International Mantis Boxing Training Camp, Poland 2006

2006 was the first of three unforgettable trips to Poland to teach Mantis Boxing alongside my brother Shifu Slawomir Milczarek of the Polish Praying Mantis Kung Fu Society in the forest of Urle. Daily training consisted of two long sessions of several hours duration (each morning, incorporating all jiben gong/fundamental exercises), averaging approx. 6 hours a day. The camp was attended by both Polish and Finnish practitioners with a couple of others making the trip from elsewhere in Europe. I came away extremely impressed by the work ethic, determination, skill and toughness of all attendees.

I am eternally grateful for the opportunity and will always treasure my days in both Poland and Finland working hard with my Northern brothers.

The following clip contains some snippets of the large amount of material that was covered in our time in the Urle camp. You can see a few examples of sweeping and 'knocking' throws, takedowns off kicks, a section from a series of progressive Bi Shou (闭手) - 'Closing Hand' / Zhan Nian Shou (粘黏手) - 'Sticking Hand' drills, followed by Zhan Nian Tui Shou (粘黏推手) - 'Sticking and Pushing Hands', all of which can aid in the development of sensitivity and enhance reactivity.

I've only recently been able to edit the particular file type of the footage taken during the first couple of camps (2006 and 2007), most of which was originally filmed by Shifu Milczarek. I'll put a few of these short compilations together in coming months if I happen to come across anything worth sharing.

Enjoy!