Mantis

praying Mantis

Having lunch in the sun the other day I saw this little guy slowly walking along the deck looking very unsteady on his feet. It is of course a praying Mantis. They are fascinating little insects to watch as they slowly but surely find their way to where they want to go. I have read that the New Zealand native praying Mantis are being pushed out and threatened by the recently accidentally introduced South African Mantis. The New Zealand Mantis is always green and have blue spots on their forearm. I have heard that they can bite, however I let this one crawl on my hand then placed him on a gardenia plant so that the dogs did not squash him. I may have saved the predator as I could not find any blue spots, ah well, no worries, I could not have taken his life, so he lives to fight another day!


A story is told about a monk who lived in a monastery in the bamboo forests of Southern China. During an early morning walk, he noticed a preying mantis balancing delicately on a twig. A bird, obviously thinking the fragile-looking insect would make an easy meal, fluttered down onto the twig and attacked. The monk watched in amazement as the mantis stood its ground and fended off the much-larger bird.
This monk went on to develop a style of fighting named after the little insect — one that was based on a humble, steadfast spirit; a refined sense of balance; a ferocious focus; and a highly developed efficiency and economy of movement. The style proved to be devastating as a martial art, yet so spiritually profound, that it was considered to be one of the highest levels of training in the temple.
Today, the spirit of Mantis continues through the work of Sifu David Moragne, who has started the only Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu school in the state, at the request of his teacher, Master Gin Foon Mark.

Mantis is more than a martial art.

Mantis is an attitude.


Have a wonderful day