Praying Mantis Kung Fu
The northern provinces of China have long been known as the "holy land" of martial arts. Among its arts, Praying Mantis has become one of the most favored styles. Praying Mantis branched off of Shaolin kung fu and further absorbed the essence of a numerous other styles, combining them into one and creating its fame as "the true style of 18 families."
Praying Mantis was created near the end of the Ming Dynasty, when Wang Lang combined the swift and fierce hand techniques of the praying mantis with the quick and nimble footwork of the monkey, making a new and unique form of martial art. Because of the establishment of Praying Mantis, Wang Lang met with many other masters and absorbed the strengths of their styles, finally creating the essence of the 18 family boxing techniques and merging them with Praying Mantis. Being transmitted to this day Praying Mantis has always been admired as a style with special emphasis on practical combat application, The hand techniques of Mantis are fast, the body agile. Because of its particular emphasis on the combat technique, it is praised in the Chinese martial arts world as "the combat fist."
We start with the 18 Elders (ancestors) form which is a vital part of basic Praying Mantis training. It is an extremely important form, with an ingenious design, which combines basic training with a deep understanding of the physics of mantis movement. This means the whole form, is not only excellent fundamental training, but also a treasure in terms of the physics behind the movements for combat.
Northern 7-Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu classes are held every Sunday morning in the Chesapeake (Greenbrier) school at 9am
Try a Kung Fu class and experience for yourself the great impact it can have on your life!