How does everyone here train their footwork.
7 Stars footwork is extremely serious, and I am sure other mantis sytems footwork is just as.
I train many differnt forms where the footwork is good, such as Lightning Attack , along with some innovative stuff.
I teach 8 step which is a hybrid style of 7* with much more effective footwork.
It is the footwork that our system is based around and named after. It depends on what your looking for but a lot of times I have my students put their arms behind thier back and close their eyes as they do their sets to work on balance. We also use our 8 long and 8 short steps to move around our opponent without the use of hands to instill maxium weight shifting when moving, both excersises help you concentrate on the lower body and show you how important proper footwork can be.
Earth Dragon
Just curious about the statement about 8 step footwork being more effective than 7 star.
Could you elaborate on this?
Earth Dragon,
I’m also curious to know how better is 8 step footwork than 7 star footwork. 
– Kiasyd
I had heard that 8-step’s footwork was derived from baguazhang…any truth to that? If so, what liniage?
Earth Dragon
I must also jump on the band wagon and ask about the 8 long and the 8 short. As I am not familar with these terms, can you please explain what they are?
Grifter
We focus on the 7* stepping patterns individually and as they relate to the various drills that Sifu has us go through. Lately it been as counters to various attacks.(Kicks or punches)
Steve
8 step footwork is indeed derived from ba qua…but im not sure what lineage
To know others is to have knowledge. To know oneself is to be enlightened.
Hands behindd the back
Yeah that is somewhat like on of my exercises I move as close to my gf as possible and move around her trying to get the most advantageous positions quickly.
8 step footwork is good but at the same time it is simpler, after all the founder found that the footwork of 7 star was too much work into old age…
Baldmantiz,
Is the rear foot 100% weighted (forward foot is empty)in most stances? Are the step names the same as bagua (ie ko-bu, bai-bu)? Also, do the feet typically slide when stepping, keeping the ball and heel level, or do you step down with the heel of the foot first?
Sorry for all the questions. I practice Cheng style bagua, and have a lot of interest in related arts.
Grifter said ""8 step footwork is good but at the same time it is simpler, after all the founder found that the footwork of 7 star was too much work into old age… “”
Hehehehehe 
response to all
To uphold his responsibility as Grandmaster of the style, Chiang Hua Long could never be short sighted. The very energetic jumping style of the monkey footwork was very effective but it required a great deal of energy. Chiang Hua Long realized that if he were to live up to his obligations he would have to maintain his fighting abilities well into his old age. He would have to create a new system of footwork that would use energy efficiently but also maintain the Mantis devastating effectiveness. Changing the Mantis system was not to be taken lightly, but as Grandmaster he was responsible for strengthening any weaknesses.
Being well respected by the masters of the martial arts throughout China, Chiang Hua Long was in an advantageous position. Traveling throughout China, Chiang Hua Long met with masters of many styles. To have such a man as Chiang Hua Long ask about their techniques was a great honor. The masters of martial art’s most effective systems openly shared their techniques and secrets with him. Chiang Hua Long studied the footwork of many styles such as Bagua and Tom Pei. He spent a great deal of time studying and experimenting with each movement. Having an incredible amount of experience applying his skills, Chiang Hua Long knew what would be an improvement and what would simply be change. Very carefully he considered each technique until, after ten years, he had narrowed down the most effective to eight short and eight long steps. Chiang Hua Long had taken one of the very most effective fighting systems in the world and was able to improve it. The Eight Step Praying Mantis system had been born.
this is why 8 step’s footwork is better than 7*
HKmantis you wanted to know about the 8 short and the 8 long here they are
BA BU – ( LONG LEAPING STEP ) FLYING FOOTWORK
CHUANG BU – ( LONG STEP ) AT AN ANGLE
DAI BU - ( CROSS STEP ) SIDEWAYS
RU WAN BU – ( FAKE STEP ) IN ONE DIRECTION MOVE ANOTHER
NOU BU – ( CIRCULAR STEP ) SIDEWAYS CIRCULAR FAKING MOTION
CUAN TA BU – ( JUMPING DODGING STEP ) EVADING A PUNCH
XIN BU – ( RETREATING STEP ) ZIG ZAG SKIP BACKWARD
TUO BU – ( FORWARD STEP ) FOLLOW WITH SAME FOOT
BA CHING BU ( 8 SHORT STEPS )
HEN YE BU – ( SIDE STEP ) DEFENSIVE STEP TO AVOID A PUNCH
SU JIAO BU – ( TRIANGLE STEP ) 3 PART FORWARD STEP MOTION
FANG XING BU –( SQUARE STEP ) DODGING FORWARD & BACKWARD
MEI HUA BU – ( FIVE CORNER STEP ) STEP AROUND OPPONENT
LIU XING BU – (TWO TRIANGLE STEP) POINTED OPPOSITE DIRECTION
QI XING BU – ( 7 STAR STEP ) FORWARD TRIANGLE
ZOU ZHAN BU – ( 3 STEP ) FOLLOW FOOT 3 STEP FORWARD & BACK
BA GUA BU – ( 8 CHANGING STEP) TURNING IN A CIRCULAR FASHION
Cool history, But it only shows that Grandmaster Chiang Hua Long improved his own technique, not that his new system is better than the previous one.
That’s what I think anyway… But you can convince me of the contrary with a good argumentation.
– Kiasyd
Earth Dragon
Exactly how did he test the effectiveness? Just because he said it was better really doesn’t mean anything. It’s great that it worked better for him, don’t get me wrong.
Also, what did he do with the rest of the Seven Star System, did he think that none of it was worth passing on?
that “Grandmaster Chiang Hua Long improved his own technique, not that his new system is better than the previous one.”
I agree with you Kiasyd
Just wondering, what makes up the 7* system?
Who here knows it?
How much of it do you have to have before you can say you know the 7* system?
return to the wheel of life, not ready yet
bamboo leaf
All of you have good points, but everything ststem has strengths and weaknesses. One of these weaknesses was in the 7* footwork, It could be improved so he improved it not just for him but for everyone so after many many years of trail and error he realized that by adding a strength of another system you could greatly improve an exsisting system …7*.
We still have the hands of 7* but with superior footwork, which the system is named after ba bu, not saying that my system is better than your system thing, just that its hybrid for fighting and allowing you to move in and around your opponnet morequicker and more efficeintly.
If you have expericenced the jumping footwork of the monkey in 7* at master level and compared it to ba gua of 8 step you could clearly see the difference, Not that any of use will ever get close to that level, so I’ll just take their word for it! LOL
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=“-1”>quote:</font><HR>
Just wondering, what makes up the 7* system?
Who here knows it?
How much of it do you have to have before you can say you know the 7* system?
[/quote]
Bamboo_Leaf,
I’m just a begginer, and in fact, I don’t know nothing about 7 star PM (or any other system, for that matter… ). That’s exactly why I asked our friend Earth Dragon, why exactly 8 step footwork is better than 7 star footwork… I’m curious, and I’m trying to learn.
Earth Dragon:
If you’re saying that 8 step system have the same handwork of 7 star, and 8 step footwork is better, then you’re saying that 8 step is better than 7 star
Or maybe, I’m just too dumb to understand 
– Kiasyd
What was Josi Wong Long Thinking
What was Josi Wong Long Thinking when he added the footwork of the monkey?
kiasyd
I am saying that 8 step is superior,in terms of footwork.
As far as hands they are equal but I do like the shuai chaio and chin na that also has been added to our system to give it a well rounded feel. Please read the history on our web site for a complete understanding of 8 step to help you with some questions that may pop up.
thnax
Chin na
Seven star has a lot of joint locks in the system,