Just curious, does anyoune cross train their mantis style with another form of martial art? If so to what effect?
[This message was edited by tanglangman on 02-02-01 at 06:05 AM.]
Cross training styles
No, not a good idea - you can’t serve two masters.If you are practicing your system or style, you should have 100% faith in your sifu, and the system.
On the other hand, conditioning excercises, like pushups, situps, or cardio training that you would do in one style, would help the other.The great thing about kung fu I think, is the uniqueness of each style, and the training methods and philosiphy of each different style. I know I couldn’t do it, I had a hell of a time trying to learn Hung Ga and Mantis at the same time. And here’s a weird thing - after mantis training, I used to feel as though I could jump over cars in the parking lot, and after Hung Ga, I felt like a 500lb Gorilla. And then, there is always the subliminal thoughts when you are at practice of “why in the hell would sifu do this , this way” , and second guessing, and so forth - do like the Beach Boys, and "be true to your school "
cross trainig?
Sounds like someone running? Just my opinion coming from a karate & Jujitsu background that, idea gives me the chills!!!.I’ve seen to many people add an mix different styles mainly because they had not stayed around long enough to learned enough in what ever style they choose,“if I can use that word”.All systems have principls that make them what they are if only pratitioners would take the time to seriously learn and practice!!! them. We would have more inspiring dialog.Sorry about the sarcaisim in the beginning. I guess that’s why I don’t write much.
I don’t recommend mixing styles there is more than enough to learn,perfect,and master in any system.
Sifu Mike Whetstone(chatsing).
Even if you have faith in your sifu, it doesn’t hurt to learn new methods. I am in college and I don’t get to learn from my sifu during the school year, so I practice with other people interested in martial arts. This helps review things that I may forget and learn some new training exercises that improve areas I may have neglected.
I dont know about anyone else but I got mantis. Thats all I need…
Mantis is a very very rich style. However you could use tai chi, shuai chiao, wrestling or to compliment it. Those won’t conflict. Just keep one style as your MAIN style.
Nope…Shaolin style is very complete.
Most of you may be thinking…how ignorant…not quite. Shaolin kung fu doesn’t just restrict itself to five animals, five ancestors, praying mantis, lo han and etc…it is everything.
It is about the art, the science and philosophy of life.
If you study one style, keep doing it until you feel confident that you are proficient in it then, if you still have the urge to cross-train, go for it. Some styles may start off slow and you may get impatient and leave before you taste the sweetness of the fruit…it is like they say in the west, you walk all the way to the door and then turn back. What a waste.
Cross-train or not…the choice is yours. What is the sole purpose of you learning martial arts? Fighting? Cultivating yourself? The answer is within you.
Amitabha.
Don’t crosstrain? My lord, I guess if you’re in Mantis you’re not really looking to learn how to fight, but for real don’t let these guys tell you you shouldn’t crosstrain if it is what you’re looking for.
Message to Whambo
Yes, Whambo you are 100.00% correct!!! - Us mantids all tryed to combine Bjj, Sambo, and kick boxing as you are attempting to - but alas, failed miserably.We had to settle for training in praying mantis which, by the way, has absolutly no fighting techniques whatsoever as you alluded to.We hope that mantis will evolve into the “mighty three global diversity style” you you are currently inventing right now, but if not, perhaps your lower students could show us some basic movements so that we can be real fighters someday… (I hope, and pray)
If Wang Lang had never cross trained, there would be no Praying Mantis…If Jiang Hua Long never cross trained, there would be no 8 Step.
I crosstrain different styles but with the same Sifu. 7 Star Mantis and Hung Gar. It gives me a great balancing effect. Yes, I am able to seperate the two and stay true to each particular style’s flavor / essence. Not easy to do at first but can be done , especially when you are being taught by the same Sifu. My mantis is better than my Hung Gar but I think my Hung Gar is also pretty good. The difference would probably be that I rely more on my mantis for fighting. It is more second nature for me than the Hung because I have put more time into the mantis.
NO ROAD IS AS LONG OR FILLED WITH AS MANY OBSTACLES AS THE ONE TRAVELLED BY THE CHINESE BOXER. FEW ATTEMPT TO TAKE IT . THOSE THAT REACH IT’S END ARE EVEN FEWER.
Why gee robert you’re smart… Every MMA pro fighter in the world cross trains, I wonder who to believe, them or a keyboard warrior. Every master should if he’s smart tell you to experience other styles, it’s how progession is made, and expand your horizons. There’s a reason why pro boxers train in western boxing not praying mantis, take a guess why.
Rob, don’t pay this person mind. He’s obviously trolling.
NO ROAD IS AS LONG OR FILLED WITH AS MANY OBSTACLES AS THE ONE TRAVELLED BY THE CHINESE BOXER. FEW ATTEMPT TO TAKE IT . THOSE THAT REACH IT’S END ARE EVEN FEWER.
I’m trolling? This guy thinks that you shouldn’t crosstrain and i’m trolling? My oh my, educate yourselves…
I don’t have a problem with crosstraining but if someone does not choose to do so that’s their perrogative. What exactly are you implying about the mantis system? Sounds like trolling to me. For your information the mantis system is considered an “eclectic” system in that it is made up of 18 different styles. Sounds like a whole lot of cross training to me don’t you think? So if someone wanted to stick to just this one style for the rest of their lives they could do so since the mantis system has a lifetime of knowledge to bestow upon it’s practitioners.
NO ROAD IS AS LONG OR FILLED WITH AS MANY OBSTACLES AS THE ONE TRAVELLED BY THE CHINESE BOXER. FEW ATTEMPT TO TAKE IT . THOSE THAT REACH IT’S END ARE EVEN FEWER.
To The Mighty Whambo
Shed the light on us Whammbo as to the reason “western boxers don’t train in mantis” - please expand - does this relate to your brilliant statement about how mantis are not really “looking to learn how to fight”? If you had said that you had trained for 15 years in Sambo, Kickboxing, and BJJ and was trying to formulate something new and effective I might have had more respect for you - not 6 months as per your resume’.PS - (don’t worry about how long I’ve trained for - It’s none of your business).
Was there anything untruthful about pro boxers not training in mantis? No. The point of not looking to fight was, fighting must not be your ultimate goal because you’ll find better styles for combat…such ass.. wentern boxing. As for the 15 years thing, you’re just showing ignorance. What kind of theory is it that you must train for 15 years in a style before cross training, and it must be for the invention of your own art. What i’m trying to do is build the style for me. Every art has weakness’s and strength’s and by cross training you can help those weakness’s. I could quote various martial artists on the benefit of crosstraining, surely you must know Bruce Lee’s opinion on it. I think telling someone they shouldn’t crosstrain is very ignorant, and you should most likely shut up before you hurt someone’s training. And the 6th month thing I really don’t care about, and don’t worry I wouldn’t ask you how long you’ve trained, because i don’t care about that either.
Your just a delivery boy…
Whambo - you don’t know shi* about fighting, combat or MA - so 1st of all, way shut up.
I pulled the figure 15 years out of my ass. 2.How is Western Boxing better that Mantis? 3. I’d rather have one sharp knife in the drawer than ten dull ones - And that is exactly what you are saying and doing, you are insulting the sifus, and masters of this world by mixing martial arts together that you have no clue about in the first place.Are you going to create weapon sets and Qi Gung training too , to complement your personal system? There are too many cheifs and not enough indians in this world - just look at any magazine that has come out - watered - down bullshit systems and styles that some 6 month TKD student, such as yourself, has made up and marketed.Granted ,I’m not one of those “floating masters” you’ve seen on TV , but I know enough, that you know not what you know.
“Whambo - you don’t know shi* about fighting, combat or MA - so 1st of all, way shut up.”
This coming from someone training in Mantis, lol.. Give me a break, my main hobby is watching MMA fights, I’ve seen over 200, and I study them for my own use. My instructor will be a pro fighter next year, and that’s how we train, to fight. Anyone who talks to me is impressed with my fighting knowledge, but I’d rather not waste my breath on someone as close minded as yourself.
“I pulled the figure 15 years out of my ass.”
That’s not the only thing…
“2.How is Western Boxing better that Mantis?”
I don’t know *******, why don’t you ask Lennox Lewis, or every other pro boxer. It’s keyboard warriors like you who can’t use common sense to figure out things that gives traditional styles a bad name.
“3. I’d rather have one sharp knife in the drawer than ten dull ones - And that is exactly what you are saying and doing, you are insulting the sifus, and masters of this world by mixing martial arts together that you have no clue about in the first place.Are you going to create weapon sets and Qi Gung training too , to complement your personal system?”
Yes well, unfortunately with Mantis you’re basically carrying around a butter knife… The idea with crosstraining is normally that you have one base style, and choose other styles to complement it. If you look at the styles i’m choosing to cross train in, you’d see how they complement my base style. And this insulting the masters stuff is bullshit. I really respect Bruce Lee after posting here, because now I can understand all this bullshit he had to filter out from no nothing smart asses who can’t think for themselves. The greatest Judoka of all time crosstrained, the greatest fighter of all time crosstrained. It’s how people advance.
"There are too many cheifs and not enough indians in this world - just look at any magazine that has come out - watered - down bullshit systems and styles that some 6 month TKD student, such as yourself, has made up and marketed.Granted ,I’m not one of those “floating masters” you’ve seen on TV , but I know enough, that you know not what you know. "
You are totally lost on the idea of a personal system. It doesn’t mean you invent a new art for marketing and a new name, it means discover what works best for yourself. I suggest you read about someone like Carlos Newton, who has more skill than you could ever grasp, and who travels many times during the year to other schools and types of training to further expand his knowledge. I don’t care about most of those clowns in magazines, I care about people like Renzo Gracie, who took his own family’s art and has expanded it into a training all his own. Please don’t run your mouth off on what I do or don’t know…
I guess I have crossed trained my mantis. I started with wrestling (4 yrs h.s. 2yrs college) and freestyle jiu-jitsu (no gi) I now and train in * Step Praying Mantis. At the time I had no stand-up and mantis is really helping me with that. I blends nice with the other styles because it helps with flowing one movement into another. Striking into throwing and such.