養生功︰周家螳螂的瑰寶
Yern Seng Gung: The Pinnacle of Wisdom in Chow Gar Mantis
周家螳螂素以快、準、狠聞名於世，然而真正深藏於門內、外人鮮有聞之者，卻是養生功。
「養生」二字，本無玄奧。中國人自古重養生，講求順時攝養、延年益壽。夏日飲暖水，練功後添衣，睡前吹乾頭髮，看似尋常，皆是養生之道，亦是許多人自幼耳濡目染的生活智慧。
惟周家螳螂之養生功，所求遠不止於保健。此乃一套獨門氣功，旨在歷經多年艱苦操練之後，修復身體、調整機能，甚至由細胞層面改善人體狀態。而「引火歸原」之法則助身體恢復平和，合收養生之效。對於歷經歲月淬鍊、已悟各重勁力之修習者而言，它並非單純維持現狀，而是令身體得以再生、再化，突破原有局限，使功夫更上一層樓。
然而，此功珍貴之處，不在於動作，而在於練法。若不得其法，縱然形似，終究難得其神，亦無法發揮其真正妙用。
其中關鍵，環環相扣，也往往映照出修習者過往功課是否扎實。
首先，在於「心」。養生功分三層次，各有不同要求，但皆以誠心正意為根本。若失其本心，便只餘肢體動作；形雖在，神已失，其功效自然難以彰顯。
其次，在於對整套功法的透徹解悟。養生功前後兩段，各司其職：前段為培養與準備，後段則為收攝與鞏固，亦能以此修成吊陰功。若只練前段而缺後段，正如周家套路只練八式而止，不再承接後面的內容，拳套終究不能圓滿，功法亦難竟全功。
最後，則是歷代祖師的護佑。有人視之為信念，有人親身體會，但無論如何，它提醒我們對此功常存感恩與敬畏之心，明白能夠得聞、得學，實屬難得福緣。正因如此，修習時所需的「心」，亦因而得以圓滿。
養生功真正的價值，不在個人演繹，而在如法承傳。前人留下的，不是拘泥形式，而是經無數歲月驗證、千錘百鍊所得的智慧。我們毋須急於添枝加葉，更不必自作聰明；惟有依師而學，依法而練，依心而承，方能不負祖師厚意，亦有機會真正領略周家螳螂的深厚底蘊。
保羅伯倫師傅
Chow Gar Mantis has long been renowned for its speed, precision, and uncompromising power. Yet one of its most profound treasures remains relatively unknown outside the system: Yern Seng Gung.
The name itself is not especially mysterious. In fact, the idea of yern seng (養生)—nurturing life and promoting longevity—is deeply woven into Chinese culture. Many of Chinese people grew up with simple reminders that reflected this philosophy: drink warm water, even in summer; put on a jumper after training; dry your hair before going to bed. These everyday habits are all expressions of yern seng—small acts of caring for the body so it may serve us well throughout life.
Within Chow Gar Mantis, however, Yern Seng Gung elevates this philosophy to another level. More than a health exercise, it is a specific air-set intended to restore, refine, and optimise the body on a cellular level after years of demanding training. There is of course also the practice of Guiding the Fire Back to its Origin that works closely with this line of thinking. For practitioners who have spent decades forging the five levels of power through rigorous practice, Yern Seng Gung enables further exponential growth. Rather than simply maintaining what has been achieved, it allows the body to recover, adapt, and continue progressing in ways that may otherwise considered increasingly difficult.
The true depth of the form, however, lies not simply in performing its movements, but in understanding how it should be practised. This is where its real value is safeguarded.
That understanding unfolds across several interconnected layers, often revealing gaps in one’s previous training or lessons that may not yet have fully matured.
The first is emotion. Yern Seng Gung contains three levels of practice. While each level requires progressively greater skill, they all depend upon cultivating the appropriate internal emotional state. Without this, the form risks becoming little more than physical movement. The external choreography may remain, but its deeper function cannot fully manifest.
The second is understanding the form as a complete system. The two sections of Yern Seng Gung each serve a distinct purpose. The first prepares and conditions the body for what follows, while the second consolidates and seals the effects of the practice. It is also within this latter section that the training develops the ability to achieve Dil Yum Gung, commonly referred to as testicle retraction. To practise only the first section is much like performing only the Baat Sek—the opening eight movements of a Chow Gar form—without continuing into the lesson that gives them their full meaning. Each part relies upon the other.
The final aspect is one that some embrace deeply while others may regard more symbolically: the blessing of our ancestors. Whatever one’s perspective, this principle reminds us to approach the form with gratitude, humility, and an appreciation of the privilege of receiving it. In many ways, this understanding completes the emotional quality required by the practice. It places the form within the living tradition from which it came and honours those who preserved it for future generations.
Ultimately, the gift of Yern Seng Gung is revealed not through interpretation, but through faithful transmission. It asks us to set aside the temptation to reshape the art according to our own preferences and instead trust in the wisdom preserved by the generations before us. The principles handed down by our ancestors were not arbitrary; they were refined through experience and entrusted to us with great generosity. By practising the form as it was intended—studying it sincerely, learning it completely, and honouring its lineage—we give ourselves the best opportunity to experience the depth of what the style has to offer.
Paul Brennan Sifu