History
Bamboo (Jook Lum) Temple Praying Mantis Kung Fu Lineage and Family Tree
Kwong Sai Bamboo (Jook Lum) Temple Praying Mantis under Master Wong Yuk Gong

The original Kwong Sai Bamboo (Jook Lum) Temple Praying Mantis Kung Fu is neither differentiated by southern and northern styles. However, many people have popularly classified this system as Southern Praying Mantis.

The history was told and passed by Master Cheung Yiu Chung ("Master Cheung"); Som Dot (the founder of Praying Mantis Kung Fu) was raised in Tibet. During the Qing Dynasty, Lee Kun Ching (Lee Shem See) and Wong Do Leng became the disciples of Som Dot. Som Dot taught his disciples Kung Fu and Spiritualism at Long Fu Shan in Kwong Sai province and the Jook Lum Temple of Wu Tai Shan in Shan Xi province.

On a journey to heal his patience Lee Shem See travelled to the southern regions of Zhi Zhu - the "crossroad" of Xing Ning and Mei Xian (Mei County). As destiny would have it Cheung Yiu Chung met Lee Shem See and was subsequently invited to be his disciple.

Cheung Yiu Chung accompanied Lee Shem See to the Wu Tai Shan Jook Lum Temple in order to practice Kung Fu and study medicine. Ultimately Cheung Yiu Chung mastered these pursuits. In 1917, Master Cheung completed his studies and left Wu Tai Shan Jook Lum Temple. In 1919 Master Cheung returned to resided in Wei Yang Xian (Wei Yang County) Dan Shui in Guangdong Province. During the winter of 1929, Master Cheung established a Kung Fu Kwon / School in Ping Shan to propagate the Bamboo Temple Praying Mantis Kung Fu Style.

Forefather Wong Yuk Gong, raised in Ping Shan, is the eldest disciple of Master Cheung. At the age of Thirteen Wong Yuk Gong began to follow Master Cheung and learn the art of Jook Lum Temple Praying Mantis Kung Fu. At the age of 17 Wong Yuk Gong accompanied Master Cheung to propagate the art of Bamboo (Jook Lum) Temple Praying Mantis Kung Fu in a shipping company called Tin Wo Suen Kwon (Hong Kong).

In his early years Wong Yuk Gong widely spread throughout the communities of the three Wai Dong Bao regions the art of Bamboo (Jook Lum) Temple Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Wong Yuk Gong mastered both Kung Fu and traditional medicine in Ping Shan School and then also established Kung Fu Kwon's / Schools in many places including Tsuen Wan and Kwun Tong (Hong Kong) to nurture his disciples and propagate the art.

Bamboo Temple Praying Mantis has two primary elements: Sun Kung signifying the spiritual practice of kung fu and Ming Kung, which is the physical practice of the art. For those teaching Sun Kung, the over riding principle and practice is Spiritualism at the altar.

For those teaching Ming Kung, the phrase "Good hands technique is inherited from Som Dot and, expertise in Kung fu is practiced in the Bamboo Temple" is the over riding principle at the altar.

The foundation Praying Mantis hand skills should be the first form ("Dan Jong") and second form ("Seung Jong"). Weapons include the Sword, Double Swords, Iron Bar, Spear, Sabre, Staff, Halberd and so on, whilst the traditional and Unicorn dance and Gong / Symbol are practiced. There is not a so-called "Head" in our brotherhood. We just say "Heir". The heir acts with ultimate humility, compassion, harmony and benevolence to all.

Hong Kong and Ping Shan, Kwong Sai Bamboo (Jook Lum) Temple Praying Mantis Kung Fu Association and system