Tung Kong Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis
The System & Lineage
The history, legend, and documented transmission of Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu from its origin to the present day.
Origin & Legend
The Origin of the System
Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu was founded by Chow Ah Naam, who is said to have developed the system after observing a praying mantis fighting a bird in the mountains of Fukien province. The encounter revealed principles of structure, timing, and explosive short-range power that became the foundation of the art.
The system was transmitted through Wong Fook Go, a wandering monk and direct student of Chow Ah Naam, who carried the art to the East River (Tung Kong) region of Guangdong province. This branch became known as the Tung Kong lineage — the most complete and directly transmitted line of Chow Gar in existence.
Unlike many kung fu systems that spread widely and became diluted over generations, Chow Gar was deliberately kept rare. It was transmitted to a small number of students in each generation, preserving both the technical depth and the internal power principles that define the system.
Lau Shui
3rd Generation — Tung Kong Chow Gar
Student of Wong Fook Go. Brought Chow Gar to Hong Kong and established it as a living tradition. His students include Ip Shui and six other direct disciples.
Lau Shui and the Hong Kong Transmission
Lau Shui received the complete system from Wong Fook Go and became the principal teacher responsible for establishing Chow Gar in Hong Kong. His teaching produced seven direct students, among whom Ip Shui continued the main transmission line.
The calligraphic inscription surrounding Lau Shui’s portrait reads: 「學仁、學義、學功夫」 — “Study benevolence, study righteousness, study kung fu” — and 「尊親、尊師、尊教訓」 — “Respect your parents, respect your teacher, respect the teachings.” These principles remain central to the Chow Gar tradition.
The inscription also identifies the lineage as the 東江周家螳鄉派 — the Tung Kong (East River) Chow Family Mantis lineage — distinguishing it from other Southern Praying Mantis branches that developed separately.
Direct Students of Lau Shui
- Chu Gung Wa
- Shu Hing
- Tam Wa
- Ip Shui — main line
- Yip Hay
- Cheung Chung
- Lum Wa
Ip Shui — The Bridge Generation
Ip Shui (also written as Yip Shui) received the complete transmission from Lau Shui and became the most prolific teacher in the lineage’s history. He trained over twenty direct students, including Ip Chee Keung, who became the Jeung Mun Yan — the Gatekeeper of the system.
The photograph of Ip Shui shows him in a characteristic open-hand posture, seated in a meditative position outdoors. This image is one of the few surviving photographs of the 4th generation masters and represents a direct visual link to the living tradition.
Ip Shui’s generation marks the transition from the closed, village-based transmission of earlier decades to the more structured teaching environment that Ip Chee Keung would later develop in Hong Kong and internationally.
Ip Shui (Yip Shui)
4th Generation — Tung Kong Chow Gar
Student of Lau Shui. Trained over twenty direct students, including Ip Chee Keung, the current Gatekeeper of the system.
The System
Structure Over Technique
Chow Gar is not a collection of techniques. It is a system built around the development of structural power — the ability to generate and transmit force through correct body alignment, rooting, and internal connection. Techniques emerge from structure, not the reverse.
Internal Power (Ging)
The system develops Gen Tan Geng — shock power — through specific conditioning methods including Iron Body training, bridge hand development, and Chi Kung practice. This is not metaphorical. It is a trainable physical quality developed through systematic practice.
Transmission, Not Instruction
The Chow Gar tradition distinguishes between instruction (teaching techniques) and transmission (passing the complete system). Ip Chee Keung, as Jeung Mun Yan, holds the authority to transmit — not merely teach — the system. This distinction matters.
The Lineage Tree
The following is the complete, structured record of the transmission. This is not reorganised for design convenience. It reflects clarity over visual symmetry, transmission over popularity, and lineage accuracy over simplification.
Primary Transmission Line
Students of Lau Shui
These are direct students of Lau Shui. They are not parallel branches and not part of the main transmission line. Ip Shui is listed here as a student of Lau Shui and continues the primary line.
5th Generation — Students of Ip Shui
Ip Shui transmitted the system to a documented generation of students in Hong Kong. Ip Chee Keung is among them — the one who carried the complete system forward as Gatekeeper.
Modern Transmission — From Ip Chee Keung
The system is actively transmitted today through direct students of Ip Chee Keung. The Hungarian branch, led by his Official Representative, is the source of all curriculum content on this platform.
All direct students of Ip Chee Keung
Interpretation Principles
The structure reflects the actual transmission, not visual balance.
Prominence is determined by role in the lineage, not historical fame.
This structure must not be reorganised for design convenience.
The curriculum on this platform is authorised by Ip Chee Keung, Jeung Mun Yan of the Tung Kong Chow Gar lineage. All teaching authority derives from this source.