About the Southern Temple School of Kung Fu

 

The Southern Mantis is regarded as an extremely powerful close range martial fighting system. Traditional forms and chi kung training are taught enabling the fragile body to withstand tremendous blows while retaliating at will with ferocious chains of attack. There is a concentration of the yin and yang philosophy with advanced practitioners being skilled at nerve point striking and meridian anatomy. Traditional herbal and medicinal teachings are taught following Chinese medicine & meditation philosophies to compliment the healthy body. 

 

The body is twisted uncomfortably at first to generate tension as in a coiled spring or stretched rubber band. Power is then released. A lifetime may be taken to learn Sarm Bo Jin with its techniques and the complexity of counters and re-counters. A minimum of two years is spent on the first and second form while conditioning the forearms and shins are considered primary. The whole body is used for every technique shoulders connected to hips, elbows to knees and palms to the soles of the feet.

 

It is vital that the student embraces these connections as some concentrate too much on what the hands are doing. These are usually fancy or complicated movements while the rest of the body "remains flat". The hands are traditionally considered empty without the body thus the term "fancy hands but no kung fu."

 

The term "sticky hands" is not used but rather "sticky body" mantis being based on the chinese principles of " Guen Han Dan" (touch, control, hit). Guen- Bridges the gap to the opponent to establish first contact along the centreline. Elbows and knees hold the gate. It is said that when all else fails the elbow will save your life. Southern Mantis is a short range system based on the closer you are the safer you are, meaning that if you allow an opponent a yard of space they have that much room to counter and reverse you.

 

The mantis practitioner will not pull back once he or she has entered. This requires the ability to continually and rapidly strike without reloading using the whole body. This aggression earned the system the term "mad dog kung fu" amongst the Hakka Chinese. Han- The sticky body allows the mantis to control while moving in. The elbows should never leave the ribs. As the student progresses their movements become more refined until they appear simple and small yet immensely powerful.

 

Dan.- To hit the point relating to your opponents movement. A fight should last but a few seconds leaving no time for thought, therefore the kung fu must be repetitively practiced into the body leaving mental processes out. The mantis system of kung fu is never considered '' learnt or finished " the successful student or teacher alike will continually refine their art through their practice over a lifetime, leaving accolades and words of grandeur for other people to speak of.

 

Kung fu training at the Temple demands patience and hard work.