San Jose area 8 Step classes to begin

[bokfu]

Greetings

If anyone is looking to find classes in 8 Step Green Mantis in the San Jose, CA area, this is a good chance for you to learn from my sifu, John Chang, a true student of Grandmaster Wei. (If you would like to verify, just ask any of GM Wei's students). I am taking a poll to find out if there is any interest in getting instruction the way that Grandmaster Wei taught the system. If there is a good response, Sifu Chang has agreed to take on a limited number of students in the interest of keeping this system alive with the spirit that GM Wei taught.
Classes will be few and exclusive and start mid-October, so if you don't meet the following criteria or cannot be dedicated to this system, please don't respond. Classes will meet twice a week, each class is limited to four students. Classes will usually meet at Sifu's home or other private locations. Age of students should fall between 16 years to 45 years. Students must have some background in martial arts for their own ease of understanding theory and techniques. No weapons will be taught and no street fight type of sparring. It is suggested to join with a friend, since training outside of class is important.) Also, Sifu Chang reserves the right to end instruction of a student after 3 months if the student does not show dedication and some improvement. (The students fee for the three months will be returned in full amount)
There is a fee of $100.00 per month. Please note that this money is NOT for Sifu Chang, since he is not doing this for income. This money will be donated to pay annually for the repair and upkeep of Grandmaster Wei's grave, which is now in terrible shape. The rest of the money will go to a particular eight step green mantis school in Taiwan for its upkeep. Those of you who don't understand this, then please don't respond either!

One final personal note here.... The instruction will be in depth and very detailed with lots of hands-on instruction. It will be taught in a mostly traditional way... strong basics growing into advanced. I suggest you not planning on seeing any definite end to learning this style... just take classes, enjoy and grow. I have been a student and friend of John Chang for over seven years and I can tell you that this style can keep you involved and learning for a lifetime. Please send your responses to my e-mail address: lienchuandao@hotmail.com

[PaulLin]

Is that Shifu Chang JiaHuang you are talking about?

[phantom]

No offense, but I fail to understand why you refuse to teach anyone over 45 years of age? I read about an 83 year old karate guy who could still jump kick. Also, I know of some ladies that started studying tae kwon do in their late eighties, and I tend to think that tae kwon do training would be harder on a person's body than eight step would be. Aside from that, I think your requirements are fair and your sifu's reason for teaching is very honorable. Peace.

[bokfu]

Mr. Lin,

Just to reply to your question, my sifu's name is Chang JiaHuang. His Americanized name is John Chang and he lives in Cupertino, California now... a town adjoining San Jose proper. May I ask which school that you are affiliated with? I notice that you are located in Orange County. My workout partner, Peter Chan was an instructor with a Shaolin school in Los Angeles. His teacher was also a student of Grandmaster Wei's years ago and teaches ba bu down there. This gentleman was an older and senior member of GM Wei's when John Chang was getting guidance from him, but my memory for names fails me at this time... I will ask Peter what his sifu's name was down there: you may know him?

[bokfu]

Phantom
I can understand your question of why we are trying to limit the age of students to 45 years old. This may seem hypocritical since Sifu Chang and I are both in our 40's. I could not exactly say why sifu chose this number, but I know that we discussed several things leading up to his decision. Just the age factor as most people know does have physical limitations and could slow learning down somewhat. This is not that critical but we felt as though actual body skills should not be the issue in the classes, but more the use and theory. (Some people do get hung up and focus on the ability to be able to do certain things over using their mind.) Of course if there is someone over this age who is a martial artist and is in good physical health, there would be no reason to decline him. (Even though I am in my 40's, I am still able to do the wushu competition compulsories, so I personally do not see a problem with age.) Also, there is an increase in possible injury which could take time to heal. For instance, in session 6 there are a couple of vertical bow arrow kicks which have taken a few students out in the past. The advanced kicks do take a toll on some people. So, thinking that it would take five years to get to session 6 with hard work, starting at age 45, the person would be 50. This age is up there for trying to learn such a kick at that point. Overall, this is just my educated guess. I do hope that this age requirement does not interfere with students wanting to learn a great system... I just suggest to be in decent shape when inquiring for your own personal interests.

[bokfu]

Pax,
I am not able to send a reply to your e-mail for some reason... sorry but I will answer your questions here since some answers may be valid to other people's questions.
First, Shifu Chang is truly not going to be making any monetary gains for himself. He is teaching for the love of the 8 step style. The fee seems to be high to a lot of people, but most people are comparing this fee to belonging to a school. The way classes will be held will be sifu Chang doing hands on work with each and every student throughout the class. (I will be there helping sifu on occasion.) I can tell you that sifu is very very detail oriented and is very good at explanation. So, when you think of the time that each student is actually having focused on him from a great teacher, then the fee is nominal. I can personally guarantee that at the end of each class, your mind will be full.... it is going to be up to the student to use what he is given. Your advancement will be way ahead of a commercial school. If you decide to join the classes, your commute from San Francisco is nothing to think about. Also, if you want to join the gym that we belong to, you are more than welcome to freely join us in our practice there twice a week. Just think of that as extra gratis classes. We welcome anyone to join us in our workouts and practices: the more the merrier when it comes to martial arts.
And, finally, for the last part of your question: Sifu Chang does not do martial arts for money so why have a school? Just because people meet at private homes or locations does not mean the education is less than a school.... in fact I believe it has more merit. By the way, where do you thing Grandmaster Wei taught?! He taught in a park at the same place for years at a particular bench. I would put any of his students up against the best of any large martial art school. (One of the most intense trainings that I have done in the past was in wing chun under master Ben Der who was Bruce Lee's friend and companion... they both came to America at the same time and both taught wing chun. We met in the back yard of one of Ben Der's students throughout the year including inclement weather. At night, we had to use coleman lanterns to see.... but even so, he has several hundred students in three different locations. It was great.) So, what can be said about the benefits of a physical school? I can assure you that it would have nothing to do with the quality of education in any event. So, I hope that I have answered your questions, Pax. Thanks for your letter~

[cha kuen]

Interesting that Chang wants someone with marital art expereince since it's easier to build a tree from the ground up - rather than to take it down and plant a seeed.

[bokfu]

Cha Kuen
I see your point in your statement of building from the beginning, but there are other reasons actually that sifu Chang is asking there be martial arts experience before joining the classes. The main one is sort of locale-oriented. It seems that here in California, EVERYONE wants to be a martial artist like Jet Li. Even so, the first time they hit a challenging part in training they are gone like smoke. Everyone I meet wants to be a great martial artist - a "master", but no one wants to put in the time, training, or focus. Some people just don't understand that these cannot be bought: they have to be in the heart. (This is why I believe true martial artists are brothers: martial artists are righteous in this respect!) Sifu wants to cull out the casual students from the beginning. Why take away limited spaces in the classes from dedicated martial artists?
When Sifu Chang first agreed to take me on as a student, I was a black belt teaching Bok Fu (White Tiger style) and Kenpo. He took a chance figuring that if I was willing to stick with gong fu in general, I may not be a wot (waste of time). The next students were also black belts in N. Shaolin, Kenpo, Aikido, and Choy Lay Fut style. This time, he is not asking for black belts, just people with some solid experience to show they have a love of the arts and a glimmer of dedication. Sifu Chang knows that once people experience the 8 step style, they will love it, stay and give strength to the 8 step family, so he just wants to see some head start in something that would be a lifetime of study.
One last thing... it does seem that starting from the beginning is the way to go in learning a style, but ba bu tang lang is amazing. Once a person starts to study this style, it is like the kudzoo vine. It will take over the previous style of the martial artist and reform it. Once practiced, a person cannot go back to the way he was using martial arts. For the life of me, I can barely demonstrate some of my previous styles in their pure form. It is like telling someone to not think about a rhinocerous. The more one tries to not think of the animal, the more it is there in the mind!

[woliveri]

Bokfu,

Please clarify. You were a black belt under what system? Bak Fu Pai and/or Kempo. Also, may I ask who you studied Bak Fu Pai under? Is this the same system as in San Diego under Joel Rizzo/Doo Wai?


Thank you,

[PaulLin]

Originally posted by bokfu
Mr. Lin,

Just to reply to your question, my sifu's name is Chang JiaHuang. His Americanized name is John Chang and he lives in Cupertino, California now... a town adjoining San Jose proper. May I ask which school that you are affiliated with? I notice that you are located in Orange County. My workout partner, Peter Chan was an instructor with a Shaolin school in Los Angeles. His teacher was also a student of Grandmaster Wei's years ago and teaches ba bu down there. This gentleman was an older and senior member of GM Wei's when John Chang was getting guidance from him, but my memory for names fails me at this time... I will ask Peter what his sifu's name was down there: you may know him?

Sifu Chang you have metioned knows my father and his was also my father's student in high school. Sifu Chang did learned 8 step form GM Wei for sure. My father is the head desciple of GM Wei. Has been with GM Wei in a daily basis for 29 years. I don't relate any school now, I have 23 years of 8 step mantis under my father's training. If you come up with Peter's shifu's name, that will be great.

[bokfu]

Mr. Lin
I spoke with my friend, Peter Chan, and he gave me his teacher's name from LA. His teacher is Yuen Ming Cheng a.k.a. Duke Cheng. Peter thinks that he knows your father. Is your father's name...forgive my spelling of names... Jiu Fu Lin? If all this information is of merit, it comes down to realizing how small this world is! Also, I am very envious of your being able to have studied so many years in this system! I have only been studying 8 Step for seven years or so. I wish I could have started much earlier.

[bokfu]

Woliveri

To clarify... I am a black belt in two systems of study. The system of Bok Fu is more than likely different than the one that you mentioned. Our founder's name is Richard Lee and the main school is located in Alamo... northern California. There are definitely two different white tiger systems and I know of the family originated system of Bak Fu Pai in China. I am not familiar with the names you mentioned, so I am thinking that they come from the other system of white tiger. I am interested in finding out more information on their school... I would like to see their style sometime just to compare. Are you associated with that school?
As far as Kenpo,(this has an "n" instead of another martial art named Kempo from Japan) it is the American style of martial arts developed back in 1956 by a gentleman named Ed Parker. We were in the Al Tracy branch.
Just a note... I really do enjoy all styles of martial arts and I like to try them to see what their theories are. My first teacher and school owner was open minded and told me that I should learn as much as possible about all styles and keep an open mind. He told me to stay with what I find effective for myself. I found 8 step mantis and I am staying with it.

[woliveri]

BokFu,
No I'm not a student of BakFu Pai. However, it has been an interest of mine. Mainly there are meditations with breathing percentages in their qi gong.

below are two links I have found. The one above is the Joel Rizzo school.

http://www.tigerkungfu.com/
http://www.whitetigerkungfu.com

[bokfu]

Woliveri
Thanks for the links to the SoCal schools. They have nice websites. Our white tiger system is somewhat different than theirs, although a lot in common. They seem to really focus heavily on qigong where we used meditation but not as much qigong. We practiced some basic qigong but not to the limit it sounds the SoCal school does. Our basic ideal seems to be the same though...iron body training, building ch'i, polishing speed and balance and especially focusing on multiple attackers or mass attacks. At a black belt level, it is not uncommon for us to be required to spar against 7 to 10 people at once. (Some of our former black belts work for the FBI and secret service. When we see video clips of the president outside, we can often catch some of our students guarding him.)
Bok Fu is an aggressive style and is good in todays world where groups of people tend to attack as opposed to one. In retrospect, our style may lean more to the hard style with some softness included. In any case, similar and different at the same time! I enjoyed the links... thanks again.

[PaulLin]

Originally posted by bokfu
Mr. Lin
I spoke with my friend, Peter Chan, and he gave me his teacher's name from LA. His teacher is Yuen Ming Cheng a.k.a. Duke Cheng. Peter thinks that he knows your father. Is your father's name...forgive my spelling of names... Jiu Fu Lin? If all this information is of merit, it comes down to realizing how small this world is! Also, I am very envious of your being able to have studied so many years in this system! I have only been studying 8 Step for seven years or so. I wish I could have started much earlier.

Yes, Cheng Yuen-Ming (Duke), we know him. My father is Chun-Fu Lin. I have to ask my father about GM Cheng, since I didn't know that part much. I only know that GM Cheng has learned for some time under GM Wei, he is also a ShangTung lineage like my father and GM Wei. And he lived near us. I don't know if I have seen Peter, but Peter sure remembered my father. I think maybe we can get contect some times, that will be great.

[woliveri]

When I first arrived at California my quest was to find quality MA schools. As such, when a poster on this board mentioned "Duke Cheng" and his school I made it a priority to visit and watch a class. Unfortunately, I was not impressed. Not at the quality of the Kung Fu as when I was there I sat through mostly basics but the attitude of the student that approached me and sat down to tell me about the school. He said he was a or The senior student and let's just say humility was lacking. So I left with less than good impression. Later, at a local flea market I recognized one of the students there so I approached him to make casual conversation. Well, the same thing. This student said he was the senior student and went on and on. I don't remember the details but I remember I went away laughing to myself at what this guy had said. Again, humility was lacking. Further on in time I met two more students who said they had been with Duke Cheng for many, many years. They did not have the arrogance that the other two had. However, they left the school as they did not believe were not being taught the essence of the style.


Now, in stark contrast, I visited Paul Lin and his Father one morning at Paul's invitation and just the opposite was true. Paul's father is such a treat. Completely humble and down to earth as was Paul.


One other note. I didn't know Duke Cheng knew 8-Step. I thought he only taught Plum Flower Mantis. The two students that left felt Duke's son was learning much differently than they.

[bokfu]

Woliveri
I am sorry to hear of your negative experiences with some of the senior students at the SoCal school of Sifu Duke Cheng. I wish you had met my good friend, Peter Chan, instead, if he was still there at the time teaching. (I think you may have found things to be somewhat more pleasant.) Peter and I taught together at a Tzu Chi Chinese school here in Saratoga, CA for a while as well as working out together for 6 years. He is an adept martial artist, clever, patient, and humble in the sense of knowing he is a student in life like we all are: I think a good example of a martial artist. I would hope that this is more of the spirit of that school in reality. I have never visited his old school, although I have wanted to since there are not too many 8 step teachers here on the west coast. I want to go there to almost beg Sifu Cheng to teach me the 8 elbows form. In any case, I hate hearing of experiences like yours especially when it involves related 8 step followers. In any case, I hope that you found a good school that you feel is giving you what you expect in instruction.

[bokfu]

Mr. Lin
Well, it seems this world gets much smaller and smaller. I will be sure to tell my friend what you have told me. I apologize for the misspelling of your father's name... I was talking on a cell phone and the name sounded like Jiu...my mistake, but your father is known for sure~
I have a question you may be able to give insight into. You have been involved a long time with this style of martial arts as has your father and many others it seems. With so many people playing the mantis styles along with 8 step, why have I not heard of any sort of event or tournament that focuses on these styles? I think that there should be some sort of get together or friendly competition among all of our schools. I still compete and go against a lot of styles with some mantis, but there are always so few mantis people in these open Chinese MA events. I think all of GM Wei's students/teachers should pull together and get something going here... I know of schools on the east coast and west coast and then there is Mr. Woo in Texas, so why not have some event where everyone could get together? Is this something that would be too impossible to do? I think it would be something great. Do you know of anything like this? If you do, please post it! Maybe there should be a national mantis style event that could occur maybe every couple of years... this could be very interesting I think.

[Tainan Mantis]

bokfu,
I am under the impression that there is no 8 elbows in 8 Step PM.
This info comes from GM Wei's book as well as info posted on other threads by Paul Lin.

What 8 Elbows were you referring too?

[bokfu]

Tainan Mantis
Oh, sorry about not specifying.... 8 elbows is not part of 8 step style. It is actually part of seven star mantis (I have heard it is part of another style called "secret gate"??? :not that familiar with that one) but it is very interesting and very effective I have heard. I understand Sifu Cheng is very good with this from what has been witnessed. I mentioned this in passing because I wanted to visit his school and hopefully could learn this. I am a curious martial artist.... I like to try a little of everything and this form may be a good one to learn from.

[PaulLin]

Originally posted by woliveri
When I first arrived at California my quest was to find quality MA schools. As such, when a poster on this board mentioned "Duke Cheng" and his school I made it a priority to visit and watch a class. Unfortunately, I was not impressed. Not at the quality of the Kung Fu as when I was there I sat through mostly basics but the attitude of the student that approached me and sat down to tell me about the school. He said he was a or The senior student and let's just say humility was lacking. So I left with less than good impression. Later, at a local flea market I recognized one of the students there so I approached him to make casual conversation. Well, the same thing. This student said he was the senior student and went on and on. I don't remember the details but I remember I went away laughing to myself at what this guy had said. Again, humility was lacking. Further on in time I met two more students who said they had been with Duke Cheng for many, many years. They did not have the arrogance that the other two had. However, they left the school as they did not believe were not being taught the essence of the style.


Now, in stark contrast, I visited Paul Lin and his Father one morning at Paul's invitation and just the opposite was true. Paul's father is such a treat. Completely humble and down to earth as was Paul.


One other note. I didn't know Duke Cheng knew 8-Step. I thought he only taught Plum Flower Mantis. The two students that left felt Duke's son was learning much differently than they.

I am sorry to hear your visiting too. Just accross where our group meet, on the other side of the park, there are a few people form Duke Cheng's student line some time practicing there. But we have never talk to them. And we haven't yet visiting any of his school.

Duke Cheng is a very polite/nice person, as the way he always treat my father. I have asked my father about him yesterday. He said that Cheng has helped to put the names, included my father's, on GM Wei's tomb in ShangDong or some thing. He appeared to have only few months learning form GM Wei in 8 step mantis. He don't have time to stay there at the time.

May be I should try to talk to them accross the other side of park some time to see if they are as arrogance as the ones that you have seen.

[PaulLin]

Originally posted by bokfu
Mr. Lin
Well, it seems this world gets much smaller and smaller. I will be sure to tell my friend what you have told me. I apologize for the misspelling of your father's name... I was talking on a cell phone and the name sounded like Jiu...my mistake, but your father is known for sure~
I have a question you may be able to give insight into. You have been involved a long time with this style of martial arts as has your father and many others it seems. With so many people playing the mantis styles along with 8 step, why have I not heard of any sort of event or tournament that focuses on these styles? I think that there should be some sort of get together or friendly competition among all of our schools. I still compete and go against a lot of styles with some mantis, but there are always so few mantis people in these open Chinese MA events. I think all of GM Wei's students/teachers should pull together and get something going here... I know of schools on the east coast and west coast and then there is Mr. Woo in Texas, so why not have some event where everyone could get together? Is this something that would be too impossible to do? I think it would be something great. Do you know of anything like this? If you do, please post it! Maybe there should be a national mantis style event that could occur maybe every couple of years... this could be very interesting I think.

There is a way that TCMA, especially in close related styles, to confirm what can be execute without really finish all off. To the insiders, it will be very knowledgible to see and it is good. But to the ousiders--mainly the general public audiences--they don't know what is going on until the damage is done. The biggest sitback of TCMA is the audiences support. If they can't understand what is going on, they will have to see the MMA style contest that shows the every-common-people-will-understand-upon-seeing tournaments. Unless the general public has the basic knowledge of TCMA, this is not easy.

A national mantis style event is a great idea, I will do what I can to support this. But I don't have any advanced info. Hope there are other mantis artists here can help.

[bokfu]

Pax...
I enjoy your e-mails but could you please send me a hotmail/yahoo account? I keep getting undeliverable to mail server message when I try to reply to you. Not sure why but I cannot seem to have any luck.
To answer your question. You asked what MY workout through the week is. My workout is involved but I am thinking you may wonder what Sifu Chang and we others do for workouts in 8 step? When I meet with Sifu Chang, to start off, we all do our own thing for warmup of course then we do 8 movements of 8 step such as cutting/throwing movement, the mantis stepping movement, pulling root jump etc.. Then there are the basic 8 kicks to do and then 8 punching/blocking techniques. We then will spend a few minutes doing the 8 stances such as the ma bu, den san bu to the one leg standing du li bu. All of this takes about 15 minutes. Then we go through forms and Sifu corrects and explains technique. I have 11 forms to go through...(seven hands, li pi, little cartwheel, big cartwheel, sessions 1,2,3,4,5,and 6, and continuing palms.) Then I have three more forms to do that I will practice with Sifu Chang (seven palms two man, li pi two man, and pi an). After doing the forms a few times, it has taken about an hour and fifteen minutes total. We finish the remainder of the two hours with hands on. Sometimes we do our style of sticky hands, sometimes just work on attacking or using the 8 different mantis throws. Lately we are having lots of fun doing free style attacking and defense... just light sparring using mantis techniques. Of course this seems to be the best part of training if you ask me! We meet two times a week now, on Thursday and Friday. Sometimes we meet on Wednesday also, but only when we all have open schedule for the extra day.
Now, I will tell you my personal workout if that is what you wanted to know. I am in my early 40's so my workouts have changed a lot since I started MAs. Mon. and Wed. I do strictly cardio workout. My wife and I developed a demanding martial arts cardio workout that takes an hour. It uses techniques and combinations and we throw about 1,100 varied kicks during it. We then spend another hour doing pilates which is a resistance type of workout that focuses on the torso mainly with some basic leg work included. Tuesday is my martial arts workout for two hours where I focus on my personal goals for strength and endurance, do forms and practice my wushu weapons forms which include chain whip, broadsword, chainwhip/broadsword combination, straightsword, spear, long staff, short staff, and padao) Wushu weapons really give a good workout to me since there is so much running and aerial kicks and movements while controlling weapons. Sometimes, I replace this part with a five mile run. Thursday and Friday is spent in mantis training, Saturday I have a private student and we do 3 hours hard workout with bagwork, body training, sparring, 7 mile run, 30 minutes of our cardio workout and 20 minutes of pilates. Sundays I run seven miles and do martial arts stretching only. This is my usual plan but sometimes I vary the workouts opting to run fast six miles instead of cardio and then do pilates. With age, I am slowing down on the physical and am trying to increase the mental...using mind before body. As I get even older, there will be less of the wushu and bok fu kicking since flying is harder and harder to do each year. You said you were early 30's so I imagine that you should have good workouts yourself, but I am believing the strenghtening of the mind is where it is really at. In any case, you know our mantis regime as well as personal.

[PaulLin]

Gee, not even my father has seen sifu Chang practicing all 6 chapters of ZhaiYao before. Gonna have to see that some time if I have the chance.

I think the continuing palm (Lian Huan Zhang) is the form added into the book by sifu Su YiZhang, if I am not mistaking, that is not a GM Wei's form. It is a pretty good and short one though.

[bokfu]

Ni hao, Mr. Lin
I am pretty sure that you are correct about continuing palms. Sifu Chang did not learn that form from GM Wei, but he still wanted us to learn this form. Actually it is sort of easy to pick it up since the main portion is a knockoff of session four in a way. It is a good short form and well worth the time to get it down.
As far as doing session six, sifu Chang has sort of taken a break from this form. He has a trick knee that he has to watch very carefully nowdays when he does the aerial kicks and sweeps. I do this form in my practice so I am sort of the demo guy when it is time to explain all the fancy parts. We have some video clips that we have recorded over the years of sifu doing some forms including six, so maybe one day I will convert them to mpegs where you may be able to see some of the forms over the net. By the way... something that may be of interest speaking of aerial kicks and things. When sifu was studying under Grandmaster Wei, he really did not learn any of the flying types of kicks and some sweeps. At that time, Grandmaster Wei had gotten old and would not do any kicks like that. Grandmaster Wei said that the kicks were too flashy anyway and unnecessary! Of course, he was so adept at mantis, he did not need any kicks like that anyway~ So, the first two years of my training, I was learning the forms sans aerial kicks from Sifu Chang. Then we were lucky enough to get in contact with Mr. Woo in Texas who was a student when GM Wei was younger and had learned all the kicks and sweeps. So, with Mr. Woo's guidance, we put the right kicks into the right places so we now have complete forms.

[PaulLin]

Originally posted by bokfu
Ni hao, Mr. Lin
I am pretty sure that you are correct about continuing palms. Sifu Chang did not learn that form from GM Wei, but he still wanted us to learn this form. Actually it is sort of easy to pick it up since the main portion is a knockoff of session four in a way. It is a good short form and well worth the time to get it down.
As far as doing session six, sifu Chang has sort of taken a break from this form. He has a trick knee that he has to watch very carefully nowdays when he does the aerial kicks and sweeps. I do this form in my practice so I am sort of the demo guy when it is time to explain all the fancy parts. We have some video clips that we have recorded over the years of sifu doing some forms including six, so maybe one day I will convert them to mpegs where you may be able to see some of the forms over the net. By the way... something that may be of interest speaking of aerial kicks and things. When sifu was studying under Grandmaster Wei, he really did not learn any of the flying types of kicks and some sweeps. At that time, Grandmaster Wei had gotten old and would not do any kicks like that. Grandmaster Wei said that the kicks were too flashy anyway and unnecessary! Of course, he was so adept at mantis, he did not need any kicks like that anyway~ So, the first two years of my training, I was learning the forms sans aerial kicks from Sifu Chang. Then we were lucky enough to get in contact with Mr. Woo in Texas who was a student when GM Wei was younger and had learned all the kicks and sweeps. So, with Mr. Woo's guidance, we put the right kicks into the right places so we now have complete forms.

Right on. The flashy kicks are for more showing and very tiny chances of real use. Mostly because it's weak on the root control. I would suggest more internal arts for keen problems, 8 step mantis is half internal and half external. It is very good for both purposes. If you slow down the 8 step forms into a Taichi speed and firmly, detaily applying the concepts and requirements, you will get a Taichi healing result form 8 step.

Say hi to Chang shi-shu for me, take care now.