field of bate, che Mantis Boxe wil react only ro chose atackers whose threat ely is imminent. Ukimately, this abilgy to accurately percsve the entre il of arte is exensialin executing strategies such as Mantis Boxing's Si ‘Mian Ba Fang Da (the Eight Strategies for Fight- ing in All Direction). Zhan Ding: The Stability of the Stance ‘When the eyes and mind have been trained, che posture of the fightcr refers this raining, For cxampl, blinking, flinching and withdrawing, so ommon in the Beginning stages ofthe Fighter's ‘waning, disappear asthe mind and eyes are trained: Physically reacting co fein ovo changes in posture, especially when the actions are too dlstanc tobe real aac, abo dsappess. The Mantis Boxer docs not rect to increased activity by an opponent wit ster stepping of his oe. Instead, he maintains his own telared posture and awaits his opportunity for attack or defense Tn ler sages of experience and eraining, the Mantis Boxer, like the combathardened solder, isnot shocked by unexpected evens in the course ‘of baule. His focus on defeating the enemy cannot be shaken allowing him to maximize his efetve- nes as che chaos of atl as its dbiiaing ect ‘on the enemy. The disruptive nature of combat, ‘once his enemy, becomes his aly “Huang Hanaun, the Mantis King of Hong Kong, summed up the Three Conditions of Sa bile s follows What are he rie ype of abil? When «desma of yo, yo will not lnk Wen fighting with sword you wil nor Bik This i elled the Stability ofthe Eyes. You will not be suprised with nude change of isuations. You sill not be nervous while wrrounded by enemier. This ical the Stability ofthe Mind. Regards of movements and stacks cing up and down 07 suring lft and righ, you wil bp sill. This is Stil ofthe Stance “The Clase of Boxing sy the action com comral quizes, end quietnes can overcome scion. This argument has the same reaoning as ‘he pbilesphicl idea of enpiness and relnes. ‘The Clase of Great Learning ses thar guicmes is erated by action, peace crated by guictnes, and reasoning rete by the peace of ind, rig in «pure mind with practical application ‘Action wil eae traces to be een and ays to be practiced. Quietness acumalaed with many sat f perio: -rplering This ‘may ony be seed, nas expresed. MQ VOLUME 4 SUE 1| Technique Diao Jin: Wicked Art of Bridging The Art of Misdirection in Mantis Boxing Introduction In our fundamental ining, we are aught ro relax and keep the mind, emotions and posture stable, The three sabilces are the most funda- ‘mental principles of ataining clear seratgy and cfccive techniques. Once these principles are understood, che student advance c learning ‘methods of hove to destabilize opponent’ con prehension, emotion and fighting position, The strategy of Mantis Boxing baits the enemy with file visual and/or palpable stimu ‘The purpose of cis strategy is to destabilize the mind by misleading che opponents’ understand: ing of the immediate danget. The confusion ‘often leads ro Frustration, anger and/or fear. ‘When the opponent is confused and his emo: tions are unsteady, che pastite becomes extended and unstable in a desperate effort to defend ‘gainet che onslaughe. The fluctuating dynamics of combat are described in the military and law enforcement asthe "OODA gyce": Observe, Orient, Decide and Act. Sun Taa's Ar of War says Keep the ‘opponent in a sate of inelecraal confusion. The ‘opponent cannot defend against that which he ‘cannot comprehend.” “Mislead the opponent's observations. Keep the opponent disoriented, and the opponent will not make rational decisions. The enemy's Actions will ultimately become slave to pane and desperation, ‘The Three Stimuli (San Gan Jue Fa) In rogitd eo fighting, the human body receives jnformation three ways: sight, sound and touch. ‘The key © manipulating these senses is through sensory overload. Loud, intimidating sound (jizo sheng) an adversely affect the will and fighting sire hen) ‘of an insecure fighter. For example, yelling inimidating verbal threats can esily proveke an adrenal response in most people. Most billie thugs and gangsters often compensate thei fi ing ability by overloading vitims’ senses with innimidating postures and verbal threats For the beginning martial artist, the primary stimulus is sight (lan jan), and touch (ch) is secondary. For advanced fighters, touch is pri VOLUME 4, 15SUE 1 mary, and sight is secondary. To ovetload the sense of touch, movements mus be firm and pliable, and most importanty, the center must bre hidden in blur of movement, like a dragon ssrimming in a loud, False Visual Stimulus (Wei Shi Jue) 1. Change the Angle to Gain the Advantage (liao Du): When the opponent i in a secure defensive position, change yous angle so that ic is toward the line ofthe opponent's center, whete thee is no supporting leg, This wil pat the opponent io an unstable fighting pos tion because hes facing you from a position of weaker balance. Proper stepping and torso methods are key to providing a misleading position in relation to the opponent. 2. Fakes and Feints (Wei Da) destabilize the opponent's poscue ony after you have destabilied the opponent’ heart and motions. You must get the opponent to = ales and fines Mactnouniniy | 3 About the Author Sh Miho! Dosrgo began studying Mants Box ing with Shits Tony Payot more than 15 years ogo. Since then he has acquiced imore than 10 years of toch ing experience and more than five yrs experince in igh secanty and execs te protecton deta. Sh Dasorgo cuenty the ey thei of Shit Pay toch 5 Mantis Boxing and works 25a personel fess vainer in Son Diogo, Cat. ‘Atak igh sik low (oss tick wath bocthand.respoct the stimulas before you can cic an overcompensated ‘for o den dense a fae ata, 3. Fast versus Quick: The Three Speeds (San Kui) inially teach us to coord: inate the speed ofthe hands, legs and fet However, advanced levels ofthis prin ciple require timing ‘ments so tha they are connected but appear to be chaotic ‘thus throwing your opponent's thyshm offbeat. This is done by compacting several movements into a small fame of time and space. Top photo: Force tho onemy to overestend (double palm up versus lead hand punch False Touch/Feeling (Wei Chu Fa) The principle of false touch sto imply a direction of a gid stack, and once contacts Bottom photo: Coorinats ‘movements n broken yt {ocontel the enemy nee Ske with vpprc cstablished, rdizect your aeack away from the ‘opponent’ ine of rigidity “The 12 Piable Methods of Mantis Boxing encapsulate the deceptive tactics ofc Mantis Boxing, The aim of the pliable methods isto manipulate the direction of the pponens’s rigidity once contact i established by wing p= ple yet firm techniques Maniquacry To propesy utilize the 12 Phable Methods (listed below), one mast attain a heightened sense ‘of ouch, a keen awareness of spinal roxation and movement, proper structural ligament ofthe body, and yielding capsbiliies ofthe joints Withdraw when encounteting rigid methods Twirl around the blocking arm. ‘When blocked, trap away with the freehand. Redirect in and attack with the free hand. After being blacked, stick with di shou, Avtack after plucking ‘When grad, attack with the fee hand Avoid the opponene’s attack and counter tack from the “side door. 8. Ack after a downward pres 10, Block up and attack with same hand, 11. Follow an open-arm block with a double- hand anack 12, When grabbed, counter by locking Strategy (Bing Fa) The strategist will aways defeat the technician The ulienate method for bridging is o arin the abilcy to identify and relents exploit the ‘weaknesses in an opponent’ posture, behavioral pattens and movement habits. This occurs in 4 martr of seconds by observing an opponent's position, demennor and posture. The following ica sample of sate the various principles of Mantis Boxing jc methods that encapaulte 1. Force the enemy to averextend 2. Crowd by sticking 3. Attack on the hal tp. 4, Provoke stack to create opportunities, 5. Male the enemy move from a srong defense. 6. Read the enemy’s dining to exploit opening 7. Coordinate movements in broken thychm to ‘control the enemy Autack high, strike lo. Aeac ll, seike to che igh ee Closing Notes on Postural Observations Ifthe opponent’ legs are extended, they will rove swifly with es balance. Ifthe opponent's legs are bent, the opponent will move quickly and with stability. If the arms are extended, be mindful of the steps. If che arms are bent, be mindful of the hands, If the opponent's shoul drs are squared, they are vulnerable ro rraping If the opponent’ shoulder are angled, they are vvlierable ro uprooting, Ifthe elbows are out, be mindful of the tjectory.IFthe elbows are down, the mindfal ofthe pewer Ging). MQ vowwme ISSUETraditional Kung Fu and “Traditional” Forms: Forms and Appearances fe eee ceria Tice ines rte sls eel Se eo ape eae egret, ae reer ee ee ln alalog te oie of Cin va fay ene eer eh cee tro, The on mappa diten of Ch anaes ate eaceie pee ee ee ae aaah eee ee ae) ea eee) ee ee ee ee feelers aa ret been eplely mpeard fo he pce fh me, Tee oa hers spel ang bevel tenes legie oar pg ee gee eee are Soa iti nantes ony acs coat ae ane alee ae eee ee care ae) teed of ny Cent proc noms So ste batiine dt lig oe Ta and meso ft Se cel Ti etter sting eho ase Le eer ey ners Seep They ot fos dfs pre of a a ae leas Doda moni cron: They we or omer corel eee care ee ee ee ee ee ae eee eet gee ta ee ee cee oe oe ee ae eee VOUUME 4 ISSUE most of allo learn how to protect themselves, ‘buc for others, thar aspect my be less impor- tant, Yet atu traditionalist wll noe consider the sytem tradirional if the most basic element = taining routines focusing on developing ‘combat skill ~ i eliminated. Fora traditional, orthodox kung fi practitioner, forme ae only ‘one of the training methods that seve this goal the forms themaclves are not the goal A taditional system i noc just forms or ‘other rounes i is avery special body of theo retical concepts combined with taining methods ‘Training methods could include, for example, basic routines (ben gong), stance routines (han huang), forms (told), excises i pairs (dh ian) and different level of sparring (chujt thong sands, gafi sand). ‘They al lead 10 acquiting combat (Sanda) skills, and they ae all lose ted with system-specfic theoretical con- ‘cepts, or the so-called “fie principle” (quan), ‘student leams the system gradually. get ng familar with subsequent taining methods (including forms) and more advanced theoretical concepts (or getting closer roa proper under- standing ofthe concepts) sep by step, while at the same ime developing practical skills. The ‘lements are interconnected, with everything being a long,-term proces. Form are not just somthing to show at a compeciion o get marks for: they are one ofthe training methods that develop combat skills and help students grasp the Principles, concepts and methods cha te forms ‘embody and illusese, Leaning a neve form in 4 given system docin’ jase mean leaning a new {tof movements based on the same principles you low (eventhough this can be the cae); it involves leaning new principles or higher-level principles, ofien resuking in getting 2 new or better perspective on the system in ie coral Sanda, or combat raining, enables you t© text methods and concepts in practice and thus tundersand them beter. In other words, ro understand war you do while practicing forms, yous have to train sanda ar the sme time, Ifyou lon’, you will ot be able to fully understand forms. In traditional systems, forms are not > nd, About the Author ‘his Stoo zor bbagon his waning in 1979 vith yjtsu and hes tc fed many Gong systems, Inctding ving Chun Taji {Quon and axing Tanglong Linder Kar Uwe Pa He 2 dsiple of Ms Tncheng. ‘Shi ear, who hes won ‘10 gold medels and ene ‘vee medal intmotonal ‘mortal ers chomperships tes in Warsow ond is pres- ent ofthe Posh Praying ‘Mantis Kung Fu Soci, ‘Translation by Marcin JcobyShi Slowomi tlzrek performs Ba Wang Shuc ion (The Overlord Swings His Whip) techniques ftom San Lu Zhai Yoo (vd Compilation of seed). separate from combat, and combat not sepa- tate from forms. They are all bound by the same ‘quan the theory of the system, “Many kung fulwushu competitions include scaditonal forms contests, and 39 many competi= tion wsha: practitioners learn forms borrowed from traditional systems, Yet ifs competitor docs not have a proper background ins system, the forms hlshe performs are just ses of movements devoid of thei meaning and contest, What ie lacking is fll comprehension ofthe system ~ its methodology and the place ofa given form in ins seractures anda thoroigh grasp of ies quan (Ge. where che fore belongs i the proces of learning the sstem’s principles). Contrary to cur- ent but rather naive opinions, if we ate speak- ing in erms of a thorough understanding of the system, even knowing applications of techniques from forms doesn't stand for much, From the viewpoint of traditional kung fa, somebody who trains forms detached ffom a certain system (and very often the forms being tsined come from several systems) doesnot possess any deep know edge aboue the system. This can be acquired only through vests of dedicated raining under the supervision of ate master The problems stare when such people believe that chey practice adiional kung fu. Worse sil, some even tech this way and maintain chat they teach traditional kung fu, Yet what they offer is a standard, general athlete training, plas acro- batics, plus forms detached from ther context And when such a mix proves usles in a combat situation, ie often is being supplemented with compedtion sinshou routines or simply kickbon: ing. Practioners in sich schools quickly discover that “combat has nothing todo with forms.” So Some stare concentrating on forms Fr thei aes thetic valu, and others focus on combat based ‘on principles and methods completly detached from the Forms taught at thet own schools. Such “kung fa" practitioners help spread the bei that traditional Chinese martial arts are ineffective. ‘OF course, there is nothing fundamentally ‘wrong with practicing a combinadion of aol and competition sanda. Neverthles, we need to be aware how such a choice relates a «erly authentic wadiconal kung fu sytem, In general, ancient Chinese warrior eaining id not differ that mich from its equivlent in Europe. The arival of forms can be linked with theemergence of demonstration wend. Even in sources on ancient Chinese history, we enco ter mention of performances or shows held 3t ‘courts forthe entertainment of ruler. Fights and combat performances were staged, 28 well as ‘weapons demonstration, sometimes inthe form of long “shadow-boxing” routines, but usually improvised and not reilly codified. For example, descriptions of improvised sword frrss— janes (sword dance) ~ can be found in Tang dynasty pocery. Such improvised “forms” were not par of 4 traning method, but rather a demonsteition of shill acquired through other training methods. Parallel tothe “palace variety” ofthe dem- constration tend, afaik, or common people's, sariery wns leo developing, This was expecially the casein periods of peace after wars. The early Song dynasty (om 960 AD) was sucha time ‘afer along petiod of struggle and unrese dur ing the Five Dynasties, a considerably large aum- ber of extant texte describe demonstrations and ‘warriors becoming as we would now say, tage entertainers, Many people who only knew how to fight needed o find ways of earning a living, and they would often give demonstrations VOUUME 4 SSUE 1 6 | manisquerey‘on market squares during ecive celebrations So attention was shifted from perfecting combat pplication of techniques to a focus on elements that would impress the spectators and atrace, bystanders’ attention to bring in reven. Staged fights were an important par of these demonstrations, which led to the emergence of paired forms and routines (ilian). So-called special technique tj), which belong some- where between martial ars and circus acrobatics, also became important asa way to impress an tuadience. There were alo the shadow boxing Performances mentioned previously, sith or without various types of weapons, and many ‘were improvised. Even though these perform: continiaed practicing combat echniques and skills, much of their me was now devoted t0 training for shows and demonstrations Inthe realm of combat sills, standard toed forms (guiding tau) were noe particularly needed, and in Europe, even though methods of periecting skis i hand-to-hand or weapon combac were also used, no farms as we know them from Chinese nd other related Asian ‘martial arts were developed. We can Europe, in fact, circumstances did ‘not lave any large numbers of warriors without jobs and income, smuking them redundane from the point of view ofthe society, as had been the casein China, Even ‘when such a situation could be envisioned, things such as ruck: bles proved a good way of keeping, the warriors busy. Once showy shadow boxing, became one of the main goals oF eaining, introducing simple and then more and more complicated logical and needed development Although in real combat training forms were not necesary, once they were developed, they were als incorporated ino combat training programs, Forms proved to bea usfil method of incor- porating che main techniques and concepts ofa given school, becoming a useful ool in the training process Keepin mind that in addi- tion ro martial ars, in which actual combat sls were of primal importance (including the military, insurgent forces, bodyguard guilds, and family oF monas: tic systems, for which what we now cll the VOUME 4 SUE 1 Tea Too (White Ape Stas the Peach). self-defense aspect was vital), thete was alo the tendency to focus on the more visually attractive aspects ofthe art for demonstration purposes, ‘Those who ace looking for combatflective Chinese martial ars should take chat into consid craton and look for schools that ry ca maintain a combatoriented eradition, eather chan schools that focus on what is visually appealing and will impress an audience, Today, film choreography is one of the axcas in which there is much development in the performance-orinted marl ars, and wash Forms competitions are nother, Be aware that what you se during so-alled traditional forms competitions are often performances that accu~ ally belong to the spor-demonseation tend of Chinese matial arts. These are forms originally intended to txin combat skills that have been exacted from their orginal systems and trained without fll understanding oftheir meaning, place and funetion within the system, ‘Of course, some people may be more atact ced to the visual appeal of such performances than to combat taining, nd some may enjoy learning ‘competition wash, acrobatics or tricks shown in films. Some may even purse this dection and posibly become famous. Isl good, as long 3 the choice isan informed one, The problem >> Mantisquarey | 7(urning wired, a7 gl aban ere Cia ‘corte Shiu Slewomirhuezoek performs Shi i De Ya (Ten-Shaped Crushing strike) techniques ram Fan Che is that often thore who wind up training in pr: Formance-oriented schools have made the choice ‘tof ignorance Inall disciplines, there are people who have superior knowledge and people who know les Some are more sill some se ese skill There is no denying that such isthe casei history of Chinese martial ares. Not al teachers were gen knowledge thar enabled future development of combat skills, while some, without grasping the principles, pc too much emphasis on imitating appearances. Thi ed to the degeneration ofthe arc itself and che loss of combat vals, Some People continue co insist that Chinese martial ars were being constantly verified in practice, but that ‘was not aways so, Sometimes they were, but not neces. In some periods, such verifiation was Ava real, some pasted on the forced by circumstances, bur in other periods, chat wasnt the ease, Daring any periods, twas pos- sible 0 focus on the circus show aspets ofthe ar. Be awae tha, even though Chinese martial ars ate toa cerain point practical and effective, what we often encounter isa tradition of cule. ing appearances blind imitation of movements and forms, doing routines without understanding them or the stem they ‘ame from, dresing up in pseudo-raditional pajamas, te. Couple this with stories of incredible prowess and miraculous effectiveness stemming fom close iia forms handed down by pre- vious generations, and yous get the picture. The vision oF ang fa created bythe film industry Fosters the demand for this secondary tradition, even ‘hough its followed by disappointment in those who expect 1 achieve martial effecivenes after a certain peiod of training, Asa resulta extcal, rgative view of Chinese martial aes hss spread Those who are seriously interested in com- bat-effective Chinese martial ats should try to determine which typeof tradition 4 schoo! rea ly belongs to. Does i afer an authentic, holistic systems that includes traning methods with binding principles, or does i offer only a col- lection of shallow techniques and forme? I ita coherent, efficent system of methods and pri ciples, oF are forms just practied forthe sake of “uadition,” while a completely differene combat training program is used? Unfortunately, this is ‘not something «beginner can easily acess. MQ Mantis due spb Forsabsciptn lemation, Fotinlmaon sts by Aton ang fue, Fat Words alee) aan eh, sbting ot dt Tero USK Copii 2008 ‘end an enaite agi aease, Ais resend pyhabanickung—sibcinsamtsquareya Send an ena ne No pot a ts pub ‘rac ur web tw stmicconeamante om ‘ny be predeced par noumantaateyar, rat cr ses fob elite ores pean oaanuatecom, Irom eps