Head Instructor at the Santa Cruz Academy of Martial Arts, Ted Mancuso, has been teaching for over forty years.
Performing “short Strike” from Shaolin Kung Fu.
He became the head instructor of the largest chain of martial arts schools in America when he was 21. Continuing with his studies Mr. Mancuso started training in traditional Shaolin Temple style Kung Fu. He followed Kwong Wing Lam for 12 years. After this he studied with the famous teacher, Adam Hsu (Hsu Ji) in a number of arts.
Mr. Mancuso has been instrumental in promoting Chinese Martial Arts through his hundreds of articles. His work has appeared in English, Spanish and Chinese. He is the author of two books on the arts including the popular “Kung Fu for Young People.”
He is the president of a martial arts publishing company: Plum Publications. Plum was the publisher of the first major book on Chinese martial history by Professor Kang Ge Wu one of the world’s authorities on the subject.
It also produced the collected writings of famous Kung Fu teacher, Adam Hsu. His company is a source of information for martial researchers and the repository of over 3500 items related to the art and personally reviewed by the Plum staff. He has produced instructional videos one of which: BaGua, the Art of Change is considered one of the best of its kind.
Practicing Bagua Zhang: EIght Trigram Palm.
His students have won tournaments all over the area. Former students have become teachers in their own rights and spread the art throughout the United States. Mr. Mancuso believes in the martial arts as a complete entity, unlike most of the representations of it in popular media. In his words, “People who see the arts as fighting, or sport, or exercise suffer from a lack of imagination and understanding. 5000 years of culture and human struggle don’t produce a school yard fight, gym class or a fashion show. The martial arts relates to the human condition and is informed by every part of our being.”
Styles taught by Mr. Mancuso include: Shaolin, Mei Hua (Plum Blossom), Ba Gua Zhang (8 Trigrams Palm), Tai Chi Chuan (Chen and Yang styles), China Na (grappling) and Jiao Men (Muslim Kung Fu).
I also understand Sifu Mancuso’s prowess and knowledge to be such that the gongfu legacy will be kept alive and I actually bought and trained with “Kung Fu for Young People” as a young person! many thanks for your position in the CMA world.