Chow Family Mantis

Sifu Wong has studied both the Chow family system and the bamboo forest temple system of southern mantis kung fu. He has trained in the Chow mantis system for over ten years. He first trained with Nelson Chiu in England for one year, but later paid for his friend to go to Hong Kong, where he was instructed by Grandmaster Yip Shui. On his return, as agreed, Sifu Wong was taught all the knowledge gained from Grandmaster Yip Shui. This included all the Chow mantis forms, from the most basic to the most advanced, and the many weapons taught such as the pole form, the sai, and the butterfly knives. Among the many other things learnt was the much coveted mantis chi kung, the most secret part of the Chow family mantis system. Sifu Wong learnt iron palm, iron throat and iron shirt, consisting of dip gwat kung (ribs training), tip boy kung (iron back), hup gem kung (chi kung exercises), shop ba unn kung sau (chi kung exercises), yingji sau (shadow hands), tong long yeaun yajen (chi kung exercises) and much more....

Bamboo Forest Temple Praying Mantis

However, even after acquiring such knowledge, Sifu Wong still remained unsatisfied. This was soon to change, when Sifu Wong met Master Kim Law and was taught Kwong Sai Bamboo Forest Temple Southern Preying Mantis kung fu.

Background of Bamboo Forest Temple Mantis

Bamboo Forest Temple Southern Mantis kung fu was founded by Red Eyebrow taoist during the Ming dynasty, around the year 1523 ad, and was first practiced in the Hong Kong Sai Bamboo Forest Temple. During that time, two kung fu brothers known as Red Eyebrow and Pakmei (white eyebrow), both taoists, were both known to reside at the temple. It should be noted that at this time, both taoists and buddhists trained together, and it is for this reason that taoists were found practising in a buddhist temple. Pakmei was the senior of the two kung fu brothers, and in martial arts contests between the monks in the temple, Pakmei would always be victorious, and Red Eyebrow would always be defeated. Because of this Red Eyebrow was always searching for new techniques with which to defeat Pakmei, but all were unsuccessful. Red Eyebrow was in charge of looking after the temple and maintaining it, and Pakmei was given the task of preaching outside the temple. It was during one such time, when Pakmei was on one of his preaching missions, that Red Eyebrow founded his system of southern mantis kung fu.

Red Eyebrow had gone in to the surrounding Kwong Sai Bamboo Forest which engulfed the temple in order to achieve a state of serene peace, which would allow him to deal with the temple's many problems. While lying down in the shade of a bamboo tree, he was struck on the arm by a mantis insect, whose claw made a small gash in his flesh, drawing blood. Naturally, by instinct, he pushed the mantis away with his other hand, and attended to his minor wound. He was surprised at such an attack by an insect just three inches in length, but even more so by the way in which the mantis had assumed a defensive posture after being pushed aside. It did not run away and hide, but was prepared to fight. Red Eyebrow then returned to the temple, much intrigued by the courage and power of the mantis.