Loughborough Chow Gar Mantis

09/10/2026

The Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis style of Kung Fu originated from the Hakka people of Southern China. But who are the Hakka people? Sharing this video from Tiktok (Global_Hakka channel), which explains the history of the Hakka people.

English translations for each page shown in the video:

1: Where Do the Hakka People Come From?
Subtitle: A map showing the starting points of Hakka migrations.

Map Labels: Yellow River Basin, Central Plains, Henan, Ganzhou (Jiangxi), Minxi (Western Fujian), Yuebeidong (Northeastern Guangdong), Overseas.

Body Text: The Hakka ethnic group gradually formed during a long history of migration. Spanning nearly two thousand years from the Western Jin dynasty to modern times. Hakka ancestors experienced five major migrations southwards, ultimately forming a unique Hakka culture.

Bottom Banner: One migration after another, a history recorded in memory.
Footer: Hakka Culture · A Thousand Years of Historical Memory.

2: Five Major Migrations
Subtitle: A timeline showing the historical arc of Hakka migrations.

Timeline Nodes:
Western Jin Dynasty: First Migration | Southward movement from the Central Plains (Nurturing Period)
Late Tang to Five Dynasties: Second Migration | Entering border regions of Ganzhou, Minxi, and Yuebeidong (Formation Period)
Song-Yuan Period: Third Migration | Settlement in Eastern Guangdong / Mei Prefecture (Formation Period)
Qing-Ming Period: Fourth Migration | Expanding nationwide (Spread Period)
Since Late Qing Dynasty: Fifth Migration | Heading overseas (Spread Period)

Summary Paragraph: The ancestors of the Hakka people gradually formed during their southward migrations from the Yellow River Basin, settling in areas across Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Sichuan, Taiwan, and eventually spreading across the world. After these five major migrations, the Hakka ethnic identity was fully forged.

Bottom Banner: Migration is not just about footsteps; it is the historical lineage of the Hakka people.

3: The First Migration
Subtitle: Western Jin Dynasty Chaos | Hakka ancestors begin moving south to avoid war. (Nurturing Period)

Map Route: Yellow River Basin > Central Plains > Henan > Ganzhou > Yuebeidong.

Body Text:During the late Western Jin dynasty, China experienced turmoil and warfare. To escape conflict, people migrated south in mass waves. Some crossed the Yangtze River southwards, entering areas like Jiangnan and Anhui. This marked the initial prelude to the migrations of the Hakka ancestors.

Bottom Banner: This was the beginning of the Hakka migrations.

4: The Second Migration
Subtitle: Late Tang and Five Dynasties Turmoil | Hakka ancestors put down roots in the border regions of Ganzhou, Minxi, and Yuebeidong. (Formation Period)

Map Route: Jiangzhou > Ganzhou > Border Region of Ganzhou, Minxi, and Yuebeidong > Yuebeidong (North East Guangdong).

Body Text: During the late Tang and Five Dynasties period, warfare erupted frequently across China. Large populations from the Central Plains moved south once more. Crossing the Yangtze River, they entered Southern Jiangxi (Ganzhou), Western Fujian (Minxi), and Northern/Eastern Guangdong (Yuebeidong). Here, Hakka ancestors gradually settled and formed fixed residential communities.

Bottom Banner: Hakka ancestors gradually rooted themselves in the border regions of Ganzhou, Minxi, and Yuebeidong.

5: The Third Migration
Subtitle: Song-Yuan Dynasties Transition | The Hakka ethnic system gradually takes shape. (Formation Period)

Map Route: Jiangxi > Minxi > Meizhou > Huizhou.
Side Box (Guest Register / Hakka Register): During the Song Dynasty, household registration classified non-native migrants as "Guest Households" (Keji / 客籍), laying the origin for the name "Hakka".

Body Text:
During the transition between Song and Yuan, war broke out once again. Hakka ancestors continued migrating southwards. They entered areas such as Huizhou, Meizhou, and Chaoshan. This period was crucial in the gradual formation of the Hakka community identity.

Bottom Banner: The name "Hakka" (Guest People) was gradually established from this point forward.

6: The Fourth Migration
Subtitle: Qing Dynasty Development | Hakka people spread nationwide. (Spread Period)

Map Regions: Sichuan, Hunan, Guangxi, Taiwan, Overseas.

Highlight Callouts:
Sichuan Migration: Moving to Sichuan to replenish population.
Land Reclamation: Opening up mountainous and rural regions.
Cultural Retention: Preserving traditions and ancestral roots.
Crossing to Taiwan: Setting sail across the ocean to settle in Taiwan.

Body Text: During the Qing dynasty, population growth led to land shortages. Hakka people moved out from border areas toward Sichuan, Guangxi, Hunan, Taiwan, and beyond. This migration significantly expanded the geographic footprint of the Hakka people across China.

Bottom Banner: Settle where you land; from here, venture into a broader world.

7: The Fifth Migration
Subtitle: Late Qing Turmoil | Hakka people journey abroad once more. (Spread Period)

Map Route: Guangdong/Guangxi/Hainan > Southeast Asia / Overseas.

Body Text: In the late Qing, social upheaval such as the Taiping Rebellion caused widespread disruption. Many Hakka families were forced to migrate again. They crossed oceans via coastal ports in Guangdong, Hainan, and Guangxi to Southeast Asia and around the globe. The Hakka people took a step further into the global diaspora from this movement.

Bottom Banner: Amid world upheaval, the Hakka people set out on another journey of migration.

8: The Hakka Go Global
Subtitle: Crossing the oceans, spreading to Southeast Asia and worldwide.

Stats Box: Distributed across 80+ countries and regions, with a total global population exceeding 80 million.

Global Map Pinpoints: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia, Oceania.

Bottom Banner: From the villages of China to the five continents of the world.

9: The Migration Journey of the Hakka People
Main Quote: From the Central Plains, to the South, to the entire World.

Interactive Prompt: Welcome to leave a comment and share: Where are your Hakka roots from?

28/09/2026

01/05/2026

🥋 Chow Gar Wisdom – Poems, Maxims & Wu De

Within Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu, there are many poems and maxims passed down to help students understand how to train, how to think and how to live.

These teachings are not just about fighting , they are about morality, discipline and character.

📜 學仁學義學功夫
"Learn to be kind, learn to be generous before learning kung fu"

Before technique, before power, comes character.
Without kindness and integrity, skill has no foundation.

📜 遵親遵師遵教訓
"Respect your parents, respect your teachers, and follow their teachings"

Respect is central to the art:
• Respect your family
• Respect your Sifu and lineage
• Respect the teachings passed down

These principles reflect Wu De (martial virtue) , the heart of traditional kung fu.

Skill without morality is incomplete.
Power without discipline is dangerous.

ICGPMA is committed to upholding these traditional values and teachings, while others may overlook their importance, we continue to place value and importance to them in practice and teaching.

In Chow Gar Tong Long, we are reminded:

☯️ Train the body,
Refine the mind,
Uphold the character.

🙏 Respect the lineage
🥋 Train sincerely
🐉 Preserve the art

25/02/2026

We at Loughborough Chow Gar Mantis are affiliated with the International Chow Gar Praying Mantis Association.

This association page was set up recently by students of Master Paul Whitrod, the UK representative and leading authority on Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis in UK, Europe, USA and other countries.

Follow for more information, announcements, seminars, videos, photos, articles and translations of historical documents related to Chow Gar Mantis Kung Fu!

We are proud to officially introduce the International Chow Gar Praying Mantis Association.

Founded in the 1980s by Sifu Paul Whitrod, under the direct request, guidance, and endorsement of the late Grandmaster Ip Shui and current Grandmaster Ip Chee Keung, an official Association that exists to preserve, protect, and share the authentic lineage of Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu.

For nearly 50 years, and with the support of Hong Kong, this rare Southern family system has been transmitted across Europe, America, Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and beyond, uniting a global community of Sifu and long time practitioners.

Today, this responsibility and the association is being passed on to a new generation, tasked not only with preservation, but with growth, expansion, and sharing the art with integrity, ensuring Chow Gar continues to thrive in the modern world without compromising its authenticity.

We are committed to sharing knowledge with integrity, openness, and respect, free from politics, propaganda, personal agendas, or commercial exploitation, placing the art, the lineage, and the community above all else.

Our mission is simple and uncompromising:

To preserve lineage.
To protect tradition.
To unite the global Chow Gar family.
To grow and share this rare art with future generations.

This page will serve as a central home for:
• Lineage history
• Authentic teachings
• Global events & seminars
• Cultural preservation
• Community connection

We welcome all Chow Gar practitioners, students, and supporters worldwide.

One lineage. One family. One global association.

🙏 Please like, follow, and share to help connect the global Chow Gar community.

16/02/2026

My sifu's old website used to host some translations from some old newspaper clippings about the Great Grandmaster Lau Soei of Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Unfortunately those pages are no longer viewable since the website got updated. But I managed to find them again and present them here for your viewing.

Follow for more updates and other translation projects.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐢𝐮 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐢

The story began at around the 14th & 15th year of Emperor Guangxu's reign in late Qing dynasty of China.
One fine afternoon, a crowd of tens of local residents gathered at the front of a red pillars house in the place called Guãn-Yin Gé of the Dõng Jiãng, Hui Yang, Guang D**g province. These people were doing nothing in particular, simply stretching their necks and gazing at a young handsome and talented man, who was demonstrating the well-known 18 styles of martial arts to the students. The crowd broke into rapturous applause and excitement at the peak of the demonstration.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐆𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐠

This young man, whose name is Liu Shui, is no ordinary fellow but the 3rd generation disciple of founder of the much respected style of the Chinese Martial Art - Chow Gar Tong Long (Southern Praying Mantis style), who had established a reputation in Hong Kong. Liu Shui was originally from Dõng Jiãng area of China.

He was gifted with much talent in martial arts and had inherited the typical characteristics of the people from that area - hard working, endurance and persistence. He had already achieved a lot by the age of 14 and had mastered all sorts of fist styles as well as martial art weaponry within the period of 7 or 8 years which he learned from several well-known shifus.

At the age of 21, there was an incident one evening when he was on his way back from a visit to friend and got to the hill sides of the Hui Yang Province (known to be the habitat of many wild animals), he was attacked by a hungry wolf that suddenly dashed towards him along the grass foot-path and leapt at Liu Shui. Liu Shui reacted swiftly, as he was prepared for it, and by moving to the side avoided the wolf’s initial attack.

Liu Shui was unbelievably calm and when the wolf turned round for another attack he struck back with a powerful side-kick right at the wolf’s belly. The wolf could not withstand the blow of Liu’, and simply fell down and rolled along the foot-path. Liu Shui saw that there was an opportunity and moved forward swiftly to add another heavy blow with his foot – the wolf did not stand a chance against Liu Shui.

𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭

There were actually a few villagers near the scene when Liu Shui was being attacked by the wild wolf. These people were absolutely stunned by the fact that Liu Shui killed the wild animal so quickly with just two kicks (well, two powerful kicks to be precise)! This became a topic of idle gossip among the villagers. They were amazed that Liu Shui, although young fellow, was incredibly skilled in martial art and was of a sifu’s level.

Because of Liu Shui’ skill, the villagers did not mind that Liu Shui was young and gathered in front of Liu Shui’s place, hoping to learn from Liu Shui. They all regarded it as an honor to be Liu Shui’s student. Because of this, each day when Liu Shui demonstrated his skills to his students they also attracted a large crowd as well. By doing this Liu Shui could not only demonstrate the skills and styles of his martial art but the students could also learn by observation. One day, while the crowd was acclaiming at another exciting demonstration, a Taoist priest, who did not appear to be from the local area, greeted Liu Shui with a loud voice.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜

According to this Taoist priest, he reckoned Liu Shui was simply a junior with shallow skill and how dare him teach the people in public! He said it was an insult to the villagers really, and not something a respectful shifu would do! Liu Shui was a little shocked to hear such a comment and stopped and looked at the Taoist priest carefully.

As he gazed at him for a little while, he thought that the Taoist priest appeared to be a very ordinary thin Taoist priest. What gave him the right a judge on martial art masters’ business he thought! Other martial art practitioners would have simply urged him to leave and not to cause any trouble but Liu Shui was puzzled by the Taoist priest’s act, and acted calmly.

Amongst the great strengths that Liu Shui had been cultivated over the years were endurance, patience and respectfulness, so Liu Shui calmly stepped forward with a gentle smile on the face and enquired to the Taoist priest if he was into martial art specific practice as well, otherwise why he would give such comments openly to another practitioner.

However, Liu Shui judged that by the look and build of the Taoist priest, he did not appear to be a martial art master at all. So, Liu Shui asked politely: “Mr. Priest, if you’re the master of any martial art stream, why would you dare give such a comment?” The Taoist priest replied: “If you’re discontent, why don’t you try me out?” Liu Shui was indeed an open-minded martial art learner and wanted to know how skilful the Taoist priest was, so he agreed.

𝐋𝐢𝐮 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐢’𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬

The Taoist priest told Liu Shui to strike first as he would fight a real enemy, i.e. at full power. Liu Shui was an innocent minded person, so he thought “You asked for it!”, and he then took a breath and struck at the Taoist priest with the similar powerful fist skill. As Liu Shui was about to hit the Taoist priest, something unbelievable happened. As the pair was about to come into contact, the Taoist priest suddenly turned his shoulder a little bit and miraculously Liu Shui missed the target and fell to the floor, several a yards away - just like that!

Liu Shui was able to stand up shortly, but soon realized that the Taoist priest in front of him was no ordinary Taoist priest! He decided that this Taoist priest must be a super talented senior master. So, he stepped forward in front of the Taoist priest and got down on his knees, hoping to learn from the skilled master. However, the Taoist priest said he was an outsider, a traveller with no definite home, and not tempted by wealth and power. And finally, he said: “The last thing I want is to be the companion of those people who knows a little bit and pretend to be master!” He then left, leaving Liu Shui on his knees and contemplating his earlier behaviour!

...to be continued....

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Original Translation : Brian Tsang
All names are in Mandarin Pin Yin form.
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29/09/2025

Some clips of students from Chow Gar Mantis Loughborough branch training with some traditional apparatus while the weather is still good. 💪😬