Blog Posts

Kung Fu @ YYC, Calgary

Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu available in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Reach out to Nathan Wright for more information on adult and youth classes.

Originally from Calgary, Canada (born and raised), Nathan previously spent half of his life living in China, where he resided in Shanghai for 25 years leading a successful career in capital markets, finance and ...

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Embracing Personal Transformation in 2024

Self-cultivation through continuous learning was prescribed by the ancient sage kings 2500 years ago as a pathway towards moral development, self-realization, and human excellence. In these profound words, we find the same relevance in our journey today, as we move into 2024 embarking on a path guided by the virtues of compassion, respect, rightness, trustworthiness and wisdom. ...

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Theory of Mind in Self Defense – Eight Part Flagship Series

Theory of Mind in Self Defense is an eight-part series that provides readers with relevant, informative and insightful information on the ecosystem of interpersonal violence and self-defense. Based on extensive research, it is intended to serve as a practical resource tool that is not just targeted towards the professional self-defense community, but more importantly towards all individuals from ...

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Tactical Engagement Cycle in Self Defense

The Tactical Engagement Cycle (TEC) is a conceptual framework representing the dynamic phases of a self defense encounter. It occupies the actionable domain of Defend on the Eight Point Path to Self Defense and serves as a practical learning tool for contextualizing a violent interaction and analyzing tactical strategy. To be clear, the TEC model is ...

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The Life and Times of Master Luo Guangyu (1888-1944)

Master Luo Guangyu was born in 1888 in the town of Penglai, a small coastal fishing village on the Shandong Peninsula. Luo was a simple family man of virtuous character, resilient spirit, balanced temperament, and formidable martial skill. From humble beginnings he would make his way into discipleship under one of the most prominent kung fu family’s in Yantai, and ...

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Situational Awareness and the Eight Point Path to Self Defense

Contents
1. Working Definition SA
2. SA in Self Defense
3. Threat Assessment Matrix
4. REAL State of Awareness
5. Eight Point Path to Self Defense
6. Concluding Remarks

Mindfulness is not just something reserved for spiritual practice. It is critical in the development of Situation Awareness (SA) which is broadly recognized as a foundation for successful decision making skills across a broad range of situations, many of ...

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Characteristics of a Violent Interaction and Threat Indicators

Contents
1. Mindset of the Violent Offender
2. Ecology of a Violent Interaction
3. Tactical Characteristics of a Violent Interaction
4. Informational Cues and Threat Indicators
5. Concluding Remarks

The world is not perfectly normal and you are exposed to a general level of risk just by being out and about in your daily life. Like it or not, interpersonal violence has always been a part of ...

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Standards of Excellence in Martial Tradition

Introduction to the guiding principle of Excellence in the martial tradition of Praying Mantis Kung Fu

In my last article titled, “What Was Before – A Return to Meaning in Marital Tradition” I explored the concept of martial tradition in Praying Mantis Kung Fu introducing  three core elements and seven guiding principles that are foundational to the practice. In today’s article I ...

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What Was Before – Return to mean-ing in martial tradition

An Exploration of Core Elements and Principles in the Martial Tradition of Praying Mantis Kung Fu

Traditional Praying Mantis Kung Fu has legendary origins in the tradition of Shaolin dating back four hundred years. Born at a crossroads in Imperial Era China marking the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing, it was a ...

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Where And When Are You At Risk?

Where and when are you at risk to interpersonal violence? Historically the self-defense community has focused on controlling time and place. For example, do not go to dangerous you do not know and do not go alone, especially at night. Territory you are not familiar with coupled with self-isolation and darkness creates vulnerability and an inability to assess threats.

But in modern ...

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Commentary on Principles of Mind in San He Wu De

This publication is an abbreviated commentary on the theme of Mind (xin) from the Three Harmonies and Five Martial Virtues framework. In it we will highlight a number of principles that we feel are both interesting and relevant follow up points to an article previously published in September 2020 called, “San He Wu De ...

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Who Is The Violent Offender?

Theory of Mind (ToM) in Self-Defense refers to the capacity to understand and attribute mental states to yourself and to others with the purpose of predicting violent behavior and defending against it. In today’s article I will develop a theory of ‘criminal’ mind and answer the question, “who is the bad guy?”

In section one I will develop ...

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Who Are You and What Is Your Defensive Persona?

Theory of Mind (ToM) in self defense refers to the capacity to understand and attribute mental states to yourself and to others with the purpose of predicting violent behavior and defending against it. Any deficits in understanding can potentially expose you to the risk of interpersonal violence. The purpose of this series on Theory of Mind in ...

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Goal Setting and Planning in 2022

As we close the books on 2021 and prepare to move forward into the new year it’s time to take stock of the past 365 days and plan for 2022. This past year was dominated again by a global pandemic that continues to expose vulnerabilities in populations, healthcare systems, and socio-cultural equity. Cumulatively there has been over ...

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Primer to Starting Kung Fu

A Guide to preparing the body and mind for traditional training

Kung Fu refers to a skill attained through hard work. In Chinese, Kung Fu can be used for any person that has achieved mastery of a chosen ability such as a chef or artisan. When we say Kung Fu with regard to martial arts we specifically mean traditional Chinese Kung Fu ...

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Master Lin Bo Yan – Staff Technqiues

Footage of Master Lin Bo Yan performing staff routine.

Master Lin (1903-1990) studied under the tutelage of Master Luo Guang Yu for almost a decade in the Shanghai Jingwu Association. He was a senior disciple under LGY and described as one of top four students in Huang Han Xun’s book, Six Harmony Double Sabers, 1956. Master Lin was a humble learned man who lead a peaceful life eventually settling overseas in Singapore where he continued to work ...

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Master Pel Peforms Xiao Hu Yan

Master Kai Uwe Pel performing Xiao Hu Yan in Penang, Malaysia.

The Xiao Hu Yan empty handsets (Xiao, Zhong, Da) are said to have been introduced by Master Wang Rong Sheng (c. 1854), who is generally recognized for expanding the Seven Star Praying Mantis style curriculum with a deeper integration of Shaolin long fist boxing traditions and content.

Born 1854 in Shandong province, Wang Rong Sheng is said to have already been a master of the Shaolin long fist ...

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In recognition of forty years in Northern Shaolin Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu

This year Master Kai Uwe Pel celebrates forty years dedicated to the mastery and preservation of Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu. Master Pel of the Seven Star Praying Mantis style came to Shanghai to teach from 2002, first with the surviving Jing Wu organization, then at the Longwu Center and privately in the suburb Xin Zhuang. We identify ...

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Foundational Concepts and Legal Principles in Self-Defence

Praying Mantis Kung Fu was founded 400 years ago in the tradition of Shaolin, integrating late Ming dynasty martial practices with Chan Buddhist meditation and Neo-Confucian philosophy. It evolved against a backdrop of political instability, social unrest, and large-scale violence premised on the notions of self-preservation, individual autonomy, moral agency and the natural right to self-defence. ...

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The Secret to Better Performance is Control

Dedicated to Master Pel on his birthday!

Traditional teachings in Praying Mantis Kung Fu conceptualize important life lessons into more easily digestible principles that enable a student to understand and intuitively put into practice. This foundational approach translates into more meaningful learning experiences which the student can apply to other parts of their life.

”The secret to better performance is control.” ...

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