Is there really a difference between Preying Mantis and Northern Mantis?

[Jason Martell]

Is there really a difference between the two?

[Lu Bu]

Someone saying "Preying" is, I think, an attempt to make "Praying Mantis" more deadly sounding. I think it's a bit unnecessary, but whatever.

[mantis108]

1) Preying Mantis or Praying Mantis is an insect. If I am not mistaken, the origin of the English name came from Latin. It is thus named because of the 2 front limbs (the claws) usually are folded as in prayer position like the Christian monks who were the educator of the day. Incidentally, the Hindu tradition's Namaste gesture is exactly the same. So did Jesus actually went to India and brought back the prayer hands/Namaste or this is something "universal"? Anyway, Preying Mantis is an insect.

2) Northern Mantis is a preying mantis that obviously lives in the northern hemisphere.

So in general there is no difference IMHO. But in particular, the generality of preying mantis does not necessarily apply to a preying mantis that lives in the northern hemisphere. So I believe you will have to be specific about the question.

BTW, we are not biologists. So may be it's better to ask such question on a science forum instead.

Hope this helps.

Yours truly

Mantis108

[Pilot]

Using Preying and Praying can be used interchangeably. It is a play on words. Prey is a helpless victim and the bug is a Pray-ing Mantis because of the way it holds it’s front claws in what looks like it is praying. The Praying Mantis can be a Preying Mantis if you are it’s victim.

[Jason Martell]

thanks guys but I wasn't looking for a biology lesson. I was talking about the differences between those two styles of Kung Fu.

[Ou Ji]

You might be thinking of the difference between northern mantis and southern mantis. I believe some southern mantis branches spell it preying mantis.

Anyone know for sure?

[18elders]

same thing just spelled different. Preying will be seen in British colonies like canada. Just their mother english spelling.
We spell check, they spell it cheque
We spell color, they spell colour.

Just their spelling of the word.

[monkeyfoot]

preying mantis is just the collective term for the styles of kung fu that immitate the mantis' movements.

northern mantis refers to branches of mantis created in the north of china (7star etc).

They are not different styles, ones is a collective name for 'all mantis styles' and the northern refers to the geographical position in which it was created.

was that what you were after?

craig

[mantis108]

Tanglang Quan or as I would call it Praying Mantis pugilism is a body of knowledge of self expressed in combative form. It is inspired by mantis the insect. Having said that I believe we have to be careful when using word such as imitating which gives the inpression that the exponent of the art would be hopping and waving up and down like the modern Wushu rendition of Mantis boxing which in my mind is the worst BULLSH!T that is out there. Real Tanglang Quan do not imitate the bug rather it takes after the courage spirit in the face of death of the insect that has always fascinated the Daoist scholars and even good old Bruce Lee (check out the narrative in a scene in the Game of Death).

I believe it would be appropiate to distinguish Tanglangquan into 2 major systems. Shandong Tanglang that is first found in the Yantai County (although Qingdao County would argue for that), Shandong province of China and Nan Tanglang or Kejia (Hakka) Tanglang that is found mostly in the pearl river region within the province of Guangdong. BTW, We have to be aware that Northern Mantis could mean a specific branch by the famous Wang Hanxun (Wong Hon Fun) of the Qixing Tanglang (7 star mantis styles) that is derived from the Shandong Tanglang. Shandong Tanglang and Nan Tanglang is very different in appearance (stance, structure, forms etc..). Most notably is the use of Cun Jing Jie Li (Inch power section strenght) power generation by the southern counter part is not commonly found in the northern counter part.

So the question that was phrased would be in my understanding asking the difference between Shandong Tanglang in general and Northern Mantis of WHF in particular. That is why we need to clarify which 2 styles of Mantis Kung Fu are you really after?

Mantis108