Cao Zuo Hou
Praying Mantis Shifu
The information presented in this chart was collected from different sources -see Bibliography-, therefore the romanizations in Pinyin according to the Mandarin pronunciation of the characters sometimes is not available. If you find any mistakes or inaccuracies please contact me.
His name is also romanized as:
Tsa Tso Huo
Shifu Cao Zuo Hou was born in Peng Lai, a neighbouring county to Huang Xian (Shan Dong).
He studied Mei Hua Tang Lang at the shifu Jiang Hua Long wu guan in the Laiyang area (Chang Shan Praying Mantis boxing school). At this school shifu Jiang Hua Long was the person who was actually teaching, not any of his gong-fu brothers.
Shifu Cao Zuo Hou admired the Six Harmony Praying Mantis Kungfu very much. At the same time, shifu Ding Zi Cheng (Liu He Tang Lang shifu) also was interested in the "hard" mantis. The two masters then exchanged their styles.
But shifu Cao Zuo Huo and shifu Ding, being from the same town, not only exchanged forms but also exchanged students. That's why shifu Zhang Xian San of the Liu He Tang Lang teaches some Mei Hua Tang Lang forms including for example Mei Hua Lu (Mui Fah Lok). Shifu Zhang's Mei Hua Lu is very similar to the shifu Huang Han Xun version.
Page Updated: 1st June 2006.
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Fernando Blanco Dopazo .