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 Leaking
From The Bottom
Old Mantis Boxing comes from
that period in Chinese history filled with war and
revolt. Famine often brought social uprisings and in
many cases roaming hordes of bandits were caused by
drought and starvation.
This is the historical backdrop of Chinese kung fu.
Because Mantis Boxing descends from that period in
history there is a strong curiosity to know about the
techniques of that era. The traditions of those masters
come to us in oral sayings and rhymes, written
manuscripts and most importantly the catalogs of
techniques and application propagated from master to
student by direct physical contact.
The Maneuvers of Pugilist
Essentials
The Essentials (Zhai Yao) series of forms can be
considered a bridge from the Mantis Boxing practiced today to
an older Qing Dynasty version of Mantis Boxing. The
complete name is Pugilist Essentials (Quan Zhong Zhai
Yao).
Within Cui Shoushan's description of the Zhai Yao
forms he has the following preface extolling their
virtues.
The maneuvers of pugilist essentials are like
a butterfly threading among the flowers. Like a
dragonfly dotting the waters circling high and low
throughout the four directions.
Layered up like the border mountains giving no
road for his hands to enter while he receives injury
all over. This is the so called one complete grand
ultimate (taiji)!
 From
a distance the border mountains of China appear to be an
impenetrable wall without any road to enter or exit.
Within martial arts the word 'road' can mean the way to
your target. The author's meaning is that when you apply
Mantis Boxing techniques the enemy won't see any way to
strike back at you.
This hand written manuscript from Cui Shoushan is
less than one hundred years old, but it was copied, as
is the tradition, from his teacher's manuscript. How far
back does this go?
Some accounts label Sheng Shao Dao Ren as the first
student after Wang Lang, creator of Mantis Boxing.
Whether this is true or not can't be verified, but there
are several manuscripts that date back to Sheng Shao Dao
Ren.
Grand Ultimate Striking of Mantis
Boxing
Within his manuscript is a description of Mantis
Striking very similar to what is written in the
Essentials. It comes from the chapter called Four
Directions Eight Sides. It is a list of ten methods
of fighting along with detailed descriptions on their
use.
 Even
though this is Mantis Boxing and not Tai Ji Quan, but,
like the description of the essentials above, Mantis
Boxing once again uses taiji or the grand ultimate to
describe its method.
Taiji striking uses fanche mantis. The fanche
hand method revolves high and low throughout the
four directions overturning the body and launching
the feet.
Layered up like the border mountains giving no
road for his hands to enter while he receives injury
all over. This is the so called one complete grand
ultimate (taiji)!
 In
the newer manuscript up top by Cui Shoushan we see the
essentials described in almost the same way as the
fanche hand method of mantis.
The above quote from Sheng Shao Dao Ren was also
included within
famous Honk Kong Mantis Master Huang Hanxun's (Wong Han
Fun) book Explanation on the Mystery of Praying
Mantis Boxing
He titled this section Explanation of Four
Directions Eight Sides. His Taiji striking
description is the same as Sheng Shao Dao Ren's above.
As we can see these three versions describing the
grand ultimate (taiji) show a
relationship among various schools of Mantis Boxing that existed at one
time many years ago.
Leaking From The Bottom
Within the first essentials form is a technique known
as 'di lou' which means leaking from the bottom. It belongs to
the oldest group of techniques in Mantis Boxing. The di
lou technique used in First Essential is, 'tou zhan di lou quan
(steal open leak from the bottom fist).'
Tou means to steal and zhan means to open or to
unfold, so the method of tou zhan can simply be translated as
'to steal open'
Tou zhan is very common and is seen
within just about every single Mantis form.
Overturn the Body With Three
Picking Hands
 The
set up for applying di lou is the technique called three
picking hands or mountain climbing hands (pa san shou).
Students of the Seven Star school will recognize this as
gou lou cai or as double sealing hands. Overturn the
body is another way to say that when I attack I advance
my step. The word 'turn' or 'overturn the body' is used
to describe how I move. We saw this in the above quote,
'...overturning the body and launching the feet.'
The application of three picking hands and di lou from
Cui Shoushan's manuscript.
He comes with his right hand.
I seal with my right, pluck his outer right
arm with my left and my right hand snatches his
eyes.
He blocks with his left.
My left hand applies stealing open below his
face. My right hand does di lou hook punch and
knocks him down.
Andrew, on the right, attacks with the right palm.
Phil, on the left, defends with closing hands.
Overturn the Body With Three
Picking Hands in Action
Phil grabs Andrew's arm, this is the first pick of
three.
Phil steps forward, this is the so called 'overturn
the body,' and seals Andrews forearm, the second pick.
Phil strikes Andrew in the face, the third pick.
Originally this is to snatch the eyes, but Phil opts for
the palm strike to the mouth.
Stealing Open Leaking From The
Bottom in Action
Andrew has blocked Phil's strike to the face.
Phil's right hand maintains contact with Andrew's
block. Phil uses the opportunity to grab Andrew's wrist
with his left hand.
This is stealing open.
To properly apply stealing open leak from the bottom
Phil must hook his left foot behind Andrew's right
ankle.
Phil left hand pulls Andrew to the left while
throwing a hook punch to Andrew's head.
This series combines the characteristic advancing
hooked step of Mantis Boxing with grabbing for control
and chopping strikes. After diligent practice you will
see that in fact this series is a variation of lulu
fanche[
For more on
Wang Lang.
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