Our teachers and grand teachers

Shi Zhengzhong

Master Shi graduated from the Taiwan Police Academy and later served with the Taiwan police force for several years.

He has been quite active within the Guoshu (Chinese Martial Arts) Association and has been sent several times overseas as delegate and head coach of the Chinese Taipei wushu team between 1990 and 1998, leading his students to win bronze, silver, and gold medals. For his role in promoting Kuoshu, the Taiwan government awarded him with a financial grant, which he has used to expand his school in Tainan.

A native of Tainan County, shifu Shi Zhengzhong was born in the Lunar Year 38 (1949).
As a child shifu Shi Zhengzhong studied Southern gung fu styles common to Taiwan such as White Crane Fist. When he was 16 years old his shifu took him to a small demonstration of different fighting styles. It was here that he saw a style of kung fu that he had never seen before. On asking his teacher he discovered that it was praying mantis and decided that was the style to follow.

Masters Come to Taiwan

As a result of the military exodus of the Nationalists from China to Taiwan in 1949, Master Shi has been able to study with over 30 masters who originally came from all parts of Mainland China. Many great kung fu masters emigrated to Taiwan during those troubled times, which provided unprecedented access to different styles and methods. Before the emigration, one would have spent years traveling across Mainland China to locate these great teachers.

Zhang Dekui

His first main teacher of mantis was shifu Zhang Dekui from Qixia County in Shandong province. Master Zhang taught a style of Mantis which he only referred to as Gu Tang Lang, or ancient mantis. In Zhang's final interview just before he passed away he spoke emotionally of the fact that when he studied mantis as a boy there was no name for the style except Tang Lang Chuan. Later, through books and magazines, Master Zhang's Mantis style came to be known as Mimen Tang Lang Quan (Secret Door Mantis Boxing).

In addition to his training with Master Zhang he studied other Tang Lang Quan styles under the following masters:

* Shifu Sun Rongzhai from Mouping County Shandong province taught him Seven Star Mantis Boxing and Mizong Quan (Lost Track Boxing).

* Shifu Zhu Jingchang from Qingdao Shandong Province taught him Seven Stars Mantis Boxing.

* Shifu Luan Xingfu from Qingdao Shandong Province taught him Plum Flower Mantis Boxing, Three Turns Nine Rotations Qi Gung and Pai Da body striking and conditioning methods.

* Shifu Hao Gengsheng and shifu Wang Yanyi of Shandong Province taught him Seven Star Mantis Boxing.

* Shifu Li Hongjie taught him Plum Flower Mantis Boxing, two person spear practice, qi gong and Taiji Quan. Shifu Shi Zhengzhong would drive his motorcycle 2 hours North every weekend to study under shifu Li Hongjie.

* Shifu Gao Daosheng taught him Long Fist Praying Mantis.

* Cui Songshan, elder brother of shifu Li Hongjie, from Ji Long (a port city that is located in north of Taiwan) taught him Plum Flower Mantis Boxing.

*In 1990 he met Shifu Zhao Zhuxi in Hong Kong , who taught him Taiji Tang Lang Quan (Supreme Praying Mantis Boxing).
 

Visiting Masters

He also visited many well known masters such as:

* Shifu Zhang Xiangsan from Shandong Province of Six Harmonies Mantis Boxing.

* Shifu Wei Xiaotang from Shandong Province of Eight Steps Mantis Boxing.
 

Other Styles

In addition to Tang Lang Quan he studied other gung fu styles, for example when he was 10 years old he started learning from 80 year old master, shifu Chen Kai White Crane Boxing. Shifu Shi Zhengzhong also studied:

* Northern Shaolin Long Fist under shifu Jiang Xunshi from Qingdao Shandong.

* Taiji Quan, Xingyi Quan and Bagua Zhang under shifu Zhang Shirong from Hebei Province.

* Northern Luohan under shifu Gong Wendou.

* Long Fist and San Da exercises under shifu Wang Juezhen from Si Chuan.

Shifu Shi Zhengzhong has original notes written by shifu Li Kunshan, Li Hongjie's shifu, as well as the medal that shifu Li won in the spear competion in 1933.
He is renowned in Taiwan for his extensive knowledge on the history, theory, and application of tang tang quan. His favorite forms are Plum Flower 2nd Essentials and Mimen's Luanjie.

MEET SHIFU KEVIN BRAZIER

I am a former coach of the strict Taiwan school system. For over 10 years I taught kung fu in Taiwan elementary, middle and high schools as well as operating a private kung fu club at Tainan City's National University. I was the head coach of Tainan City's First Senior High School for over 5 years. As the head coach I devised the curriculum. taught the classes and organized kung fu demonstrations for my students to perform. In America In 1983 I began training in several Asian arts such as Tang Soo Do, Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido and Uechi Ryu. In 1987 I started training Wah Lum Praying Mantis under Shifu Art D’Agostino. In 1989 Shifu D’Agostino encouraged and supported my decision to train in Asia for a year. Moving to Taiwan In 1989 I moved to Taiwan and began to train Praying Mantis Kung Fu under the tutelage of Shi Zhengzhong. I ended up staying in Taiwan for 16 years. At the end of 2005 I finally returned home to Tampa. Training in Taiwan Under Shifu Shi of Taiwan, I trained several Praying Mantis Boxing styles such as Secret Door, Eight Step, Plum Flower, Taiji Mantis and Seven Star. In addition, I became a researcher on Praying Mantis history and techniques through the study of original hand written manuscripts of Mantis masters from past generations. Teaching in Taiwan In 1999 I became the head coach and head of the Martial Art’s curriculum at Tainan City First Boy’s High School teaching there for over 5 years as well as operating a private kung fu club at Tainan City's National University.   In America Again Since returning to the states in 2005 I have been spreading the teachings of Mantis Boxing and Tai Chi at my Tampa Kung Fu school. theKungfuGym.com   I am the head of the North American branch of our style of Mantis called Peng Lai with schools in North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Tampa and Brasil.   Tampa School   Located at 12301 MEMORIAL HWY TAMPA FL 33635   Call 813-495-3060 or write kevinbrazier@yahoo.com

Master Kevin Brazier at the Tampa Kung Fu school. A move of the Praying Mantis Style of Kung Fu.