The 12 Strategies of a Mantis Boxer

The 12 Strategies of a Mantis Boxer

The 12 strategies of mantis boxing are considered to be the cornerstone of this bare-knuckle clinch fighting art originating from...

A Daemon in my Dojo

A Daemon in my Dojo

The afternoon sun turns to shadow early as the solar cycle wanes and we fast approach the winter solstice. I was finishing my training and sitting down to meditate when the visitor walked in.

Research Notes (Open): Power Building Boxing (功力拳, Gōng Lì Quán)

Research Notes (Open): Power Building Boxing (功力拳, Gōng Lì Quán)

Gōng Lì Quán is a unique boxing set from northern China that is found included as a training routine amongst a variety of boxing styles in the north, to include, long fist, eagle claw boxing, and praying mantis boxing. It likely mixed with the latter two styles when it was included as….

Guest Appearance: Mantis Boxing, BJJ, Self-Defense and heresy in martial arts (Ep31 - The Tai Chi Notebook Podcast).

Guest Appearance: Mantis Boxing, BJJ, Self-Defense and heresy in martial arts (Ep31 - The Tai Chi Notebook Podcast).

Good Afternoon All, Back here in New England after spending a week at Martial Arts Studies Conference 2024 in Cardiff, UK. The conference was exceptional, but more on that later. For now, I’ll highlight one of the many outstanding encounters of the trip. I had the distinct pleasure this past week of meeting and sitting down with…

Summary Boxing Set - Training Course

Summary Boxing Set - Training Course

My Mantis Boxing Set + Combat Techniques

The Plum Blossom Connection To Mantis Boxing

The Plum Blossom Connection To Mantis Boxing

Praying Mantis Boxing (táng láng quán 螳螂拳) upon closer inspection, has a deeply rooted past that is intersected and conjoined with the plum boxing. There are a multitude of references in names of mantis boxing sets, movements within forms, and even branches of the mantis boxing style that split off from the main line and went on to brand themselves more specifically as plum blossom praying mantis boxing. It goes beyond mere symbolism. To understand this we have to…

Crushing Step (Bēng Bù)

Crushing Step (Bēng Bù)

Last week kicked off the new course I’m teaching on the mantis boxing set known as Crushing Step. Each week in live stream classes I’ll be taking you step-by-step through the fighting applications of this old boxing set; thought to be one of the originals of the style.

Join me as I give you an in-depth view of how these striking, kicking, and takedown applications work, and how to practice each move on your own.

The Origins of Wang Lang of Tángláng Quán - 螳螂拳

The Origins of Wang Lang of Tángláng Quán - 螳螂拳

Wang Lang (王朗) was a military folk hero/warlord in the Eastern Han dynasty (25CE - 220CE). Born in Tancheng County in the south of Shandong near the border of Jiangsu province. Wang Lang’s deeds are recorded and as with other famous figures in Chinese history, Wang was later memorialized and embellished upon in a famous novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. How did Wang Lang become entwined with the history of Praying Mantis Boxing (Tángláng Quán - 螳螂拳) almost 2 millenia later? Is this the same Wang Lang, or was there someone else who founded this boxing style who went by the same name?

Guest Appearance: Fight Commentary Chats w/ Jerry Liu

Guest Appearance: Fight Commentary Chats w/ Jerry Liu

I recently had the privilege to be invited on Jerry’s new podcast - Fight Commentary Chats. Some of you may have come across Jerry already in your YouTube travels…

10 Principles of Success for Boxers

10 Principles of Success for Boxers
  • Understand the liability, pluses, and minuses of each position and movement.

  • Increase our level of skill through easy to understand diagnostics.

  • Turn our failures into success.

So often in the fighting arts, we lack…

"How Long Does It Take To Be A Black Belt?"

"How Long Does It Take To Be A Black Belt?"

Let’s answer this common question in martial arts with some good ole fashion math!

Guest Appearance: Are Forms/Kata a Waste of Time in Martial Arts? w/ Sensei Ando

Guest Appearance: Are Forms/Kata a Waste of Time in Martial Arts? w/ Sensei Ando

I had the great pleasure of returning once more as a guest on Sensei Ando’s channel Happy Life Martial Arts. We had an amazing, and thought provoking discussion on martial arts forms training, solo training, and more. We even threw some virtual punches, and a shadow Heimlich maneuver was almost necessary. Check out the video for a great podcast.

Our Brain on Solo Training

Our Brain on Solo Training

How our brain and body benefit from solo training in martial arts. But there are pitfalls too.

How to Train Martial Arts on Your Own

How to Train Martial Arts on Your Own

These times require us to innovate and adapt to the changes in our lives, routines, and day to day activities. For weeks many of us have been without a class to attend. The good news? We can still train martial arts without a class or partners, and continue to develop our skills and improve.

What does it take to make this happen? You can watch this video I made this week telling a story on why I had to learn to train myself in martial arts, or you can skip below and jump to the bullet points so you don’t have to wait any longer to train.

Either way, rest assured

Are Head Hits in Boxing/MMA Good or Bad? The Truth...

Are Head Hits in Boxing/MMA Good or Bad? The Truth...

Is getting hit in the head bad for us when we train in martial arts such as boxing, MMA, kickboxing, karate, muay thai, etc.??? Here is how I see it, and what I did to my students to make them train smarter. Being educated on the truth can keep us training safe for years to come.

Countering the Hip Toss

Countering the Hip Toss

Ever been mistaken for a sack of potatoes? Do you dislike being dislodged from the earth you stand on, turned upside down and dropped on your head or back? Here’s a little tip to counter that nasty hip toss throw your opponent might try out of mistaken identity, or something more nefarious.

Size Matters - Tiger Tail vs Hip Toss Throw

Size Matters - Tiger Tail vs Hip Toss Throw

The hip toss, and its variations such as 'overturn the sack', and 'old man carries fish', are awesome and devastating throws. However, there are complications for these throws when applied outside of competitions where weight classes keep opponents generally closer in size to one another. Depending on your size, the hand position, and the choice between using the tiger tail throw instead of hip toss can mean all the difference in success rather than failure.

Cracking the Black: Thomas McNair

Cracking the Black: Thomas McNair

Back in 2012, a young man in his early 20’s walked into my school and signed up for classes. He was excited, highly motivated, and ready to train. He had a great attitude and when he was in class, he would work hard. The first few years saw him…