Tag: improvisation

Class Notes 筆記, Core Concepts 拳法理論

Class Note No. 4

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Student kept resisting hard so the intended moves did not work, and I had to improvize instead. Since he was resisting hard, the stiffness allowed him to defend a couple moves, while at the same time created openings elsewhere. As a result, he got hit a lot, up and down, left and right.

That’s to show the essence of the combat art is not just hitting people fast and hard and with what, but the ability to contorl the flow of the action by adapting faster. This requires a way to acquire information and make timely decisions to not just take the initiative, but to take the initiative away from the opponent.

There is also no pulling back. That’s one central tenent of the Mantis Style.

 

 

Grappling 擒拿, Wrestling 摔跤

Seal, Binding Throw 掛印捆摔

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This is a compound technique with two disticnt phases. A “combo” would be a combination of moves on within the same movement range, say, punching or kicking range, but a compound is a combination of two or more techniques across the spectrum, for example, move from striking to grappling range.

First initiate with Seal, if the opponent fail to defend, it will then be just a hit. Should the opponent deflect the incoming Seal by pushing your arm towards his inside line, you can then cut to and bind the inside of his arm and perform a Binging Throw. Other techniqies can also be used depending on your arm’s position and if the opponent resists your throw. The binding throw is very similar to the Cracking Whip, min. (小摔鞭) in wrestling; the difference being the holding position of the opponent’s arm.

We can learn improvisation by practising compound techniqes as they emphasise on body movement and awareness across the range instead of just trying to strike standing on the same spot.

 

 

Core Concepts 拳法理論

Chaotic Fury 亂截

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The Chaotic Fury is not a “technique”, but, rather, a concept that is ingrained in the Mantis system. I use the term “Chaotic Fury” here to better translate what the concept conveys. In Chinese, and according to different lineages, it can be called in many slightly different variations, such as “Chaotic Sever” (亂截) , “Chaotic…

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Class Notes 筆記, Core Concepts 拳法理論, Wrestling 摔跤

Class Note No. 3

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We are continuing our current theme of initial engagement then proceed to wrestling or grappling immediately.

This is a very fundamental concept to be instilled, as it helps the students understand why it is important to connect to the opponent and how to move across different measures.

If we only learn how to strike or wrestle, it would be very easy to be stuck when the opponent moves in and out of that particular measure, and you would be open for a counter. Connectivity helps us shorten our action cycle and keep the action flowing to maintain the initiative.

Core Concepts 拳法理論, Plum Blossom 梅花, Six Harmonies 六合

Strikes and Takedowns

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The main points here are improvisation and connectivity. Since we don’t go into a fight knowing how the opponent is going to react, we can’t have a predetermined method of approach and a set way to end the fight.

The method is to engage the opponent with credible threats, so he is forced to react to your actions; thereby giving you the initiative and a quicker route to get inside his decision/action loop. You don’t have to be really fast, just a bit faster than his cycles would be enough. This is how you dictate the terms to him. What you do depends entirely on what the opponent is giving you.