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The Hooking Step
of Mantis Boxing
The hooked front foot
posture is one of the signature moves of Mantis Boxing.
Usually called the seven star stance or the hooked foot
stance, older mantis forms such as Luanjie and Duo Gang
(Avoid hardness) rely on this for the majority of their
moves.
Different Schools
Different Names
The hooked front foot is commonly
used in old
Mantis Boxing yet it is rarely seen in other styles of kung
fu.
Eight Step's Wei Xiaotang
and Six Harmony Mantis both call it the sitting tiger
posture. Wei Xiaotang even describes it verbally 'Back
leg bent front leg straight, lift the front foot up and
turn it in.'
Taiji Mantis' Zhao Zhuxi
calls it the grand ultimate horse - taiji ma.
Many other schools such as
Seven Star Mantis call it the seven star stance. My
shifu alternately called it the seven star step or the
hooked step.
Why the Hooked Foot
Mantis is a type of short
strikes boxing. The hooked foot often aims to attach
itself to the leg of the opponent to gain better control
of him. Strikes with the hands, elbows or other parts of
the body while fighting shoulder to shoulder are all
applied from this position.
Hooked Foot from the
Past
This step, by any of the
above names, is rarely mentioned in old
manuscripts of mantis short strikes. It is the type of
thing that would only be mentioned in a classroom
setting. Though it is not mentioned much in old books,
most all modern books of Mantis name the stances as well
as such rudimentary things as punches and blocks. It points to a shift in
the audience.
Old manuscripts were for
masters to record or pass on their techniques and
contained that which was most important to them and
often times even things considered secret. Many new
manuals are mostly written for newer students with the
books having a strong commercial motive.
One place we find this posture
mentioned in the old writings is the applications section of Cui Shoushan's
manuscript. It starts with a paragraph called
The Governing Formula of
Mantis Hands. He
probably copied this from a much older book. It is a
variation on a 400 year old military manual by General
Qi Jiguang called New Book on Effective Training
Methods. It includes the principles of hand and feet
under a six word formula.
It clearly describes the
hooked foot posture,
The front leg is
straight and the rear leg is bent.
This is the simplest yet
most accurate description of the hooked step and almost
the same as Eight Step's Wei Xiaotang's description of
the stance. 'Back leg bent front leg straight.'
The Governing Formula
of Mantis Hands
Discussing the six characters of yin and yang, hard and
soft as well as false and real.
The turning of yin and
yang is essential.
Keep both hands bent.
The front leg is
straight and the rear leg is bent.
Striking and tempting,
Your entire body
applies force when either advancing or retreating.
With your step
advancing forward you'll meet no rival under heaven.
Training of the Hooked
Foot
Traditional Plum Flower
Mantis is taught with a series of between 7 or
8 basic roads. |
