Quote:
Originally Posted by Tenchu
Okay dude, I am not your enemy. Most the mantis quan I am familiar with has stances that look most like this:
And breaking into movements doesn't really change the stance. I would far from call it protecting the head. Anyway, I go to China to learn more Kung Fu in May this year. I am going to go train at a full time academy, but am also looking forward to heading to Mount Wu Dang, The Forbidden Palace, and the Shaolin Temple - which is not far from where I am to study. Look, maybe I said it a bit wrong. I should clear it up; I dont think any Kung Fu I have seen yet is actually bad, infact, the techniques seem un matched. But it is a life time dedication in order to be effective at it. The advantage of doing something like Muay Thai or Kick Boxing, is your gaurds are always in place. It dont matter if you dont see something comeing coz it was too fast, if you stick to your drills you will be gaurded already. The fact is before a person can train their eyes to see things that are in some cases 4 times faster than a snake strike, and then move to block them, this takes a lot of training. Kung Fu is not something that can be effectively practiced as a part time thing. If you want to protect yourself in a argument at a local sport event that got out of hand or something, frankly, boxing is prob the best option. On the other hand, if you wish to master combat, I would suggest learn many styles from many countries, includeing Kung Fu. This is what I am doing. I am going to have the time to learn to use these moves at full pace, so it is okay for me. Tell me Ivon; do you ever spar, or in some way actually test your moves at full pace? Answer true, I really want to know the truth about what you are being taught. Most Kung Fu places I have seen dont spar. And the instructor thinks he is all hot shot when he has never actually been tested in any way (this was a western Kung Fu place, not Chinese).
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Yes it is a lifetime thing. That is why any decent Kung Fu practice will teach you San Shou/Sanda along with everything else. This type of kickboxing is standard issue along with your more long term training. (Of which I have a 3 hour class today.)
That picture is not the only Kung Fu stance that I know. It looks like a "cat" stance to me cept the fingers are pointing. Southern Mantis has the eye of the elbows facing up with arms at a V shape, ready for a "stamping palm" motion, wrists limp or palms facing inwards depending on what you are going to do. There are many variations of stances.
Oh we also do Shaolin of course and hard Qi Gong exercises are a basic training requirement of Mantis as well.
ps. I thought I told you that we spar and condition ourselves all the time. Remember my story about the Muy Thai guys who told me about how they trained?