Tiger Mantis Kung Fu History
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Tiger Mantis Kung Fu is an authentic kung fu style based on the integration of the Southern Tiger (Wah family), and Southern Praying Mantis (Chou family), styles of Kung Fu merged together by Sifu Alastair Bourne. It is an aggressive style with emphasis on close range fighting with training techniques which have been developed over several centuries.
The Chinese translation for the Tiger Style is Lo Fu Do which translates to "The Way of the Tiger". This style of Kung Fu originated in Burma through the family of Wah Li Yueng (pictured above left) and was taught to Sifu Alastair Bourne in the 1950's. Before his death, Wah Li Yueng was the only known surviving member of his family who immigrated to England after his family was killed off with the Japanese invasion. The Chinese translation for the Southern Mantis style is Tong Long Kune which translates to "Mantis Fist". This style of Kung Fu originated in southern China through the family of Chou Ah Naam during the 1800’s. During the early 1900’s Yip Shiu passed this style down to Yew Tong Kwong (Mr. Fong) who taught Sifu Alastair Bourne. After having studied both systems for many years, Sifu Alastair Bourne recognized that the systems complemented each other. He moved to Auckland in the late 1970’s and began to teach the combined style known as Tiger Mantis Kung Fu as it is known today. Sifu Alastair Bourne is the grand master of the combined Tiger Mantis style of Kung Fu. His accredited instructors who now teach the style are Sifu Croydon Putu (6th Degree), Sifu Jon Winthrop (6th Degree) and Sifu John Page (2nd Degree). Tiger Mantis Kung Fu has a syllabus of 21 fighting forms that include five animal forms of Tiger, Crane, Leopard, Snake and Dragon that are the fundamentals of the fighting applications and techniques of the system. Weapon forms are also part of the syllabus that include Pole, Chinese Broadsword, Double Daggers, Double Sticks, and Double Chinese Broadsword. Throws and immobilizing techniques are also taught in addition to rolls and groundwork (fighting from the ground). In addition to the hard components of the style, there is the soft component called Ch'i Kung. Ch’i Kung is the development of internal energy. Students learn sitting and standing Ch'i Kung forms and practice Ch’i Sao's (two person forms) to develop sensitivity in their hands. |
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Sonnet of Chow family
The hanging power is like a noose that opens and contracts.
The hands that seize, hold and catch.
The head is down; eyes look sharp like that of a cat.
The ribs open and close like the hinge of a door.
The legs are bent like a frog ready to spring.
When you achieve something in Tong Long Kune
Then you are about to begin.
The hanging power is like a noose that opens and contracts.
The hands that seize, hold and catch.
The head is down; eyes look sharp like that of a cat.
The ribs open and close like the hinge of a door.
The legs are bent like a frog ready to spring.
When you achieve something in Tong Long Kune
Then you are about to begin.
Sonnet of Wah family
The body is loose from ground to hands.
The eyes are fierce and the throat is closed.
When you strike, rip and tear, stroke your palate with your tongue.
Under threat don’t wait to start, shake up your Ch’i and destroy the threat.
Do all this well and you have nothing to fear.
Tiger claws go in and out. When they're out, watch out.
The claws are a door that closes fast. You can enter but you can’t get out.
The tiger is quiet, the tiger is fast.
He is always alert day and night.
You don’t see him first, you see him last.
The body is loose from ground to hands.
The eyes are fierce and the throat is closed.
When you strike, rip and tear, stroke your palate with your tongue.
Under threat don’t wait to start, shake up your Ch’i and destroy the threat.
Do all this well and you have nothing to fear.
Tiger claws go in and out. When they're out, watch out.
The claws are a door that closes fast. You can enter but you can’t get out.
The tiger is quiet, the tiger is fast.
He is always alert day and night.
You don’t see him first, you see him last.