zheng dao lo martial arts
 
 


Zheng Dao Lo Martial Arts Academy was founded by five senior instructors on 7th February 1997.
Each founder was already proficient in their respective arts, both internal and external. By pooling
their knowledge of different systems, they created Zheng Dao Lo, to offer new students a range
of arts to choose from.

Students often train for many years in systems that are not well suited to them. We attempt to
eliminate the problem by showing a range of arts and help the practitioner to benefit from one
that is most compatible.

Zheng Dao Lo aims to promote traditional chinese martial arts (wushu), while at
the same time adopting an open and progressive approach to learning.

Kung-Fu is taught to people of all ages. It is a misconception that it is suitable only for the
young and fit. The very name Kung-Fu means 'time and effort', implying that anyone can
participate and benefit regardless of ability or physical condition.

Kickboxing is reserved mainly for the more energetic and competitive. Each class involves
a complete body work out and padwork with optional sparring. It's a great way to improve
fitness, stamina and co-ordination without the need to remember long sequences of movements.

Tai Chi is generally considered suitable for the elderly, although today fast becoming more
popular with the younger generation. Students begin with a slow, gentle warm up and progress
onto the Tai Chi form. This is a slow sequence of meditative movements designed to calm the
mind and exercise the body.

 

Wing Chun

The origins of the Wing Chun system varies from one teacher to another and from
place to place. The true founder (or founders) are therfore uncertain. Legends say that during the
Qing Dynasty, Yim Wing Chun (meaning beautiful springtime) and her husband, Leung Bok Chao
taught a group of students what would be regarded as the 2nd generation of Wing Chun Kuen.
These second generation students worked with the Red Boat Cantonese Opera troupe
by day and then as secret anti Qing terrorists by night. They were known to be affiliated
with some of the many Anti Qing groups. Their goal was to overthrow the Manchurian
government and restore the Chinese Ming to the throne of China. Wing Chun Keun was
their choice of fighting technique. They could hide knives in their loose fitting garments
and assassinate Qing officials in the narrow alleys of Southern China. They were quick
and effective. As they were with the Opera Troupe, they could move about freely at any
time without any suspicion.

The second generation students of Yim Wing Chun included Wong Wah Bo,
Leung Yee Tai, Dai Fa Min Kam, Gao Lo Jung, Hung Kam Biu and Leung Lan Kwai.
Many of these Opera members had training in Shaolin fist and pole techniques, acrobatics
and knowledge of two man sets. Yim Wing Chun’s art consisted of simple, direct,
economical moves and was conceptual in content. Training consisted of 40 or so repetitive
techniques that could be practiced solo, with a partner or on a dummy. It is speculated
at this point in the history of Wing Chun Kuen’s development, there were no set forms,
as it was the goal of this training to be applied immediately to serve the purpose of self
defence or assassination.

With the fame of Bruce Lee, the Wing Chun of his teacher, Yip Man, became one of the
most well known and popular martial arts in the world. Although there are several systems
of Wing Chun, most are unseen. Wing Chun has a vast history and many traditions.

 

Choi li fut

Choi Li Fut kung fu was founded in 1836 by the han patriot Chan Heung. Chan spent much
of his early life training in various styles, such as Hung Gar and was a disciple of Li Yao San,
the founder of Li Gar kung fu. Having trained for many years, Chan Heung sought out the
Shaolin master Choi Fook. Choi accepted Chan Heung as his student and taught him the
arts of northern Shaolin. Having learnt these northern arts, he combined them with the
southern styles he had learned and called his art Choi Li Fut (Choi to represent Choi Fook,
Li to represent Li Yao San and Fut, meaning buddhist, to represent the southern shaolin arts
he had learned in his youth.)

In his later life Chan Heung, as with many martial artists, became associated with
anti-Qing revolutionaries, teaching them his art to fight the Manchus.
While it is usually classified as a southern system, Choi Li Fut clearly demonstrates northern traits,
with a broad range of kicking and many circular and long arm techniques. It also has definitely
southern aspects, with powerful stance-work and a wide range of five animal techniques.
Choi Li Fut is best known for it's powerful, swinging punches which demonstrate perfectly
the syle's principle of generating power through waist movement. With it's unique blend of
northern and southern styles Choi Li Fut is a well rounded system which can be adapted
for anyone, large or small, male or female.

 
Chang Quan

Long Fist (Chang Quan in mandarin) is believed by many to be the oldest form of striking
arts in China. It has existed in one form or another for over three thousand years. When man
first struck man, it is likely that he used a fully extended arm and these techniques evolved into
the art known as Long Fist (a less literal translation of Chan Quan is "extended arm boxing" -
not to be confused with Tong Bei Quan which is also known as extended boxing).

China is a large and ancient country, it has known countless wars and it's more remote areas
have been plagued by bandits. As such Long Fist has evolved over time due to peoples experiences
in battle, so that now it is a highly developed system with many branches and numerous regional variations.
The legendary Shaolin Temple in Henan province, China, helped this process by adopting Long Fist
as one of it's core styles. From Shaolin came Tai Chu Long Fist, the Hong Quan (red fist) and,
of course, the legendary northern Shaolin. Long Fist is a dynamic system, beautiful to watch and
a favourite both for demonstrations and for film makers. Contrary to popular belief the stance work
in Long Fist is just as strong as in the Southern styles, but it is less static. Constantly changing,
with the fighter seldom staying in the same position for longer than one or maybe two techniques.

As mentioned earlier, the Long Fist fighter fully extends their arm when they strike. Coupled with
the footwork this allows the fighter to surge forwards at their opponent, driving into them with
a barrage of continuous, flowing attacks.Also contrary to popular belief, Long Fist is very effective
at close range, with numerous throws, trips, sweeps, close range strikes and Chin Na (joint locking) techniques.

 
Bajiquan

Bajiquan (eight extreme fists), formerly known as Baziquan (rake fist) was first recorded as being
practiced by Wu Zhong, a chinese muslim from the Mong village in Cang county, Hebei province,
in the early Qing dynasty.

According to tradition Wu was taught the style by a Taoist priest Lai, and his disciple Pi.
They may well have been anti Qing revolutionaries disguised as wandering priests. Wu spent
much of his later life in prison for anti Qing activities, which would seem to support this idea.

It is believed that at this time Bajiquan and Piguazhang (chop-hanging palm) were taught together,
or may even have been one style. However, after Wu Zhong’s death, his eldest daughter Wu Rong
married a man in Lou Tang village, Cang county. For some reason she only taught Pigua, and in the
Mong village they only taught Baji.

A few generations later the teaching of the arts was recombined by Li Shu Wen (1864-1934).
Nicknamed "God of Spear" for his outstanding ability with the spear, Li Shu Wen learned Bajiquan
from Jin Dian Sheng in Mong village, and piguazhang from Huang Si Hai in Lou Tong village.
Li had many famous students, including Hue Dian Ge, his first disciple, who was bodyguard
to Fu Yi , the last Emperor.

Li’s last closed door disciple was Grandmaster Liu Yun Qiao (1909-1992), who he taught for
ten years before his death. Grandmaster Liu was already proficient in long fist and Mizongquan (lost track fist).
He shot to fame shortly before WW2 when he killed a famous Japanese Kenjutsu (sword art)
master in a duel.

The bodyguards of Sun Yat Sen, Chiang Kai Shek and Mao Tsedong were all students of
grandmaster Liu. The most famous of grandmaster Liu’s disciples in the west is master Adam Hsu.

Bajiquan is an internal system, more closely related to taijiquan than shaolin. It is a compact
and devastating system, featuring much stamping and weight changing , as well as it’s own
special method of generating power.

 
Eagle Claw

Eagle Claw Kung Fu was founded around 1130AD by the great Chinese general Oak Fei.
He based his system on a framework of Northern Shoalin and the first three sets of Eagle Claw
are very similar to Shoalin forms of the same name. Some sources say that the style
of Oak Fei was not Eagle Claw as we know it, but was a style called Elephant fist
and the Eagle Claw hand techniques were added later. In the late Ming dynasty, the Shaolin
disciple Lai Chin added techniques from Faan Tze Quan (Continuous Attack Boxing) to the
Eagle Claw system, creating the Faan Tze Ying Jow Pai (Continuous Attack Eagle Claw Fist)
style that we see today. Eagle Claw is a very deep system, with some very advanced principles.

The combination of Northern Shaolin and Faan Tze Quan created devastatingly powerful punching
and kicking combinations. While these lack the flow of pure Long Fist styles, they are less
reliant on footwork. A subtle shoulder rolling motion generates bone crunching power.
The Eagle Claw hand techniques are multi-purpose. They can be lethal choking and flesh
tearing attacks or complex chin-na (seizing and locking) techniques. Also dynamic Shuai Jiao
(wrestling and throwing) techniques are also used. All of the techniques in Eagle Claw Kung Fu
place an emphasis on pressure point manipulation. According to tradition, a master can
manipulate these points to cause pain or even death.

 
Praying Mantis

Praying mantis was created by the shaolin disciple Wong Long in the Ming dynasty.
No matter how hard he trained Wong simply couldn’t beat his larger and stronger
senior classmate. Wong Long took himself off to the countryside around Shaolin Temple
to contemplate his problem. While there he witnessed a fight between a mantis and a cicada.
Wong was impressed by the manner in which the slim mantis defeated the bulky cicada by
use of body movement, leverage and sheer ferocity. From these observations he devised a series
of techniques and a new approach to fighting.

Wong returned to the temple and fought his senior again, bolstered by his new approach.
Despite his new techniques Wong still lost. A distraught Wong was advised by his sifu that
he needed to work on his footwork.

He once again strolled through the countryside to think this through. This time he observed
a colony of monkeys that lived near the temple. He incorporated the playful, deceptive footwork
into his existing long fist stancework and called it "horse monkey". He combined this footwork
with his mantis hand work and returned to challenge his senior. To everyone’s surprise he totally
overwhelmed his senior and won in seconds.

Over the next few years Wong Long added techniques from 18 different shaolin styles and
named his system Qixing Tanglangquan (7 stars praying mantis boxing).

Mantis is known for it’s quick footwork and it’s aggressive, close in handwork.

 
Syllabus

Kung-Fu
Wing Chun
7-Star Praying Mantis
Choi Li Fut (5-Animals)
Chan Quan (Long Fist)
Eagle Claw
Weaponry

Kickboxing
The kickboxing syllabus is progressive and aims to enhance punching,
kicking, padwork and sparring ability

Tai Chi
Beijing 24 step simplified form
32 Taijijian (sword)
42 step international routine
42 step international sword

Also: Pau Kua, Hsing-I, two person routines, broadsword, spear and pole.

 
ZDL official web site