# Northern Mantis vs. Southern Mantis



## Ronnin (Jan 15, 2009)

What are the main differences between the two Praying Mantis styles? I'm not wondering which is better, just the differences, I'm seeing a lot more northern Mantis schools than southern.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Jan 15, 2009)

Northern Praying Mantis


Southern Praying Mantis


----------



## Ronnin (Jan 15, 2009)

Xue Sheng said:


> Northern Praying Mantis
> 
> 
> Southern Praying Mantis


I've read all about their history and creators, both say the art is native to their province, I'm wondering the opinion from people who take the arts.


----------



## arnisador (Jan 15, 2009)

They're quite a bit different and not really related.


----------



## Ronnin (Jan 16, 2009)

arnisador said:


> They're quite a bit different and not really related.


Yes, I know, that's what I'm trying to get to the bottom of.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Jan 16, 2009)

Ronnin said:


> Yes, I know, that's what I'm trying to get to the bottom of.


 
What's to get to the bottom of, they have completely different origins. The only similarity they have is the name Mantis. Just because a guy in the North called his style Mantis (tánglángquán) and a guy 1200 miles away in the south called his style mantis does not mean they have any relation at all. 

It&#8217;s like trying to get to the bottom of why does the tiger form of Hei Hu Quan look so different form the Tiger form of Hebei Xingyiquan. They are different styles with different origins that is all. 

The following is from here



> *Southern Praying Mantis* (&#21335;&#27966;&#34739;&#34690 is a Chinese martial art native to the Hakka (&#23458;&#23478 communities of Southern China. Despite having the name &#8220;Praying mantis&#8221;, this style is completely unrelated to the Northern Praying Mantis style. In terms of history and techniques, the Southern Praying Mantis is more closely associated with fellow Hakka styles such as the Dragon (&#40845;&#24418;&#25331 or Bak Mei ( &#30333;&#30473;&#25331and more distantly to the Fujian family of styles that includes Fujian White Crane( &#30333;&#40372;&#25331, Five Ancestors (&#20116;&#31062;&#25331, and Wing Chun (&#35424;&#26149. There are four main branches of Southern Praying Mantis being practised world wide.


 
The following from here



> *Northern Praying Mantis* (Chinese: &#34739;&#34690;&#25331;; pinyin: tánglángquán; literally "praying mantis fist") is a style of Chinese martial arts, sometimes called Shandong Praying Mantis after its province of origin. It was created by Wang Lang (&#29579;&#26391;) and was named after the praying mantis, an insect, the aggressiveness of which inspired the style. One Mantis legend places the creation of the style in the Song Dynasty when Wang Lang was supposedly one of 18 masters gathered by the Abbot Fu Ju (&#31119;&#23621;), a legendary persona of the historical Abbot Fu Yu (&#31119;&#35029;) (1203-1275), to improve Shaolin martial arts. However, most legends place Wang Lang in the late Ming Dynasty


----------



## Yoshiyahu (Jan 22, 2009)

What are prinicpals between Southern and Northern Mantis?

Do they fight differently?

What do their forms look like?


----------



## Old Judoka (Jun 21, 2016)

Funny that someone would bring this up. There is a fellow near me who teaches Northern Mantis. Specifically 7-Star Praying Mantis and Taiji Praying Mantis....yes there are different lineages. I'm thinking of trying out the art myself. All the Northern Mantis styles are more external and long range. Southern Mantis is similar to most southern styles of Kung Fu in that it is more internal, and more short range fighting. I can't remember where I saw it, but it was today. Someone made reference to Chow Gar actually being one of the Southern Mantis lineages. If a Chow Gar person can straighten me out on this, I'll be grateful.  There are several YouTube examples of Northern Mantis in action. One was put out by a site called www.chinwoo.ca.  Not only did the Sifu demonstrate a form, he also showed application for the techniques in the form. I thought that was rather cool.


----------



## DaleDugas (Jun 22, 2016)

There are 3 branches of South Mantis.

Iron Ox/Tieh Ngau Pai
Chu Gar/Chow Gar
Bamboo Temple 

I train in Chu Gar and Bamboo Temple Mantis.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Jun 22, 2016)

DaleDugas said:


> There are 3 branches of South Mantis.
> 
> Iron Ox/Tieh Ngau Pai
> Chu Gar/Chow Gar
> ...



Brother Dale, how are you? How did things go at the taiji gala?


----------



## Old Judoka (Jun 23, 2016)

DaleDugas said:


> There are 3 branches of South Mantis.
> 
> Iron Ox/Tieh Ngau Pai
> Chu Gar/Chow Gar
> ...



Thank you. I'm greatful for the input.


----------



## DaleDugas (Jul 19, 2016)

Xue Sheng said:


> Brother Dale, how are you? How did things go at the taiji gala?


Had a great time though I was not 100% as I had to get the rabies vaccine due to being bit.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Jul 19, 2016)

DaleDugas said:


> Had a great time though I was not 100% as I had to get the rabies vaccine due to being bit.



Sorry to hear about the Rabies shot, are you doing ok now?

I was planning on going to the gala but my schedule got all messed up so I missed it this year.


----------



## Master Chow (Jul 24, 2016)

Hello everybody,

Southern Praying Mantis is my family Kung Fu which was handed down from my Hakka ancestors and dates back over 2000 years.

*A.The history of Southern Praying Mantis:*
In the pass time it wont teach non-Hakka people because it was used to protect our family. Hakka people now is all over the world. But it was from the central part of the China. During the war in different Dynasty, Our ancestors keep moving to different province and moving to the south. In each place they were staying, they will bring their cultural to that place. So they were occupy the local's things. THat 's why Hakka means, "Hak" means guest, "Ka" means home. They were guest but they made the place to be their home.
Kung Fu is the only way to protect themself during different difficult times. They past it to their son and grandson and keep passing down. But we don't call it Praying Mantis at that time. It was just family Kung Fu with different name.

*B.About the technique of Southern Praying Mantis:*
I am the Inheritor of Bamboo Forest Praying Mantis Kung Fu and Chow Gar Praying Mantis Kung Fu. There are many similar technique in Southern or Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Actually all the Kung Fu have the similar technique.  But I can tell you something about the forms. Some of my students they have practiced Northern Praying Mantis Kung Fu.  Reminder that it is also the different between Northern and Southern Kung Fu.

*Northern:*
The jumping foot steps always contain in the first form.
There have many forms.
The form is long and each form contain a lot of movements(can be 50-80 movements).

*Southern:*
Jumping foot steps always wont teach in the first form.
There have a few forms only.
The form is short and each form contain around 20 movements(or less than 20 movements).

One of the things that I want to mention, is that both Northern or Southern Kung Fu is good. The training method it also depends on the SiFu who teach you even the form was set.  For example, we don't have the Jumping foot steps in the first form. Because we have it in the foundation training already. In the pass time even in my father generation, they had to do the foot steps and all the legs skill for 3 months long. Students they wont be allowed to learn the hand skill before that. They practice everyday and a few hours for each day. So that was 90 days. After that 3 months, they build up strong legs , strong waist, strong body and also very good at foot steps ,kicking and all the foot skill.

Even Northern and Southern style is different, but as what I said it depends on the SiFu. Form was set but human is flexible.

*C.Here is my family Kung Fu*
Bamboo Forest Praying Mantis, a Kind of Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu.
It can let you understand more how my family 's Southern Praying Mantis Look Like:





And here is my web-site:
www.kungfuclasshongkong.com

Also I taught Tai Chi and there has over 3000 local and international students passed through my school.

My Tai Chi Web site:
www.taichielite.com/eng

Good Health, Good Life, Good Kung Fu
Master Chow Chin Ching


----------



## DaleDugas (Aug 4, 2016)

Thank you for sharing Chow Shifu!


----------



## DaleDugas (Aug 4, 2016)

Xue Sheng said:


> Sorry to hear about the Rabies shot, are you doing ok now?
> 
> I was planning on going to the gala but my schedule got all messed up so I missed it this year.



No worries brother.  Getting back to 100% but it has been hard on my body.  The vaccine is not that nice.


----------



## Xue Sheng (Aug 4, 2016)

DaleDugas said:


> No worries brother.  Getting back to 100% but it has been hard on my body.  The vaccine is not that nice.




Hope you get back to 100% soon


----------



## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 28, 2021)

Master Chow said:


> Hello everybody,
> 
> Southern Praying Mantis is my family Kung Fu which was handed down from my Hakka ancestors and dates back over 2000 years.
> 
> ...


Tom long pai? Is this similar?


----------



## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 28, 2021)

Master Chow said:


> Hello everybody,
> 
> Southern Praying Mantis is my family Kung Fu which was handed down from my Hakka ancestors and dates back over 2000 years.
> 
> ...


Sam bo Jin?


----------



## Wing Woo Gar (Oct 28, 2021)

Master Chow said:


> Hello everybody,
> 
> Southern Praying Mantis is my family Kung Fu which was handed down from my Hakka ancestors and dates back over 2000 years.
> 
> ...


Sorry mei guo tong long pai?


----------



## CMyers0323 (Jun 23, 2022)

Not sure where to post this but I heard of a book called "Mantis Boxing Basic Techniques that Grandmaster Ip Shui published. Apparently it's pretty famous but I can't find it anywhere. Any ideas on how to get a copy?


----------



## Wing Woo Gar (Jun 23, 2022)

Master Chow said:


> Hello everybody,
> 
> Southern Praying Mantis is my family Kung Fu which was handed down from my Hakka ancestors and dates back over 2000 years.
> 
> ...


Please forgive me if I spell this incorrectly, is Sam Bo Jin or some similar sounding name the name of one of your forms? A low kneeling stance short stepping with ginger fist and single knuckle punch included but no kicks. Does this sound familiar? If so, please correct me on the name of the form. Thank you.


----------



## Wing Woo Gar (Jun 23, 2022)

Wing Woo Gar said:


> Please forgive me if I spell this incorrectly, is Sam Bo Jin or some similar sounding name the name of one of your forms? A low kneeling stance short stepping with ginger fist and single knuckle punch included but no kicks. Does this sound familiar? If so, please correct me on the name of the form. Thank you.


Oh well I just replied to a 6 year old post that already replied to previously...


----------

