7 Star Overview Article online now.

[Three Harmonies]

Southern Mantis (Cho Gar / Chu Gar / Chow Gar) are indeed all from the Hakka families of southern arts in general. There is absolutely no similarity between northern and southern! Just about everything outside of Nian (sticking) is different. I am not sure what they call it in Chow Gar, but they do focus a lot on stickng types of energy.
And it is also true they are very similar in power generation (not looks mind you) with Bak Mei, Wing CHun, and White Crane. The Mantis guys do a lot of (TOTALLY THEIR TERMINOLOGY) swallowing and spitting energy too. The swallowing is an absorption of your opponents incoming attack / energy. Spitting is where you absorb your opponents energy and redirect it back at them.
As for one looking more like an insect than another.....okay, whatever. I do not try to emulate the insect, rather I try to become his fighting instinct and demeanor. I am too **** big to be an insect.

Cheers
Jake

[mantid1]

Like I said I dont like mantis because it is supposed to be based off of an insect. I like it because it is effective, could be toad style for all I care

I mention the outer appearance only because it seems that the southern seems to have gone through many less changes than the northern since their development. That is if either really were developed by watching an insect.

Is the southern mantis history and fighting theories easier to trace than the northern?

I am still not sold on the wang lang story. I am sure it had something to do with the insect somewhere along the line. I am just not sure it was good ole wang lang.

If it has gone so far off of the original, maybe it is time to change the name to something other than northern praying mantis kung fu.

Maybe "Northern Chinese Kung Fu Eclectic Style"

[kejia nu ren]

Perhaps the reason why southern mantis appears to have undergone less changes throughout its evolution is because it, like other Hakka styles, was closed to outsiders, even until recent times..southern styles like White Crane and Pak Mei have taken longer than styles such as Shaolin, Wing Chun, and Northern Mantis to be taught openly (even among different Chinese ethnicities). Hakkas are known to be very clannish as a result of their nomadic history and so it is likely that (even today) there is some reluctance to teach these styles openly unless you are of Hakka ancestry.

[Three Harmonies]

Good point. Glad someone is paying attention ****it!! If I am not mistaken you can give us more insight into this yes?

Jake

[kejia nu ren]

I can give insight as far as Hakka history/culture goes as it relates to my family ancestry and to my studies in college.... as to how it relates to Hakka styles of martial arts - there is SO MUCH I have yet to learn and unfortunately I'm nowhere near to becoming a knowledgeable resource on this topic of interest.