Chinese martial arts can be traced back to more than 4000 years ago. Its origins is attributed to self-defense needs, hunting activities and military training in ancient China. Hand-to-hand combat and weapons practice were important components in the training of Chinese soldiers. Chinese martial arts proceeded to incorporate different philosophies and ideas into its practice-expanding its purpose from self-defense to health maintenance and finally as method of self-cultivation. The influence of martial ideals in civilian society spread into poetry, fiction, and eventually film.
According to tradition, the Yellow Emperor introduced the earliest fighting systems to China. He is described as a famous general who, before becoming China's leader, wrote lengthy treatises on medicine, astrology and the martial arts.
The modern concepts of Kung Fu were fully developed by the Ming and Qing dynasties. The ideas associated with Chinese martial arts changed with the evolving Chinese society, and over time acquired a philosophical basis.
Shaolin Kung Fu is regarded as the first institutionalized Chinese martial art. Martial practice had become an integral element of Shaolin monastic life. Martial arts practice in Shaolin appear in various literary genres of the late Ming: the epitaphs of Shaolin warrior monks, martial-arts manuals, military encyclopedias, historical writings, travelogues, fiction and poetry.
The fighting styles that are practiced today were developed over the centuries, after having incorporated forms that came into existence later. Some of these include Bagua, Drunken Boxing, Eagle Claw, Five Animals, Hsing I, Hung Gar, Lau Gar, Monkey, Bak Mei Pai, Tai Chi Chuan and Praying Mantis.
SEVEN STAR PRAYING MANTIS KUNG FU
There are many legends surrounding the creation of Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu. The most notable legend attributes the creation of Mantis fist to the Song Dynasty when Abbot Fu Ju, supposedly invited Wang Lang and seventeen other masters to come and improve the martial arts of Shaolin. The Abbot recorded all of the techniques in a manual called the Mishou or "Secret Hands," The manual records Wang Lang "absorbed and equalized all previous techniques" learned from the 17 other masters.
There are several styles of Northern Praying Mantis, the best known of which are:
Seven Star Praying Mantis Boxing This style is known to be the original form of praying mantis kung fu and is widespread in the Shandong Province and surrounding areas. Luo Guang Yu is known for having passed down this style to Hong Kong and other parts of Southern China, where it is still practiced today. Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu is considered by many as the 'hardest' of the Praying Mantis styles, however it still utilizes soft-hard principles and is classified as a soft-hard style. At Wrights KUNG FU we teach the art primarily as it was passed down to us by Grandmaster Lee Kam Wing of the Lee Kam Wing International Seven Star Mantis Association and Grandmaster Raymond Fogg, and Master John Cheng of the the United States Kung Fu Exchange Federation.