does tim or anyone else know if praying mantis kung fu has any standing/zhan zhuang postures. I'm asking because
whenever i do zhan zhuang, for some reason it feels very comfortable to make a kind of praying mantis hand/wrist shape.
Sorry I missed this earlier when I visited...
Cartman -
Not specifically. What I mean by that is we import certain postures or the practice of standing, but as far as being part of traditional Mantis curriculum...not usually. Now everyone makes use of basic stances, and holding them for strengthening and building endurance.
It is common for the pinky and ring finger to curl in when the hands are relaxed. More likely then not that is why Mantis players developed that posture.
I always taught some basic standing practice in my Mantis classes. I think it is important to cover some posture and structure basics each class. So keep doing your practice!
Cheers
Jake