Chu Gar Gao: Southern Praying Mantis Kungfu

Grandmaster R.D. Hagwood has produced a superb text. What makes this particular book a strong and valuable resource is its precise display of this Lineage's ancestry and the core ancestry of Southern Praying Mantis itself in a laconic fashion that is direct and equally thorough, a well-displayed elucidation of the core fundamentals of the Art, and the wondrously exquisite Three-Step Arrow and Three Arrow Shaking Bridge Forms (三步箭 三箭桥晃动 形式) in a way that anyone, from people who have no formal training in the Art to those that know these sequences backwards and forward, can learn in detailed fashion. Learning Chinese Kung Fu from books only - without a qualified teacher - is difficult because an untrained person interprets what they see their own way and doesn't necessarily do the movements correctly. Nevertheless, this book provides a superb way to learn Hakka Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu in a way that one's foundation can be begun. Personally, I have no formal training in Southern Praying Mantis. My own formal training has been in Okinawan Karate, Shao Tsu Do Kung Fu, Kajukenbo Kung Fu, XIng-Yi Quan, Ba Gua Zhang, and Taiji Quan Kung Fu from 1989 to present. Nevertheless, synthesizing my own foundation with what's offered n this book has been smooth. I confess, I am not a student of this Art and am very dedicated to Tang Shou Tao Neijiaquan, but Hakka Praying Mantis and Internal Boxing are, in essence, identical in principle. Having been in an accident that doctors told me would leave me crippled with only one good arm, I have sought every resource I can find to promote my own healing. I've also been learning to walk again for the past four years and have had a lot of spare time (as the length of this review indicates). Chinese Kung Fu has made my recovery possible and I have defied what doctors told me and am back to normal completely. Train hard.

ROGER D. HAGOOD,SIFU Lives in Pingshan,China right in the middle of the surrounding cities of where Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu comes from. He is the Standing Chairman for Cheng Wan Chu Gar Gao. Now, with that being said, he is the "well" that is closest to the "source". Meaning the information in this book has been diligently searched thru, proven, and established. Passed down from the founding masters to the source that exist at the present time. This book is one of my favorites. From the colors, to the pictures, to the village stories, and the leading in to a more in-depth well of knowledge and history from one of the most sophisticated and sorted after arts in Kwongsai China. Out of all of Mr. Hagood's books this is a special one, very unique in it's own way. This book is the start to a very good series of more in depth look and knowledge to CHU GAR GAO MANTIS!

Among the books that speak of this martial art, this is an important historical content for the practitioner and for those individuals practicing Chinese martial arts with kinship with this. For me this book was very important, since I found out a martial art that has the same historical root that my the Yau-Man (Gaae Bon).

Great historical information for anyone interested in this area of Southern Praying Mantis!

Further tracing of Sifu Cheng Wan,s followers and other disciples,s development of Lao Sui at Hong Kong is appreciated !

Shifu Roger Hagood has created another incredible book full of facts rather than legends and hearsay. Great photos and content.

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Chu Gar South Mantis Kung Fu The book goes in depth about Shifu Cheng Wan who was famous in Hong Kong for being an Old School teacher who had many international friends. Shifu Cheng taught Chu Gar for many years and hosted a huge martial arts dinner annually where people of all styles and systems were invited to present demonstrations as well as party with some of the well known Masters in Southern China! Shifu Cheng Wan passed away a few years ago, and his legacy can be seen in the many photos and interviews with himself and his son, Shifu Cheng Chiu. Again like other books in the South Mantis Press series the photos alone are worth the price of the book, as they document Shifu Cheng, His son, and other well known Chu Gar teachers/masters and present the system to the public for the first time in English. Many of these photos are not seen anywhere else but in South Mantis Press books. Shifu Hagood shares many personal stories and anecdotes of training with teachers, and how these teachers helped him better understand this system of Chinese Kung Fu. Buy your copy now and see what I am talking about! I thank you, Shifu Hagood for all the hard work documenting South Mantis Kung Fu.