Preying Mantis Kung fu and Yoga?

Question

I am trying to learn Preying Mantis style Kung Fu to stay in shape and protect myself. I would also like to learn Yoga, but I have no chance of finding a Sifu. Where should I start?

Answer 1

Yoga seems to be more readily available, so just learn it.  Although since you're a dude avoid the back bending exercises; one of the things I can't stand about fitness is how saturated its literature is with feminist bullcrap, saying "men and women are the same" when they're not.  Chemically, yeah there are BASIC similarities, but outside those, men and women's fitness needs are totally different.

For example, because testosterone is basically a neurotoxin of sorts, the only way for a man to stay healthy is to actively keep that toxing active and circulating through the muscles, so that it does not destroy the nervous system.  Because of women's tendency to store fat, women need something that is both aerobic, and muscle building, that is why pillates will work better for them than weight training whereas for a guy it will do almost nothing.

Think about it man; women's bodies react almost immediately to pillates while for guys it takes longer, on the opposite end of the spectrum, with strength training, men's bodies respond right away but women have a terrible time with it by comparison.  Case in point; different body chemistry, different hormones, demand different approaches to strength training.

Although the one gender neutral fitness sytem there is, with the exception of the backbending exercises, would have to be Yoga.  You should start with Yoga, as it will increase the flow and efficiency of your nervous system, which will help with focus and how your muscles react to neurotransmissions.  If you do Yoga for a few months to a year, and combine it with cals, the Atlas system, or whatever strength training method you wish, by the time you get a chance to learn Kung Fu you'll learn it much faster.

good luck.

Answer 2

First of all yoga's pretty common.

You can find it in any gym.

Secondly, there's the northern mantis and there's the southern mantis.  Decide which one you want.

Thirdly, Northern mantis is pretty rare these days.

Even in Beijing, there's only 4 good master who's acknowledge to be really versed in mantis.  I'm training with one, and even he's gonna retire in 4 years time cos he's already in his late 50s.

My sifu's master had a russian student (meaning he's my sifu's wushu brother) and here's his website in the USA.

http://prayingmantisboxing.com/www-manti...

Good luck.

Edit:

To the answerer above, DVDs help you recall some moves and stances of a form.

But I wouldn't recommend over a real sifu.  

A good sifu will tell you the actual applications of each moves/stances.  

These days, there's a lot of teachers who forgot or don't even know the actual applications of the stances in the forms they teach.

Answer 3

Start what?, Yoga? You can't find it? Pick up the phone book, or even use this crazy thing called the "Internet". I would start with the Kung-Fu, sounds like you do need to defend yourself:) Good Luck.

Answer 4

Just train in another kung fu style until you move out of your parents home and find a teacher, the styles are not that different from eachother so just do another animal in the mean while

Yoga on the other hand is easy, you dont even need a teacher, just get some DVDs and train at home

Answer 5

Southern Mantis is even more rare than Northern. I just recently began studying Kwong Sai Jook Lum Gee Tang Lang under a student of Gin Foon Mark and it is very intense. I really love it.

You should be able to find a school on your own on the internet.

The link that KH gave you is top notch. Start there.

Answer 6

gym?