VIDEO TRANSCRIPT (PDF):

[VHS BACK COVER]

Grandmaster Lee Kam Wing’s Northern Mantis Kung-Fu

BIG WHEEL FIST

One of the most devastatingly effective kung-fu systems ever designed. As legend has it, a well-known fighter was badly defeated. While on the ground, recovering from his wounds, he witnesses the motions of a praying mantis stalking and capturing its food. He studied the motions of this unique insect for many years, duplicating the speed, stealth and timing. Ultimately, he created a system which is said to have made him unbeatable. 

Now, for the first time ever, Hong Kong’s Grandmaster Lee Kam Wing brings to the world the moves of the mantis virtually intact and in their original form. Taking you step-by-step through forms and applications, Grandmaster Wing reveals the secrets of the mantis, straight from the source. 

Tape Two: Big Wheel Fist. The Big Wheel Fist form (Dan Fa Che). In this tape, Grandmaster Wing demonstrates this unusual and incredibly effective form. From various angles, giving the student a clear view of every move, one of Hong Kong’s most respected Grandmasters gives step-by-step instruction in the deceptive footwork and body positioning, and lighting fast strikes of Dan Fa Che. 

Approximate running time: 51 min. • MANT02

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In the early 2000s, Grandmaster Lee Kam Wing produced a three-tape series entitled “Grandmaster Lee Kam Wing’s Northern Mantis Kung-Fu” with the assistance of his disciples, Sifu John Cheng and Sifu Jeff Bruflat. The tapes were widely distributed and have since become unavailable for purchase. The decline of VHS technology has further rendered these tapes a rare commodity within the Mantis kung fu community.

In 2021, Sifu Dong Thai, a closed-door disciple of Sifu John Cheng, digitized these tapes with the assistance of student Ray Chao, who had previously converted them to DVD format. During the conversion process to ProRes 422 (archive codec), the image underwent deinterlacing, color correction, audio leveling, and closed-caption addition.

With the consent of Grandmaster John Cheng, we have made all three tapes accessible on YouTube to promote and preserve the art of Praying Mantis Kung Fu.

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:47 Warm-Up Exercises

08:16 Basic Stances

11:51 Stance Drills

13:40 Basic Mantis Kicks

15:41 Twelve Keyword Formula

18:08 Variations of the Mantis Hook

19:30 Big Wheel Fist Form

24:40 Applications of the Big Wheel Fist Form

30:50 Drills to Generate Power

32:23 Black Tiger Intercepting-Fists Form

36:40 Applications of Black Tiger Intercepting-Fists Form

43:48 Freestyle Techniques

46:03 Credits