Instructors > John Clark
John Clark
John Clark has been an active praying mantis kung fu practitioner for the last decade. Prior to his study of praying mantis, he studied western boxing, karate, yang style tai chi chuan, and kickboxing. John is a physical education teacher by trade and has devoted his life to learning about and teaching the intricacies of exercise physiology and its relationship to motor learning and the martial arts. John began his mantis study under Joe McSorley Sifu in late 2000. Mr. McSorley encouraged John to seek out Louie Jack Man Sifu for additional training. Louie Sifu accepted John as a private student in 2001, and supported Louie Sifu and his efforts to promote Jook Lum Mantis. John has also spent considerable time with many of Master Gin Foon Mark's senior students to exchange knowledge including Matthew Janiga, Andre Balin, and Casey Fryer. John has spent time studying and developing his knowledge of eastern philosophy with regard to Taoism and Buddhism as well; he feels that they cannot be separated from traditional kung fu training. John is a sanctioned teacher under the tutelage of Joe McSorley Sifu and Louie Jack Man Sifu. He teaches classes from his home on Monday evenings. His teachings consist of vigorous physical and mental training in relationship to real time combat as well as the traditional formulas as taught to him by Gin Foon Mark Sifu and Louie Jack Man Sifu. These formulas include but are not limited to Som Bo Gin, Sop Bot Dim, Siem Kuen parts 1-4, butterfly knives, one way staff, two way staff, etc. Each formula is taught exactly as it was taught to John by Gin Foon Mark Sifu and Louie Jack Man Sifu. In 2009, John was honored by receiving Louie Jack Man's Sun Toi and shrine which reflects the Min Gung aspects of the praying mantis art. John honors this area each and every class with incense, candles and other traditional teachings that show the proper respect for the ancestors with regard to Jooklum Mantis. In 2009, John was also accepted by ceremony, along with John O'Hara, and Phil Weibl, as a disciple of Joe McSorley Sifu. Since this time, John has accepted only one personal disciple in Phillip Le, but he hopes to bring others closer to him in the future. Those interested in studying with John should e-mail all inquiries to [email protected]. |