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Shaolin Kung Fu Styles
Tang
Lang Quan (Praying Mantis Boxing) (02)
There are several styles of
Northern Praying Mantis, the most famous of which are:
Seven
Star Praying Mantis Boxing 七星螳螂拳
pinyin: qī xīng
tángláng quán
- This style is widespread
in Shandong Province and surrounding areas. Luó Guāngyù
(羅光玉)
is famous for having passed down this style to Hong Kong and
other parts of South China, where it is still practiced today.
Seven Star is known as the 'hardest' of the Praying Mantis
styles. Although seven star praying mantis is considered the
"hardest" of the Mantis styles certain aspects of it
are very internal compared with other external styles of Kung
fu(Gong fu). It features seven star stance, hard hitting and
subtleness. In this style it is important to train the waist
and legs consistently as much of the Mantis power is generated
from them. It is a combination of hardness and softness(yin/yang).
It is often tricky and can be unpredictable. A practictioner
must move lightly but hit with relatively strong strikes to
vital area's.Many blows are fired in quick succession.
Tàijí
Plum Blossom Praying Mantis Boxing 太極梅花螳螂拳
pinyin: tàijíméihuā
tángláng quán
- This style is,
historically, a combination of two different lineages of
Northern Praying Mantis: Tàijí Praying Mantis and Plum
Blossom Praying Mantis. Today, the style is the predecessor of
what have become three different styles of Northern Praying
Mantis: Tàijí Praying Mantis, Plum Blossom Praying Mantis,
and Tàijí Plum Blossom Praying Mantis; all three trace their
lineage to the 5th/6th Generation disciple of Wang Lang, Liang
Xue Xiang, who combined the two styles in the 19th Century.
This style is widespread in Shandong Province and surrounding
areas. What is now called Tàijí Plum Blossom Praying Mantis
traces its lineage to Hǎo Liányù (郝蓮玉),
who was a disciple of Liang Xue Xiang. Hǎo Liányù and
his many sons have since spread the style elsewhere. This
style is well-known for its large, two-handed sword, and for
being somewhat 'softer' than Seven Star Praying Mantis.
Tàijí
Praying Mantis Boxing 太極螳螂拳
pinyin: tàijí tángláng
quán
- This style is, like most
other Northern Praying Mantis styles, based in Shandong
Province, and has since become prevalent in places such as
Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and North America. This style
traces its lineage to Sun Yuan Chang, who was a disciple of
Liang Xue Xiang. Its most famous progenitor is Zhao Zhu Xi,
who is said to have taught (both directly and indirectly)
thousands of students during his lifetime in Vietnam and Hong
Kong, who have since spread to all corners of the globe. He
was given the (Cantonese) nickname Chuk Kai, meaning "Bamboo
Creek", for a famous battle he fought with bandits at
that location.
Plum
Blossom Praying Mantis Boxing 梅花螳螂拳
pinyin: méihuā tángláng
quán
- Widespread in Shandong
Province and its surrounding areas, including Korea. Plum
Blossom Praying Mantis traces its lineage to the blood
brothers Jiang Hua Long and Song Zi De, both disciples of
Liang Xue Xiang. The former is credited with refining the
style by adding movements and techniques from Connecting Arm
Boxing (Tong Bei Quán) and Eight Trigrams Palm (Bāguàzhǎng).
Late in his life, Jiang Hua Long's continual refinement
prompted him to develop a new style named Eight Step Praying
Mantis (bā bù tángláng quán), which is listed below.
Six
Harmony Praying Mantis Boxing 六合螳螂拳
pinyin: liù hé tángláng
quán
- Known as the 'softest'
or most 'internal' of the Praying Mantis styles, Six Harmony
Praying Mantis was passed down by Dīng Zǐchéng (丁子成),
whose students taught in Shandong Province as well as Taiwan.
Six Harmony Praying Mantis has a very different curriculum,
with unique routines not found in other Praying Mantis styles.
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