Southern Praying Mantis self-defense system

Praying Mantis is a centuries-old Chinese Kung Fu system known for its infighting.

The southern style works well in tight or restricted spaces. Our northern counterparts practice an extended style meant for battlefields with open space. Infighting happens in close, where we can grab, clinch and deliver a powerful punch.

This is a practical system. We don’t practice high kicks, because it’s faster to punch at that height. Our kicks are reserved for the lower body, delivering devastating sweeps, take-downs and attacks to vulnerable areas.

Our kung fu doesn’t require you to run a mile or bend over backwards. It’s ideal for any able-bodied adult. But if you’re doing it right, the exercises will challenge your core and legs. That’s where our power comes from.

A praying mantis is just a little bug. It needs all of the power it can muster to combat bigger opponents. Like the mantis, we don’t expend energy on acrobatics or flamboyance. We don’t fight for rounds. We train to win within seconds.

At this school, you’ll learn the Southern Praying Mantis System, its training methods, two-person drills, hand-to-hand combat, weapons and chi kung breathing exercises.

Our forms and drills are not like most systems. Individual drills focus on developing strength, balance and body control. Two-person drills help develop timing, leverage and control.