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Iron Uncle Chen Gong - Aged 95
I had the pleasure to interview Uncle Chen over
breakfast. Circa 1927, Uncle Chung persuaded Chung
Yel Chong to teach him "Chin Chop Sao," of the Kwongsai
Mantis. Soon, Chung Yel Chong opened his first Kwongsai
Mantis Tong in Pingshan Town, the Shang Mo Tong, Highest
Martial Hall, and accepted other students including Lam Sang
and Wong Yook Gong. |
Wong Sifu and Uncle Chen having breakfast cigarettes.
Uncle Chen said the smoking was going to get him one day and he was going to quit! Uncle Chung remembered that around 1930, a senior student of Lao Sui's Chu Gar accompanied by 9 junior students, came from Hong Kong and tried to open a school in the Pingshan area. Uncle Chen seemed blissfully happy
with a permanent smile. Sadly, he too has since
passed. RIP. |
2002, Huizhou, China - China Mantis Reunion
At the behest of Wong Yu Hua Sifu, this gathering included those who in the 1930's
and 40's, were among the in-crowd of Chu Gar and Iron Ox, as
well as, Kwongsai Mantis. Some having studied all three
branches of Som Dot's teaching, did not hesitate to speak of
the past or show their hand. See the following
pics. |
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Elder Sifu Lok Wei Ping - Aged 80+
His movements
were not flowery and one could see that he stressed
function over form. Both he and his father were students
of Lao Sui's Chu Gar before studying Kwongsai Mantis with
Master Wong Yook Gong.
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Refer to Volume 2 of the
China Mantis Survey eBook
for an indepth look.
Lok Sifu demonstrated the three form and
34 Plum Blossom staff full sets without
missing a breath!
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Lok Sifu and his father studied Chu Gar with Lao Sui more than 8 years circa 1930. He states
that Lao Sui never mentioned Kwongsai mantis, only speaking of
Chu Gar, until after the incident in which Wong Yook Gong had
defeated Lao Sui's student. They became
Wong's students thereafter. |
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Lai Wei Keung, Sifu, was not shy about Mantis. He was one of the first to be certified as a Mantis Sifu by Wong Yook Gong. Both he and his father, were also
Lao Sui's Chu Gar
disciples.
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Lai Wei Keung, Sifu, was the
first instructor at Wong Yook Gong's Shang Mo Tong (Highest
Martial Hall) in Pingshan, 1948.
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Lai Sifu started training Chu Gar Tanglang, at the age of 10, under the tutelage of Mr. Yang Sao at the Guanyin Temple, Bok Lo in Huiyang (Wai
Yearn). Yang Sao was one of the Chu Gar teachers
of Lao Sui.
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At various times during the China Mantis Reunion, nearly everyone was mantis boxing all at once. Among the discussions were 4 Door and 8 Door sets.
Wong Yu Hua expounds 8 Door.
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Yu Hua demonstrates 4 Door begins on the left foot and 8 Door begins on the right. 8 Door patterns include shifting the feet at 90 degree angles without stepping.
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8 Door (Ba Gua) shifting patterns. Wong Yu Hua's
Kwongsai Mantis is considered
standard frame in China.
Click picture for motion file
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Mr. Lau Say Kay was quick to show his hand.
His slim
and wiry frame looked good in mantis. |
Mr. Lau's father and he, both studied
Kwongsai Mantis under the late
master Wong Yook
Gong.
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I found Mr. Lau's ging
wasn't stable in crossing
hands.
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As guest of honor, RDH was also asked
to bring out Mantis and I demonstrated
Kwongsai
Mantis and a bit of Chu Gar.
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In crossing hands I found that
rooting is most important to transfer
power to the
fingertips.
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The Mantis old timers got a kick out of
a young RDH at age 45! Literally!
I'm 54
next month (Sept 2010)!
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