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| Also known as | Tong4 Long4 Tōrō-ken[a] |
|---|---|
| Focus | Striking,Grappling |
| Country of origin |  China |
| Creator | Wang Lang (王朗)[1] |
| Parenthood | seeOrigins section |
| Part of a series on |
| Chinese martial arts (Wushu) |
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Historical locations |
Northern Praying Mantis (Chinese:螳螂拳;pinyin:tánglángquán;lit. 'praying mantis fist') is a style ofChinese martial arts,[1] sometimes calledShandong Praying Mantis afterits province of origin.[citation needed] It is one of the best known styles of"Northern" kung fu and it encompasses of many styles, with the three main ones being thesix-harmony style,eight-steps style andseven-star style.[1][2]
According to common folk stories, it was created by Wang Lang (王朗) and was named after thepraying mantis, an insect, the aggressiveness of which inspired the style.[1] One version of the myth places the creation of the style during theSong dynasty when Wang Lang was supposedly one of 18 masters gathered by the Abbot Fu Ju (福居), a legendary persona of the historical Abbot Fu Yu (福裕; 1203–1275), to improveShaolin martial arts.[3] However, most legends place Wang Lang in the lateMing dynasty,[4][5] or earlyQing dynasty circa 1650.[1]
Themantis is a long and narrow predatory insect. While heavily armoured, it is not built to withstand forces from perpendicular directions. Consequently, its fighting style involves the use of whip-like/circular motions to deflect direct attacks, which it follows up with precise attacks to the opponent's vital spots. These traits have been subsumed into the Northern Praying Mantis style, under the rubric of "removing something" (blocking to create a gap) and "adding something" (rapid attack).[6]
One of the most distinctive features of Northern Praying Mantis is the "praying mantis hook" (Chinese:螳螂勾;pinyin:tángláng gōu): a hook made of one to three fingers directing force in a whip-like manner. The hook may be used to divert force (blocking), hook onto and adhere to an opponent's limb, such as in clinching, or to strike with the back of the wrist.[1]
Northern Praying Mantis is especially known for its speed and continuous attacks. Wrist/arm techniques in particular are emphasized, as well as knee and elbow strikes. Another prominent feature of the style is its complex footwork, borrowed fromMonkey Kung Fu.[1]
The core of the Mantis system is made up of the following forms:Beng Bu,Luan Jie,Fen Shen Ba Zhou, Quan ZhongZhai Yao andFan Che.[citation needed]
According to the writings of Liang Xuexiang, the original forms of the system, as passed down by Wang Lang, were Luan Jie, Fen Shen Ba Zhou, and the Mi Shou (secret hands, not a form but solo movements). Others have stated that Beng Bu, Luan Jie and Fen Shou Ba Zhou are the original.[citation needed]
Quan Zhong Zhai Yao was created later, and is a compilation of the most important techniques and combinations of the system. A set of seven forms, Zhai Yao is typically regarded as being the result of exchanges between Jiang Hua Long, Li Dan Bai and Song Zi De. Some sources say that Seven Star Mantis founder, Wang Yun Sheng, was also involved in the creation.[citation needed]
There are many legends surrounding the creation of Northern Praying Mantis boxing. One legend attributes the creation of Mantis fist to theSong dynasty when Abbot Fu Ju (福居), a legendary persona of the historical Abbot Fu Yu (福裕) (1203–1275), supposedly invited Wang Lang (王朗) and seventeen other masters to come and improve the martial arts ofShaolin.[7] The Abbot recorded all of the techniques in a manual called theMishou (祕手 – "Secret Hands") and later passed it onto the Taoist priest Shen Xiao. This manual supposedly disappeared until theQianlongreign era when it was published under the name "Arhat exercising merit short strike illustrated manuscript" (Chinese:罗汉行功短打;pinyin:Luóhàn Xínggōng Duǎn Dǎ).[7] Some sources place the folk manuscript's publication on the "sixteenth day of the third month of the spring of 1794".[8] The manual records Wang Lang "absorbed and equalized all previous techniques" learned from the 17 other masters.[4][8]
| # | Name | Technique | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Changquan | Long Fist Boxing | Emperor Taizu of Song |
| 2 | Tongbeiquan | Through the Back | Han Tong |
| 3 | Chan Feng | Wrap Around and Seal | Zheng En |
| 4 | Duanda | Close-range Strikes | Ma Ji |
| 5 | Keshou Tongquan | Knocking Hands and Follow Through Fist | Jin Xiang |
| 6 | Gou Lou Cai Shou | Hooking, Grappling and Plucking Hands | Liu Xing |
| 7 | Zhanna Diefa | Methods of Sticking, Grabbing, and Falling | Yan Qing |
| 8 | Duan Quan | Short Boxing | Wen Yuan |
| 9 | Hou Quan | Monkey Boxing | Sun Heng |
| 10 | Mien Quan | Cotton Fist | Mien Shen |
| 11 | Shuailue Yingbeng | Throwing-Grabbing and Hard Crashing | Gao Huaide |
| 12 | Gunlou Guaner | Rolling, Leaking and Piercing the Ears | Tan Fang |
| 13 | Chuojiao | Mandarin ducks kicking technique | Lin Chong |
| 14 | Qishi Lianquan | Seven Postures of Continuously Linked Strikes | Meng Su |
| 15 | Kunlu Zhenru | Hand Binding and Grabbing | Yang Gun |
| 16 | Woli Paochui | Explosive Strikes into the Hollow Body Parts | Cui Lian |
| 17 | Kao Shen | Leaning Body Techniques | Huang You |
| 18 | Tong long | Praying Mantis | Wong Long |
A third of the masters listed all come from fictional novels.Yan Qing (#7) andLin Chong (#13) come from theWater Margin andEmperor Taizu of Song (#1), Han Tong (#2), Zheng En (#3) andGao Huaide (#11) come from theFei Long Quan Zhuan (飞龙全传 – "The Complete Flying Dragon Biography"), which was published prior to the aforementioned manual.[9]
Another legend connected to the Song Dynasty states Wang Lang participated in aLei tai contest in the capital city ofKaifeng and was defeated by General Han Tong (韩通), the founder ofTongbeiquan. After leaving the fighting arena, he saw a brave praying mantis attacking the wheels of oncoming carts with its "broadsword-like" arms, Mantis fist was born shortly thereafter.[10]
Many martial scholars doubt the existence of Wang Lang, and believe that Mantis was an amalgamation of local Shandong styles, such as Long Fist, Groundboxing, Luohan Quan and Shui Kou Men.
As previously stated, theWater Margin banditsLin Chong andYan Qing, the adopted ofLu Junyi, are said to be part of the 18 masters supposedly invited to Shaolin by the legendary Abbot Fuju. According to thefolklore biography ofSong dynasty GeneralYue Fei, Lin and Lu were former students ofZhou Tong, the general's military arts teacher.[12] One martial legend states Zhou learnedChuojiao boxing from its originator Deng Liang (邓良) and then passed it onto Yue Fei.[13] Chuojiao is also known as the "Water Margin Outlaw style" and "Mandarin Duck Leg" (Chinese:鴛鴦腿;pinyin:Yuānyāng Tuǐ).[14] In theWater Margin's twenty-ninth chapter, entitled "Wu Song, Drunk, Beats Jiang the Gate Guard Giant", it mentionsWu Song, another of Zhou's fictional students, using the "Jade Circle-Steps with Duck and Drake feet".[15]Lin Chong is listed above as being a master of "Mandarin ducks kicking technique".
Northern Mantis Lineage Master Yuen Man Kai openly claims Zhou taught Lin and Lu the "same school" of martial arts that was later combined with the seventeen other schools to create the Mantis style.[16] However, he believes Mantis style was created during theMing dynasty, and was therefore influenced by these eighteen schools from the Song. He also says Lu Junyi taught Yan Qing the same martial arts as he learned from Zhou.[17] Master Yuen further comments Zhou later taught Yue the same school and that Yue was the originator of the mantis move "Black Tiger Steeling [sic] Heart".[17] Note that the various branches of Yue Jia Quan (Yue Family Boxing) do indeed have an analogous postural movement named "Black Tiger Steals the Heart". Also various Yue Jia Quan sets feature a "Preying Mantis Pounces on Prey" claw hand posture as well.
There are several styles of Northern Praying Mantis, the best known of which are:[18]
Mantis fist is usually the mainantagonist's style of choice in various forms of media.[citation needed]
Northern Praying Mantis is one of the most common martial arts appearing in the movies.[20]
David Chiang learns this style from the Mantis inThe Deadly Mantis (1978 film) a.k.a. Shaolin mantis (1978)[citation needed]
The Style is performed inYuen Siu-tien's starringDance of the Drunk Mantis (1979)[citation needed]
InThe Tricky Master (1999),Stephen Chow's apprentice beats an overweightcard sharp in a "fixed" high-stakes poker game. When taunted, the card sharp jumps onto the playing table and defeats Chow's deaf, cross-dressing bodyguard with a "long lost kung fu" called "Fat Mantis", which is the "most powerful...and kills without blood." In the end, Stephen Chow sprays the card sharp with a can ofinsecticide. He falls to the ground dead with his hands and legs held into the air like a bug.[citation needed]
InThe Forbidden Kingdom (2008), the "Silent Monk" (Jet Li) employs mantis fist in his battle over the Monkey King's magical staff with Lu Yan, the "Drunken Immortal" (Jackie Chan). But his Mantis boxing is shortly thereafter overpowered by Lu's Tiger boxing. The movie's screenwriter, John Fusco, is a long-time student of Northern Praying Mantis and worked closely with Jet Li during production.[citation needed]
In the animated movieKung Fu Panda, one of the six kung fu students is an actual praying mantis who uses Northern Praying Mantis kung fu.[21]
InHung Hei-Gun: Decisive Battle With Praying Mantis Fists (洪熙官: 决战螳螂拳) (a.k.a. The Kung Fu Master, 1994),Donnie Yen plays the titular role of legendary martial arts heroHung Hei-Gun. After being beaten up as a Child, Hung's parents send him away to study Kung Fu. He returns eight years later to find his father (who is secretly an anti-Manchu rebel leader) working as the military arms instructor for theQing government, much to the chagrin of the local villagers. Despite his years of training, arakish manchu Prince easily overpowers Hung with the mantis style. After the supposed death of his father, Hung faces the prince once more. When the prince shoots poisonous arrows from his sleeves, Hung twirls his staff to collect the projectiles and then flings them back. The Prince dies from his own poison arrows.[22]
In the 2014Netflix TV seriesMarco Polo, Jia Sidao, the main antagonist, portrayed byChin Han,[23] uses praying mantis kung fu.
Mantis is about a half-Vietnamese serial killer who murderserotic dancers because he believes his pet praying mantis tells him to do so (which is quite similar the real life case involving the "Son of Sam"). He uses this style of fighting utilizing his fingers to attack the neck veins and the eyes.[24]
Lion Rafale, a character fromSega'sVirtua Fighter series, uses Praying Mantis style. He was introduced inVirtua Fighter 2. Chai, a recurring villain of theShenmue series, also uses the style. It is also used byKung Lao andShujinko in theMortal Kombat series. Wulong Goth, the leader of the evil "Black Mantis" sect, employs Praying Mantis in the gameTao Feng: Fist of the Lotus. Gen, from theStreet Fighter series of video games, uses this technique, which he can change at will with the Crane style. In theEternal Champions series, Praying Mantis is used by Larcen Tyler.[citation needed]
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