The Zhang branch of Six Harmony Praying Mantis

Liu He Tang Lang or Six Harmonies Praying Mantis is one of the youngest of the Praying Mantis schools. It is popular in the Zhao Yaun and Huang Xian regains of ShangDong province. Other styles such as Plum Flower (meihautanglang)

and Seven Star (qixingtanglang) are considered primarily hard with some softness within them. Liuhetanglang a soft style based on internal or (niejia) systems of practice. When the term soft or (song) is used it refers to specific kind of energy with softness on the outside and hardness imbedded within like a needle in cotton. It is actually a refined hybrid of two styles, Six Harmony Fist (liuhechuan) and Seven Star Praying Mantis (qixingtanglang).

Seven Star Praying Mantis is also a hybrid with it own distinguished history and today is one of the most widely practiced styles of Chinese martial art with Wong Long as the founder. According to Zhang XiangSans’ book “ Liu He Tang Lang Chaun” the lineage for Six Harmonies Praying Mantis can be traced from Wang Long, with no other clear direct lineage until a very eccentric person named Wei San appears some time in the mid 1800’s. He only says that his lineage is from Wong Long but never mentions his teachers’ name. Wei San taught Lin ShiChun who was an accomplished Six Harmony Fist practitioner. Lin ShiChun is credited for the development of Six Harmony Praying Mantis as it is taught today.

Lin Shichun taught Ding ZiCheng who was from one of the wealthiest families in HuangXian County. Ding ZiCheng also acquired significant knowledge from the bodyguards he hired for his families’ numerous of pawnshops. Six Harmony Praying Mantis must have gone through refinement through his understanding. Because of this fact this style is a very mature and refined method of practice. From the outside it does not appear to be very complicated. To view it only on the outward simplicity is overlooking one of the most refined and effective martial arts in existence today.

Ding ZiCheng had many students but few who carried on the Six Harmony methods. In Taiwan, Zhang XiangSan carried on the lineage. Zhang XiangSan did not have many students and very few who learned Six Harmony Praying Mantis and carried on the style. In the United States Shih BorRang (Boris Shih) is the lineage holder. Any person who knows Zhang XiangSans’ branch has studied with Adam Hsu, who now lives in Taiwan, or Boris Shih. Boris Shih has the most thoroughly taught practitioners in the United States today.

Boris studied with Zhang XiangSan for over seven years. Zhang XiangSan was a stocky dignified gentleman in his early seventies when Boris began studying him. He did not fit the profile of the martial heroes and he made no attempt to impress people with his skill. He was a true hidden treasure, being one of the highest-level practitioners of his time hidden in plain sight. Thanks to persons like BorRang Shih, who had the foresight and discipline to learn this art while Zhang was still alive and then to carry it on to a new generation of practitioners, Liuhetanglang is alive and well. Today this rare branch of a great style is in hands of a few practitioners who are committed to carrying it on into the future.

Scott Ripke is chief instructor of the Green Forest Temple

He began learning Six Harmony Praying Mantis from Borong (Boris) Shi while they were classmates with Adam Hsu in 1989 and they maintain a relationship to this day.