A Daemon in my Dojo

A new visitor arrived in my dōjō today, a stranger from a far off land. It is the beginning of autumn in the year 2012. Dōjō, or ‘way place’ in Japanese, a place to study the way of ‘something’, typically martial arts. In Chinese martial arts we call it a wǔ guǎn (wǔshù guǎn), or martial hall, the place in which we gather for the study martial arts.

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. Lately I have been consistently practicing meditation as a post training routine to clear the mind, to take inventory, and to stay grateful.

It has been thirteen years since I began practicing Praying Mantis Boxing (tángláng quán), and a bit over a year since undertaking the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (B.J.J.). I recently competed in my first BJJ competition as a newish white belt. Currently, I am training and coaching six days per week, as has been the case for the past eight years. When I’m not teaching or occasionally unfurling my wings to deftly dance off a cliff to reach for the clouds above, I pen articles on martial arts as thoughts and ideas materialize that may be of use for others on this path. I have been cross training in other arts for a few years, nothing serious prior to BJJ, but enough so that I have been experiencing modalities outside of Chinese boxing arts; seeing a broader picture.

I sit regulating my breathing, trying to focus my mind. A bright warm light washes over me as the door opens. The stranger interrupts with abrupt words that leap forth like a flash of briny sea water surging to shore on the rush of high tide. These noises flood my brain. At first I am annoyed at this intrusion, and try to ignore it for a moment of solitude. Then, I pause to listen to what he said to me.

As my mind churns over the information it feels as if this visitor is casting a bright spotlight into the deepest umbra in my brain. He begins to spout emphatically about Bēng Bù, crushing step for short, but the longer meaning is – steps to cause the enemy to collapse and fall into ruin. Bēng bù is a shadow boxing set found in styles of mantis boxing, I have been practicing this set since 2005 learning five or more versions from the various lines of mantis boxing, part of my quest to decipher the true intent behind the shadow boxing shell transmitted through mantis boxing lineages for the past one hundred years, or more. I’ve vigorously searched for the hand-to-hand combat applications originally intended by the creator(s), wanting my own continuation of this boxing style to be effective in fighting. Something I have rarely seen thus far.

Eventually I settled onto one version of bēng bù that I train a few times per week, occasionally spending time mulling over the potential applications within my head. The stranger's words snap like a bolt of lightning crackling through my mind. Riding along the spectrum of light his question crackles forth: “Why is bēng bù, like so many other Mantis Boxing forms, begun with and finished with the move, ‘Mantis Catches Cicada’?”, he continues on, “This is not a finishing move to end a fight, so why would this technique of all of them be laid out in form after form almost as bookends?”, “Is this just stylization? Is it a meaningful application?” His questions intrigue my mind, I begin chasing the lightning along its incongruous path.

Code breaking comes to mind, more specifically ciphers. I reply to the stranger, “A cipher used to crack open an ancient codex. A boxing form, in this case crushing step, a set of choreographed moves from a boxer of old, is this the codex and Mantis Catches Cicada the cipher? Perhaps this move is ‘the key’ to unlock the applications within the form?” I begin traversing the halls of the labyrinth in my mind, searching every corner, opening every door, looking at each move in bēng bù from a ‘two hooks’ (neck and arm, or colloquially known in fighting circles as a ‘clinch’ position.

The dialogue and the air around this impromptu visitor, ripple with electricity in the air. I struggle to keep pace with the trove of possibilities his questions raise. As I peruse the catalog of choreography in each road of the set, I conclude that some of the bēng bù boxing moves could certainly function from this position, but others clearly not. The questions then enter my mind, “Where is he from?”, “What, or who, is the source of visitors knowledge?”, “How did he happen upon my dojo?”. I asked his name. “Wang”, he replied.

Wang was a pesty guest, talking incessantly his entire visit. “Does he ever shut up?”, I wondered to myself silently. A wave of empathy washed over me, he did travel from afar, and spent so much time alone unable to talk to anyone about this subject matter. A topic that must be yearning to escape the prison of his mind.

Wang spoke day and night, following me home after classes. He had nowhere else to stay on his visit, I felt compelled to open my home to him, annoyed at times, but grateful for his illuminating thoughts and inquiries.

During his stay I rarely caught a wink of sleep. Wang sat next to my bed at night incessantly rambling till the sun came up. With no choice I lay awake listening to the chatter, staring at the ceiling, throwing off the sheets in exasperation, pacing the room, and spending nights shadow boxing while Wang rolled on. I caught a wink of shuteye here and there, only to rise early again the next day. A true insomniac, Wang did not sleep, obsessed with his ideas which spawned forth like seven hundred baby mantids hatching from an ootheca in the midsummer garden.

With seemingly nowhere else to be, Wang stayed for weeks, revealing a series of mantis boxing positions and hand-to-hand combat applications I had never considered before. I immediately went to task testing these in drills, sparring, and grappling as Wang sat looking on in satisfaction. A new world arose around me; a schism manifested, a cataclysmic shift in my worldview of fighting.

Wang, seeing my progress, bid me farewell for the time being, proclaiming as he exited my dojo, “Perhaps I’ll return, but for now, you need to chew for a while before we can dine again.” I bowed to Wang in gratitude, and wished him well on his travels. Thus concluded my first visit with the daemon who sojourned to my dojo.

---

Discovering the 12 Keywords of Mantis Boxing

The above short story is an allegory based on real events. An episode in my life back in 2012 consiting of an explosion of ideas and thoughts. The dōjō is not the one I train and coach inside night after night, but rather the one I spend far more time in, the one inside my mind.

My daemon, Wang, is based on Wang Lang the mythical founder of mantis boxing. The man accredited with the origin of this boxing style hundreds, or thousands of years ago, depending on who you listen to. You can read more about Wang Lang in an article I wrote on his possible accreditation to the art here: The Apotheosis of Wang Lang

Prior to this experience I had little in the way of instruction or conversance with the 12 keywords of Mantis Boxing. I certainly knew of them, as most serious and long term practitioners of the art do, but I had yet to delve into them. From my observations and experiences any information regarding these keywords, and conversations surrounding them amongst mantis boxers and coaches, devolved into arguments over what the ‘correct’ keywords are, and their true meaning.

The thoughts I had on ‘mantis catches cicada’ were real. However, while this was a ground-breaking revelation that sparked an age of discovery, and helped lead me onto a fruitful path, years later I debunked this theory when my research exposed mantis catches cicada as nothing more than a — brand moniker, rather than an actual fighting technique. A mantis boxing en garde to proclaim, ‘We do mantis.’ This moment in time though, when all these thoughts began to appear, shifted my brain into thinking of each move from a whole new pillar of fighting — wrestling/grappling.

My daemon helped me to see the first three of the twelve keywords of mantis boxing with new eyes. I began to commit pen to paper, to record these thoughts as they manifested. It crawled from my pores with an unstoppable force. We took photos. I wrote my first quasi-article on ‘What is Praying Mantis Boxing’, now titled The Heart of the Mantis, a rough experience. This idea that wrestling was an integral part of mantis boxing was scoffed at by the mantis boxing community, and some were extremely rude in their rebuttals. I charged forth anyway, fully committed and stalwart in my belief that I was on the right path. As with any new endeavor, I was getting my legs under me as I awoke from a slumber.

Over the ensuing years Wang would come by for a visit from time to time. If I was not paying attention he would splash hot tea on my brain, burning me so I would once more bring my full attention to bear on what he had to say. As I continued boxing, grappling, and progressing in BJJ I unlocked more and more positions and fighting applications. An increasing number of the keywords unlocked before my eyes.

I noticed a similarity with other grappling arts and recalled Gichin Funakoshi remarking in his book Karate-Do that I read back in 1999, that Kara-Te (way of the Tang Hand) was a blend of techniques Okinawan nobles would bring home from southern China during the Tang dynasty, and blend them with their indigenous fighting arts. Years later finding out those indigenous arts were wrestling.

As we sat in the garden sipping tea on one of Wang’s visits, he asked me: “What were China’s indigenous fighting arts?” I began to delve into the history of the Chinese martial arts ecosystem as a whole, coming across...Bokh, the Mongolian wrestling arts still alive to this day. This was enlightening especially since many techniques looked similar to postures found within Mantis Boxing (and other styles) forms of Chinese martial arts that I had studied over the years, to include: taijiquan, eagle claw, long fist, and more.

Bokh, and its history/influence on Chinese culture when the Mongols invaded and took over China during the Yuan dynasty, made me grossly aware that Mantis Boxing along with other Northern Chinese Martial Arts styles that I had studied over the years, contained a great deal of stand-up grappling, or wrestling. This realization has evolved over time as my understanding has grown, now aware that the Manchu were heavily vested in wrestling culture, ruling China for over 250 years during the Qing dynasty; the last of the dynastic eras of China. From there a growing realization of Han wrestling, jacket and no jacket wrestling from the Shaanxi, Shanxi provinces, along with a broader understanding of how much wrestling was part and parcel to so many cultures the world over, almost integral to our DNA as a species.

I could now see that a bulk of these ‘systems’ from northern China seemed to revolve ‘around’ grappling as a primary pillar, using methods and tools to facilitate ways to clinch and grapple an opponent, to throw or trip them to the ground.

The other primary art I trained and taught at the time of writing the above essay, was Taijiquan, specifically Yang family style which was originally known as small cotton boxing. The principles within that style also screamed grappling and I began to dig into the 13 keywords of Taijiquan, performing a comparative analysis of mantis boxing and supreme ultimate boxing after finding so many parallels. This is a working document that I return to from time to time over the years - Brothers in Arms: Mantis Boxing versus Supreme Ultimate Boxing

Arriving at ‘my’ 12 Keywords of Mantis Boxing

Hook, Clinch, and Pluck were the first lessons from Wang Lang. These were followed by Lean. Lean was particularly elusive at first simply because myself being a striker/kicker I failed to see why we would want to lean in a fight, only to give our opponent a shorter distance to hit us in the head. Once applied to grappling and the close distance fight, leaning becomes integral to our survival.

The other keywords were increasingly harder to unravel, with growing absences between visits from my daemon. Long arduous periods of contemplation and frustration, times where I would continue to ask questions into an endless vacant void. From time to time though, my daemon would once more return, once more shredding the thick overgrown vegetation of confusion with razor sharp claws.

Once I could see through the adeptly graven undergrowth, and light shine upon the darkness once more, new techniques would reveal themselves. Eventually, a keyword, or two, would whisper from the lips of my daemon and wisp through the tattered leaves in the garden.

Adhere was the next to become apparent, especially due to its significance in BJJ, where controlling, or consuming space from an enemy while grappling on the ground was so significant. The same was true in stand-up grappling.

Strike was not as simple as it seemed. Ultimately, it is simple ‘to hit’, but why would something so obvious be a keyword? My daemon laughed at me, “If you don’t strike as you Enter, you’ll meet your doom.” he said. “If you do not strike to Connect, you will fail to find your enemies limbs, and meet their fists as you arrive.” “If you do not strike in the clinch, be prepared to receive…injury!”, he laughed harder.

Connect & Stick were the next keywords to be codified. Wang Lang, ever the sarcastic ethereal daemon, made disgusting references to gum, saliva, and the various stages of sticking, to bring these epiphanies to life. “That’s the easy part, but knowing when and how to use them without being punished is another issue entirely.” Offensive application versus defensive utilization was worthy of deep study, otherwise a broken nose would ensue.

Beng, to collapse and Fall Into Ruin came to me in the garden one day. Wang Lang was hanging out on the branches of my kale plants attempting to capture unsuspecting wasps, butterflies, and bees. As his hook snapped out to strike an unsuspecting passerby, he did not crush this victim with his deft strike, but caused it to collapse and fold in upon itself, crumbling to the ground below.

Beng was such a loud lesson that I had to write an article for it and publish it in a magazine for all to see. The idea that causing the opponent to collapse and fall into ruin using various methods, was revelatory to say the least. Especially since one of the core forms of mantis uses this in its name.

Wicked, or in other words, to be ‘sly, deceitful, or tricky’. Wang Lang just flat out hit me over the head with a heavenly strike on this one. What is a fake, or feint when boxing, if not a ruse to open up the opponent and land a strike? A loud noise, bang, or yell - are they not a diversion to enrapture our opponent for a brief moment so that we may gain unfettered access to enter and annihilate them? The use of pluck to force an opponent in the opposing direction of our throw, trip, or takedown, gain freedom to adhere and lean as we barrel forth into a takedown; is that not beguiling?

Wang Lang was rather condescending on that last one, especially since I had been using these tools for years yet failed to see the connection to the keyword he left etched in history.

Hang was another slap on the head, or ‘duh’ moment. Hang was pointed out by my daemon genius spirit. He vaingloriously proclaimed to me - “If you don’t root, lower, ‘hang’ on your adversary when engaged with hooks in the clinch, you’ll get tossed and trampled like you tried to wrestle an elephant!!!”

The Keys to the Style? Or Keys to the Stylist?

The 12 keyword formula of Tángláng Quán (Praying Mantis Boxing 螳螂拳) houses the principles that help define the art. These characters, or variations of them, have been passed down through the common vernacular of Chinese boxing methods in northern China. While not unique to mantis boxing, and evidence of their existence in other styles of the region and time period exist, they can establish a definitive strategy for mantis boxers; much more so than a collection of tao lu (forms) that have no consistency from one branch of the style to the next.

Replication of these keywords does exist among the various lineages of mantis boxing, especially in the first few keywords. No matter the style, many of the more obvious in name keywords such as: Strike, Crush, Hook, Enter, Lean, Clinch, Pluck can be witnessed in Mantis Boxing forms. Those which are harder to mimic in the air - Connect, Stick, Adhere, Hang, and Wicked, are absent in the forms from all indications, and are found rather through live training and sparring practice.

Many of the grappling specific keywords exist in various forms of martial arts still alive today. Although lost within Mantis Boxing lines, one needs simply look at other unarmed combative styles to find evidence of not only their existence, but also significance when it comes to fighting.

An art, of any type, is not defined by hard and fast rules, but is open to interpretation and adaptation by the artist. Keywords of a style, or system of boxing, are a series of principles to guide the practitioner. The definition of these principles and what they mean is highly variable and intimately related to the boxer using and/or coaching them.

The keywords can change from boxer to boxer, allowing for wide adaptation and freedom of expression, and each boxer can select which they rely on more than others. As long as the boxer adheres to a loose framework which includes the hook and pluck keywords, as well as the connecting and sticking specifically, then the stylist is still manifesting an art which mimics the fighting traits of the praying mantis.

These 12 keywords I pass on represent the foundational core of my mantis boxing art. Which strikes, kicks, throws, trips, submissions, you choose to use when you fight can vary widely from my own. And yet, with common principles we bond together as martial artists, share, and reward one another’s successes.

It took me six years to unlock what these keywords mean to me. Use them to discover your own methods. Keep what is valuable to you, discard what is not. Practice with it, fight with it, and your own truth will be one day be revealed to you. Validity in martial arts is not established by the opinion of others, but rather it is, and should be, measured by the success of the actions and execution of our methods.

To learn more about my 12 Keywords of Mantis Boxing you can find a course I have available that combines video instruction with more detail in written explanations and descriptions of each of the 12 keywords.

Cracking the Black: Thomas McNair

Thomas McNair - circa 15 - photo by Max Kotchouro

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 come and go from classes, consistency was holding him back from advancing beyond blue belt.

Eventually he dedicated himself for a stretch of time that he was able to bench up to green belt, and then he disappeared again. As time passed, he would show up for weeks at a time, coming to 5 or 6 classes per week, and training hard. He would recommit, only to bounce out 4 to 6 weeks later and resurface 3 or 4 months later.

This went on for a time, and it perplexed me. He was a kind soul, with a good sense of humor, and consistently helping other people when he was on the mats, and off. He worked at group homes assisting people unable to assist themselves. Always giving. He would recruit anyone that would listen, to come to classes with us; his friends, significant other, even his own mother (where’s my aleve…?). [inside joke that she’ll appreciate]

In mantis boxing, a majority will make yellow belt, and from there maybe half those will get to blue belt. It’s a lengthy journey, and not everyone can commit to it for years at a time to get there. So when someone makes it to green belt, the odds are greater that they will move through the ranks to black belt. This is not always the case of course, but green belt has many challenges in front of it. Someone has learned to survive as a white belt, honed their defense between yellow and blue belt, and is starting to finally get in stride and see the bigger picture of all these moving parts coming together, so they can begin to develop their own game, or art.

As a teacher, coach, guide on this journey for others, it is difficult to see someone get this far, and then drop off. So this time, I reached out to have a heart to heart and find out what was going on. What did I find? Nothing surprising from a man like Thomas. He was working long hours and almost every day of the week, driving himself into the ground helping others. And he was about to break.

Thomas can do jobs I could never do. Character traits I lack, he seems to naturally possess. This makes him perfectly suited for service fields that require someone dedicate their time to helping others who cannot help themselves. It is a commendable and inspiring vocation. Unfortunately, he was burning out after years of taking care of others, but not himself. Thomas was ready to move to the woods and never talk to another human being again.

We had a long chat about his work, future plans, and where he stood with his training. I asked him if he still wanted to train, and continue on the journey. He said, yes. He wanted to get to black belt, and he really loved martial arts, but he didn’t know how to get back to a place where he could focus on it.

Backing up for a moment, a couple years prior I stopped teaching my kids program. I had burned out and my heart was more into teaching adults at the time. Having taught kids for years, I did not feel I was making an impact on their lives in a positive manner. In those 11 years, I had maybe 3 or 4 kids that successfully made the transition from the kids class to the adult class. I blamed myself for this failing, and decided to walk away for a while and focus strictly on my adult classes, which were doing far better by comparison.

So in our conversation, when Thomas and I were discussing where he was going next in life, I offered to restart the kids program if he would come on board as an instructor to help get it off the ground again. He could continue to help other people, something integral to his core, and simultaneously refocus on his training; taking it to the next level and bringing him a step closer to fulfilling his dreams.

I asked him to think it over, even though he was immediately excited and ready to jump in, just to ensure he was prepared to commit. He was all in, and came back to me with his true path - to become a martial arts instructor as his career.

Since then, Thomas has applied himself diligently to his craft. He has grown not only as a mantis boxer and jiu-jitsu grappler, but as a person. He has matured immensely, evolving from a wanderer, a part-time student of combat sports; to a humble, competent, and effective instructor, coach; and dedicated martial artist. In that transition his skills elevated to a whole new magnitude, to which he later confessed that he had no idea how significantly that - consistency, dedication, perseverance, and effort - would benefit his growth as a fighter, warrior, and human being.

As a coach and teacher, watching these transformations is what makes it all worthwhile. It has been an honor to watch from the sidelines as Thomas stepped up his game and transformed into something he could previously only imagine. He is now, one of four black belts in mantis boxing by my hand. Congratulations, Thomas.

Thomas McNair promoted to Black Belt in Mantis Boxing by Randy Brown on Saturday, December 7, 2019.

photos by Max Kotchouro

The Art of Counter-Striking

photo by Max Kotchouro

There are two types of fighters - offensive fighters, and counter-fighters. A list of descriptors that may indicate we are an offensive style fighter are comprised of, but not limited to - competitive, aggressive, confrontational, type-A personality, control freak. We know who we are! On the inverse, if we’re a counter-fighter, we may be described as - laid back, docile, relaxed, non-confrontational. I contest that, no matter what our style of fighting is, counter-striking skills are crucial to both camps of fighters. For now, if you are an offensive fighter, skip ahead to the section below on offensive fighters. If you are a counter-fighter, then continue on to the next paragraph.

Counter-Fighters

If we are a counter-fighter, then the following techniques are going to be our bread and butter. We are the ‘shield-bearers’, the ‘defenders’. After we attain a base proficiency in blocking then we will need to immediately gravitate towards applying counter-strikes. We cannot defend, or retreat forever. In order to prevent our aggressor from becoming emboldened and running us down, we need to hit them back from time to time to send a message.

What defines “a base proficiency in blocking?” This manifests from learning to trust our blocks; an absolutely crucial facet to counter-striking strategy. Slipping and ducking can apply here as well. When we’re new to the striking arts we learn to block, slip, duck, dodge, but in the interim we usually have one, and only one gear we know how to use in regards to our footwork - reverse. This is OK at first, as it hedges our bets on blocking and keeps us at a safer distance. Meaning we can block, but we’re essentially neutralizing our opponents attack with our footwork at the same time.

If we examine this move for move, our opponent advances with a strike and our footwork, ‘could’, if properly timed and spaced, eliminate the need to block. While this is a fair tactic, we cannot backup forever and our opponent can move forward further and faster than we can move backwards.

The solution comes down to taming our fear, or attaining some semblance of emotional control. We do this by either learning to take a punch (an ill advised solution), or by gaining proficiency in blocking, slipping, ducking, or a combination thereof. The latter cogent so that our defensive deflection is dependable and worthy of trust. Once we have achieved this skill, then we can venture forth into the counter techniques shown further below. First, we need to address those offensive fighters, whose skills are also necessary to us when faced off against another counter-fighter. Otherwise…there is just an uncomfortable stare down.

Offensive Fighters

If we’re an offensive fighter then our strategy/tactics/game are comprised of - going in, stealing the initiative; or obtaining the first-strike. Unsettling our opponent so they cannot gain first-strike capability on us. We prefer to dictate the pace and energy of the fight. For us, bridging tactics, rather than counter-striking are the key to our survival; the primary swords in our arsenal. In a battlefield scenario, we are the ‘cavalry’, or the ‘archers’. We launch the preliminary attack, engaging the enemy, gaining initiative, and disrupting their defense.

Let’s examine this more closely in a play by play:

1. We launch our first-strike attack on our opponent.

2. As we enter the fray they blast us in the leg with a powerful round kick to the soft tissue of the quadricep muscle (think charly horse). Or equally destructive, the femoral nerve on the inside of the thigh.

3. This counter-attack stops us in our tracks and we miss our attack opportunity, opting to retreat and recover our position instead of pressing forth.

4. The second attempt…ends with the same result. If our opponent is good, then they nailed us in the same target as the first time.

5. We may muster the courage to try once more with the same assault. For the sake of this scenario, we meet the same fate for the third time. Our leg is now feeling like rubber and we decide at this point to stop pressing the attack and try to nurse our wounds.

What’s next? Scroll back up to the section on counter-fighting because we just got schooled on why, as offensive fighters, we need to have a counter-striking game in our arsenal. Our opponent just turned us into a counter-fighter.

Counter-Strike Setups

In order to develop counter-striking as an intrinsic part of our game, there are some simple counters we can start with. From there we can increase the complexity. Let’s start with counters found in some of the old mantis boxing forms such as ‘upper block/punch’, and ‘upper block/chop’, and more:

This weeks episode focuses on counter-striking techniques found in a Mantis Boxing form known as White Ape Steals Peach (Bai Yuan Tou Tao). Allen helps out with the striking demo, and we show the upper block and strike, plus a few important details on your arm position for the upper block to work effectively.

Starter Counters

• Upper Block to Straight Punch, or Thrust Palm

• Upper Block to Chopping Fist (Hammer Fist)

• White Snake Spits Tongue - Circle In Block to Spear Hand, or Eye Plunder

• Circle In Block to Thrust Palm

• Circle Out Block to Ear Claw

These are simple retaliatory strikes that flow naturally off of the blocks they accompany. The key to success with these counters is more about timing, proper range (may need to close the gap as part of the counter), and seeing them real time. The last being the most difficult, and only manifests from experience drilling with feeders, and light sparring.

Adding Complexity

The following are simple counters but rely heavily on an advanced awareness of our enemies position, proper guard, good blocks, and the aforementioned timing and awareness. The overall feeder (strike thrown from the opponent) that we’re looking for is easy, but reconnoitering the enemy footwork prior to execution is critical.

In regards to executing these techniques, it is imperative that the defensive guard facets of our game are in place before applying the following counters. See further below for common fail points with these two techniques. Hint: usually attributed to a failed guard component.

These next two counters are also prevalent in mantis boxing forms that have been handed down over the generations. They are, in my opinion, some of the better counters but they are mutually exclusive; related to one another only in a general category of counter-strikes, as they require unique entries by our opponent.

Monkey Steals Peach - Opposite Arm Attack

The setup we’re looking for to initiate monkey steals peach is as follows:

1. My left foot is forward and my opponent is matching/mirroring my stance with their left foot forward.

2. The strike initiates from their left (lead/opposite) hand as they shuffle in. As you’ll see in the video, use a parry (not a block) combined with a cross circle step to their outside line.

3. Counter with a groin slap.

Alternatively, my opponent is instead starting from a southpaw stance. In this case I would need them to step in vs shuffle in with their opposite hand (left hand strike in our example above). The end result is the same, I get the opposing arm and foot leading the charge.

Here is an in-depth look at the Mantis Boxing move - Monkey Steals Peach (猴子偷桃). This is one of my favorite counters. Over the years, I've come to rely on a few follow-ups after people began countering the move. In this video we're including some small details to help you with the execution, and diving into alternative outcomes.

Crazy Ghost Fist - Same Side Arm

The setup for crazy ghost fist is as follows:

1. My left foot is forward. My opponent’s right foot is forward placing us in a southpaw position.

2. The strike initiates from their right hand as they shuffle in. I use a parry rather than a block, guiding the hand off to the side, being sure not to aggressively push it away. This will cause my body to twist up and reduce my counter-punch power.

3. Coordinate the parry with a slip offline toward the outside of their lead (right) foot.

4. Shuffle forward and counter with cannon fist to the liver.

As with monkey steals peach, an alternate setup is for the opponent to start with left foot forward, but they step in, rather than shuffle in. We end up with the same right arm/right foot combo we need for the counter-strike opportunity to manifest.

Scenarios

When and where to apply monkey steals peach (MSP) vs crazy ghost fist (CGF).

A. CGF - opponent shuffles forward with lead hand strike from southpaw stance.

B. MSP - opponent steps in with a rear hand strike from southpaw stance.

C. CGF - opponent steps in with rear hand strike from matched stance.

D. MSP - opponent shuffles in with lead hand strike from matched stance.

Common Fail Points

1. Guard

   In order to apply counters successfully, especially monkey steals peach and crazy ghost fist, our guard must be intact and operating to maximum efficiency. With even one component of our guard out of place things unravel very quickly when trying to block, never mind trying to apply a counter-strike. It is possible to trade shot for shot while staying in the pocket, but this is ill advised especially against a larger, stronger, or more skilled opponent. Proper guard positioning will not only shut down many of our openings, but also lead to a successful block|counter response.
   
   Guard Components:
   Hands up - fingertips no higher than eyebrows. Preferably lower.
   Elbows tucked - covers the liver and stomach targets
   Staggered arms - 1 arm in, 1 arm out. This is assisted by a bladed body position and staggered stance.
   Shoulder Line - our hands are lined up on the opponents shoulders creating an open channel down the center

2. Crossing Zones

   This is usually a bi-product of our guard failing. Having to cross zones in order to block because our hands were down, or not lined up with the opponents shoulders. Crossing zones ties up our arms and forces us into awkward positions that spin wildly out of control. We’re forced at this point to bail out if we can, and try to reset our position to neutral.

3. Out of Neutral Position

   Allowing the opponent to gain our centerline before they close range can lead to a crisis we have to contend with rather than looking for counter-strikes. While it is still possible to counter from a bad angle, our position is so poor that our strike will lack power and we’ll quickly pay for any minor success by stumbling, falling, tripping, or succumbing to the rain of blows that is sure to follow from our opponents superior positioning. It is imperative we pay close attention to keeping neutral positioning until the engagement takes place.

Double Seal Hands

It may not happen often, but when it does, it's good to have an answer for it. We're in the flank position, and our opponent is holding our wrists to shut down strikes. We're not in a good position for knees, elbows, or kicks. Many of the throws (Shuāi 摔) in our arsenal are shut down. What do we do?

Double Seal Hands! This armbar/joint lock setup (Chin Na or Qín Ná 擒拿) can be highly destructive to our opponent, and get us out of a bind and put them into one. There's a nice throw component I'll show that you can add on to the arm bar as well.

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Seize Leg - Mantis Heel Kick Defense

I absolutely love this heel kick defense. My favorite one to practice, as you'll see in the video; thank you Thomas! There are two variations of this depending on the leg the opponent kicks with, and whether we end up on the inside or outside position.

Some clear distinctions:

Variation I (above) - uses the chopping hand to clear as we are cutting across the chest to get the sweep. 

Variation II (below) - uses Inverted Mantis Neck Hook. The chopping hand won't work here because of the neck angle, so the Mantis Hook is used to catch the neck and unbalance them for the sweep.

For some of my personal notes on Seize Leg and where it shows up in Mantis Boxing forms, check out my backer page. You get early access to videos, and exclusive content for joining.

Tame Tiger - Heel Kick Defense

Here's a great counter to the heel kick. This move is actually inside Tai Ji Quan forms, but I adopted into my Mantis Boxing system after seeing it in Muay Thai. It's an awesome counter/defense against the heel kick, and definitely one I want in my arsenal.

There are some nuances to it, and inside this video I'll highlight 3 fail points that are common and how to avoid them. Check it out.

Oh, and Thomas really took one for the team on this video, so be sure to give him a shout out in the comment section.

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LEAN (Kào 靠) - 12 of 12 - The Keywords of Mantis Boxing

Lean (Kào 靠) - to lean against one’s opponent. Due to the heavy reliance upon grappling and clinchwork in Mantis Boxing, Kào is an important keyword when engaged close range with the enemy.

Postural Defense

Once we are entangled in the Clinch (Lǒu 摟), we lean in to protect our position, or risk being taken down, or pushed over. We use our foe as a support structure, leaning against them whilst engaged in grappling and clinchwork. This is synchronous with Adhere (Tiē 貼).

While we Adhere, we shore up our position by using Kào. If this becomes impossible, we should break range and secure a better position. Kào can shut down my opponent’s attempt at hip toss throws; dropping my CG making it difficult for him/her to get their hips (fulcrum) under my CG.

It also reduces chances for them using Crashing Tide; their posture would become compromised simply upon attempt. Another advantage provided by Kào, is buffering the double leg takedown. If we’re upright, our legs are within easy grasp, and shortens the time until their shoot. By leaning, I can sprawl easier and faster by dropping my CG and putting my weight down upon their shoulders.

Overall, if we can stay inside the clinch with a solid posture, and forward lean, we can use this pressure to time takedowns with applied force.

Applied Force

In addition to securing our position with solid posture, we can also use the shoulder to assist in our own throws. The shoulder is used heavily in a lean forward type motion to affect applied force. This assists in the execution of many takedowns such as Crashing Tide, Single and Double Leg Takedowns, Point at Star, Reaping Leg, Crane Spreads Wings, and more.

What Type of Gloves Should You Train With?

MMA Gloves or Boxing Gloves? Which glove should you train with?

This is a great question we are going to tackle today. The type of glove we use in training, can have adverse affects on our skills. It's important to know the difference and choose the right glove, for the right goals we are trying to achieve.

What's the difference between and MMA vs Boxing Glove? Why should we be concerned with it? Check out this video to find out.

CRUSH (Bēng 崩) - 9 of 12 - The Keywords of Mantis Boxing

Crush (Bēng 崩)

Crush (Bēng 崩) - to ‘collapse and fall into ruin’. Also known as 'crushing' in many Chinese Martial Arts usages. Bēng is used to attack the vital targets in the midsection of an opponent. Effective strike targets such as: the liver, stomach; ribs, and the real treasure - the solar plexus, or central palace in Taijiquan. All of these targets can disable an opponent with one hit. This is seen in countless boxing matches, UFC battles, Muay Thai fights, and Kickboxing bouts. What happens when you land a good strike on an opponent in one of these locations? They "collapse and fall into ruin".

Bēng, as a principle, can use a fist, a knee, a kick, all to accomplish the goal of - causing the opponent to - 'collapse, and fall into ruin'.

Aligning the Strike

If you examine the height of many of the stances found in Chinese Martial Arts forms, and in this case Bēng Bù, you'll see that the strike does not align with the opponent's face but rather with the solar plexus/lower rib region of a ‘standing’ opponent.

Dropping the stance aligns the punch to the effective strike targets (liver, stomach, solar plexus). Mantis Boxing uses the Horse-Riding Step (Mǎ Bù 吗步), Bow Step (Gōng Bù 弓步) to accomplish this alignment of the attack.

Punching to the face is certainly an effective attack, but it also hurts the striker if they aren't wrapping their hands, or wearing gloves. Styles of Karate have Makiwara boards, and Chinese Martial Arts has Iron Palm/Iron Fist to train the hands so as not to break/injure the bones while connecting with someone's hard skull.

Iron Fist training takes months/years to train. Conditioning the bones and skin is only accomplished through extreme dedication and commitment. It is faster to teach someone a technique to strike the vitals, meanwhile working on conditioning the hands for longer term strategies.

Keeping in mind: the human skull has evolved over millions of years to protect the brain inside of it. It's hard, and not meant to crumble at the first hint of danger. Quoting a bike-helmet study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, "235 kg (520 pounds) or 2,300 newtons of force would be needed to crush a human skull, almost twice as much force as human hands could possibly muster."

Plainly speaking, anyone who has punched another human in the skull with a bare hand can tell you - it hurts when you hit. Knowing this, it is easy to see why a striking principle like Bēng, is so prevalent in the martial arts.

One might be better served destroying an enemy in a soft target, rather than risk the injury of straight on face punching. This can be seen in other Mantis Boxing techniques aimed at the head region using alternate hand shapes: White Snake Spits Tongue, Spear Hand, Thrust Palm, Ear Claw, Slant Chop.

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The Way of the Mantis Boxer

Check out this preview of an awesome video put together by two of my students - Vincent Tseng, and Thomas McNair. They worked hard on this live format depiction of the 12 Keywords of Mantis Boxing. 

Go to Vincent's channel to see the full video here - https://youtu.be/qPR83CZz8Bo.

More on the 12 Keywords of Mantis Boxing:

1. Hook (Gōu 勾)
2. Clinch (Lǒu 摟)
3. Pluck (Cǎi 採)
4. Connect (Zhān 粘)
5. Cling (Nián 黏)
6. Hang (Guà 掛)
7. Wicked (Diāo 刁)
8. Enter (Jìn 進)
9. Crush (Bēng 崩)
10. Strike (Dǎ 打)
11. Adhere (Tiē 貼)
12. Lean (Kào 靠)

Going Nerd Level on Blocking

Today I'm going NERD LEVEL on blocking. This is an interesting detail I found that can make or break your blocking. I can't explain the why, so I'm calling on all anatomy/physiology experts out there to come up with an answer, and leave it in the comments section. 

When using Guard Principle (one-in-one-out), we know that we have to bring one hand back when the other goes out. This is relevant to both striking, and blocking. What I find fascinating, is that the lead arm actually goes dead when the rear arm fires. After years of doing this, and countless number of punches coming at my head, I noticed this 'lag', and dull response time, and paid close attention to it. 

If you have expertise in this field, and can provide a thoughtful, educated reason for it, I'd love to hear it. Please leave it in the comments section below so we can all benefit from it.

Now, on to the important part - not getting hit! Follow the principle shown when you're firing punches, or blocks, and this problem goes away. We do not need a partner to fix this. Practice the Guard Principle while performing shadow boxing, bag work, and 3-level blocking and you can train your hand to respond as needed.

HEAVY ASSAULT! - Circle and Chop, or Haymaker and Hammer

HEAVY ASSAULT - Go heavy, or go home! This striking combination, plucked right from the catalog of Mantis Boxing techniques passed down for centuries, is to overwhelm the opponent with big, destructive, blows. 

Connecting with the first one is ideal and effective, but if they duck, or move back, the second strike, by design, takes advantage of the built up energy from the first strike to fell them with the second. 

Advance with the Circle Punch, aka Haymaker (see video on Circle & Hook) to attack from the side door. Try to connect with your partners Effective Strike targets to increase your targeting accuracy. Use your footwork and body torque to maximize power (on pads).

Have your partner duck, or shuffle back to counter the first strike. This is where the Chopping Fist comes in. Now unwind that transverse core rotation, and hip torque, and unleash it back where it came from. 

The Chopping Fist will come over the top and downward, again looking for Effective Strike targets to practice with on our partner. With pad drills, ramp up the power to work your speed, and might in your technique.

As you get the striking combination down, start paying close attention to your guard hand. I have seen this combination used twice in the UFC over the past couple of years, to amazing effect. Unfortunately, one fighter Roy 'Big Country' Nelson, didn't use his guard hand and his opponent connected with an uppercut in between. 

Timestamps:

00:40 - Technique Explained
1:33 - Watch the Counter-Strike!
2:46 - Footwork
3:14 - Pad Drills

Gear

You can find some of the items we use in the video by following our affiliate links:

Assassin Pads 
Punching Bag 
Gloves

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Monkey Grips! How I Strengthen My Grips and Keep Them Healthy

Fingers hurt after training? Grips not strong enough to hold on when grappling? Check this out.

Grip strength and health can be a really important thing for martial artists. Grip intensive arts such as Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Shuai Jiao, and other Grappling Arts, all require/build grip strength, and put a great deal of wear and tear on the fingers. Today I'm going to show you the methods I use to keep my grips not only strong, but healthy.

For strengthening: exercises like rope climbs, battleropes, sledge hammer, pull-ups, all assist in strengthening the hands. If we're already doing a martial arts with lots of gripping, chances are we are getting plenty of strengthening from that, and we can move on to the section of the video highlighting grip/finger health, and taking proper care of our hands in martial arts.

Links for Items:

To buy Mung Beans: https://goo.gl/KPy9mE

To buy Bean Bag: https://goo.gl/ybjyme

To buy a Battlerope: https://goo.gl/gtHqNt

To buy a Rope: https://goo.gl/h1ftFc

To buy a Sledgehammer: https://goo.gl/qQ2Knp

To buy a Pull-Up Bar: https://goo.gl/GiqfGd

Bean bag - this bag is filled with Mung Beans. I have been using these bags since early in my Mantis Boxing training back in 1999. The beans release a powder that helps the skin, and the pliability of the beans allows for the fingers to sink in and work on the catch/relfex while massaging the hands. It's an excellent tool and I highly recommend getting one, or having one made.

Green Dragon Stretches Claws - this is an amazing drill that's easy to remember, and even easier to do almost anywhere, and anytime. This exercise is even good for strikers since our hands are balled up most of the time. As you stretch the fingers and hold, you are helping open up the fingers, joints, and tendons. 

Magic Bean Pot - this is my all time favorite. Get a pot from somewhere. I was fussy so I found a bronze pot on eBay with a cool design. Buy a bunch of Mung Beans and fill the pot up. Now use the bean pot to wash the hands. I use this after a heavy training session, or earlier in my BJJ training when I had a tendency to over-grip and not let go when I should have. 

Tools of the Trade - (1:21)
Bean Bag - (2:10)
Green Dragon Stretches Claws - (3:10)
Magic Bean Pot - (4:45)

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The Tiger Tail - My Most Hated Throw!!!

This was truly one of my most hated throws. In 2009, on one of my semi-annual sojourns to San Diego to train with my Mantis Boxing coach at the time, I was introduced to this personal menace known as a ‘thigh lift throw’, or in Judo - ‘uchi mata’.

The primary purpose of this trip, was for my teacher to share with me the 20 throws of Mantis Boxing that his 8-Step Mantis Boxing teacher had shared with him. We were to meet up with another of his Black Belt's - Mike Dasargo, and work on these techniques at Mike's school. 

As the coach would show each throw, Mike and I would work on them together, and I would scribble notes down as we went. Doing my best to catalog each throw and its variations. As the day went on, we finally arrived on the ‘thigh lift throw’, what I have affectionately named the Tiger Tail Throw (as it looks like the tail of a tiger sticking up). A ferocious takedown. 

I don't know what it was, but this throw was the single most difficult one for me to get. Maybe I was getting hungry, or having a 'short day' (sarcastic reference to my height), but this one was just not clicking. It seemed like a throw for taller people; at least that was my whiny excuse at the time. I took it down my notes, maybe even left a nasty comment in there, practiced a bit more, and moved on.

When I returned from San Diego, my ritual was to work on everything I did on the trip as soon as possible, so I would not lose it. I practiced this throw along with all the all 19 other throws even though I didn't care for it. 

I'm not sure what happened next, but eventually, this throw became one of my favorite takedowns in Mantis Boxing, and probably the one I use with the highest frequency. Most likely...since I worked on it more than all of the others because of the difficulty I had with it, it began to morph and I adapted to it, and it to me.

In this video, I'm not only sharing the Tiger Tail Throw with you, but additionally the alternative throws (Descending Dragon, Demon Wheel, Retreat Astride Tiger, Mantis Hangs from Branch), Knee Strikes, Guillotine Chokes, that I use when someone counters this throw, or I miss on the execution.

Timestamps:
Tiger Tail Throw - (2:05)
Descending Dragon Takedown - (5:39)
Demon Wheel & Guillotine Choke - (7:00)
Knee Strike & Shoulder Lock - (8:02) 
Retreat Astride Tiger - (8:50)
Mantis Hangs from Branch - (10:40)

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Southpaw and The Crazy Ghost Fist

There is a long history of ancient cultures including the Greeks, Romans, and Chinese, that prejudice left-handed use, or left-handed people. It is seen as - sinister, wicked, evil, and many of the words for such are derived from the word left in these languages.

In Chinese culture, the major philosophies and religions believe in the universe spinning from left to right; things must always start on the left and move toward the right to remain in harmony. This is expressed in many of the Traditional Kung Fu forms that we see and is heavily documented in Tai Chi manuals. The symbol for Yin Yang depicts this cycle as well.

In stand-up martial arts - a majority of boxers place their left foot forward in fighting, just as a majority of baseball players stand on the left side of the plate at bat. By and large, right-hand dominant people outnumber left-hand dominant people, but this does not give cause to ignore the significance of this change of position when faced with a 'southpaw'.

The term 'southpaw' is typically used to define a left-handed boxer. A fighting position, or stance where one fighter has their right foot forward versus the traditional pose of the left foot forward used by right-handed boxers. Of more interest to us, are the advantages and disadvantages of this opposing, or unorthodox stance.

Why Staggered and not Square

Before we discuss that, let's hammer out why someone stands one foot in front of the other in the first place.

A squared up stance in hand-to-hand combatives can be good from a power based perspective. You give equal power to both arms, as well as equal reach. Some self-defense systems teach this at their core. The cost however outweighs the benefit.

Being square is something you can be successful with in martial arts such as Wrestling, Shuāi Jiāo, or Judo; striking arts change the game. The square position exposes our centerline to our opponent, giving access to vital targets on our body such as the solar plexus, liver, bladder, groin. These can be game-over strikes if they land on us.

By taking up a staggered stance and slanting the upper body, what we call 'blading', we decrease our profile (smaller target), but strikes are more easily deflected off the angle of the body, protecting these sensitive targets. An opponent is then required to circle to the inside line in order to access our centerline. This is easily read by veteran boxers.

Southpaw

In a staggered stance where both fighters are aware of the advantages and disadvantages of being square versus bladed, there is another, deeper component that becomes a major liability - when one fighter is on the opposite foot.

Meaning, boxer A has their left foot forward, and boxer B has their right foot forward - this is where southpaw becomes the challenge. Here are some of the pros and cons to the southpaw position:

Pros of Southpaw

• Easier to attack the flank - kidneys, ribs, temple, ear, and occipital lobe, brachial nerve; all exposed from outside angle.
• Cuts off the opponents second hand from attacking when on the outside line.
• Sets up significant number of trips, sweeps, take-downs.
• If dominant hand is forward - offers a stronger jab stunning the opponent.
• If on the inside line, it squares up the opponent, offering clear shots with the power hand to solid vital targets. in the face and body.
• Exposes the opponents groin to attacks with kicks, grabs, strikes, knees.

Cons of Southpaw

• When on the inside line we are in reach of both hands and susceptible to attacks not normally possible when directly in front of your opponent. 
• Opponent can attack our flank hitting vital or destructive targets.
• Groin is exposed to kicks.
• Legs are side by side if opponent is on our inside line, making us more vulnerable to double leg takedowns, crashing tide, leg wraps, etc.
• Fighting southpaw allows our opponent to sweep our foot when we shuffle in, and if we circle to their inside, we are walking right into their power punch. 
• This position also affects 'our' own range; placing the forward punch closer to our opponent, yet keeping our reverse punch so far away that it is often too far, or awkward to throw unless the other person makes a mistake.

Training Habits

In training, it is common to fight one-sided. In other words people choose a side to train and often ignore the other side, giving it less attention. In these formats a righty will spend most of their time fighting other righty's, while a lefty, or southpaw, will spend most of their time fighting righty's. This gives the lefty an advantage over the righty. They spend a far more time in this position and are then able to develop superior tactics and strategies from such.

Be aware of this tendency, and train diligently to overcome this challenge by putting yourself in weaker positions on purpose. This will allow you to adapt to this change and be hypersensitive to it in sparring/fighting.

Know your weaknesses and capitalize on your gains

What to do on the outside line

If you are on the outside you want to remain there if possible, providing you have the correct angle. In this position you should be lighting up your opponent with hooks to the head, ribs, and kidney while attacking the inside line with your other hand using effective combinations.

Look for throws that work from here. Side Leg Scoop, and Tiger Tail Throw, Reaping Leg are all obvious choices.

What to do on the inside line

• Strike up the middle high and low while being aware of any position changes made by your opponent that may put you at risk.
• Kick or Punch to the groin.
• Attack with Double Leg Takedown.

The Crazy Ghost Fist of Mantis Boxing

Mantis Boxing's Crazy Ghost Fist - The first move in the core form known as Bēng Bù (Crushing Step 崩步). This move is a perfect example of proper use of the southpaw position.

Our opponent punches. We move to the outside line while blocking the arm and striking the ribs/liver with a reverse punch.

Check out this video on how it's applied.

Southpaw can be a great advantage, or a horrible liability depending on your skill level and how you use it. As a rule, when I teach beginners I leave it out.

It's more important to understand the basic orthodox stance first, and change stance with the opponent in the early stages. This keeps your blocking system intact. Once a boxer is comfortable with this position, then we begin to explore the Southpaw advantage.