Tong Long Pai - The secrets of Southern Praying Mantis

By Sifu Sapir Tal

Sifu Sapir Tal, with more than 45 years of experience in the practice and teaching of traditional Martial Arts, presents us with a complete introduction to the Mei Guo Tong Long Pai style, or the Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu style, taught by Grand Master Henry "Poo" Yee.
Along with the Basics (stances, the 4 gates, the 3 contacts, the Short Powers, Body motion & exercises), we will see the Sticky Hands, part of the Form & applications, empty hands applications, knife defense, Chi Kung and the Spikey, an efficient method of self-defense for women. designed by Sifu Sapir Tal, to condense the essential self-defense skills all women should have.

In Tong Long Pai, patience, mutual respect, intellectual curiosity, dedication and willingness to sacrifice are absolute requirements.
There is no fast track. Students begin to learn fundamental exercises that are meant to create muscle memory and structure, and to inculcate our fighting principles.
As the arduous work become harder and harder, the exercises get gradually more complex and demanding. The practice of movement, timing and repetition help develop understanding and finally reveal their intention. Progression builds on a solid foundation, and with a good basis everything is possible in Martial Arts.

Our art form is unique, effective and efficient. Training strengthens the body from the tendons and ligaments, to muscles and bones. While practicing, we do not mind being hit because we like to make contact. We do not train specific blocks or attacks.
Our Martial Arts system allows us to borrow the strength from our opponents and return it to them multiplied.
The core of our style puts the emphasis on controlling the center line, keeping everything attached through the use of sticky hands and footwork. We do not anticipate the opponent's blows, but react to any attack, however it might be launched.
The principle here is contact. The impact of our blows reverberates within the point of contact with the opponent's body magnifying the damage, and our Kung Fu becomes a bullet.
As Sifu would say, "there is neither defense nor attack, only Kung Fu".

Languages: English, French, Spanish, Italian
Running Time:  47 Minutes