History
According to tradition Wong Long, an unshaven monk, at the Shaolin temple, developed the 7 Star praying Mantis style. Wong Long studied at the temple during the period between the Ming and the Ching dynasties.Although he practiced his Kung fu diligently, he found that he could not beat his kung fu brothers at the temple.
While traveling he consistently sought masters of different styles who would teach him in order to improve his skill. Even though he trained hard and eventually became proficient in 17 different styles he found that his Kung fu brothers at the temple were still able to beat him.
It is said that while walking he came across a Praying mantis fighting with a Cicada.
While the Cicada was obviously bigger, Wong Long noticed that the mantis was very skilled at evading the powerful attacks of the Cicada and was able to use its extremely strong forearms to eventually pin and defeat the Cicada.
Wong Long then started collecting praying mantis in order to study their defense and attack strategies while he was teasing them with a reed.
From these observations he developed a fighting style that improved his skill as a fighter.
The next step was to develop his footwork in order to coordinate with the rapid and powerful techniques of his hands.
For this he looked to the trees where he found that the monkeys had quick and nimble techniques for moving through and fighting in the trees.
And so, after combining the footwork of the monkey with the arms and hands of the Mantis as well as the best techniques of the 17 styles, Wong Long had creating a new fighting style.
It is with this method that he eventually returned to the Shaolin temple and beat his Kung fu brothers.
The praying mantis style became very popular and spread throughout China and in so doing evolved into the following styles:
- 7 star praying mantis
- Plum blossom praying mantis
- Six combination praying mantis
- Flat plate praying mantis
- Secret door praying mantis
- Jade ring praying mantis
- Dragging hand praying mantis
- Tai chi praying mantis
- Rigid praying mantis
Sifu Derek Frearson of the International Taijiquan and Shaolin Wushu association has trained under Sigung since 1984 and has completed the syllabus for the 7 Star mantis style.
It is with honour that he has been accepted as a closed door disciple of Lee Sigong.
The South African chapter of the ITSWA goes back to 1986 when Leslie sifu sought out Derek Sifu and began the training of 7 Star Mantis.
Wayne Sifu joined the Association in February of 1988 having previously been a student of the Goju and Kyukushinkai styles of Karate.
Moving quickly through the ranks, Leslie Sifu allowed Wayne Sifu to begin teaching under his guidance at the end of 1988. A year later, he was allowed the open his own school which is still operating today.
After the untimely death of Leslie Sifu (03/03/03), Wayne Sifu now continues his training under the direct guidance of Derek Sifu.
Wayne sifu accepts all students be they beginners or advanced and in so doing continues to spread the style of 7 Star praying mantis in South Africa.
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History
The style of Wing as with many other styles finds its birth in the roots of the Shaolin temple during the Qinq dynasty. The temple not only was a source of spiritual development but was also a sanctuary for Anti-Qing revolutionaries.The Manchurians naturally wanted to eradicate this center of rebellion. So, with the traitorous assistance of Ma Ning-Lee, the temple was burned to the ground.
A group of five elders,including Ng Mui, fled and went into hiding.
Mg Mui eventually took refuge in the White Crane temple on the slopes of the Daliang mountain where legend has it that she witnessed a fight between a snake and a crane.
Combining the movements of these animals with her own Shaolin boxing, she developed a new as yet un-named style.
One of her students,Yim Wing Chun, became popular as a fighter after using the techniques taught by Ng Mui to defeat a local bully and drive him from the town.
Later she married Leung Bok-Chao and passed the style on to him. In her honor he named the style Wing Chun.
After fleeing from the Japanese in Foshan, Ip Man brought the style of Wing Chun to Hong Kong where he successfully started teaching. Through him the style gathered many followers and is now practiced throughout the world. At over 80 years, his son Ip Chun is now the only living Grandmaster of the Wing Chun style and still teaches in Hong Kong.
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History
A number of different theories exist around the origin of Taijiquan but generally it is accepted by most that Chang San Feng, a Taoist monk, was the creatorIt is only during the 18th century that Taijiquan first emerges from the mists of folklore. The Chen village in the Henan province was home to the Chen clan who were at the time practicing a form of martial art, which could be closely compared to the Taijiquan we know today. Their style maintained some of the characteristics of the hard styles like jumps, changes in speed, etc
There are again differing versions of how Yang Lu Chuan became involved with the Chen clan but if it had not been for him, Taijiquan would probably not be as popular as it is today. Regardless of which version we choose to believe, it is clear that Yang Lu Chuan developed into a highly skilled practitioner. During his life, Yang accepted many challenges but remained undefeated until his death.
One of Yang Lu Chuan's early students was Wu Yu Hsiang who went on to study with Chen Qingping and later developed his own style, which became known as the Wu Style.
Yang Lu Chuan's two sons were also prominent in the development of Taijiquan. While Yang Panhe did not have a huge following, Yang Qianhe was very popular and it is through him that the teachings of Yang Lu Chuan found a channel. Yang Qianhe had two sons, Shouhe and Chengfu, of which Chengfu became the most well known for his mastery of the Taijiquan. Chengfu's style was noted for its softness and relaxed postures, which were quite deceiving to challenges.
Yang Cheng fu died when he was 53 and is regarded as pivotal to the development of Taijiquan as we practice it today
The style of Wing as with many other styles finds its birth in the roots of the Shaolin temple during the Qinq dynasty. The temple not only was a source of spiritual development but was also a sanctuary for Anti-Qing revolutionaries.
The Manchurians naturally wanted to eradicate this center of rebellion. So, with the traitorous assistance of Ma Ning-Lee, the temple was burned to the ground.
A group of five elders,including Ng Mui, fled and went into hiding.
Mg Mui eventually took refuge in the White Crane temple on the slopes of the Daliang mountain where legend has it that she witnessed a fight between a snake and a crane.
Combining the movements of these animals with her own Shaolin boxing, she developed a new as yet un-named style.
One of her students,Yim Wing Chun, became popular as a fighter after using the techniques taught by Ng Mui to defeat a local bully and drive him from the town.
Later she married Leung Bok-Chao and passed the style on to him. In her honor he named the style Wing Chun.
After fleeing from the Japanese in Foshan, Ip Man brought the style of Wing Chun to Hong Kong where he successfully started teaching. Through him the style gathered many followers and is now practiced throughout the world. At over 80 years, his son Ip Chun is now the only living Grandmaster of the Wing Chun style and still teaches in Hong Kong.
The Manchurians naturally wanted to eradicate this center of rebellion. So, with the traitorous assistance of Ma Ning-Lee, the temple was burned to the ground.
A group of five elders,including Ng Mui, fled and went into hiding.
Mg Mui eventually took refuge in the White Crane temple on the slopes of the Daliang mountain where legend has it that she witnessed a fight between a snake and a crane.
Combining the movements of these animals with her own Shaolin boxing, she developed a new as yet un-named style.
One of her students,Yim Wing Chun, became popular as a fighter after using the techniques taught by Ng Mui to defeat a local bully and drive him from the town.
Later she married Leung Bok-Chao and passed the style on to him. In her honor he named the style Wing Chun.
After fleeing from the Japanese in Foshan, Ip Man brought the style of Wing Chun to Hong Kong where he successfully started teaching. Through him the style gathered many followers and is now practiced throughout the world. At over 80 years, his son Ip Chun is now the only living Grandmaster of the Wing Chun style and still teaches in Hong Kong.
For over four decades 
In 1986