Southern Mantis

The style is called “朱家螳螂拳 Zyu Gaa Tong Long Kyun” – in Cantonese.

The Southern Mantis – or Praying Mantis style is a very original Hakka style that comes from the heart of the West Hakka community centre Huizhou “Waijaw”. 

According to the legend, Ju Gar, also known as the Southern Praying Mantis, originated from the Shaolin Temple in Fujian Province in the Qing Dynasty. 

It was carried in the Dongjiang  “Dung gong” River Valley and was created by “Zyu Aa Naam” – 朱亞南, who was from Wuhua Guangdong “Hm Wa Gwongdung”. “Zyu Aa Naam” was weak and sick. 

At the age of seventeen, he met the Fujian Shaolin monk and herbal doctor and built up a close relationship. 

Master of Shaolin Zen Buddhism was fortunate enough for Zyu Aa Naam to heal and cure him. When Master saw the Zyu Aa Naam personality was pure and savvy, he took him to the Shaolin Temple in Fujian. 

Those who enter the temple, regardless of the monks, are forced to practice martial arts. After several years of martial arts Zyu Aa Naam’s bones and muscles became stronger and stronger. 

One day, Zyu Aa Naam walked through the woods, seeing a mantis and a sparrow fighting on a tree, brave and fierce, the sparrow was injured and defeated. Zyu Aa Naam was suddenly inspired, thinking he could learn the skills and use it as a technic. So he captured the mantis and observed it day and night to get a close look at its fighting techniques. He then joined the traditional Shaolin boxing  and with a group of Fujian Shaolin elders monks, he created a new Shaolin school-less “Ju Gar Kyun” combining the mantis and traditional Shaolin boxing skills. It is called “Southern Mantis boxing”.

OUR LINEAGE

Ancestor of style

“Zyu Aa Naam” 朱亞南

First generation

“Wong Fuk Gou” 黃福高

Second generation

“Lau Soi” 劉水

Third generation

“Mha Ming Sum” 馬銘森

Fourth generation

“Chan Kim Ming” 陳建明

Fifth generation

Lukáš Slavíček