Shaolin Mantis Kung fu
少林螳螂拳
characteristics OF
shaolin mantis KUNG FU
Shaolin Mantis Kung Fu is a very practical fighting style. It contains few showy or extraneous movements. It emphasizes powerful direct attacks, using all parts of the body - head, shoulders, knees and elbows, along with punches and kicks.
Shaolin Mantis Kung Fu is the original form of Mantis Kung Fu. It was invented over 200 years ago at the Shaolin Temple by Master Wang Lang. The story is that, after being defeated in a fight, Master Wang Lang happened to see a Praying Mantis fight a Cicada. Inspired by the movements of the Mantis as it successfully fought off a larger opponent, he developed a new fighting style. He used it to beat his previous opponents and teach the Shaolin monks. It became the main style practiced at the Shaolin Temple for many years.
Since that time many other styles of Mantis Kung Fu have been developed (Seven Star Mantis, Plumb Blossom Mantis and Tai Chi Mantis, to name a few). These have expanded and modified the original form. Today it is very difficult to find practitioners of the original Shaolin Mantis Style.
HISTORY & LINEAGE OF shaolin mantis KUNG FU
Shao Lin Mantis Family Tree:
Founder: Wang Lang 王郎 (Late Ming and early Qing Dynasty)
First Generation: Fu Ju Chan Shi 福居禅师 OR Fu Ju Buddhist monk
Second Generation: Yan Jie Xiu 阎介修
Third Generation: Feng Seng 疯僧 (monk)
Fourth Generation: En Shou 恩寿
Fifth Generation: Yang Jun Pu 杨俊普 and Yang Zi Qing 杨自清
One of the Sixth Generation: Yang Jin Yuan 杨进元
One of the Seventh Generation: Sun Zhi Pu 孙芝谱
One of the Eighth Generation: Sun Wen Bo 孙文渤 (Master Yun’s Grandmaster)
One of the Ninth Generation: Wang Qing Zhai 王庆斋
One of the Tenth Generation: Zhang Yun Chao 张云超 (Master Yun)
sun wenbo - master yun’s grandmaster
Sun Wenbo 孙文渤 (1880-1960), also known as Haifeng, was born in JunMazhan Village, Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, China. He began his martial arts training at the age of five, learning Shaolin Mantis, Jin Zhong Zhao, and Tie Bu Shan (Golden Shield/Iron Shield, a legendary Chinese martial art that supposedly makes the body invulnerable to weapons) from his father, Sun Zhipu 孙芝谱, also known as Shifanq. By the age of twenty, Sun had gained local fame for his skills.
In 1896, Sun became a disciple of Yang Yunqiao 杨云桥, studying the Qing Ping Sword technique. His martial power was recognized in 1913 when he placed second in a National Martial Arts competition. Four years later, in 1917, he met Meng Fanzhang 孟繁章, the successor of the Tianjin Duan Men Spear. The two exchanged knowledge and became martial arts brothers.
Sun's reputation continued to grow. In 1927, he was recommended by Cao Shizhang 曹世彰, head of the army supply division, and Cangzhou warrior Li Fengshan 李凤山 to serve as a martial arts instructor for the Northeast Border Force. A year later, in 1928, Sun opened three martial arts associations in Tianjin. His prestige further increased when Xu Lanzhou 许兰州 recommended him to teach Puyi 溥仪, the last emperor of China, the arts of Qing Ping Sword and Shaolin Mantis. However, after the Mukden Incident in 1931, Sun refused to follow Puyi to Northeast China, opting instead to become a martial arts instructor for three army divisions in Tianjin and Hebei.
In 1933, Sun was appointed the director of the Northern China Martial Arts Association, and the following year he served as vice director for the Northern China Martial Arts competition. He continued teaching in Tianjin until 1938, after which he returned to his hometown in Hebei.
Sun Wenbo trained many notable students, including Wang Qingzhai 王庆斋 and Jiang Shipeng 姜世鹏. Wang later became Vice President of the Martial Arts Association in Liaoning Province and a consultant for the Shenyang City Martial Arts Association. He was also a gold medalist at the 1982 National Martial Arts Showcase. Jiang Shipeng went on to become a regional commander in Northeast China and an army commissioner in East China.