Praying Mantis: The 8 Step Branch
(Ba Bu Tang Lang)

About the famous Taiwan instructor Wei Shao Tang:

Born 1901.

Instructors: Began with his father as a child. Before meeting his top instructor he had learned Wu Tai Chi, Di Tang, and three sets of Mantis: Eight Elbows, Intercepting, Tiger Swallow.

When he was Wei was 16 his father, a Kung Fu expert himself, invited Feng Huan Yi Shih Fu to teach his boy. They crossed hands and Feng knocked the young man down. Wei waited on the ground for Feng to come closer so he might use Di Tang boxing. The teacher didn't bite, instead shouting at Wei that an honorable man fought from his feet. Feng became Wei's teacher.

Wei worked hard for four years, developed great speed and strength and learned the essence of Eight Steps Praying Mantis from Feng.

When he was 30 Wei, for unclear reasons, traveled to Korea. An incident occurred there where Wei, defending a Chinese, friend took on a group of Koreans killing three and injuring others. He returned immediately to Shan Dong where he began to establish the Ba Bu branch of Mantis.

In 1949 after Communist troops captured his farm, killed his wife and children and hung Wei upside down in his field for three days he escaped. After traveling again to Korea he ended up in Taiwan.

Starting as a cook he eventually began classes in the Wu style Tai Chi taught to him by his father and the Eight Step Praying Mantis. He wrote the book Yang Shi Tang Lang Quan carried by Plum Publications.