Kwong Sai Jook Lum Southern Praying Mantis

江西竹林寺南螳螂派

Although the basic martial arts foundation for CFMAC is in the Hung Gar system, our primary lineage is the Kwong Sai Jook Lum Southern Mantis style (江西竹林寺南螳螂派). To this date, it has been our policy to maintain a “Closed Door” system reserved for our members and not publicly taught by CFMAC.

GREAT GRANDMASTER LAM SANG 林 榮 輝

LINEAGE

ORIGIN: ABBOTT SAM DOT, Lineage to Shaolin Temple
1ST GENERATION DISCIPLE: Lee Siem See, who later became a monk under Abbott Sam Dot
2ND GENERATION DISCIPLE: Cherng Yuel Chung, external disciple under Lee Siem See
3RD GENERATION DISCIPLE: Lam Wing Fay (Lam Sang) disciple of Cherng Yuel Chiung, ultimately continued to train as a disciple of Monk Lee Seim See.

Great Grandmaster Lam Sang started his training with Cherng Yuel Chung and ultimately traveled and completed his training 7 years under Lee Siem See. He returned to Hong Kong in the 1930s and opened a Kwong Sai Jook Lum Tong Long Pai school in Kowloon. He was described as being small in stature, being only 5'2" and 120 lbs. In practice, he placed emphasis on softness, redirection and explosive energy.

Great Grandmaster Lam Sang traveled to England where he continued to teach and ultimately immigrated to the United States in 1942 and introduced the system to New York’s Chinatown. In the late 1950’s he started teaching the system at the NY Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club (CFMAC) as our Sifu/Head Instructor. By 1963, his Kong Sai Jook Lum Gee Tong long Pai was one of the largest and most popular kung fu schools. Great Grandmaster Lam Sang retired in 1969 and emigrated to Taiwan and returned in 1981 during which he taught his last group of disciples from CFMAC until his passing in 1991. To date, the system has flourished and is being promoted and recognized internationally.

The Kwong Sai Jook Lum (Bamboo Temple) Southern Praying Mantis system has a history of over 200 years, focuses on quick explosive skills (fast/fluid/flowing) and utilizes many techniques to attack from multiple directions and consists of two primary elements:
• Sun Kung signifying the spiritual practice of kung fu where the overriding principle and practice is Spiritualism at the alter.
• Mo Kung, the physical aspect of the art. Mo Kung taught to us has 2 aspects, ‘YIN/YUM’ (Soft/Internal) energy and ‘YANG/YERNG’ (Hard/External) energy.

As part of the training, there is also;
• “Kam Nga” attacking and griping of the joints which requires building strength in the fingers, forearms and grabs.
• “Chi Gung” Strengthen the body and endurance by way of breathing exercises and opening of and moving oxygen through internal gates. This is most rigorous training, starts at early mornings and requires celibacy for minimum 6 months during the training.
• “Sensitive gates” and pressure points.
• Breaking down each part of the hand forms such as ‘Fik sau’, ‘Gao sau’, ‘Mor sau’, ‘Beu Gee’, ‘Tan sau’, ‘Lop sau’, ‘Com sau’, ‘Ger sau’, ‘Wat sau’ etc..

Weapons are also used in our form and is an EXTENSION of our movements;
• Long Staff
• Butterfly Swords
• Broad Sword
• Pincers

Many other Southern Praying Mantis styles such as Chu/Chow Gar bear resemblances in a few movements and breathing techniques. Quite common you will find similarities in the 1st form of Som Bo Gin. Similar also if you view videos of other practitioners, some of the hand applications and footwork. We have found that Jook Lum foundational theories and applications start the same and will vary based on the individual practitioner’s “interpretations” due to body size, aggressiveness, agility, preferences, and muscle memory. The fundamental differences found is in the actual mechanics of the body alignments and rooting of energy.