San Shou (not the sport) Vs form
Here are some thoughts that straightly are my own and do not represent any other opinion but mine.
Praying Mantis training is IMHO one of the most peculiar practice in TCMA. Almost every aspect of the art is an art onto itself.
Take Kao Da (a.k.a. striking 3 stars) for example, it is one of the most versatile and sophisticated training methodology in TCMA. It can be used to just train an attribute building tool such as withstanding impact throught out the body. It can also be use to refine close quater combat techniques such as takedowns. You can actually use the Kao Da techniques to fight. Most TCMA style today only use it for forearm conditioning. But not the case with Mantis. I would venture to say as far as I am aware, Kao Da in Mantis as methodology is one of the most comprehensive in traditinal Kung Fu. It is an art onto itself.
So whether it is an attribute builiding tool, a skill set building tool, or both depends on the teacher’s experience, perpective and insight.
The same goes to Tanglang’s Shou Fa (or San Shou whatever label that you prefer) and Quan (forms).
Wooden dummy practice is widely known to be associated with the legendary southern Shaolin and subsequently it’s various schools. Most notable is of course the Wing Chun clan(s).
In my article concerning CCK TCPM wooden dummy training, I discussed the training from the point of view that it is an art more so than a form. One could say that it is an art encapsulated in a form that is distinctive with NPM flavor especially that of TJPM style. I take into consideration of the background, dynamics of TJPM and the wooden dummy training, anatomy of the wooden dummy, attribute cross training, fundamentals, power generation, and beyond the training. This all goes to show that why it is in my mind wooden dummy training from CCK TCPM perspective is an art onto itself. BTW, you can find a shorter version of the article in the Mantis Quarterly.
Surely there is nothing wrong with it using the wooden dummy as only an attribute building tool just as some school would use Taiji push hands, Wing Chun Chi Sao, etc… Yet it is personal growth.
GM Chiu saw the potential of a common good with the wooden dummy training. He realized his vision of a special art form which he encapsulated it in a form. So now we as mantis practitioners all can enjoy his intellectual property, a gift if you will, even when he had passed into the infinite for many years. That I believe is the reason why we all appreciate the masters and the arts that they past down. A form is more than just a training tool, it can be but there are so much more to it. A form is a physical selfless sharing of intellectual prosperity and it is unique to TCMA.
Mantis108
PS I don’t mean that not using form as teaching is being selfish. But it is unique to use form to teach in TCMA.
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