History
There are four main branches of Southern Praying Mantis:
- Chow Gar (周家; Chow family)
- Chu Gar (朱家; Chu family)
- Kwong Sai Jook Lum (江西竹林; JiangXi ZhuLin; Bamboo Forest)
- Iron Ox (鐵牛)
A common antecedent can be surmised from the same traditional region of origin, the popularity amongst the Hakka community, a reference to praying mantis, similar training forms such as Sarm Bo Jin (三步箭) and common application principles. However, despite similarities, the genealogies of these branches are not complete enough to trace them to a single common ancestor. The relationship between Chow Gar and Chu Gar can both be traced directly to Lau Shui.
The origins of the Kwong Sai Jook Lum system is controversial with some Chu Gar proponents claiming a relationship also to Lau Shui; however, those claims have since been refuted.
The Iron Ox system can be traced historically to the area of Southern China where the other branches of Southern Praying Mantis first originated and to the same Hakka communities where the art was transmitted. There are many other Southern styles such as Chuka Shaolin that uses similar technique but are not identified as being part of this group of martial arts according to their respective schools. Those styles can be identified as being Hakka Kuen.
Read more about this topic: Southern Praying Mantis (martial Art)
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