Iron Mantis Martial Arts has its roots in Seven Star Praying Mantis, Hawaiian Kempo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Our Mantis Boxing skills was passed down here in the United States by my late Grandmaster Chiu Leun. Sifu Chiu Leun had many disciples out of NYC Chinatown with Sifu Raymond Nelson as a successor who in turn taught his disciple Louie Ginorio. Raymond Nelson aka "Iron Fist Nelson," leads the Iron Mantis Clan with a few hardcore Mantis practitioners. I have been training under Raymond Nelson for close to 20 years now with the help and guidance of Sifu Louie Ginorio. The following is our late Grandmaster's story the skills he acquired through a lifetime of training and teaching. Everything I have is due to those who taught me and took the time to help me on my martial arts path.
On May 10th 1931, Sifu Chiu Leun (Pronounced Jew Loon) was born in Toi Saan Country, Fau Sek Village in Lane Number Five, in the neighborhood of Luhng Pihng. Toi Saan is the same part of Gwang Dung Province not far from Hong Kong where, until the 60’s and 70’s, the vast majority of Chinese people who ended up in the U.S. originated from. His father had already been to the U.S. to join other brothers in the family then later he returned to Toi Saan to find a wife. Because his father was already and American citizen, even though he was born in China, Chiu Leun was considered to be an American also, so, later, when he wanted to emigrate to the U.S., he was issued a U.S. passport and was able to travel easily back and forth to china his whole life.
When he was about six years old, this was 1937, he was playing in the fields as usual and he saw a baby bird hopping around, trying to learn how to fly. Its movements attracted him and he followed the bird into the woods. There he met two other children, a boy and a girl, about his own age and began playing with them. After some time, an older man, the children’s uncle who was also a Buddhist monk, joined them and they continued playing as before. After a while, the young Chiu Leun wanted to go home but was unable to find his way home so the monk helped him get home.
The monk, boy and girl were from Northern China. The rest of the children’s family had all been killed and the three of them had escaped to the south. Their father had been the monk’s brother. They were living in the woods, collecting and selling medicinal herbs to support themselves. They also learned Chinese Gung Fu. The monk was practicing to return to the north and fight the people who had killed his family.
A day or two later, the monk returned to Chiu Leun’s home and talked to his mother, saying that her son had a kind of affinity, a sort of uncanny connection, with him and his niece and nephew. The idea was that if she accepted the idea, Chiu Leun, her son, would leave his home and go to live with the monk and two children. China in the 1930’s was a fairly lawless and dangerous place, this was the time when the Japanese were already occupying much of the north and they were pushing south to extend their control. Ports were closed. It was impossible for all but the richest and the luckiest to leave. Getting money from America was impossible. The opportunity for a small child to go into apprenticeship a tutelage with a monk was not to be dismissed lightly, it was a huge honor.
After returning two times, Chiu Leun’s mother agreed to have her son go and follow the monk and his two small children. Chiu Leun would go on tolearn the science of Chinese medicine particularly what is called “Diht Da,” treating injuries to the bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles along with learning Tohng Lohng Kuhyn (The Praying Mantis style of Chinese martial arts).
They all lived in the woods, collected herbs and traveled to different parts of Guangdong and the surrounding areas selling herbs, liniments and other medicinal preparations. All the time Chiu Leun was learning more and more Gung Fu; learning how to fight with his hands and feet along with traditional weapons. He was with the monk and his older Gung Fu brother and younger Gung Fu sister for around ten years; until about 1947. The Japanese were gone but there was civil war in China between the Nationalists and the Communist armies. The older monk resolved to return to the north to take revenge for his brother’s family. He told Chiu Leun, his niece and nephew, all three of whom knew Tonhg Lohng Kyuhn very well at this point to go to Hong Kong to look up a student of the monk, their Gung Fu uncle. They did this and shortly after Chiu discovered that his sifu the monk had fought and killed the enemy but died himself in the process. A heavy loss for Chiu Leun and the others.
After going to Hong Kong, Chiu Leun and the others had not yet found his younger Gung Fu uncle when he met with Chiu Chi-Man. Chiu Chi-Man was also a Gung Fu Sifu and taught Northern Eagle Claw (Ying Jaau Faan Ji Muhn) and Mh Ga (Wu Style) Taai Gihk Kyunh (Tai Ji Quan) as well as Chat Sing Tohng Lohng, at the Hong Kong Jing Mou Association. The Jing Mou in Hong Kong had invited Lo Gwong-Yuhk to come from Shanghai a number of years earlierwhere Chiu Chi-Man had learned a great deal of the same system that Chiu Leun himself had spent over two thirds of his young life studying and perfecting.
Sifu Chiu Leun told a story about attacking his uncle unaware once and being thrown and hurt severely because the older man did not know that it was his nephew who was attacking him. Chiu Leun studied with his uncle for about five years and always spoke of him with the greatest regard and respect.
During this time he helped his uncle in the Jing Mou Association. The association occupied the sixth floor of a building and in the building opposite, on the lower floor; there was another martial arts school. This was owned by Bahk Mou Chiu (“White Haired” Chiu) the famous master of Hung Fat Paai. Chiu took to watching the classes and, over time picked up the entire Hung Fat Style. Later, he invited Sifu Bahk Mou Chiu out and, to show his respect and admiration demonstrated what he had picked up, respectfully requesting corrections in his performance. Chiu Leun’s understanding of Chinese Gung Fu was so deep and broad that even a very different style had a few mysteries for him.
All this time, he kept in contact with his older Gung Fu brother and young Gung Fu sister from China. After he had been with his uncle for some five years or so, the girl was determined to enter a Buddhist convent. Chiu Leun had finally located his younger Gung Fu uncle; the one his sifus had told him to look for in Hong Kong. Since his younger Gung Fu sister, whom he had known virtually his entire life had decided to turn her back on the world, he also entered a temple with the younger Gung Fu uncle where he studied the next ten years practicing Tohng Lohng Kyuhn; from about 1952 to around 1957.
At that point he re-entered society and traveled around, making a living with the Chinese Herbology he knew so well and practicing Chinese Gung Fu both to attract clients and to protect himself. Much of rural China today is “untamed” in some senses.
In 1966, Sifu Chiu Leun immigrated to New York. Within the first year or so, he worked as a security guard of sorts. Soon he opened the first Gung Fu School in New York City’s Little Italy. In those days, Chinatown was much smaller and there were very few Chinese businesses above Canal Street. His first school was on Elizabeth between Broome and Grand Streets. After a year, he moved to 166 Mott Street one block away where he taught until 1984. After that, he taught only closed door disciples like Raymond Nelson, Carl Albright, Stephen Laurette, Chiyu Ho, Nathan Chukueke, Stanley Moy and a few others.
Sifu Chiu Leun founded the Eastern-America Martial Arts Association but after some time decided to leave it completely to others to manage as they saw fit.
For his entire professional teaching life, Sifu Chiu Leun never advertised for students. His reputation as an extraordinary practitioner of Chinese martial arts in particular, Chat Sing Tonhng Lohng Kyuhn has never been and unfortunately is never likely to be equaled.
On Sunday January 15, 2006, at 3:30 pm Sifu Chiu Cheung Leun passed to his next life in Beth Israel Hospital in New York City. He was survived by his two sons, Hing-Wah and Sing-Wah and two daughters, Siu-Bun and Man-Nei. He will be sorely missed by all of his numerous students. All wish him a pleasant life to come.
https://www.ironmantismartialarts.com/offers/3XuDujLs/checkout
Written by Sifu Stephen Laurette of the Chiu Family 7-Star Praying Mantis
Edited by Sifu Jeff Hughes
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