26/03/2025
As per GROK the AI of X:
Chen Kiu was a significant figure in the history of Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu, particularly known for introducing a branch of this martial art to India. He was a Hakka Chinese martial artist who learned the Southern Praying Mantis system during his time as a merchant marine sailor, reportedly around the early 20th century, possibly circa 1903. According to tradition, Chen Kiu acquired his skills from a man named Yaap Mune, who was said to be a disguised monk working as a cook on the ship where Chen served. Yaap Mune is speculated to have been a disciple of Wong Leng, one of the two students of Saam Dart (a legendary figure often credited with creating the Southern Praying Mantis system), though this lineage remains speculative due to limited historical documentation.
Chen Kiu eventually settled in Kolkata, India, in the 1920s, specifically in the Tangra Chinatown area, which was home to a significant Hakka community. There, he began teaching Southern Praying Mantis exclusively to students of Hakka descent, initially at the Pei Moi Tangra Chinese School. His teachings were kept within the community until his disciple, Sifu Hsiung Khan Seong (1917â2000), broadened the scope. Hsiung, who took over the lineage from Chen Kiu, taught in Kolkata from the 1950s until his death in 2000. In 1975, Hsiung made the significant decision to open the style to non-Chinese practitioners, thus expanding its reach beyond the Hakka diaspora.
The system Chen Kiu brought to India, often referred to as Thong Long Quet Tsot (meaning "Praying Mantis Martial Art Style" in the Hakka Moiyang dialect) or K.S. Hsiung Southern Praying Mantis, emphasizes close-range combat with a focus on hand techniques, short power generation, and limited low kicksâhallmarks of Southern Praying Mantis. Its core training includes forms like Kiu Bo Jin (9 Step Arrow), a foundational set akin to the Som Bo Gin (Three Step Arrow) found in other Southern Mantis branches, along with Pai Sith (8 Steps), Sine Su, and Fa-Khian. These forms emphasize shock power ("Gen") and practical self-defense applications, reflecting the styleâs roots as a no-nonsense fighting art.
Chen Kiuâs legacy continued through Hsiungâs disciples, notably fifth-generation lineage holders such as Abhijit Mukherjee, Lee Kuo Sen, and Akbar Singh Thikari. Some of Kiuâs students later spread the system internationally, with practitioners like Sifu Liu teaching in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Hsiungs student Sifu Joseph Fan in Canada. This branch of Southern Praying Mantis, while sharing similarities with other Hakka styles like Chu Gar and Jook Lum, maintains a distinct identity, possibly predating the commercial differentiation of these styles in Hong Kong, as suggested by Hsiungâs view that they were originally unified under the broader Hakka Tong Long tradition.
Though historical records about Chen Kiu himself are sparse and much of his story is preserved through oral tradition, his role as a transmitter of Southern Praying Mantis to a new cultural context highlights his importance. His efforts laid the groundwork for a unique lineage that has persisted for over 80 years in India and beyond, adapting while retaining its traditional essence.
