Thrinh Hoa Thu
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:
David Cheng.
Shifu Thrinh Hoa Thu was born in Northern Vietnam in the city of Haifong in 1927. Prior to the war shifu Thrinh Hoa Thu was an executive in a milk factory. He studied Yong Chun, Bai Mei and Yang style Tai Ji Quan.
He began his study of the Tai Ji Tang Lang Quan from shifu Zhao Zhu Xi in 1945 at the age of 18, and continued his study in Haifong until 1953.
During this period shifu Thrinh Hoa Thu also became a successful businessman working as a Graphic Artist. In 1953 Sifu Chiu moved south to Saigon. At that time the fighting between the Viet Kong and the French in the north was escalating and Hiafong was becoming a dangerous place. In 1954 shifu Thrinh Hoa Thu joined his teacher in Saigon to help teach.
Shifu Thrinh Hoa Thu and four other shifu Zhao Zhu Xi's disciples gathered together to document all the sets shifu Zhao Zhu Xi taught in both North and South Vietnam.
Shifu Thrinh Hoa Thu is one of shifu Zhao Zhu Xi's "Top 12". These "Top 12" were chosen by shifu Zhao Zhu Xi among the oldest living disciples to carry on the traditions, teaching Tai Ji Tang Lang Quan regardless of financial gain, as long as they lived and were able to continue.
During the late 1960's the fighting increased in the south and many refugees began to flee the country and in 1969 shifu Zhao Zhu Xi relocated to Hong Kong.
In 1984 after spending seven months in a Philippine refugee camp, shifu Thrinh Hoa Thu began a new life in Hawaii (USA) with the rest of his family. In Hawaii he started teaching a small group of students in a local park at dawn on the weekends. He never advertised, so the group was only found by word of mouth in the martial arts community.
Shifu Thrinh Hoa Thu students offered yearly demonstrations on Chinese New Year at the See Yup Society annual banquet, and Sifu Andrew Lum's annual dinner.
Shifu Thrinh Hoa Thu then started teaching at the Jing Wu Athletic Association in Honolulu, and the See Yup Society (Yee Ying Tong) also in Honolulu.
Shifu Thrinh Hoa Thu retired from teaching in 1997 and passed away in 1999 at the age of 72.
Page Updated: 1st September 2004.
If you have comments please contact me !!
Fernando Blanco Dopazo .