螳螂拳史
螳螂拳是我国古有的一种拳术，它起源于梁武帝时，至今已演化为七星螳螂拳, 梅花螳螂拳, 六合螳螂拳等诸多门派. 虽然在长期的演化过程中各派螳螂拳逐渐形成了各自独特的拳法风格，但各派螳螂拳同根同源，各派螳螂拳的练家都认同的始祖是王郎.
纵观螳螂拳的发展史，可以大体分为两个发展时期：古代秘传时期和近现代发展时期. 古代秘传时期是指从王郎创拳到"李之剪得遇异人传授"这段时期，近现代发展时期指从"李之剪得遇异人传授"以后的时期.
七星螳螂拳在长期的发展演进过程中，融汇百家之长，逐渐形成了丰富的技击方法和拳术理论.
一 螳螂拳的起源
螳螂拳起源于梁武帝时，螳螂拳始祖叫王郎，茅山丹士，字法明，山西太原人士. 一次，当时的武术名家云集嵩山少林寺演练拳法. 王朗亦欲进少林寺，故与寺僧交锋，数战未胜，遭寺僧嘲笑，王朗愤愧交加气至痴癫. 一日，王郎歇息于树下，忽闻树上有蝉鸣，举目视之
，见一蝉与一螳螂正在打斗，蝉虽六足不能胜螳螂两臂，蝉败于树下，螳螂遂而捕之，螳螂捕蝉由此得名. 王朗捉住螳螂将其带回，用草秸戏之，观察其运用前两臂劈, 砍, 刁, 闪的捕斗的技巧，创出了勾, 搂, 采, 挂, 崩, 劈, 刁, 截等技法，朝夕演练，将螳螂捕蝉的功法悟彻拳理. 数年后复于寺中与僧较技，王朗以螳螂手法封其双手攻其双目，寺僧败退而下，惊动出方丈. 方丈请王朗入寺，传授螳螂拳法，创出第一套拳名为"崩捕". 王朗在寺中三载后，入茅山隐居不出. 寺中对此拳法轻不外传，后有福聚禅师删集十八家拳法创编出螳螂拳前后十六趟. 福聚禅师又将螳螂拳法传给云游道友升霄道人，升霄道人得此拳法后传入民间.
二 七星螳螂拳在近代的发展情况
螳螂拳鼻祖王朗在少林寺传授后即隐居茅山不出江湖，此螳螂拳法秘不外传，后有升霄道人云游至此得此不传之秘传入民间，从此，螳螂拳开始在民间广为流传.
道光年间，平度县崔家集李家庄李之箭得遇异人传授此螳螂拳术，武艺学成后设镖局于济南，盛名远播，有"闪电手"和"快手李"之美誉，以后又在闽候府台任护卫，毕生英名不减. 李之剪光绪十三年告老还乡后，由南至北访友归籍. 因晚年无嗣，李之剪遍觅贤者以继承其技，至福山闻听王云生善拳法，登门访之，了解王的门户后，叫王演习观之不赞一语. 王不服与之较技难于招架数败，于是拜李之剪为师，数年尽得其技. 李公亦云游访友北去，传闻至奉天，以后又进关天津卫等地访友，不识其踪
王云生，光绪年末科武举，生于一八五四年五月十三日，民国二十年冬月十三日寿终. 王云生住福山县烟台西关王家胡同，同治十三年在毓璜顶玉皇庙李义春道长处学弥祖长拳. 光绪十一年时年二十三岁在家设武馆教武. 光绪十四年得遇恩师李之箭，尽得其传. 恩师走后，王公云生在家静心演练，悉心研究，集百家汇集大成，技艺精进. 王公将此拳法传于大弟子"古育黎"范旭东.
范公字翔生，烟台大海阳村人，体格雄壮魁伟，人称范大力，精铁砂掌, 罗汉功. 曾有一次行经田野，适有二牛抵角，见范公来疑相犯，乃共奔范公面前欲用角抵之，范公见来势凶猛即严阵以待，先到之牛，被范公集全身之力用右脚踢腹部，此庞然大物应声倒地. 后到之牛被范公用右手握其角，右掌用力击牛，前脊一掌，牛亦倒地，农人以为范公击毙其牛，要求其赔偿，范公曰：吾为自卫而已，倘若吾被牛抵死，尔等肯赔命否. 事乃平息，由此范公之名益腾播遐迩.
光绪末年，有俄人约范公往西伯利亚霍地市较技. 范公到达霍地市先击败俄人台主，然后取而代之，经多场比赛均非范公对手，范公得锦标而归，威名远振.
范公传给大弟子郭嘉禄（莱阳人）, 二弟子杨维新（蓬莱人）, 三弟子林景山（莱阳人）, 四弟子罗光玉（蓬莱人）, 五弟子王传义（烟台人）.
大弟子早卒，二弟子杨师维新在上海精武会和山东会馆任教，其传人有肖树斌，肖在大连四杰馆传给张庆和, 傅有贵和几个日本人，肖树斌在日本仍有传闻.
三弟子林景山在天津赭玉璞手下任教官，后继承范公武馆在烟台任教，其传人有：胡永福, 邵华亭, 王春山, 林春生（林师长子）, 牟傅祖, 凌华堂, 于天堂（于海）, 钟连宝等人. 胡永福在大连四杰馆任教，其传人有李会堂（又名李占元）, 李瑞年, 徐洪勋, 王清刚等人, 李占元在青岛台东区任教，王清刚在大连金县城里任教, 林师另一传人王惠兰又名王小飞与林师同在赭玉璞手下任教官，与林师半师半友，其传人王庆斋在沈阳.
四弟子罗光玉民国八年受聘于上海精武会任总教练之职. 后在广州, 佛山, 港, 澳等地精武会任教，门徒遍及东南亚及海外等地，在海内外影响非凡，其传人有：马成鑫, 邹喜功, 于乐江, 林伯炎, 范永振, 陈震仪, 崔魁三, 崔寿亭, 张宝厚, 迟伦之, 郭祖超, 黄汉勋, 黄锦洪, 潘永昌, 郭子硕等.
五弟子王师传义乃王公云生之孙，曾在上海精武会和山东会馆任教八年，一九五二年开始在大连设馆任教. 其弟子有：王茂生, 马广友, 王文章, 迟学元等.
七星螳螂拳特点
刚柔相济，长短相兼，轻而不浮，稳而不滞，刚而不僵，柔而不软，快而不乱，脆而不短。讲究长打短，快打慢，硬欺软。其练法步到拳到，击手必连及步。每式动作都适于实用，贯穿紧凑，一气呵成。其中分别刚、柔、长、短、疾、徐，不能相互混乱，长短不分。其攻守比较繁杂，攻则以七长而进，守则以八短为本，攻中有守守中有攻，指上打下，打下而捎上，指左打右，打右必须防左，上下关照呼应，招之即打，打之即招，连招带打，连打带招，头脑冷静，细察敌情，防止对方欺虚做实，要身手灵敏，身出步随，长短互用，手脚吻合，心欲进而手足齐施，长拳短打殊无二理.
概括说来，有以下的拳法特点：
一、劲整力圆 周身相合
二、拳紧体松 轻沉兼备
三、贯穿紧凑 节奏明快
四、刚柔相济 长短互用
五、开合收放 蓄发相变
六、腾挪闪展 身法灵活
七、勾搂缠封 变化无穷
Tanglang Quan History
Tanglang Quan (Praying Mantis Fist) is an old Chinese martial arts style, it was said to have began during the emperor Liang Wu time, since then Tanglang Quan have developed into several styles like Qixing Tanglang Quan (Seven Star Praying Mantis Fist), Meihua Tanglang Quan (Plum Flower Praying Mantis Fist), Liuhe Tang Lang Quan (Six Harmony Praying Mantis Fist) and others. Even though Tanglang have divided into several styles with their own distinct characteristic, but these styles still share the same roots and acknowledged one founder - Wang Lang. The historical development of Tanglang Quan can be divided into two parts, the early period and the modern period. The early period is from the time Wang Lang created Tanglang Quan up to the time of Li Zhijian, while the modern period began from Li Zhijian time up until the present time. Beginning of Tanglang Quan
Tanglang began during the time of emperor Liang Wu, the creator was Wang Lang also known as Fa Ming of Taiyuan, Shanxi. Once the Shaolin temple of Song Mountain was a place where martial artists meet to developed their skills. Wang Lang desired to enter the temple, so befriended the Shaolin monks and exchange martial art skill, for many time they would test their skills, Wang Lang would always be defeated and be laughed by the monks, felt humiliated he went away. One day while Wang Lang was resting in the woods, he was disturbed by the noise caused by the fight between a cicada and a mantis, though the cicada have six feet was not able to overcome the two hook claw of the mantis. Finally the mantis seized the cicada (a verse later use in mantis technique). Wang Lang took home the mantis, where he studied the defensive and offensive movements of the mantis. He was able to observed the mantis' two front hook claws executing split, slash, cunning hook, dodge techniques and he created the hook, grasp, pluck, hang, crush, split, cunning hook, intercept and other techniques, he would further practice and develop the art of Tanglang Quan. After years of training, he went back and fought with the monks, the monks was no match to Wang Lang new fighting skill. The Shaolin Abbot was impressed with Wang Lang's Tanglang Quan, he invited Wang Lang to teach Tanglang Quan inside the temple. While in the temple he created a mantis form called "Beng Bu". Wang Lang taught at temple for three years before retiring to Mao mountain. Tanglang Quan was kept and taught only inside the premise of the temple before a monk called Fu Chi would further develop Tanglang Quan and later taught it to a wandering Taoist priest named Sheng Xiao, who introduced and taught Tanglang Quan to the common people. The development of Qi Xing Tanglang in the modern period
Tanglang Quan founder Wang Lang retired to Mao mountain after teaching at Shaolin temple, Tanglang Quan was only taught within the confines of the temple. Later the wandering Taoist priest Sheng Xiao brought Tanglang Quan to the masses, thus begun the widely propagation and development of Tanglang Quan. During the Dao Guang period, Li Zhijian of Pingdu learn Qixing Tanglang Quan from an anonymous person, after completing his martial art studies, he opened a security agency at Jinan, he became very famous and was nicknamed“Lightning Hands” and “Fast Hand Li”. In the thirteenth year of Guan Xu period, Li retired and wished to pass on his skill to a successor. He heard of a great boxing personality named Wang Yunsheng and decided to give him a visit. During his visit Li asked Wang to give a sample of his fame boxing skill. After performing, Li was not impressed of Wang‘s skill, Wang was in rage, in retaliation he challenge he old Li in a fight, which Li readily obliged, the fight ended with the defeat of Wang. Wang eventually begged Li to accept him as his disciple, Wang was able to quickly learned from Li the boxing system of Qi Xing Tanglang Quan. After Wang learned Qixing Tanglang, Li left Wang and continued to wander towards northern China. Wang Yunsheng was born in 1854 and died in 1926, Wang was from Foshan, Yantai, he initially studied Mizhong Quan, at age 23 open his own boxing school. In the fourteenth year of Guang Xu period, he began to learn Qixing Tanglang Quan under Li Zhijian, after Li left, he continued to practice and further improved the art. Fan Xudong was also called Xiang Sheng, he was from Da Haiyang village, Yantai. Because of his huge physical appearance, he was given a nicknamed called “Fan the Great Strength”, he was skilled in Iron Palm and Luohan skills. Once while crossing a field he was attacked by two bull, the first bull to attacked him was kill by a kick to the stomach by Fan, the second bull died instantly with a strong hand slap by Fan. The owner of the dead bulls asked Fan to pay him for his dead bulls, but Fan argued that he only acted in self-defense, after that the farmer dared not pursue for his compensation. This incident brought fame to Fan Xudong. During the later part of Guang Xu period, Fan competed in a boxing competition in Siberia, in which he won the championship, in which furthered boost his popularity. Fan taught Qixing Tanglang Quan to Guo Jialu of Laiyang, Yang Weixin of Penglai, Lin Jingshan of Laiyang, Luo Guangyu of Panglai and Wang Zhuanyi of Yantai. Guo Jia Lu of Laiyang , is the most senior of Fan Xu Dong's disciples, he died young. Second senior disciple Yang Weixin taught at Jingwu club and Shandong club in Shanghai. He has taught Xiao Shu Bin, Xiao taught at Dalian where his students were Zhang Qinghe, Fu Yougui and a few Japanese. Third senior disciple Lin Jingshan taught at Tianjin and later return to Yantai, to teach at Fan Xudong boxing school, among his students were Hu Yongfu, Shao Huating, Wang Chunshan, Lin Chunsheng (eldest son), Mou Zhuanzu, Ling Huatang, Yu Tiantang (Yu Hai) , Zhong Lianbao and others. Hu Yongfu taught at Dalian, his students were Li Hiutang (Li Zhanyuan), Li Ruinian, Xu Hongxun, Wang Qinggang. Li Zhanyuan taught at Qingdao, Wang Qinggang also taught in Qingdao. Another student of Lin Jingshan was Wang Zhuanlan also called Wang Xiaofei his student was Wang Qingzai. Fourth senior disciple was Luo Guangyu, he was the chief instructor at Jingwu club in Shanghai, later reassigned to different Jingwu club branches at Guangzhou, Foshan and Hong Kong. His teaching stints in Jingwu produces him many students that would later spread Qixing Tanglang throughout Southeast Asia. Among his students were Ma Chenxin, Zou Xigong, Yu Lejiang,, Lin Boyan, Fan Yongzhen, Chen Zhenyi, Cui Kuisan, Cui Shouting, Zhang Baohou, Chi Lunzhi, Guo Zuchao, Huang Hanxun, Huang Jinhong, Fan Yongchang, Guo Zishi and others. Fifth senior student was Wang Zhuanyi, the grandson of Wang Yunsheng. Wang Zhuanyi also taught at Jingwu and Shandong club in Shanghai for eight years. In 1952 he began teaching at his own boxing school in Dalian. His students were Wang Maosheng, Ma Guangyou, Wang Wenzhang, Chi Xueyuan and others. Qixing Tanglang Quan Characteristics
Rigid and flexibility are gather together, long and short are simultaneous, light yet not floating, steady yet not stagnant, rigid yet not stiff, flexible yet not weak, fast but not disarray, frail yet not short. Stressing on long defeats short, fast beat slow, hard stopped the weak. Emphasis must be given in footwork training and hand technique training. Hand strike should be in synchronization with the steps. Every movement have usable application, closely pe*****te, with a breath. They can be divided into rigid, flexible, long, short, fast and slow and they should not be muddle, long and short are separable. When attacking and retreating are mix up, use the seven long techniques in attacking and eight shorts for retreating, in attack there is retreat, in retreat there is attack, pointing high striking low, strike low pass high, point left strike right, strike right protect left, high low should be protected, technique of immediate strike, the strike of immediate technique, continuity of techniques bring strike, continuity of strikes produce technique, mind should be clear and calm, closely examine situation, protect against opponents feint and attacks, application of skills should be agile and quick, the body moves in synchronization with the steps, long short are inter use, hand and feet in harmony, mind wish to advance the feet and hands must move in unison, long punches short strikes are remarkable incomparable. Generally speaking, the style has these special characteristics:
1) Full strength, revolving power, whole body in unison.
2) Firm fist, relaxed body, both light and sinking.
3) Pe*****te closely in rhythmic speed.
4) Rigid and flexible in harmony, long and short in coordination.
5) Open and close, receive and release, store and send interchanges.
6) Moving or dodging with agile body movements.
7) Hook, grasp and twinning grab, changes are infinite.
