Praying Mantis Northern VA/San diego

[Radplaiddude]

Just started studying Kung fu again after a long time off. I started with a school in Northern VA. I believe it is the only one teaching mantis in the area Wash DC, correct me if im wrong. Im a military man and move every 2-3 yrs i would like to know is anyone teaching in Southern CA ie the san diego area. Plan on being out there in a couple of yrs.

[Radplaiddude]

answered one of my own questions. FYI http://www.mantisskills.com/homepage.html?_requestid=40536

[Radplaiddude]

Anyone in the Northern Va want to get some practice in. Got a great indoor place to work out in. Wouldnt mind learning some extra stuff outside of class. Sometime im prevented from making weekend class. so i thought this may supplement trng.

[yu shan]

What branch of the military are you? And thank you sir.

[Radplaiddude]

Us Marines 13 yrs in, IRaqi Freedon Vet. Your Welcome SIr.

[yu shan]

Not only will I share Mantis Boxing with you, your beer tab is on me! SF! Thank you for your service to our Country. I was raised by a United States Marine, God Bless You!

[belerofon]

Replying to the post regarding schools in the San Diego area. I've been a kung fu student for five years and have been in a number of different kung fu schools. Now a student of Sifu Dasargo in San Diego at the Traditional Kung Fu Academy, I highly recommend you check TKFA out once you get into town. I saw that you already checked out the web site, http://www.traditionalkungfu.bigstep.com/homepage.html

Regarding Sifu, I read some really good things about him in another thread that’s quite accurate. I copied it here FYI:

<<The 7 Star Mantis teacher is supposed to be excellent, he also goes down to TJ I believe and fights in bar tourneys down their, his lineage from what I am told is top notch, his h2h skills razor sharp, and best of all for the Chinese arts, the guy has an open mind.

Not to mention, his Sifu, lives in the same area, so their is a good line of knowledge down their for that system, from what I understand is that he starts you on two person drills right away, and even gets you into controlled sparring very soon, the first form I believe is a Shaolin form called "small circle", used to help with your foundation, after that you get into the first Mantis form, Bong Bo.>>

Another one reads:

<<The 7-star Mantis teacher you are talking about is a friend of mine named Sifu Mike Dasargo, who is a student of my friend Sifu Tony Puyot. As befits a student of Puyot, Dasargo is a very good sifu of Mantis with a heavy emphasis on realistic applications. I've known Sifu Puyot for many years and he is an awesome martial artist though you will not hear him say so.>>

Having studied under him for awhile now, I would say that Sifu Dasargo is one of Mantis kung fu's best kept secrets on the west coast. In addition, his dedication to the preservation of the art in its entirety is remarkable. Despite all this, he displays the utmost of humility and dedication towards his students. When thinking of the kind of dedication he shows to each student as well as the art, the words tireless, selfless, and a focused commitment to excellence come to mind.

If or when you get to the San Diego area, definitely check out Sifu's school for yourself. Personally, I don’t live in San Diego. If I did, I’d be there every class. Unfortunately, I live way out in Riverside. If you're not familiar with the area, that's about 2 hours north of SD. Regrettably, the distance only allows me to be in class once a week, but I've done so now for close to a year, and I don't plan on leaving. Being a kind of kung fu fanatic, I've looked into quite a number of places for a traditional mantis school that not only preserved the art, but did so in an honest, non-commercial way. Sifu’s school was the one that definitely satisfied what I was looking for. Interestingly, there’s another student in class who is in the marines in a commander type position. He’s also gone to several places (mantis and other styles) and says that the stuff he’s learning at TKFA with Sifu is by far the most superior in terms of refining of technique, quality, and fighting applicability.

Anyway, I could go on and on about Sifu, but you should really make the choice by going and seeing for yourself. The web-site is a big help and a good first step. You'll notice that it has a wealth of knowledge that is well researched and perhaps one of the most accurate one could hope to find basically for free.

Thanx for reading and Sai Jin.

[Radplaiddude]

Definetly will be headed to that school when i get back out to the west coast. Looks like a great school. Rad

[-N-]

Sifu Dasargo - good teacher and has good character.

The students apply themselves and are respectful.

N.

[MantisifuFW]

I have known Sifu Dasargo and his teacher for many years. He is a very good practitioner and instructor.

Steve Cottrell

[Michael Dasargo]

than to have heard a thousand times.

Thank you all for your kind words, although belerofon exaggerates. I would say the best kept secret on the WC would be a certain constanant that we are all familiar with. -N- is an excellent and dedicated Mantis Boxer who has taught me unique perspectives on TLQ. I am humbled by these perspectives and all that he asks for in return is a good training partner. His passion for Mantis Boxing is only surpassed by his skill.

Also, my "research" is credited towards the publications of highly respected scholars such as Shifu Cottrell, B. Tunks, Illyov P., Fernando Blanco, and many others. I personally would not consider myself a scholar of TLQ.

Rad, I am only a student with a school composed of westerners who refer to me as "Shifu". In a non-commercial environment, I would reject the title, as I am a father figure to only a few people.

I hope to see you when you arrive here in San Diego. If you find that our school was overrated, a list of other traditional schools in SD may be found at:

www.KuoshuUnion.Bigstep.com

Just a flea on the dragon,
M.Dasargo