Thai Cuc Duong Lang (T’ai Chi Tang Lang in Chinese language) is a Kung Fu style descending from a much more ancient style: Shaolin. In fact this style was conceived by a monk named Wong Lu, lived in the famous Shaolin monastery around the mid-XVII century.

The legends tell that despite of Wong Lu’s long practice and his zealous study of kung fu he still wasn’t able to excel in fighting and could not defeat other monks. One day, while he was training, he saw a very close fight between a praying mantis and a large cicada: he was impressed by the swiftness of the mantis’ arm movements and then decided to adopt his tactics and techniques. After many years of study and practice he noticed that even with the speed of his arms, he still had problems with the slow movements of his legs. To fulfill this weakpoint he introduced leg techniques observed in monkeys and was able to create a new style which is still known today with the name of Tang Lang (praying mantis style).

The history of Thai Cuc Duong Lang, the Vietnamese branch of Tang Lang, is strictly bond with his founder master Trieu Truc Khe (Chiu Chuk Kai): in 1945 master Trieu, expert in Tang Lang and Tai Chi Chuan, arrived at the shores of Hai Phong (in northern Vietnam) after a long pilgrimage enterprised to escape a political crisis happened in China during and after World War II. In 1954 he moved to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) and he entered the association of Chinese martial arts Tinh vo Mon (= the Gate of the Magnificent Martial Art). As he was dwelling in Saigon, master Trieu Truc Khe decided to start a school to widespread this style and created a very important local Thai Cuc Duong Lang school, based in Cholon, in the Chinese quarter of Saigon, whose major personality is master Tran To Nu, also known in Cholon as Sau Che (sister Thu), direct student of master Trieu Truc Khe and only keeper of the program in Vietnam. At the age of 70, in 1968 master Trieu Truc Khe decided to leave Vietnam and moved to Hong Kong, where he taught in his school until death, happened on 3rd of august 1991.

Thai Cuc Duong Lang, besides the study of the ancient Tang Lang techniques, introduces bare-hand and armed quyens of Thai Chi. This fusion results in a mix of very fast and swift movements (typical in praying mantis style) alternated with soft and continuous techniques of Tai Chi.