History

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The Origins of Wang Lang of Tángláng Quán - 螳螂拳

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The Origins of Wang Lang of Tángláng Quán - 螳螂拳

Wang Lang (王朗) was a military folk hero/warlord in the Eastern Han dynasty (25CE - 220CE). Born in Tancheng County in the south of Shandong near the border of Jiangsu province. Wang Lang’s deeds are recorded and as with other famous figures in Chinese history, Wang was later memorialized and embellished upon in a famous novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. How did Wang Lang become entwined with the history of Praying Mantis Boxing (Tángláng Quán - 螳螂拳) almost 2 millenia later? Is this the same Wang Lang, or was there someone else who founded this boxing style who went by the same name?

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To Dissect a Mantis - A Summarized Re-Written History of Mantis Boxing

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To Dissect a Mantis - A Summarized Re-Written History of Mantis Boxing

The following takes all of the data laid out from my timeline research (people, places, events, catastrophes, wars, rebellions, etc), as well as the mantis family tree, and assembles it into a condensed re-write of a more grounded history for mantis boxing. This is a brief overview notating some discoveries and answering questions, as there were many. For the purposes here, I removed mythical backstories and unsubstantiated people. Beginning instead with verified living representatives/associates.

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Mantis Boxing Historical Timeline - Qing Dynasty to Republican Era

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Mantis Boxing Historical Timeline - Qing Dynasty to Republican Era

A true Mantis Boxing Historical Timeline from the Qing dynasty to the Republican Era. This tool was pivotal in drawing conclusions in my research on the history of Praying Mantis Boxing. Months of investigation culminated and presented in this beautiful chart designed by Bruce Sanders. Now available for your own research or enjoyment.

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Collapse and Fall Into Ruin - (Beng 崩)

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Collapse and Fall Into Ruin - (Beng 崩)

A huge thanks to Gene Ching and the team at Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine for publishing my article this month. Such an awesome presentation! Thank you to my team - Holly Cyr, Vincent Tseng, Max Kotchouro, Bruce Sanders, and Sean Fraser for your assistance in making this happen. I am honored.

The Dirty History of Tai Chi

The history of Tai Chi, correctly called Tai Ji Quan, disseminated to the masses, is often a mythical story that involves an art form thousands of years old with Taoist immortals, monks, and fairies. Commonly it is propagated that a non-existent type of magical energy, will heal the practitioners body and/or throw opponents without ever touching them. This is a fictional portrayal that in the West we call a fairy tale and in the East they call wu xia.

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