Chow Gar Blog — Training, History & Internal Power

Articles on Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis training, lineage history, internal power development, and the MyChowGar curriculum.

You Built the Structure. What Comes Next?

Explains the critical transition in Chow Gar training from static foundation to dynamic connection: locking, opening/closing, waist integration, bridge quality and partner work.

What Happens in the First 10 Lessons of Chow Gar Training?

Concise overview of the MyChowGar beginner phase: what students practice in the first ten lessons (stance, footwork, Qigong, bridge methods and the first Chow Gar hand techniques) and why the curriculum delays Saam Bo Gin until structural foundations are established.

Can You Really Learn Kung Fu Online? What Works, What Doesn't, and Why

A practical examination of whether traditional Kung Fu—specifically Chow Gar (Southern Praying Mantis)—can be learned online, which elements transfer well, which require in-person contact, and how structured progression and feedback change outcomes.

Honouring Gatekeeper Grandmaster Ip Chee Keung on His 77th Birthday

A short tribute inviting the global Chow Gar community to honour Gatekeeper Grandmaster Ip Chee Keung on his 77th birthday and to contribute a collective gift or personal message.

The Lineage Behind MyChowGar: Why Transmission Still Matters in Kung Fu

An evidence‑based look at why direct transmission, hands‑on correction and a structured curriculum preserve Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis — and an announcement of two MyChowGar cohorts starting September 21, 2026.

Bil Jee in Chow Gar: Why the Spearing Finger Starts in the Body, Not the Hand

Bil Jee is one of the first distinctive hand techniques a new Chow Gar practitioner encounters. And because it ends at the fingertips, that is naturally where most people look. How should the fingers be held? What angle should the wrist tak

How Chow Gar Develops Structural Power From the Very First Lesson

Chow Gar begins developing structural power from the first lesson. See how stance, stepping and simple movements start transforming the body.

Training the Right Way: A Conversation With Niko

Some of the best questions in martial arts come during training — when something does not quite make sense yet. During Niko's final session, we kept the camera running.

The Heavy Bridge: What You Feel When the Whole Body Reaches the Point of Contact

A heavy bridge in Chow Gar is not created by pressing harder with the arm. It develops when the whole body becomes connected to the point of contact.

Chow Gar: The Origins – Episode 3: Not Enough

Episode 3 of Chow Gar: The Origins is now available. In Not Enough, Chow Ah Naam enters the monastery, trains hard, and faces the painful truth that effort alone is not enough.

Chow Gar vs. Wing Chun: Two Southern Chinese Systems, Very Different Approaches

Few martial arts are compared to Chow Gar as often as Wing Chun. At first glance, the comparison makes sense — both are Southern Chinese systems working at close range. But when experienced practitioners touch hands, one thing becomes clear: they do not feel the same.

The Role of QiGong in Chow Gar Training — And What It Is Not

QiGong in Chow Gar is not meditation, not breathwork, and not wellness practice. It is a training method with a specific purpose. Here is what it actually does.

Chow Gar vs Tai Chi: Why Internal Power Becomes Different When the Goal Is Fighting

Both systems speak about internal power. Both reject muscular strength as the answer. Yet they are solving fundamentally different problems — and when the problem changes, the body changes.

Chow Gar — The Origins, Episode 2: The Road

He buried the only man who ever believed in him. Then he kept walking. Episode 2 of the Chow Gar Origins animated series is out now.

What Is Saam Bo Gin? The Form That Builds Everything in Chow Gar

Saam Bo Gin is not a beginner form in Chow Gar — it is the structural spine of the entire system. Here is what it actually trains and why masters still practice it daily.

Chow Gar — The Origins: The Animated Series Has Begun

We made something different — an animated series about where this system actually came from. Chow Gar — The Origins tells the story of Chow Ah Naam. The founder. The man behind the system you train.

Why Most Martial Artists Never Develop Real Internal Power

Why do serious martial artists spend years chasing internal power without finding it? The answer is not effort — it is method.

Saam Bo Pin Kiu — Three Steps Pressing Bridge

The fourth core form of Chow Gar introduces the chasing pattern: constant forward pressure, connected bridge work, and the shoulder as a weapon. Here is what you need to understand before you practice it.

Cho Geng, Loi Geng, Um Geng, Geng Tan Geng: The Path of Power in Chow Gar

Geng Tan Geng does not appear from nowhere. It is the end point of a specific development arc. Here is how Cho Geng, Loi Geng, and Um Geng form the path that makes shock power possible.

What Is Geng Tan Geng? The Power That Makes Chow Gar Unlike Anything Else

Geng Tan Geng is the defining internal quality of Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis. It does not push. It arrives suddenly, travels inward, and disrupts something structural. Here is what it is and how it is built.