Praying Mantis and Longevity.

[HammockRider]

Hello,
I'm getting back in shape after a few too many years of neglect. I've been doing qui qong exercises and learning some tai chi. So far things are going really well. The sifu also teaches a Northern Mantis style and he's mentioned that I might be able to start training in that soon. From what I've seen it's pretty solid training and looks really interesting. My question is: Is it good for longevity and health? Is Northern Mantis something I can do to a ripe old age? I've got a feeling it might be about smart training. What do you all think?
Thanks.

 

[Touch Of Death]

I was informed that the Crane stuff was for longevity. I'm sure someone will come correct me.
Sean

 

[Flying Crane]

I think that most any system, if trained intelligently and correctly, ought to be good for long-term health.

Natural movements that don't injure the body in their very nature and design, and natural breathing are very important in this.

If you are deliberately timing your breathing in certain ways, and/or using hard, sharp exhales to punctuate strikes, or using long, slow and forceful exhales with dynamic tension, then you are not breathing naturally. What you are doing is what my sigung calls "squeezing the power", and that can have long term bad affects on your health. Things like high blood pressure and whatnot. He says to breath naturally, don't think about it, don't time it, don't force it.

 

[HammockRider]

Thanks for responding. I was hoping someone would say something like that. I guess great minds do think alike.

 

[mograph]

Natural movements that don't injure the body in their very nature and design, and natural breathing are very important in this.

Amen, brother.

 

[clfsean]

Natural movements that don't injure the body in their very nature and design, and natural breathing are very important in this.

Yes... breathing is good. Please continue...

 

[Tensei85]

Northern Mantis is a great system, but is also important to understand the underlying elements of this system, Including the concepts & principles that help govern it.
I'll outlay a few brief elements that I've been working on for translating from my Sifu's notes & WHF's works. Alot of these differ from family to family also so you'll see many intrepretations but these are the ones that we utilize I just put them up for reference, comparisons. But your Sifu will be the core instrument in your instructions but its always good to do hands on research as well.
Good luck you'll enjoy your time in Northern Mantis.

P.S. I've also translated a list of techniques that are common if your interested I'll send you but I've seen dozens of variations in the names of techniques so I don't even want to go throught the whole ordeal of listing them online cuz they'll just be other variations depending on family lineage.

十二字訣 – Sap Yi Zi Kuit (12 Keywords)
勾 Gou (hook)
摟 Lou (grapple)
採 Cai (pluck)
掛 Gua (hang)
刁 Diao (Grab)
進 Jin (advance)
崩 Beng (crush-burst)
打 Da (strike)
粘 Zhan (stick)
黏 Nian (adhere)
貼 Tie (cling)
靠 Kao (lean)

內五形 – Nei Ng Ying (5 Internal Elements):
精 – Jing, 神 – Shen, 气 – Qi (Hei), 力 – Li (Lik), 功 – Gong

外五形 – Wai Ng Ying (5 External Elements):
手法 – Sau Faat – Hand Techniques
步法 – Bou Faat – Footwork
法則 – Faat Jak – Methodology/Technicality
眼法 – Ahn Faat – Visualization/Concentration
身形 – Shen Ying – Body Position/Mechanics

十八家手法歌 (18 Systems comprising Northern Mantis)

1. 太祖的長拳起首 – “Tai Zu” Chang Quan (Long Fist)
2. 韓通的通背為母 – “Han Tong” Tong Bei (Through Back, Mother of Tong Long)
3. 馬籍的短打最奇 – “Ma Ji” Duan Da (Short Strike)
4. 鄭恩的纏封尤妙 – “Zheng En” Chan Feng (Wrap & Seal)
5. 溫元的短拳更奇 – “Wen Yuan” Duan Quan (Short range Boxing)
6. 孫恆的猴拳且盛 – “Sun Heng” Hou Quan (Monkey Boxing)
7. 黃祜的靠身難近 – “Huang Hu” Kao Shen/Shou (Close Body/Hand techniques)
8. 綿世的面掌飛疾 – “Mian Shi” Mian Zhang/Quan (Cotton Palm/Fist)
9. 金相的磕手通拳 – “Jin Xiang” Ke Shou Tong Quan (Block Hands follow through Fist)
10. 懷德的摔捋硬崩 – “Hui De” Shuai Lu Ying Beng (Throws, Grabs, Crashing-Hands)
11. 劉興的抅摟採手 – “Liu Xing” Gou Lou Cai (Hooking, Pulling, Grabbing)
12. 譚方的滾漏貫耳 – “Tan Fang” Gun Lou Guan Er (Ducking, Leaking, Passing through ears)
13. 燕青的占拿跌法 – “Yan Qing” Zhan Na Die Fa (Methods of Sticking, Trapping & Falling)
14. 林沖的鴛鴦腿強 – “Lin Chong” Yuan Yang Tui (Mandarin Duck Kicking style-Chuo Jiao)
15. 孟甦的七勢連拳 – “Meng Su” Qi Shi Lian Quan (7 Postures Continuous Fist)
16. 崔連的窩裏剖锤 – “Cui Lian” Wo Li Pao Chui (Striking to Vital/Soft Target areas)
17. 楊滾的棍採直入 – “Yang Gun” Gun Cai Zhi Ru (Binding, Grabbing, Plucking)
18. 王朗的螳螂總敵 – “Wang Lang” Tong Long (Praying Mantis)

 

[mograph]

If you are deliberately timing your breathing in certain ways, and/or using hard, sharp exhales to punctuate strikes, or using long, slow and forceful exhales with dynamic tension, then you are not breathing naturally.

Regarding breathing while doing silk reeling movements, I recall that Dr. Lin of UCIrvine said during a lecture that we should time the movements to the breathing ... not the other way around. So we'd breathe naturally, then move in time to the breathing. It's worth a try ... for qigong, anyway. I don't think it'd work during a fight.