Also known as Chow Gar Country of origin China | Focus Striking Creator Chow Ah Naam | |
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Famous practitioners Wong Fook Go, Lau Soei, Yip Shui Parenthood Southern Praying Mantis, Southern Shaolin Kung Fu | ||
Chow Gar Tong Long (周家螳螂) is a southern Chinese martial art and is one of the four major schools in Southern Praying Mantis. It is an aggressive style with emphasis on close range fighting. These skills are developed by utilizing a range of training techniques which have been developed over several centuries.
Contents
- History
- Chow Ah Naam
- Wong Fook Go
- Lau Soei 1866 1942
- Yip Shui 1912 2004
- Forms
- Basic Movements
- Shock Power
- References
This style is not related to Jow-Ga Kung Fu(周家), a southern Chinese martial art founded by Jow Lung in the early 1900s.
History
The history of Chow Gar Praying Mantis was transmitted orally with little supporting documentation until the 1900s. The origins of Chow Gar are similar to other martial arts of the Hakka community with references to the Southern Shaolin monastery and exploits centered around Southern China. Information prior to the turn of the century is speculative at best. In the modern era, Lau Soei is recognized by both the Chow Gar and Chu Gar practitioners as the leading promoter of this style. The leading authorities on Chow Gar are the students of Yip Shui and their schools can be found worldwide.
Chow Ah Naam
According to Chow Gar tradition, the founder of the style was Chow Ah Naam (周亞南) who lived in the 1800s. He had spent many years in the Southern Shaolin Monastery under the guidance of the abbot Sim See Yan. He created a new style which he called Praying Mantis from watching a fight between a praying mantis and a bird. His style is not related to the Northern Praying Mantis created by Wang Lang (王朗) during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Ah Naam taught the style to many people in the region and one of his students was Wong Fook Go.
Wong Fook Go
Wong Fook Go (黃福高) was initially a lay person but later became a traveling monk. He travelled throughout Southern China including Wai Yearn village in the area of Tung Kung (East River).
Lau Soei (1866-1942)
Lau Soei (劉瑞; 誠初; 劉水) was an accomplished teacher of the martial arts in his home village of Wai Yearn in Southern China before meeting Wong Fook Go. Oral traditions suggested that Lau challenged Wong and was soundly defeated by Wong. Lau then became a student of Wong and became proficient in the Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis. Using this knowledge, he further enhanced his reputation and earned the nickname as the "Number one of the three tigers of Dong Jiang (東江三虎之一).
In 1913, Lau Soei moved to Hong Kong and established a Southern Praying Mantis school in Kowloon. Initially, he would teach his system only to members of the Hakka community. Near the end of his career, he opened his teachings to the general public. Yip Shui was one of his first non-Hakka students. Lau Soei died in 1942.
Yip Shui (1912-2004)
Yip Shui (葉瑞; 啟瑞) continued on the tradition of Lau Soei after living and training extensively with Lau Soei. He established a reputation for the effectiveness of the Chow Gar style by meeting all challenges. He worked hard to teach and promote this style. Yip Shui died in 2004.
Yip Chee Keung, the son of Yip Shui, continues the family tradition as a promoter of this system. Chee Keung emigrated to London, England in the 1970s. He established a Chow Gar Southern Mantis School there. Paul Whitrod started his training with Yip Chee Keung at that school in 1974. Paul is now the UK representative for Chow Gar.
Ng Si Kay (吳士麒), Yip Shui's son in law, is the current head instructor for Chow Gar Mantis Association (International) based in Hong Kong. Li Tin Loi (李天來), another student of Yip Shui, is teaching at the Hong Kong Tong Kong Chow Ka-Praying Mantis Li Tin Loi Martial Arts Association (香港東江周家螳螂李天來拳術會). Ng Woon Hung (吳煥亨), also a student of Yip Shui, teaches at the Chow Gar Mantis Kung Fu Association (周家螳螂國技會) in Mong Kok.
With the efforts and dedication of those teachers and many others, Chow Gar practitioners can now be found throughout the world. There are now Chow Gar schools and associations in Hong Kong, England, South Wales, Hungary, the Netherlands Australia, and in Chicago, USA.
Forms
There are many different forms in the Chow Gar system and each instructor teaches a variety of forms. The name for some of those solo forms include:
There are also pair forms and weapon forms.
Basic Movements
There are also 36 basic movements consisting of one or 3 moves, known as San Sau. They include:
Shock Power
The short-range power that can translate into shock power (驚彈勁法) is a basic characteristic of this style. According to legend, this technique was created when founder Chow Ah Naam saw a praying mantis fighting off a blackbird using quick sudden movements.