Southern Praying Mantis Instruction In the NYC area

[C Liu]

Hi all, new to the forum, but I was looking for information regarding Southern Praying Mantis instruction in the NYC area. I am already aware of Norman Chin and Milton Chin of Lam Sang's Jook Lum Tong Long Pai lineage, but are there any other instructors from different lineages out here in the NYC area? I would appreciate any guidance.

Thanks all!

[JF Springer]

Greetings C. Liu -

Please don't take offense but your post is rather odd. You state that you've trained in SPM and are aware of Mr. Norman Chin and Mr. Milton Chin. Care to state your lineage?

I say your post is odd for several reasons. First, you claim past experience in SPM so you must all ready have access to resources capable of providing you with the information you request.

Even taken as a collective whole the SPM Pai is relatively small so we tend to know, or know of, each other to some degree. Certainly well enough to make contact without the assistance of total strangers.

Secondly, it is strange that a Chinese person living in NYC would request such information, particularly on an open forum. Many of us in the SPM family on this forum have our proper name and valid E-mail addresses listed and available to anyone who cares to make private inquiries.

Finally, you must, of course, have some basic working knowledge of performing Internet search functions. Therefore, it seems reasonable to conclude that you haven’t attempted to directly contact anyone from the Iron Ox, Chow Gar, or Chu Gar Pai which is most odd.

I say most odd because after 22 years in the TCMA you must be aware of certain protocols. Your post on an open forum to total strangers circumvents or outright ignores these things.

Given the frequency of troll activity on this forum I do hope you will understand my misgivings and provide a response that adequately addresses same. JF Springer

[C Liu]

Hello Mr. Spinger,

Thank you for your response and allow me to apologize if my line of inquiry is not in accordance to proper TCMA protocols. It is the scarcity of public SPM contacts that leads me to this forum. I have been stymied in the past when seeking instruction in any of the SPM systems around the NYC area. Even for a person of Chinese descent SPM instruction is difficult to come by.

In response to your inquiries, my lineage in SPM was in the Lam Sang branch of Kwong Sai Jook Lum. I received approximately 3 years of instruction from a student of the late Grandmaster Lam Sang. I trained once a week in the back room of this instructor’s business. This training consisted of ½ hour Som Bo Gin practice and at least 1 hour of my working around the shop. It was a rare occasion when my form or my breathing was reviewed or corrected and due to this I developed lower back pain. A majority of my training was done alone, without the instructor or any seniors to guide me. Therefore, I did not have the privilege in meeting more SPM practitioners. All of this occurred about 8 years ago.

As for my 22 years in TCMA, most of my training has been with small non-commercial Wing Chun and Tai Chi groups. These groups did not participate in MA tournaments, New Year’s shows, etc. Due to our non-participation, I haven’t been able to make that many connections in the TCMA community.

Please do not take this as a trolling expedition, I have been interested in SPM for quite a long time. The problem has been that I have not been able to locate an instructor or school with wich I feel comfortable. A physical search of the NYC area has not been fruitful and Internet searches have only provided a limited number of instructors in the NYC area from any SPM lineage.

These are the reasons I have approached the forum. Again I wish to thank you or anyone, in advance. for their assistance.

[Bak Mei]

If you can train with Milton Chin, I would suggest it.

I have never trained with him, but one of his long time students, Sifu Mark M. It was a great experince. 100% focus on combat. It was with him I was training when I had the opportunity to train with Master Bong Chan, a decision that was not easy because I was pleased with where my training was going.]
However, I am quite happy with my decision as well, and that is taking nothing away from Sifu Mark, a great fighter.

PS, I have heard a lot of bad health stories related to S. Mantis, and not from lack of guidence either. Not me personally, so I stress HEARD.

A lot of respect to the SPM fighters though. A tough style.

[C Liu]

Thank you for your response Bak Mei. I will take your comments under advisement. :)

[sleeper]

Neither of the Chins in NYC "touch hands" with thier students in the Open Class.

Caveat Emptor

[C Liu]

thanks for the information Sleeper, I will keep that in mind.