Tanglang Quan History

     Tanglang Quan (Praying Mantis Fist) is an old Chinese martial arts style, it was said to have began during the emperor Liang Wu time, since then Tanglang Quan have developed into several styles like Qixing Tanglang Quan (Seven Star Praying Mantis Fist), Meihua Tanglang Quan (Plum Flower Praying Mantis Fist), Liuhe Tang Lang Quan (Six Harmony Praying Mantis Fist) and others. Even though Tanglang have divided into several styles with their own distinct characteristic, but these styles still share the same roots and acknowledged one founder - Wang Lang.

     The historical development of Tanglang Quan can be divided into two parts, the early period and the modern period. The early period is from the time Wang Lang created Tanglang Quan up to the time of Li Zhijian, while the modern period began from Li Zhijian time up until the present time.

Beginning of Tanglang Quan  

     Tanglang began during the time of emperor Liang Wu, the creator was Wang Lang also known as Fa Ming of Taiyuan, Shanxi. Once the Shaolin temple of Song Mountain was a place where martial artists meet to developed their skills. Wang Lang desired to enter the temple, so befriended the Shaolin monks and exchange martial art skill, for many time they would test their skills, Wang Lang would always be defeated and be laughed by the monks, felt humiliated he went away. One day while Wang Lang was resting in the woods, he was disturbed by the noise caused by the fight between a cicada and a mantis, though the cicada have six feet was not able to overcome the two hook claw of the mantis. Finally the mantis seized the cicada (a verse later use in mantis technique). Wang Lang took home the mantis, where he studied the defensive and offensive movements of the mantis. He was able to observed the mantis' two front hook claws executing split, slash, cunning hook, dodge techniques and he created the hook, grasp, pluck, hang, crush, split, cunning hook, intercept and other techniques, he would further practice and develop the art of Tanglang Quan. After years of training, he went back and fought with the monks, the monks was no match to Wang Lang new fighting skill. The Shaolin Abbot was impressed with Wang Lang's Tanglang Quan, he invited Wang Lang to teach Tanglang Quan inside the temple. While in the temple he created a mantis form called "Beng Bu". Wang Lang taught at temple for three years before retiring to Mao mountain. Tanglang Quan was kept and taught only inside the premise of the temple before a monk called Fu Chi would further develop Tanglang Quan and later taught it to a wandering Taoist priest named Sheng Xiao, who introduced and taught Tanglang Quan to the common people.

The development of Qi Xing Tanglang in the modern period

    Tanglang Quan founder Wang Lang retired to Mao mountain after teaching at Shaolin temple, Tanglang Quan was only taught within the confines of the temple. Later the wandering Taoist priest Sheng Xiao brought Tanglang Quan to the masses, thus begun the widely propagation and development of Tanglang Quan.

     During the Dao Guang period, Li Zhijian of Pingdu learn Qixing Tanglang Quan from an anonymous person, after completing his martial art studies, he opened a security agency at Jinan, he became very famous and was nicknamed“Lightning Hands” and “Fast Hand Li”. In the thirteenth year of Guan Xu period, Li retired and wished to pass on his skill to a successor. He heard of a great boxing personality named Wang Yunsheng and decided to give him a visit. During his visit Li asked Wang to give a sample of his fame boxing skill. After performing, Li was not impressed of Wang‘s skill, Wang was in rage, in retaliation he challenge he old Li in a fight, which Li readily obliged, the fight ended with the defeat of Wang. Wang eventually begged Li to accept him as his disciple, Wang was able to quickly learned from Li the boxing system of Qi Xing Tanglang Quan. After Wang learned Qixing Tanglang, Li left Wang and continued to wander towards northern China.

    Wang Yunsheng was born in 1854 and died in 1926, Wang was from Foshan, Yantai, he initially studied Mizhong Quan, at age 23 open his own boxing school. In the fourteenth year of Guang Xu period, he began to learn Qixing Tanglang Quan under Li Zhijian, after Li left, he continued to practice and further improved the art. Wang most senior disciple was Fan Xudong.

     Fan Xudong was also called Xiang Sheng, he was from Da Haiyang village, Yantai. Because of his huge physical appearance, he was given a nicknamed called “Fan the Great Strength”, he was skilled in Iron Palm and Luohan skills. Once while crossing a field he was attacked by two bull, the first bull to attacked him was kill by a kick to the stomach by Fan, the second bull died instantly with a strong hand slap by Fan. The owner of the dead bulls asked Fan to pay him for his dead bulls, but Fan argued that he only acted in self-defense, after that the farmer dared not pursue for his compensation. This incident brought fame to Fan Xudong.

     During the later part of Guang Xu period, Fan competed in a boxing competition in Siberia, in which he won the championship, in which furthered boost his popularity.

     Fan taught Qixing Tanglang Quan to Guo Jialu of Laiyang, Yang Weixin of Penglai, Lin Jingshan of Laiyang, Luo Guangyu of Panglai and Wang Zhuanyi of Yantai. 

     Guo Jia Lu of Laiyang , is the most senior of Fan Xu Dong's disciples, he died young. Second senior disciple Yang Weixin taught at Jingwu club and Shandong club in Shanghai. He has taught Xiao Shu Bin, Xiao taught at Dalian where his students were Zhang Qinghe, Fu Yougui and a few Japanese.

     Third senior disciple Lin Jingshan taught at Tianjin and later return to Yantai, to teach at Fan Xudong boxing school, among his students were Hu Yongfu, Shao Huating, Wang Chunshan, Lin Chunsheng (eldest son), Mou Zhuanzu, Ling Huatang, Yu Tiantang (Yu Hai) , Zhong Lianbao and others. Hu Yongfu taught at Dalian, his students were Li Hiutang (Li Zhanyuan), Li Ruinian, Xu Hongxun, Wang Qinggang. Li Zhanyuan taught at Qingdao, Wang Qinggang also taught in Qingdao. Another student of Lin Jingshan was Wang Zhuanlan also called Wang Xiaofei his student was Wang Qingzai.

    Fourth senior disciple was Luo Guangyu, he was the chief instructor at Jingwu club in Shanghai, later reassigned to different Jingwu club branches at Guangzhou, Foshan and Hong Kong. His teaching stints in Jingwu produces him many students that would later spread Qixing Tanglang throughout Southeast Asia. Among his students were Ma Chenxin, Zou Xigong, Yu Lejiang,, Lin Boyan, Fan Yongzhen, Chen Zhenyi, Cui Kuisan, Cui Shouting, Zhang Baohou, Chi Lunzhi, Guo Zuchao, Huang Hanxun, Huang Jinhong, Fan Yongchang, Guo Zishi and others.

     Fifth senior student was Wang Zhuanyi, the grandson of Wang Yunsheng. Wang Zhuanyi also taught at Jingwu and Shandong club in Shanghai for eight years. In 1952 he began teaching at his own boxing school in Dalian. His students were Wang Maosheng, Ma Guangyou, Wang Wenzhang, Chi Xueyuan and others.

Qixing Tanglang Quan Characteristics

Rigid and flexibility are gather together, long and short are simultaneous, light yet not floating, steady yet not stagnant, rigid yet not stiff, flexible yet not weak, fast but not disarray, frail yet not short. Stressing on long defeats short, fast beat slow, hard stopped the weak. Emphasis must be given in footwork training and hand technique training.  

Hand strike should be in synchronization with the steps. Every movement  have usable  application, closely penetrate, with a breath. They can be divided into rigid, flexible, long, short, fast and slow and they should not be muddle, long and short are separable. When attacking and retreating are mix up, use the seven long techniques in attacking and eight shorts for retreating, in attack there is retreat, in retreat there is attack, pointing high striking low, strike low pass high, point left strike right, strike right protect left, high low should be protected, technique of immediate strike, the strike of immediate technique, continuity of techniques bring strike, continuity of strikes produce technique, mind should be clear and calm, closely examine situation, protect against opponents feint and attacks, application of skills should be agile and quick, the body moves in synchronization with the steps, long short are inter use, hand and feet in harmony, mind wish to advance the feet and hands must move in unison, long punches short strikes are remarkable incomparable.

Generally speaking, the style has these special characteristics:

1) Full strength, revolving power, whole body in unison.

2) Firm fist, relaxed body, both light and sinking.

3) Penetrate closely in rhythmic speed.

4) Rigid and flexible in harmony, long and short in coordination.

5) Open and close, receive and release, store and send interchanges.

6) Moving or dodging with agile body movements.

7) Hook, grasp and twinning grab, changes are infinite.

Back