Hey guys I need a hand cause I’m going to a school in China (dw I know it’s legit, they spar regularly, All the masters are also real I know this cause 2 of my friends went) and 2 of the disciplines they offer are northern Mantis and Sanda which I can’t decide between. I’ve looked around and I can’t really decide which style to learn for a year. My Goal is to learn for partially for self defence (Im aware that something like MMA or boxing or Mauy tai are considered better for self sentence that most Kung fu) as well as since I just really wanna go to China to learn Kung fu for the life style. But just to help me decide which is considered better for self defence and fighting Northern Mantis or Sanda (Chinese taught). Also I’m a fairly skinny and 5ft 10 so if either style favours a smaller quicker build please take that into account
Northern Mantis is a traditional Style, or a modern Wushu form so it depends. Sport Sanda is basically Chinese kick boxing with throws
so the contents of which discipline would suit you better in a street fight if other such conflict (I believe the mantis is seven star mantis)
I mean if you are talking about actually fighting then of course Sanda is a better style for purpose. I would say "which one do you think you would enjoy more?". There's no point in doing something you're not going to enjoy. Being effective at fighting is great but if you don't enjoy it you're not going to go very far.
If you take - Sanda, you will become a good fighter. - praying mantis, you may become a good fighter, or you may not. When you learn some PM forms (you may need to learn at least 3 forms), the other Sanda guy is sparring in the ring, he has accumulated more fighting experience than you have.
offers some thoughts on traditional vs what might be called modern At one time traditional styles innovations of their time, are no longer tested in the way which made them innovated. Most preserve methods of past that no longer exist. Not to say they can not be used, only that they've ceased to evolve in preserving the past.
For 7 star, you have to learn Bung Bo as your 1st form. One advantage to train PM over Sanda is average PM guys may develop faster speed than average Sanda guys have.
All MA skills can be countered. Only speed and hardness have no counters. One of a PM guy favor speed testing game is: - Both A and B have right side forward with hands next to the knees. - If A's right hand can punch on B's left back shoulder before B's right leading arm can block it, A wins that round. Otherwise B wins that round. Speed is what make people want to train the PM system. In CMA, it's very common that people train: - long fist for foundation. - PM for speed. - Baji for power. - SC for throwing skill.
"timing beats speed and precision beats power" Also, Usain Bolt is the fastest man alive but I'll still kick him in the throat cause he can't actually fight. Same with Mantis. If you haven't applied it then it doesn't matter.
If the training is quality, AND You find it interesting to stay engaged and work hard at it AND You find that you have some aptitude for it and it is a good fit for you both physically and mentally Then you may learn some fighting skills. Either of the systems you listed MAY be a good road for what you are looking for, but neither is a guarantee. It depends, and nobody can give you a guaranteed answer. Especially because none of us know the school nor the teachers nor how they train.
The PM system is also famous in it's strategy. In this clip, the most famous Gou Lou Cai Shou (control wrist, control elbow, punch) is used. If you are good in this entering strategy, you can use it to set up many throws such as - front cut, - leg block, - single leg, - inner hook, - foot sweep, - behind neck choke, - ...
Thanks guys for all the info. I’ve also done Judo for the past 5 years (with a lot of actual resistance fighting against punches kicks knees ect) so I’m fairly confident in my throwing and pinning/choking or locking abilities So I’m mainly looking for a striking art. What I’ve got from this thread is that Sanda would be better for fighting and would merge fairly well with my judo but PM would also help me to increase my striking speed and honestly I think I’m more drawn to PM as a style especially since further down the road i will learn some weapon forms too.
