in China, Plum Blossom Mantis is also know as Tai Chi Mantis, or Tai Chi Plum Blossom Preying Mantis.
Most books that I’ve seen from China don’t come close to looking like CCK style. In fact, most tend to be wushu-lized versions of mantis. Some are interesting w/esoteric forms like Tai Chi Mantis Claw (metal sleeves w/a hook hovering over the fist) or Miao Do (saber) vs. Miao Do. I am looking at the book on my desk. Published Feb 1992, the isbn is 7-81003-541-X/G 413. Doesn’t mention any lineage though.
I am unclear just what your beef is about?
No where is it said Taiji Mantis only lives in the USA. No one I have heard speak has ever said that. The USA Fed. was aproved of and is supported by the elders in Hong Kong. The USA Fed. is working with branches of the Canada schools for a tounament next year. There are visitors coming from Hong Kong next year to support the 10 annversary activites. The purpose of the newsletter is to bring together ALL Taiji mantis players. When it was asked about other Taiji Mantis people around, why not step forward and make yourself known and your lineage, instead of just saying yes. We would love to know more about other cousins, but when asked, all there is is the sound of silence, or a few soft whispers. Have you tryed to contact any members of the USA group to say , we are family we should help each other?
The purpose of the newsletter and the USA Federation is to promote unity among all within the family and not to segergate anyone or fall into petty who the best crap that goes on among some systems… The Federation wants to maintain a standard of teaching, so the style does not fall into a lost footnote in history, or a joke because the sifus skills have decayed to the point the spirits cry.
We are trying to do something postive for all, it is not about USA ego or any one groups ego. You can help the problem or be part of it. Your post does not come across as a postive help. It could be because of the limits of this medium of exchanging ideas that the true meaning of your post was lost or perhaps language interpretation. In which case I am in error in thinking your post was a uncalled for & a groundless negative statment, lacking compassion & in itself a ego based statement. That being so, I appolgize for my jumping to conclucions.
For Public Notice to All Taijimantis People, I am always looking for articles, information, stories, history, about your school, linage, history, shifu, sihing, sibaks, whatever, anything to do with Taiji Mantis from anywhere to place in future issues of the newsletter.
Thank you for your prompt clarification. Apology accepted.
I can understand your concern of the situation and put forth a reminder that we should keep an open mind. I am sure that our brothers in TCPM of Grandmaster Chui’s lineage in anywhere in the world would welcome fellow stylists within or without the lineage with an open heart just as Grandmaster Chui would have. As for the inheritors of the system, IMHO, it is more of a teamwork vision of Sigung than a “who is the heir” to the patriarch (Sigung has a son). Remember the old fable of breaking arrows? One arrow can be broken easily but a bundle of arrows can hardly be broken. As molum_jr mentioned Taiji is also known as Plum Flower in Mainland China although I believe it has splitted into two seperate systems awhile back. With Sigung futher developed Tai Chi Praying Mantis, it’s safe to say that TCPM under Grandmaster Chui’s lineage has a very unique flavour that other Mainland China lineages would not have. One thing is for sure though, the majority of the history and content of the system is consistant with most Northern Praying Manits styles. Definitely, not some Chop Seuy fabrication.
Thanks for listening.
Molum,
I think that’s the same book I was reading (curtesy of Eric Ishii, thanks Eric). Care to share your view on that book?
ShaolinMantis,
I would like to thank you and congratulate you on a job well done. Keep up the good work.
There are three mantis systems being talked about here. In PRC (mainland china) there are two distinct schools of Northern Praying Mantis
which are being talked about here.
There is a Plum Flower re: Plum Blossom
Praying Mantis school.
Then there is the Tai Chi Plum Flower
(re: Plum Blossom) Praying Mantis school.
Although the Tai Chi Plum Flower school is
said to also encompass the Plum Flower system,
there is a difference between these two schools.
The Chu Chuk Kai lineage of Tai Chi Praying Mantis
might still be in existence in some remote part
of Shantung / PRC - however, this may have been
reduced to a family system - especially in light
of the Cultural Revolution.
Tse Wing Ming, Sifu, in the Tai Chi Mantis
Peng Pu Boxing book, mentions that there were
10 students that had studied under CCK in Shantung, early on in CCK’s teaching career.
However, the CCK lineage of Tai Chi Praying Mantis
is not at all like the Tai Chi Plum Flower Praying Mantis schools in the PRC.
In the wooden man book of Sigungs. There is a linage chart near the front of the book. One of Sigung’s teachers ( or his tai sifu’s ), split/merged into the Plum Flower line, from Taiji Mantis. I do not have it in front of me so I do not have the name. I will check today.
I happen to have my copy (thanks to Mantis108!) and it was the 5th generation masters Syun Yuhn Cheung (Sun Yuan Chang in Mandarin) and Gong Hahp Luhng (Jiang He Long) that started the Taijimantis and Plum Flower Mantis branches respectively.
Newsltr: Is still kicked back by yahoo.
I’ll try to get published end of week, on the web
C.C.K. Sigung’s classmates: ( at least three )
Jeung Siu Mo
Lei Chun Cheun
Wong Juk Yuen
these people may have been his sihing’s.
Someone maybe able to do some tracking from this.
It would seem that Gong Hap Lung, (Taiji Mei Hwa)taught> Yam Fung Sui, who taught> the above people and Chiu Chuk Kai. They also learned from Chi Sau Jun ( Taiji Mantis ).
Yam Fung Sui also taught So Hak Ban & Wong Gok the Mei Hwa style.
Some of these name may look somewhat different fromsom eothers listing it would be becuase of the pin yin, yale, translation writing.
Reading this chart that there has been a couple of splits and joins during the history of taiji Mantis.
Wong Long taught> Hau Ji Yuen and Hau Git Mantis. these people started ( maybe their own styles )
Ma Keung learned from both . Leung Shi Heung 4th generation learned from Ma Keung. on the 5th generation Suen Yuen Cheung ( or Chang) went Taiji Mantis, Gong Hap Lung went Taiji Mei Hwa
The newltr is now posted on my website. However it is my first time doing it this way , so there are still some kinks in the operation. If you do not have a fast connect, be prepared to
w - a - i - t.
