Las Vegas schools

[Yung Apprentice]

I'm very interested in learning mantis style,especially 7 star.But out here I don't think I there are any schools. My question is if anyone knows about any mantis schools out here or around here? Most schools I've heard ppl talk about on here are out east, does anyone know any good schools out west? Does anyone know the closest school to Vegas?

[Yung Apprentice]

If there aren't any, any where near here I was thinking of going to a shaolin school near by to train, and buy a couple mantis videos and try to incorporate the two.But I don't know what do you ppl think?

[Fen]

They are Tai Mantis as well as Northern....Look up Sifu Baugh...5150 Spring Mountain Rd. #1
702/364-5875

This is the info i LAST had on this school...it's been a few months...so just check up on it...

[Yung Apprentice]

Thanx alot! U don't know how much I appreciate that info!

[Yung Apprentice]

I called today but it was closed at the time I called.I'm very excited about this school.Few questions would U recommend Sifu Baugh? Is he reputable? I don't know to much about sifus since I just recently caught interest in chinese martial arts,so thats why asked for your opinion.Also are there any other good Kung Fu schools out here that U know of? thanx

[Fen]

i think he is a good teacher! he was my first Sifu when he was at his house with his son and the twins. last i heard thay have a good lion dacne team two. and doing well at it. good luck in your kung fu training !!! :)

[ShaolinMantis]

Steve Baugh is my younger classmate under Sifu Kam Yuen. He has at least some 25 -30 years or more in M.A. Backgrd. He teaches, Northern Shaolin, 7 Star Mantis and some TaiChi Mantis as well as Lohan. He also studyed Southern Animals under The Late Grand Master Ark Y Wong in L.A. Chinatown. He would be a good choice for a teacher. Go for it!!

[Fen]

do they have a website (L.V. Lohans)?

[YungOne]

He teaches 7 star????Oh man thats great!! Thats the specific style I've been looking for.Thank U both for Ur recomendations. I'm extremely grateful. I tried looking for the website and couldn't find it. I will call the school and ask later today.But thank U both.

[ShaolinMantis]

I do not believe they have a website.

[Fen]

I am just interested. I haven't been there in so LONG that I am wondering how it went, if you have gone already!

[Yung Apprentice]

Not yet. I'm planning on going this wednsday(my day off) to check it out. I probably won't be able to start training there till mid or late spring.

[Yung Apprentice]

Well that kinda sucks. I called today to see if it's o.k. for me to go see the class or sifu Baugh. The guy there told me that the mantis is an advanced training class, and that you have to have a black belt in something else first in order to train. I thought that kinda sucked but I really, really want to learn so I figured that o.k. I'll take one of their other classes for a while and then take the mantis class. But the guy on the phone went on to say that sifu Baugh ONLY teaches the Tai Mantis and dosen't teach the 7 star. So I told him how I thought he did, he said that the Tai Mantis is based off the 7 star but he dosen't teach 7 star. So that really bummed me out. I wouldn't mind learning the Tai Mantis if it went alond with the training of the 7 star but I don't think I want to learn Tai mantis by itself. I want to learn 7 star for the self defense aspect. So I am going to call later on(I should have done this before) to see when I can talk to sifu Baugh because I would rather hear him explain it to me than some student,who might have goofed on the info. If he tells me he dosen't teach the 7 star then I will ask if he can teach it on the side or personally train.(I would be willing to pay extra if need be cause I really want to learn the 7 star or any type of external mantis) If not I will ask if he knows anywhere else in town who does. If there isn't then that really sucks. I guess I'll have to look around and settle for less.( I'll have to research some more and see what else I might be interested in CMA.....but I really,really,really wanted to study mantis)

[Tainan Mantis]

Yung Apprentice,
Ask him if Tai mantis is the same as taiji mantis

[Yung Apprentice]

I'll be calling either monday or tuesday. Is there a difference betwwen Taiji mantis and Tai?

[ShaolinMantis]

Hmmm, I'll help here. Tai Mantis is the shorten name for Taiji Mantis or Taichi Mantis. It was coined by Sifus Kam Yuen and Paul Eng. Some places it is popular others prefer the formal name.

Sifu Baugh learned his Mantis from Kam Sifu, who taught under the system name of Tai Mantis. He, Baugh sidai learned, as far as I know all his Mantis from Kam Sifu, but what he learned was mostly 7 star Mantis an few Tai Chi mantis sets. This was the confusion when we learned the system and misunderstood that most of the teaching was from 7 star, not Tai Chi Mantis. So as he has been out of the formal info loop, he still thinks many of the things he learned were from the Tai Chi Mantis system, where in fact they are 7 Star. Tai Chi Mantis does not have, The White ape series, or Half Drunken lohan, or Small & Large wheel, aka, small cross, large cross. It does have, the 8 elbow sets, Bumbo, Plum Flower ( blossom ).

Having been involved more with the CCK Federation, I have learned the difference and have told a few who listen the difference. I have not seen or spoke with Sidai Steve in a few years, he has not been told the difference as far as I know as it was just made clear to a couple others this summer.

Another way of looking at it is. The "Tai Mantis" Assoc. system as formed by Kam Yuen, Paul Eng, Raymond Wong. Is composed of Northern Shaolin, 7 Star, Lo Han, Mahjong, Tai Chi Mantis, BuaQua, HsingYi. When veiwed as a sperate entity from Tai Chi Mantis system , then yes he does only teach "Tai Mantis" not 7 star.

I would say , if you are interested in learning Mantis in Vagas, go to him. Do your foundations and get the knowledge you need to get the Mantis knowledge. It is more important than the name, sort the names and faces later. Get your foundation strong, a tree can grown with a few missing branches, but will fall with weak roots.
One difference in the systems is, the 7 star techniques translate directly from the form. With Taiji Mantis they are more hidden Also Taiji Mantis uses less "blocks" and more deflection. Go beyond the name , the face of the form, technique, application, learn the principle behind the form, technique, there lays the true path.
A rose by any other name...

[mantis108]

Well put, Shaolinmantis. :)

7 Stars PM had a much earlier start in the CMA community than Taiji PM. In the early days of promoting Praying Mantis out side of Shandong province, 7 stars masters put in most of the effort. Because of their positions in Ching Wu school, they have influence on what type of material (forms or otherwise) of praying mantis kung fu should be taught to the public. PM masters of other styles would have to follow the curriculum if they were to teach at Ching Wu. That lead to the perception that 7 Stars is the only Praying Mantis style arround and many PM styles came from there. But gradually more research and understanding about the development of PM styles lead to a more colorful PM community. The late Grandmaster Chiu of Taiji Praying Mantis, who taught at Ching Wu (Vietnam branch), was under the same regulation to teach the Ching Wu curriculum. However, when he returned to Hong Kong during the 60s - 70s, he offered a TJPM curriculum since he own his own Kwoon. Forms such as Dai Sui Fan Che were not taught in the HK kwoon at all but were taught in Vietnam where he was teaching at Ching Wu branches.


Mantis108

[Yung Apprentice]

Another time I talked to another guy there, I asked how often do they spar. He said not very often but they do sometimes. He said that they more emphasize forms and two man sets. Is this good or bad?

[Yung Apprentice]

I'm sorry to ask these questions, so this is just a short story about myself so maybe you can see where I'm coming from,and why I ask so many questions. I used to TKD thinking it would help me defend my self, but I wound up getting myself really messed up in a fight. TKD is not bad put the place I was studying at didn't put enough emphasis on self defense it had more emphasis on forms. Then I found out there were other TKDs in town that taught self defense situations, and takedowns, and some grappling. I got very discouraged from MAs in general. So anytime I got into a fight(which happens a lot where I live, since I live in a bad part of town) I just learned to brawl with people. Well this is all fine and dandy but you take a couple too many hits to the nogin and you start thinking, theres got to be a better way. So I figured I should give MAs another chance. I started looking at all the different MAs. I started looking at JMAs and CMAs. I really started looking CMAs when I figured why not study from the root of all MAs. Plus from the classes I saw a lot of JMAs were very rigid,angular, and straight. Many CMAs I looked at were very fluid in there sparring.So this one day I saw a man attack another man. The man who was being attacked defended himself superbly. His footwork, his hand strikes, it was almost if not perfect. Obviously the way he defended himself was with MAs. So I asked him which MA he studies(after he dismantled the attakcer) and he said mantis kung fu.(he didn't study here though,he was an out of towner) So I researched it some more and found out how mantis pracitioners are extremely superb in hand tecniques and footwork, and there very sufficient in grappling. I also learned that mantis is very practical when it comes to defending yourself. So since then this is what I've wanted to study. But I want to make sure the place I study it from teaches not just forms, but the grappling, and the footwork and hand tecniques,and the application of mantis in self defense. Although self defense is not just the only aspect I want to learn from CMA

[ShaolinMantis]

Yung:
stop talking with this guy and that guy, talk to the sifu, ask him your whys and why nots.

[Fen]

Go on Down and ask to make and apointment to see Sifu!!
Tell him that Sifu VanWinkle Sent you down From Oregon.
Ask him and tell him what you are looking for! Of all the kung fu in L.V. I feel That he Will be the one You need to go to!

Remember a journey of 1000 miles begins under ones feet.

Like ShaolinMantis said, what Sifu Baugh has to offer will be a good foundation for what you are looking for.

Thank you for the information ShaolinMantis. I only studied the Northern Shaolin from Sifu Baugh, but toyed with the Mantis, and I never knew that. Someday I am hoping to learn more about Mantis.

Just Call or Go Down And See Sifu And only Sifu

Lohan School Of Shaolin
5150 Spring Mountain Rd #1
Las Vegas, NV. 89146
(702)364-5875

[Yung Apprentice]

Thany you all very much for helping me out, and being patient with me. I will go see him A.S.A.P but I do have a buisy schedule with what the holidays and all. From what you'be both described, he sounds like an excellent teacher. I also think this will be a great place to train, and gain a foundation. But first I would like to meet him and talkwith him. Thank you all very much.

[Yung Apprentice]

OOps, before I forget. Just a little question.Like I said in the past I've just recently have taken an interest in CMA. I would like to know ( so I don't sound like an idiot when I talk to sifu Baugh) what is the correct way of annunciating "sifu" ? I've also seen it written "shifu" Is the correct way siph-oo ?

[Robinf]

I'd call him Mr. Baugh or Sir. He's not your sifu, yet.

Robin

[Yung Apprentice]

Yeah your right!