The protagonists of Kung Fu movies often come from humble origins, but very few films had such an orthodox beginning as one movie from 1978 whose main character learned to fight by watching a bug. While it wasn’t one of the best Kung Fu movies of the 1970s, this film certainly stood out due to its unusual premise. It’s also not a comedy, despite the seemingly ridiculous nature of the film; instead, it’s actually quite a good movie, and it could even be considered one of the most underrated martial arts movies.
This movie was produced by the Shaw Brothers, one of the most influential and successful production companies in the entire martial genre. While it isn’t one of the best Shaw Brothers martial arts movies ever made, it still shows the signs of their impressive command over the genre. Additionally, while it may seem to veer into the realm of ridiculousness, there’s actually a surprisingly realistic inspiration behind the decision to have this movie’s main character learn to fight from an insect.
Shaolin Mantis stars David Chiang as Wei Fung, a young scholar who was forced to spy on a group of rebels by the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. That mission brought him into a marriage and subsequently a host of danger. However, as a scholar, Wei Fung wasn’t well-versed in martial arts, and he instead had to learn from a praying mantis he captured in the woods. There’s many more fights from that point on, but there’s also a surprisingly deep and morally complex story at its center.
The style of Kung Fu Wei Fung uses in Shaolin Mantis is real, and it was actually inspired by praying mantises. The style is called Praying Mantis style, or Mantis Fist, and it’s designed to emulate the way a praying mantis hunts for its food. Using that inspiration, Praying Mantis style tends to focus on redirecting an opponent’s attacks and using their momentum against them to land precise blows to their weak spots. The most recognizable hallmark of Praying Mantis style, though, is the use of the mantis hook hand posture, which is used for grappling, blocking, and making the precise strikes the style relies on.
There’s a long history of martial arts styles that were inspired by real animals, and the Praying Mantis style is just one of many. Other notable styles were influenced by dogs, cranes, monkeys, and tigers, among others. The Praying Mantis style was developed by Wang Lang, and according to one of many varying legends, he developed the style after seeing a praying mantis attacking the wheels of a wagon and decided to imitate its peculiar strikes. That legend bears a striking similarity to Shaolin Mantis, and it turns a seemingly comedic premise into one of epic origins.
Source: Kung Fu & Tai Chi Center w/ Jake Mace