ST. LOUIS — Inside of a small space in south city along Southwest Avenue is the St. Louis branch school of the Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu Academy.
It’s a traditional kung fu system of infighting that’s taught by Grandmaster Henry Yee. Instructor Pete Scheers explained kung fu is useless without the one-inch punch, popularized by Bruce Lee. He added the idea behind this type of kung fu style is to be like the insect, the praying mantis.
“We kind of look like the bug,” Sheers said. “The praying mantis doesn’t jab, doesn’t fake. A praying mantis doesn’t attack unless you’re within range.“
And once in range, students of this discipline start going a hundred miles an hour and strike with everything they have.
“It’s all about low amplitude and high velocity," explained Sheers.
It takes a lot of work and training to build up that quick explosive energy. And you have to know how to release that power at a short distance.
Sheers has been involved in the ancient Chinese martial art for 30 years. He says although he’s been practicing kung fu for so long, he continues to discover more about it.
“You realize the more you learn, the more you didn’t know,” said Sheers.
What he does know is that he can’t keep his knowledge and skills to himself. He said teaching at St. Louis Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu Academy goes beyond self defense. It also helps empower people, too. And that just goes to show the one-inch punch has a very long reach.