Also known as Tanglangquan/Tanglangpai (Contributor: Fernando Blanco - mantisking@hotmail.com) Intro: Imitative boxing of the Praying Mantis. The Praying Mantis is an insect with killer instinct and blinding speed. The Tanglangpai is a combat system composed of several sub-styles, that due to the richness and complexity of their techniques are considered styles by themselves. Some of these styles were created combining the praying mantis boxing with other wu-shu systems. Some writers count more than 40 Praying Mantis styles. This section will only mention below the more ancient and traditional ones. Origin: Shandong Province (Northern China) History: Wang Lang (the style creator) was born in the Jimo district, in Shandong Province. He lived during the Ming Dynasty fall and as he was a patriot (some Masters say he was uncle of the last Ming Emperor), he decided to excel in the martial arts to fight against the Qing Dynasty (Manchurian rulers). He entered to the Shaolin monastery in Songshang, but being prosecuted by the Manchurians he travelled all over China, training in places places where he could find Gongfu Masters. In this way he learned 17 Chinese Boxing styles. After this travel, Wang Lang entered to the Laoshan monastery. Once there, he was always defeated by the abbot of the temple in spite of his deep knowledge of the fighting arts. One day, while he was meditating in a forest he saw a combat between a praying mantis and a cicada. He was impressed by the aggressive attitude of the mantis and he started studying its movements. After a long learning time he combined the praying mantis hand movements with the monkey steps (to enhance the coordination between hand and feet). With this new style Wang Lang could defeat the monastery abbot. Wang Lang went on modifying his system and when he felt satisfied with his creation he accepted some disciples. Description: Even though Praying Mantis sub-styles are quite different, they all contain the basic structure created by Wang Lang: * 8 stances * 12 key words * 8 rigid and 12 flexible methods * 5 external and 5 internal elements * 8 non- attacking and 8 attacking points. Northern praying mantis is a style characterized by fast hand movements. The hook hands are the "trade mark" of the style and they are found in all the northern sub-styles. Northern Tanglangquan's main weapon is the blinding speed of the hand trying to control and punch the opponent. It has a balanced combination of circular and straight movements. Other important elements are the simultaneous block and punch, and strong chopping punches. These are practical movements for full contact street fighting. Some Chinese martial artists say that Seven Star Praying Mantis Boxing (one of the praying mantis sub-styles) is the most aggressive style created in China. Grappling, kicking, nerve-attack and weapons complete the northern branch. Southern praying mantis is very different. It is an infighting system that resembles Wing Chun. Qigong is very important in the Southern Praying Mantis. Movements are continuous and circular, soft and hard, except in attack, where the middle knuckle (phoenix eye) of the index finger is used like a needle to pierce the internal organs. A punch with the fist produces an external muscular bruise, striking with the phoenix eye produces an internal bruise. Training: 1) Physical exercises 2) Body conditioning --- Tieshazhang (Iron Palm) --- Baidagong (body strengthening) --- Jhiu Sa So (Poison Palm) 3) Fighting Theory --- Tui (legs actions) --- Da (hand actions) 4) School training (basic movements known as combinations) 5) Shuai (Throwing Techniques) 6) Na (also known as Qinna, grappling techniques) 7) Forms training (The core of the system. Solo training and forms for two or more people) 8) Sanshou (free fighting) 9) Jei Jai (weapons training) 10) Dim Mak (also known as mur mon, the death touch) --- 8 attacking points --- 8 non attacking points --- Deadly points 11) History and tradition (honor the ancestors in the style and keep the folklore tradition -for example Lion Dance-) Sub-Styles: Northern Sub-Styles: Seven Stars Praying Mantis (Qixing Tanglang) Eight Steps Praying Mantis (Babu Tanglang) Six Armonies Praying Mantis (Liuhe Tanglang) Secret Door Praying Mantis (Bimen Tanglan) Mysterious Track Praying Mantis (Mizong Tanglang) Throwing Hands Praying Mantis (Shuaishou Tanglang) Plumb Flower Praying Mantis (Meihua Tanglang) Flying legs Praying Mantis from the Wah Lum Temple (Wah Lum Tam Tui Tang Lang) Jade Ring Praying Mantis (Yuhuan Tanglang) Long Boxing Praying Mantis (Changquan Tanglang) Great Ultimate Praying Mantis (Taiji Tanglang) Eight Ultimates Praying Mantis (Baji Tanglang) Southern Sub-Styles (Hakka shadow boxing): Bamboo Forest Praying Mantis (Kwong Sai Jook Lum Tang Lang) Chou Clan Praying Mantis (Chou Gar Tang Lang) Chu Clan Praying Mantis (Chu Gar Tang Lang) Familiar or non spread Sub-Styles: Han Kun Family Praying Mantis (Han Gong Jia Tanglang) Drunken Praying Mantis (Zui Tanglang) Shiny Board Praying Mantis (Guangban Tanglang) Connected Arms Praying Mantis (Tongbei Tanglang) Mandarin Duck Praying Mantis (Yuanyang Tanglang)

Great answer above. I believe its called tong long however. There is also a hybrid southern mantis style called Steel-Wire Mantis. It's a blend of Chou Gar and Chu Gar, with a sprinkling of LauHan boxing and The Lau gar (5 animals) style. The mantis style focuses on attacking. It is a very agressive/offensive style. Even the defensive moves are designed to inflict injury. Once the attack starts it doesn't stop until the opponent is down, or the attacker decides to stop. There is alot of emphasis on body conditioning; being able to withstand tremendous amounts of punishment. The mantis style doesn't need it's practitioner to be physically large. Great power can be developed by even the smallest people (like the mantis itself). The majority of attacks are focused on pressure points and vulnerable areas of the body, throat, eyes etc. Speed is essential and a master practioner has arms which literally move like a blur.

It is yet another fragment of the whole ... a mere substyle ... just one branch of the circle of animals ... In the Shaolin Chuan(s) styles of kung fu, they teach many animals ... they are all excellent arts by themselves, yet they are all just fragments of the whole `Circle of Animals Style` which is also just one aspect of the Shaolin Chuan(s). Think of the Circle of Animals as being somewhat like the simple hand game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors", where any one animal can easily kill and eat at least one of the others while being easy prey to at least one of the others at the same time ... so students of the Circle of Animals try to quickly analyze their attacker, catagorize the attacker's moves as being most like one of the animals from the circle, then quickly respond with moves from the other animal substyle that preys on it. Because there is so much to learn in the entire Circle of Animals, the many substyles of the many animals have all become arts to themselves and are taught in martial arts schools as complete self defense styles with their own unique characteristics ... unless you can devote your whole life to becoming a Shaolin monk, in which case the whole circle is taught with all the animals. The Preying Mantis is just one of the many animal sub-styles in the "Circle of Animals". "rec-martial-arts" gives some nice details about the main creator of the foundation mantis style. __________ The Circle of Animals is the name of the whole group of animal style lesson sets, but you may also find it mentioned under the general heading of "Shaolin Chuan" ... You may also try any of the names of any of the animals for details about each ... . mantis snake ... cobra/python dragon ... golden/red/green/blue & inner dragon crane ... northern/southern & eagle monkey cat ... tiger/panther/leopard . these are the old traditional 6, but originally there was only snake & bird. As the centuries went by, the other 4 were added and remained as such for about 500 years ... Then, in the last two hundred years, numerous variations were added, a few other animals have been added, including a variation of python called "twisting vine" which is a plant style that mimicks in each breath, the year's action of a vine that shreds trees to feed on rotting wood.

its one of the most unpredictable styles in kung fu.