In China, it has another name, which is Tanglang Quan. Besides for its interesting name, it boasts an assortment of routines which generally fall into the northern and southern styles, and it is also an animal-imitating style of fist play. It copies the form and actions of a mantis adding the attack and defense skills of the martial arts.

 

The northern-style mantis boxing is said to have been created by Wang Lang of Jimo County in Shandong Province at the turn of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Legend has it that Wang was fond of martial arts and went to study Wushu at the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province. After the temple was burnt down by the imperial army, Wang Lang returned to Jimo where, because of his shorter stature, he was beaten again and again by his senior fellow apprentice.

 

Wang resolved to practice hard for three years but, much to his dismay he lost the duel again. One day in the forest, he saw a mantis wielding its forelegs while fighting a big cicada in a tree. Before long, the mantis killed the cicada. Wang found that the mantis had a good rhythm in attack and defense and controlled its catch and release well. It fought both from distance and close-up with hard and soft blows characteristic of martial combats. He captured a number of mantises and took them home. Watching them closely while they fought, Wang Lang compiled a mantis boxing by adding the essentials of the Shaolin Quan to the actions of the mantis, even including the expression of the mantis.

 

The mantis boxing has many routines and branches. The major five schools are Seven-star mantis boxing, Plum blossom mantis boxing, Six-combination mantis boxing, Hand-wringing mantis boxing and Twin mantis boxing.

 

The mantis boxing features force, power, dexterity, speed, a combination of hardness and suppleness, of substantial and insubstantial tricks and blows and of attack and defense. It necessitates a good command of catch and release a variation of actions. Mantis boxers will attack if provoked; they will not attack if untouched by opponents; they deliver fist blows in quick succession when offended. These characteristics of the mantis boxing are well known among Chinese martial artists.

 

A common feature of various styles of the mantis boxing is that their actions are accurate and performed in earnest. Mantis boxers move lightly, yet powerfully and their attacks are very strong with tricks that are delicately connected. The mantis boxing also stresses eyesight, hand play, footwork and body movements as well as speed, agility, steadiness and careful choice of moves. Its power generation is strong but not stiff, supple but not soft, quick but not unconnected nor out of rhythm.

 

At the same time, the mantis boxing boasts of many skills and techniques and can beat its opponent with unpredictable changes of tricks and combinations of hardness and suppleness.