Sifu Jon Funk 7 Star Praying Mantis Seminar in Southern Ontario

[ursa major]

Hello All,

I am pleased to annouce that 7 Star Praying Mantis Sifu Jon Funk (http://www.mantiskungfu.com/) will be holding a seminar in Cambridge, Ontario on Saturday October 12th/2002.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar which Sifu Jon Funk, he is a direct 8th generation descendant in the Wong Hon Fun clan from the founder of Seven Star Praying Mantis Kung Fu, Wong Long. He has trained in Canada, Hong Kong, and China and is a Canadian forms champion, kung fu full contact fighter.

Sifu Funk has been featured on the cover of Inside Kung Fu magazine and Karate/Kung Fu Illustrated. He is a respected historian, author, and columnist and is the Executive Director of the Praying Mantis Kung Fu Federation with over 35 years of martial arts experience.

The October 12th seminar will feature direct interaction with Sifu Funk focusing on 7 Star method and technique according to the Wong Hon Fun tradition.

The seminar will be hosted by Sifu Neil Armstrong of Studio Mantis (http://www.studiomantis.com/) at 505 Hespeler Road, Cambridge, Ontario on Saturday, October 12th and starts at 12:00 noon. If you wish to attend this seminar please contact Sifu Armstrong who can be reached at (519)-240-9869 or via e-mail at info@studiomantis.com. Registration fees are $50 CDN per person and reservations are recommended as space is limited. This seminar is open to all Praying Mantis practitioners who are warmly invited to participate in the event.

Thank-you for your interest,
Ursa Major.

[BeiTangLang]

What lineage list does Sifu Funk use? I only ask as a student of history because the only chart I have seen ( I didn't see one on his site) places him at a number other than 8th.
Again, I am asking this to cross-check with my other lists, that is all.
Thanks,
~BTL

P.S.
For other students, I have found Fernando's site to be a great source of information; here is the URL.
http://www.geocities.com/mantiscave/frame.htm

[Skarbromantis]

ursa major, I had a feeling that you knew Neil, when you mentioned that a buddy of yours was picking up privates with Sifu I figured it would be Neil, Im going to try to come, it would be nice to meet you, do you know what is being taught during the seminar?

Skard1

[ursa major]

Originally posted by BeiTangLang
What lineage list does Sifu Funk use? I only ask as a student of history because the only chart I have seen ( I didn't see one on his site) places him at a number other than 8th.
Again, I am asking this to cross-check with my other lists, that is all.
Thanks,
~BTL

P.S.
For other students, I have found Fernando's site to be a great source of information; here is the URL.
http://www.geocities.com/mantiscave/frame.htm

Thank you for your question BeiTangLang,

I am not the best person to answer your question and will make queries to Sifu Funk later this week. For what it is worth, I think the 'generations' issue (8th vs 9th vs 10th, etc) has to do with his (JF's) time spent in Hong Kong. But as I said I will find more details later.

Re: Fernando -- I haven't been to the Mantis Cave for awhile I thought it was no longer available ???

regards,
UM.

[ursa major]

Originally posted by Skarbromantis
ursa major, I had a feeling that you knew Neil, when you mentioned that a buddy of yours was picking up privates with Sifu I figured it would be Neil, Im going to try to come, it would be nice to meet you, do you know what is being taught during the seminar?

Skard1

Hello Skarbromantis,

How is Sifu Chow doing these days ? Yes Neil and I spend time training together when and where we can. We (Neil and I) have diverse backgrounds so it gets very interesting and we spend much of our time attempting to unravel the DNA of the 7 Star forms which is always alot of fun.

I expect Sifu Funk will be reviewing his insights on intercept, grappling, etc. I can post more details during the next few days. One thing for certain this seminar will be well worth your time. I look forward to meeting you there.

regards,
Ursa Major.

[argentino]

Hi all !!!

The Mantis Cave is up and running (it always have been). Sometimes it takes me too long to update it because I am too busy, but I finally do it.

About generations I count shifu Funk as 10th generation because I count sijo Wang Lang as generation 1 (some other genealogies do not do that) and I also count monks at Shaolin Temple as generation 2 (that some other genealogies just ignore). As simple as that.

Back to my cave ;-)

Fernando

[Skarbromantis]

Hay Ursa

Master Chow is doing well, just showed me the 1set, man is he ever fast, spoke with Neil to get the seminar details, going to take the day off work, look forward to meeting you also, and learning some new things.

Skard1

[ursa major]

Originally posted by Skarbromantis
Hay Ursa

Master Chow is doing well, just showed me the 1set, man is he ever fast, spoke with Neil to get the seminar details, going to take the day off work, look forward to meeting you also, and learning some new things.

Skard1

Hello Skarbromantis,

Hey that is great news ! There is nothing quite so much fun as a bunch of serious Mantis guys getting together to go over their stuff. In the Mantis world learning+sharing=fun.

Also, glad to hear you are onto 1st Set it is a bedrock form in our system. Maybe we can spend some time before or after the seminar discussing it ?

gotta go,
UM.

[BeiTangLang]

Thanks Fernando!

I know that many do not consider the time with the monks as a generation, but I was not aware that some do not consider WL as a generation. Interesting.
Thanks again!
~BTL

[Young Mantis]

Beitanglang and Argentino,

For those who do not read Chinese, anyone who claims to be of WHF lineage should note that in all his publications where he mentions his Sifu, Law Gwong Yuk, Master Wong Hon Funn lists LGY as 6th generation disciple and himself as 7th generation.

Sifu Jon Funk according to our lineage should be 9th generation as he is a student of Sifu Al Cheng who in turn is a student of Master WHF just as my Sifu is 9th generation being a student of Sigung Brendan Lai.

If you have any questions about the lineage, you can check our chart on our website. www.northernmantis.com

On the issue of generations and the Shaolin Monks, it is true that some do not consider them to be a separate generation and WHF himself lists Taoist Priest Sing Siew as 2nd generation. However, my Sifu wants to acknowledge the time the System may have further developed with the Shaolin monks and so on our lineage chart, they are included although we still regard LGY as 6th generation in keeping with the teachings of WHF.

YM

[ursa major]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BeiTangLang
[B]What lineage list does Sifu Funk use? I only ask as a student of history because the only chart I have seen ( I didn't see one on his site) places him at a number other than 8th.
Again, I am asking this to cross-check with my other lists, that is all.
Thanks,
~BTL
QUOTE]

Hello BeiTangLang,

I discussed this matter with Sifu Funk. His response was that depending on how you read histories he can be either 8th or 10th generation. As it turns out there are compelling arguments for either case hence I have no debate with Sifu Funk's position on 8th generation.

As for Sifu Funk's lineage it is Al Cheng ==> WHF however when Sifu Cheng retired it is my understanding that Sifu Funk went to Hong Kong periodically to train directly with WHF (clan). I can assure you of this if you spend any time with Sifu Funk there will be no doubt in your mind his lineage. Sifu Funk asserts that Wong Hon Fun is a critical path in anyone's journey to the heart of 7 Star Praying Mantis Kung-Fu no ifs, ands, or buts.

My experience with Sifu Funk is that he is a very effective and convincing proponent of WHF -- witness that he turned me around completely I am now collecting WHF books and studying more passionately than ever.

Respectfully,
UM.

[Young Mantis]

Orignally posted by Ursa Major

As for Sifu Funk's lineage it is Al Cheng ==> WHF however when Sifu Cheng retired it is my understanding that Sifu Funk went to Hong Kong periodically to train directly with WHF.

Ursa Major,

Are you sure about what you are claiming here? Did Sifu Funk tell you himself that he went to HK and trained with WHF directly? I do not think this is possible. The following is taken from Sifu Funk's website:

http://www.mantiskungfu.com/hist.html

Passing away in 1973, the late Wong Hon Fun left his legacy to a number of senior students. One of them, Al Cheng, a Hong Kong full contact champion, emigrated to Canada and began teaching there in 1979. He taught for a number of years in Vancouver's Chinatown before passing his mantle to his disciple Jon Funk.

According to history, Sifu Al Cheng did not even begin teaching until after late GM WHF passed away.

I am not trying to discredit Sifu Funk. I have met him when he came to visit my Sifu at our school. I have no doubt that he is a proud member of the WHF clan. My concern is that history and information should be accurately represented. Sifu Funk did spend some time in HK with other WHF students but I am pretty sure he never trained with WHF directly. I would be very interested if you could prove me otherwise.

YM

[ursa major]

Originally posted by Young Mantis


Ursa Major,

Are you sure about what you are claiming here? Did Sifu Funk tell you himself that he went to HK and trained with WHF directly? I do not think this is possible. The following is taken from Sifu Funk's website:
According to history, Sifu Al Cheng did not even begin teaching until after late GM WHF passed away.
I am not trying to discredit Sifu Funk. I have met him when he came to visit my Sifu at our school. I have no doubt that he is a proud member of the WHF clan. My concern is that history and information should be accurately represented. Sifu Funk did spend some time in HK with other WHF students but I am pretty sure he never trained with WHF directly. I would be very interested if you could prove me otherwise.
YM

Thank-you Young Mantis,

No, emphatically, he did not tell me he trained with WHF the person (RIP). Please allow me to clarify. I should have said "trained directly with WHF clan" or some such making it clear it was the school and or the inheritors of the WHF 7 Star mantleship that Sifu Funk trained with. I don't know who these people are nor the name and location of their school so said "WHF" meaning generic. Please accept my apologies for wasting your time. I will edit my earlier post for accuracy.

Regards,
UM.

[MantisifuFW]

I have known Sifu Funk for many years. As I recall, though I do not claim to be his biographer, he trained with So Su Ming in Hong Kong studying, among other things the High Noon Gim. He has, as I have known him, never claimed any other Sifu.

Respectfully,
MFW