Lee Kwan Shan Story

[SolarStance]

Recently, I purchased a book written by Peter Lewis called Myths and Legends of the Martial Arts I was surprised to find therein a story called "The Northern Mantis>" It starts saying: "...After the Shaolin Temple was razed to the ground the Wah Lum Temple became the centre of kung fu training..." It proceeds to tell the story of a "sickly youth named Lee Kwan" who'se parents took him to the temple to work and train. After a while he became strong and very proficient at the Temple's style. This seems to be rather inconsistant with the teachings I/we have learned through our training. Not that I am bashing Mr. Lewis-- I was just wondering where he might have gotten his information from, or if I have MY stories wrong. I have never heard my Sifu or Si Gung mention anything of this story.
The tale goes on to say that one day Tai Si Gung's Si Dye came home one day very badly beaten up by another local sifu. Enraged, Tai Si Gung left the temple for revenge-- against the wishes of the Abbott. His travels took him to Shanghai where there was an huge martial arts tournament taking place, being dominated by a monkey stylist. Tai Si Gung watched the matches closly, and decided to enter. He knew that the monkey stylist would be difficult to beat, so he waited and observed his techniques. After long fight, Lee Kwan Shan won. The moral of the story: "...true kung fu is not about revenge fights and being hot tempered all of the time. The true essence of a man is not in what he has, but in what he does." Has anyone else heard this story? I understand that stories change over time, but this is almost completly inconsistant with what I have learned. What do you think? If you'd like to read the whole story (it's rather short) please email me and I will send it off to you!
)))Solar Stance(((

[NorthernMantis]

Master Lee Kwan Shan was already proefficient in the Tam Tui style long before he went to wah lum.In fact he had used that style many times during his life as a bodyguard and was quite good at it.He was supposed to be famous in Shangtun province and was supposedly feared by many people.. even more so when he founded the wah lum style after learning praying mantis. However I don't know about the fight at Shanghai but I'm not sure.From what I hear Master Lee kwan Shan was a really tough fighter and won many Challenges ,just check out Master Chan's book on the tornado broadswords for more info on him.Oh and I think he might have had ties with the Chin Woo school since there were some documenets from the acdemy found in hios home.

Oh and for the Taiji mantis practitioners---Chiu Chuk Kai hung out with Lee Kwan Shan.If you guys aren't sure ask your Sifus about it since they might know better.My current Sifu met him before his untimely death.Peace.

"Always be ready"