Stance

Stance in Qixing Tanglang is open and the body directed sideways. Shoulders down, arms kept at a distance from the torso so that elbows, hands or fists shield open and most important places. The head is straight and kept away from the shoulders that are relaxed all the time to allow swift and long strikes. The chest is directed forwards but at the same time flexible to fall backwards during circular moves dissolving the enemies strength.

The stance in Qixing Tanglang differs substantially from the tighter and closed stance of Meihua Tanglang, where arms are round and the chest bent back.

The main stances in Qixing Tanglang are: dengshan shi (climbing the mountain stance), qima shi (riding a horse stance), qixing shi (seven star stance), yuhuan bu (jade ring stance), hanji shi (single leg stance), pu tui (pu bu) (broken stance). The above mentioned stances are practised during the standing excercises zhen zhuang. Apart from them we have - taji shi and xuanji shi.

Footwork

Footwork in Qixing Tanglang is swift and changing. THe jade ring stance (yuhuan bu) is the key to understanding movement in the Praying Mantis system. The low jade ring stance (di yuhuan bu) is used mostly with a waist cut (yao zhan) or heart strike (ding xin chui). The technique yao zhan (throw with twist) is said to be the key technique in most Tanglang Men system schools. This step - longer than in different schools - is based on hard stepping with the front foot and sliding the rear leg on the ground.

Entry to the qixing shi stance is the second type of steps that identifies the Mantis system. Most of the weight rests on the rear leg and at the same time the one in front strikes or hooks the opponent's leg.

The main steps of Qixing Tanglang are: shang bu (step forward), che bu (step backward), jin bu (moving step) gai bu and tou bu (crossing steps), tiao bu and san tiao bu (leaps), dian bu (exchange of legs, a step with a thump) and hua bu (step with a dodge to the side).

Steps in Qixing Tanglang Quan are longer than in different branches. Qixing Tanglang Quan more often uses a thump and a leap with exchange o legs as a way to quickly move the weight balance.

The use and generation of power

Strength in Mantis system comes mainly from the movement of the waist. It works in all directions letting the limbs strike with much more power than when using only the muscles. Qixing Tanglang uses the waist and the back (influence of the Tongbei Quan system) in much more degree than the other styles. It prefers long and heavy punches in contraction to short and complex strikes in Meihua Tanglang.

The basic type of power used in Qixing is cun li, short flexible power that results in fa li - explosion of energy. The second type is tui li typical physical strength that can be seen i.e. in strong punches.

Throws and methods to move your opponent out of balance are much more frequent in Qixing Tanglang than in different families. This is a result of using broader and lower stances and kicks, leaning and twisting the body during an attack (yuhuan yao zhan). Some moves can look exagerated, however their use becomes obvious in free fighting.

In chineese gong fu seven stars are the symbol of seven principles, seven techniques. In Qixing Tanglang Quan, seven starts represent cooperation of seven main body parts - head, shoulder, elbow, fist, hip, knee and foot.

The key to success is combining and coordination of them to accumulate the power characteristic to Qixing Tanglang.

Qixing Tanglang puts more focus on strength and athletics hence more external in its charater than other families of the system.

Punches and kicks

Most often used hand techniques in Qixing Tanglang Quan are fist strikes. The basic ones are: quan chui (arc blow), zai chui (straight, piercing blow), pi chui (smashing blow), beng chui (reversed fist blow) and many others such as zui chui ("awl" blow, a punch with a single knuckle). Qixing Tanglang contains many strikes and pushes that use open hand or fingers such as tui zhang, kan zhang, chuan zhang, fan zhang or yin zhen (pushing hand, slashing hand, cutting hand, throwing hand, "needle strike").

The symbol of Tanglang Men is the hook - gou. In Qixing Tanglang this technique is not as exposed as in other schools of the system. It is used as an interception or a qinna technique.

Kicks in Qixing Tanglang are used on all levels starting with a foot (like hooking gou tui) up until the head (as a round kick quan jiao). The basic kicks are: bi men jiao ("closing the gate" kick), ying men jiao ("opening the gate" kick), ce deng tui (side kick), fu ren jiao ("axe blade" kick) and others such as fan jia jiao, liao yin jiao, etc.