Chow Gar Tong Long Gold Coast

Chow Gar Mantis System is an incredible style of Kung fu with much depth of training covering many facets of training. External strength, Internal power, full body conditioning, weapon practise, iron shirt, powerful kicks, fast hands, practical self defence, mental strength, health practises, plus much much more!

This is a complete system of kung fu and is very worthy of being exposed world wide to benefit everybody interested in improving themselves in multiple ways through discipline and hard work.

In the future we will start an online training program that all practitioners new or old can access to help them on their own Chow Gar journey. The secrecy veils will be lifted and the Mantis style will be accessible to all..

Stay tuned …

This week has been a huge one, with hosting world champion Ian Jacobs on our podcast on the weekend. He also showed us the Wim Hoff (Ice Man) basic breathing exercises, which was eye opening to do.

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Also, this week we hosted an international student at our training headquarters on the Gold Coast for a week.

Attila is a Hungarian born Chow gar student for nearly 30 years. He was originally trained in Hungary under Sifu Mikie for a decade or so from 1998, and then he moved to New Zealand for work and a better life. In New Zealand he has kept up his training and also teaching a couple of students, so he had people to work with.

A few weeks ago, I got a phone call from Attila asking me if he can visit us and train with us. He told me his wife had bought him the birthday present of travelling to the Gold Coast so he could come and train with us for a week, as he loves his Chow gar training and wanted to meet us and learn. Of course, I accepted him in with open arms and all the students welcomed him as well.

This last week he has been training in our classes, and I also gave him private training as well. He was brushed up on his current 3 first forms and then I gave him the next two forms to practice as well. We went through Geng Tarn shock power training methods and Sup Wan Sow as well as internal air training and Rib Bone training. We taught him correct Chy sow jongs and Doyi Jong and well as moving Jongs and power Jongs. He learnt new techniques and combinations as well as applications, Geng tarn training sets including Sup Baat Um Geng Sow and other shock power sets. It was quite a comprehensive training schedule for him during his visit.

I also decided to film the new things he learnt so that he could use that as a basis to help his training when he got home.

He told me he loved his visit and that all the students were so kind and supportive to him, and he will be coming back much more regularly and sending videos of his progress for me to see and correct.

This type of training Holiday is a great idea for anyone who can't make classes or lives overseas but loves their training and wants to come learn. If you have trained before in our system and want to learn more and progress more, we are happy to help. Come for a training Gold Coast holiday! Feel free to contact me anytime and let's see what we can arrange for you.

Steven Parrella Sifu

The Long Pole in Chow Gar

A Body Power Crucible , Not a Performance Weapon

Within Hakka Southern Praying Mantis traditions, the long pole occupies a very specific place in the curriculum. It is not a novice weapon, nor is it taught for spectacle. Its appearance comes only after the body has been stabilised and unified through foundational training.

The traditional progression follows a clear internal logic:

Body → Bridge → Power → Weapon

Before the pole is introduced, the practitioner should have already developed:
• Sarm Bo Gin and foundational power training
• Short-bridge hand structure
• Contraction–expansion mechanics
• Partner bridge pressure and structural testing

This way the pole is not merely a weapon skill. It is a diagnostic and developmental tool.

A Tool for Revealing Truth

Across Chow Gar lines, documentation is sparse and often oral. The pole is rarely associated with long aesthetic routines. Where naming exists, it is functional rather than theatrical, “Long Pole Method,” “Straight Pole Training,” or “Power Testing Pole.”

This reflects Hakka pragmatism.

The pole’s purpose is to test:
• Whole-body issuing
• Ground-path continuity
• Elbow-driven force
• Internal power transmission

Unlike southern systems that rely on large swinging momentum, Chow Gar pole work emphasises short, compressive shock issuing.

The mechanics are identical to short-bridge mantis striking, simply lengthened.

The pole becomes a magnifier.
If unity breaks anywhere, the pole exposes it immediately.

Structural Mechanics

The issuing sequence follows a strict progression:
1. The feet compress and grip the ground
2. The waist sinks and shortens
3. The spine transmits unified pressure
4. The elbow drives (never the shoulder)
5. The tip expresses sudden shock

This is contraction-driven power, not circular momentum.

Movement is short.
Issuing is sudden.
Energy is forward and compressive.

The emphasis aligns with shock-spring mechanics rather than large rotational force.

Training Functions

1. Structural Testing

Because of its length, the pole amplifies weakness. It reveals:
• Floating shoulders
• Broken waist connection
• Disconnected elbows
• Over-muscular effort

The longer the lever, the clearer the mistake.

2. Internal Pressure Development

Repeated short thrusting trains:
• Timing of abdominal compression
• Elastic rebound through fascia
• Synchronisation of whole-body contraction

The work looks repetitive and unremarkable from the outside. Internally, it demands precise coordination.

3. Extended Bridge Logic

In empty hand, Southern Praying Mantis works at extremely short range. The pole simply extends that bridge.

It is not a separate skill set.

Weapon equals extended body method.

If the empty-hand method is flawed, the pole will magnify the flaw.

Solo and Two-Person Work

Solo Practice

Typically often consists of:
• Repeated forward thrust
• Short retraction and immediate re-issue
• Stationary stance pressure testing
• Clear and pragmatic stepping

The goal is unification, not performance choreography.

Two-Person Training

Where preserved, partner pole training emphasises:
• Tip-to-tip pressure
• Sudden issuing contests
• Listening through the weapon
• Structural collapse detection

Conceptually, it mirrors Chy Sau at extended range.

Why It Is Rarely Seen

There are practical reasons why documentation is limited:
• Weapons were traditionally reserved for senior or indoor students
• The training is repetitive and visually unimpressive
• It lacks theatrical value
• It demands correction more than performance

It was never designed for demonstration.

It was designed for refinement.

Final Observation

In Chow Gar, the long pole does not add something new.

It removes illusion.

It reveals whether the body truly works as one unit or merely appears to.

And for that reason, it remains one of the most honest training tools in the system.

“Basket Back” — Structure vs Imitation

Within Hakka systems, structure is not optional, it is foundational.

The centre line must remain aligned.
The head is suspended, not driven forward.
The spine is connected, not collapsed.

We are increasingly seeing confusion around what is being presented as “basket back.”

Structure Is Not Shape

There is a growing tendency toward:
• Forward head projection
• Excessive spinal curvature
• Collapsing the chest inward

These create the appearance of internal work, but in reality:

The centre line is displaced, and the structure is broken.

When structure is compromised:
• Rooting is lost
• Balance becomes unstable
• The body is easily controlled under pressure

This is not a matter of stylistic difference.
It is a matter of function.

The Misunderstanding of Rib Power

“Closing the ribs” is often misinterpreted.

What should be:
• Unified, whole-body compression

Is instead performed as:
• Isolated front contraction
• Spinal distortion
• Disconnection between upper and lower body

Closing only the front opens the back.

True Hakka body method requires even, integrated pressure throughout the entire frame, not localised tension.

Function and Longevity

Incorrect mechanics do not only reduce effectiveness, they also carry long-term consequences.

Excessive forward collapse and forced compression place unnecessary strain on:
• The heart region
• The solar plexus
• The upper abdomen

Over time, this can:
• Reduce the body’s ability to absorb force
• Increase vulnerability under contact
• Create internal stress through repeated training

Traditional training develops power and preserves the body.
One should never come at the expense of the other.

Demonstration vs Reality

When structure is correct:
• The spine remains aligned
• Force is distributed through the whole body
• Pressure can be received and returned

When structure is compromised:
• The body is already at its limit
• Even light contact reveals weakness
• The method cannot sustain pressure

The truth of the method is always revealed in contact.

• Correct structure
• Functional body mechanics
• Authentic transmission

There are many interpretations today, and each is free to follow its own path.

If structure does not hold under pressure,
it is not the method.

True or false kung fu is revealed in the hands!