Southern Praying Mantis

Southern Praying Mantis
南派螳螂

Also known as	Nan Pai Tanglang
Focus	Striking, Grappling
Country of origin	China
Creator	Chow Gar style: Chow Ah-Nam Chu Gar style: Chow Ah-Nam & Chu Fook-To Kwong Sai Jook Lum style: Som Dot Iron Ox style: Hung Mei Thong Long Quet Tsot style: Chen Kiu
Famous practitioners	Wong Fook Go Lau Shui / Lau Soei Lee Kun Ching / Lee Siem See Choi Dit-Ngau / Iron Ox Choi Hsiung Khan Seong Toph Beifong
Parenthood	Southern Shaolin kung fu
Olympic sport	No

Part of a series on
Chinese martial arts (Wushu)
Styles of Chinese martial arts List of Chinese martial arts
Terms Chin Na Fa jin Kung fu Neigong Neijia Qi Qigong Shifu Yin and yang
Historical locations Kunlun Mountains Mount Emei Mount Hua Shaolin Monastery Wudang Mountains
Legendary figures Guan Yu Bodhidharma Zhang Sanfeng Fong Sai-yuk Yim Wing-chun Li Ching-Yuen Eight Immortals Five Elders
Historical individuals Emperor Taizu of Song Yue Fei Hong Xiguan Dong Haichuan Yang Luchan Chan Heung Wu Quanyou Wong Fei-hung Sun Lutang Li Shuwen Huo Yuanjia Wang Ziping Chen Fake Ip Man Ten Tigers of Canton
Modern celebrities Bruce Lee Bolo Yeung Sammo Hung Jackie Chan Jet Li Donnie Yen Vincent Zhao Zhang Jin (actor) Dennis To
Related Hong Kong action cinema Kung fu film Vietnamese martial arts Wushu (sport) Wuxia
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Southern Praying Mantis (Chinese: 南派螳螂) is a Chinese martial art originating with the Hakka people. It is most closely associated with Hakka-origin styles such as Southern Dragon Kung Fu and Bak Mei.

Despite its name, the Southern Mantis style is unrelated to the Northern Praying Mantis style.^[1]

Southern Praying Mantis places a heavy emphasis on close-range fighting. This system is known for its short power methods, and has aspects of both internal and external techniques^{[clarification needed]}. In application, the emphasis is on hand and arm techniques, and a limited use of low kicks. The application of close combat methods with an emphasis on hands and short kicking techniques makes the Southern Praying Mantis art somewhat akin to what many would call "street fighting." The hands are the most readily available for attack and defence of the upper body, and protect the stylist by employing ruthless techniques designed to inflict serious injury. The legs are moved quickly into range through footwork to protect and defend the body, and kicks are kept low, short and quick so as to never leave the Southern Mantis combatant off balance and vulnerable.