Hello Karatedrifter:
Mantis is a unique style on it's own, it is considered one of the first eclectic system in martial arts. By that I mean that when Wong Long (founder of mantis) created mantis he incorporated 17 other style into the mantis system.
First we need to understand what style means. In the olden days when you were taught Kung Fu your teacher would tell you that he was going to teach you a new style (form), forms were called styles, and by learning different styles you were basically learning how to develop new rythyms or new techniques that your master wanted you to learn.
In America most people call style the type of martial arts they do (they are not wrong, but this is not what we are talking about). Wong Long incorporated 17 different styles or techniques from 17 different masters that he had learned and made mantis the 18th style added.
What makes mantis different then other Kung Fu styles is the way that we train. In 7-Star Mantis when you practice your forms you see nothing but joint breaking, eye gauging, etc. we don't practice pretty forms and in our training the intensity is on "NO MERCY ON YOUR PREY (OPPONENT)."
All martial arts are good and effective, some just have a little more then others and then it's the combat concepts that separate them. Mantis unique legs and hand work are a force to requem with. Our training is to constantly make contact with your opponent, if one technique doesn't get him the other will. We use the hands and feet 50/50.
By fighting this way it creates confussion on your opponent, you strike to the head and strike to the legs at the same time, now your opponent doesn't know which one to block. Once he chooses which one to block the other hand strikes it's target. We use in 7-Star Mantis the footwork of the monkey and the hands of the mantis. Now just cause you see a person doing a mantis claw doesn't mean that it's mantis what he is doing.
When I was competeting I would see guys come up in the Kung Fu divisions introduce there form as a mantis form and you would see them just holding the mantis claw through out the form. I would go up to them and tell them that was not a mantis form that was something you created or were taught from someone who doesn't know mantis.
Remember we have 17 different styles so we use longfist, some plum blossom, we punch , backfist, hammerfist, poke eyse, you name it. So be careful out there with imitators. Mantis has a unique footwork in itself, it is very distinguishable. Hope this helps.
Peace
Mantismaster
