Hao Heng Lu
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:
Hao Hen Liu / Hao Hong Lu / Huo Hung Loo (Korean pronunciation)
Born in 1887, second son of shifu Hao Lian Ru, he nicknamed him as "Er Lao Dao" (2nd eldest Daoist). Other sources mention that his nickname was "Hao Lao Dao" (Old Daoista Hao) or "Jian San Hao Lian Lao Tao" (the sword magician, second son of the Hao family).
There is some debate about another nickname. Some sources in PRC mention that his peers also called shifu Hao Heng Lu "Shen Qiang Hao" (Magic Spear Hao) because he excelled at the spear, but other sources mention that this nickname was used by his father, shifu Hao Lian Ru himself.
He was the inheritor of the familiar tradition, being 21 years old he became the chief of his town. He studied other styles and analyzed each movement of his family style (traditional Mei Hua Tang Lang). Shifu Hao Hen Lu was a devote Daoist and used to dress like a monk. He was famous all over the Province, and everyone speaking about him had no doubts stating he was a great martial arts master.
Shifu Hao Heng Lu lived in Yentai, Qing Dao and Harbin. That explains why there are a number of Tai Ji Mei Hua Tang Lang Quan teachers in the Hei-long-jiang Region. It is nearly confirmed that shifu Hao Heng Yi, shifu Hao Heng Lu, shifu Hao Heng Xin, and shifu Hao Heng Po all spent some time in Harbin.
Shifu Hao Heng Lu added some weapons to the style including Shuang Shou Damo Jian and Shuang Shou Ba Xian Jian (Two hand swords), Tai Yi Qiang (Spear), Dan Dao Ti (broadsword) and he developed the two-hands big sword tao lu.
Finally he did some changes to the style and changed the name to Tai Ji Mei Hua Tang Lang. In 1926 he wrote a manuscript entitled "Taiji Tang Lang Quan Lun" (Discourse about Plum Blossom Praying Mantis Boxing of the Great Ultimate that included pictures of himself showing the 8 basic stances.
In the 1940's shifu Hao Heng Lu competed in staff (both Mei Hua Tang Lang Quan and Liu He Tang Lang Quan) for the first time in Shanghai. He impressed the other masters so much that they all insisted that he move to Shanghai.
Some sources mention incorrectly that shifu Hao Heng Lu passed away in 1926 or 1945, he actually passed away in 1950 in Shanghai, his last home.
Page Updated: 1st July 2005.
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Fernando Blanco Dopazo .