One evening while he was resting under a tree after being beaten by his senior classmates in sparring, Wang Lang noticed a praying mantis fighting with a cicada. Although the praying mantis was smaller, it used its long limbs to defeat the cicada. Highly impressed at what he had witnessed, Wang decided to capture the victorious insect and further observe its defensive and offensive movements. The persevering mantis became Wang's all-consuming inspiration for a new system of combat. With meticu-lous care, he organized the movements of the mantis into a human fighting art.

His teacher was amazed at his tremendous improvement, although he still could not match the best monks. His teacher suggested that he take leave from the monastery to travel the country and study other styles of martial arts. He specially advised him to improve his footwork to refine his Praying Mantis style. In his travels Wang Lang found the footwork of the Monkey style the most suitable for his purpose. He called his new style Shaolin Praying Mantis Kung Fu and it is composed of the best aspects of eight-een Kung Fu styles.

Written By Sifu Rino Côté