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Which fighting style ?


Lung Wang

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Hi, can anyone please tell me which fighting style Chang Yi used in the 1970s films Rebel of Shaolin, Shaolin Iron Claws, and Ten Brothers of Shaolin ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks a lot for your help.

 

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Drunken Monk
10 hours ago, Lung Wang said:

Thank you very much for your opinion, Kwok Choi.

Does anyone else have an opinion please ?

 

 

Kwok Choi was right: Mantis and Tiger Claw. Granted, it doesn't look like a traditional Tiger Claw (ie Hung Gar) but it's definitely Tiger.

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Thanks very much for your help guys.

The reason I'm asking, is that I've trained in Kung Fu since the 1970s.

When I did 3 & 1/2 years of Hung Gar (Tiger/Crane) in the 1980s, and

2 & 1/2 years of Fu Jow Pai (Tiger Claw) in the 1990s, we never did anything

like this.  Also, I thought Mantis Fist had lower stances and the index finger

extended, as in the photos below.  What I'm asking about is the style on

the right, as demonstrated in the videos I posted above.  

Thanks a lot for your advice.

 

cy2.png

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Secret Executioner

Could be either an Eagle variation (not Eagle Claw, maybe Shaolin Eagle ?) or Leopard fist. Both use the 5 fingers and have similar stances. 

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On 1/9/2016 at 1:27 AM, Lung Wang said:

Thanks very much for your help guys.

The reason I'm asking, is that I've trained in Kung Fu since the 1970s.

When I did 3 & 1/2 years of Hung Gar (Tiger/Crane) in the 1980s, and

2 & 1/2 years of Fu Jow Pai (Tiger Claw) in the 1990s, we never did anything

like this.  Also, I thought Mantis Fist had lower stances and the index finger

extended, as in the photos below.  What I'm asking about is the style on

the right, as demonstrated in the videos I posted above.  

Thanks a lot for your advice.

 

cy2.png

 

On 1/9/2016 at 6:31 AM, Secret Executioner said:

Could be either an Eagle variation (not Eagle Claw, maybe Shaolin Eagle ?) or Leopard fist. Both use the 5 fingers and have similar stances. 

 

Hi Lung Wang. I will agree with the Leopard Fist variation and I don't know if what I say below makes much sense but as you know there are different forms of fighting styles and screen fighting doesn't always conform to one specific move. As entertainment a combination of poses and strikes makes good choreography.However Leopard Fist usually conjures for me the bending of the fingers, paw-like with the fore knuckles for striking but in screen combat, the Chang Yi pose on the right can also be used for effect.

You would have to give details of your training; school/dojo/temple , area etc so experts in the forum can help with more insight.It will be good to check historically if some Manchu generals were actually effectively using Shaolin forms and whether these fighting styles had already been perfected by their founders during the dynastic era in which the plot of the movie clips you posted are based.

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You also have to factor in that many styles were adapted for the screen. What might be Tiger on screen won't be anything like a traditional Tiger form. Jackie Chan has talked openly about his Drunken Boxing and Snake Fist looking nothing like real kung fu.

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ShaOW!linDude

There seems to be a Northern and Southern variation of Mantis Fist. While studying Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, my exposure to Mantis style used the hand posture incorporating the index and middle fingers as depicted in your 1st photo. The style Leung Kar Yan used in Thundering Mantis used just the index finger. (Sort of like a Crane's Beak but eith just the finger and thumb.) Whether that is specific to a Southern style, I don't know.

Kwok Choi makes an excellent point in that many styles were adapted or altered for the screen.

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Yes.  All good points.  Probably the most interesting thing to me is that

no-one clearly recognizes it as one particular style.  Thanks a lot.

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On 1/11/2016 at 10:10 AM, ShaOW!linDude said:

There seems to be a Northern and Southern variation of Mantis Fist. While studying Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, my exposure to Mantis style used the hand posture incorporating the index and middle fingers as depicted in your 1st photo. The style Leung Kar Yan used in Thundering Mantis used just the index finger. (Sort of like a Crane's Beak but eith just the finger and thumb.) Whether that is specific to a Southern style, I don't know.

Kwok Choi makes an excellent point in that many styles were adapted or altered for the screen.

 

Southern Mantis features a lot more...power (for want of a better term). If you watch "Invincible Shaolin", you'll see Lo Meng showing off some nice Southern Mantis. It seems a lot more rigid with less hooks and grabs. More solid blocks and powerful fist and forearm strikes.

 

You can watch this to distinguish between the two, too.

 

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Secret Executioner
1 hour ago, Drunken Monk said:

 

 If you watch "Invincible Shaolin", you'll see Lo Meng showing off some nice Southern Mantis. It seems a lot more rigid with less hooks and grabs. More solid blocks and powerful fist and forearm strikes.

 

So, the representation of Southern Mantis is realistic here ? That's nice to know, cause he pulls off some nice moves and the style looks powerful.

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Just now, Secret Executioner said:

 

So, the representation of Southern Mantis is realistic here ? That's nice to know, cause he pulls off some nice moves and the style looks powerful.

 

As far as I know, yes. Lo Meng was (is?) a Southern Mantis practitioner in real life, so the moves in the film fall in line with what he learned. I'm sure there's some added movie flare here and there, but I think it's as close as one could hope to the real deal.

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Secret Executioner
5 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said:

Lo Meng was (is?) a Southern Mantis practitioner in real life, so the moves in the film fall in line with what he learned

 

Didn't know that. Nice bit of trivia here. :cool 

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Lady Jin Szu-Yi
2 hours ago, Drunken Monk said:

Lo Meng was (is?) a Southern Mantis practitioner in real life, so the moves in the film fall in line with what he learned.

I believe he still practices... but cannot confirm that. I do know he's said he stopped learning new styles around the age of 30 (forget what interview.)  It's kind of neat he pays a little homage to Northern Mantis in Human Lanterns (with the hook swords) - or am I just misinterpreting his moves looking more like the insect because of those swords?

 

Thanks for this thread guys: very informative! (As usual)

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On 1/12/2016 at 6:52 AM, Lady Jin Szu-Yi said:

I believe he still practices... but cannot confirm that. I do know he's said he stopped learning new styles around the age of 30 (forget what interview.)  It's kind of neat he pays a little homage to Northern Mantis in Human Lanterns (with the hook swords) - or am I just misinterpreting his moves looking more like the insect because of those swords?

 

Thanks for this thread guys: very informative! (As usual)

 

I'm sure he still practices. There was a recent video doing the rounds on the old forum. It showed his training area, if memory serves.

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