Southern Praying Mantis is a Chinese form of martial arts characterized by an emphasis on close-range attacks and short bursts of power. It also incorporates a limited use of low kicks. It has very little relation to Northern Praying Mantis.

Southern Praying Mantis is a Chinese form of martial arts native to the Hakka communities of is characterized as a close range fighting system that places much emphasis on short power and has aspects of both internal and external techniques. In application, the emphasis is on hand and arm techniques and limited use of low kicks.. Although they share a name, this form of martial arts is unrelated to Northern Praying Mantis; instead it is more closely related to Wing Chun. There are four main branches of Southern Praying Mantis being practiced world wide.

The goal of Southern Praying Mantis is to use a close range fighting system that focuses on both internal and external techniques.

The Chow family branch traces its art to around 1800 BCE to Chow Ah-Nam, a Hakka who as a boy left his home in Guangdong Province for medical treatment at the Southern Shaolin Monastery in Fujian Province where, in addition to being treated for his stomach ailment, he was trained in the martial arts and eventually created Southern Praying Mantis. His student was Wong Fook Go who was one of the teacher of Lau Shui.

The Chu family branch attributes its art to Chu Fook-To, who created Southern Praying Mantis as a fighting style for opponents of the Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) that overthrew the Han Chinese Ming royal family (1368–1644). According to the Chu family branch, Chu was a member of the Ming Royal family who took refuge at Shaolin Monastery in Henan. After the destruction of the Northern Shaolin Monastery, Chu escaped to the Southern Shaolin Monastery in Fujian. He then prompted his art in the surrounding regions.

According to oral traditions, the Kwong Sai Jook Lum style traces its origins to the temple Jook Lum Gee, Wu Tai Shan in Shanxi province and on Mt. Longhu in Jiangxi province. The monk, Som Dot, created this new martial art system in the 18th century.

Weapons

Like other Southern Chinese martial arts, Southern Praying Mantis is characterized by a strong stance, powerful waist and fast, heavy forearms and quick hand movements. Training include a variety of solo forms, pair practice, weapon practice. Sarm Bo Gin is considered one of the most important forms of the southern mantis system. It is a hard chi gung form and is usually the first to be learned. It strengthens the body, aiding its resistance to physical blows, and also develops power. The form should be practiced everyday, preferably early morning.

Sam Bo Gin - a form that translates to "three step arrow"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Praying_Mantis_(martial_art)