Li San Jian

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:
Lee Sam Gin / Lee San Chin. Other genealogies list this master as Li Zhi Jian .
Nicknamed as Li Kuai Shou / Li Dian Shou.
Born in 1821. According to the Hong Kong Qi Xing Tang Lang Quan tradition shifu Li San Jian was born in Pingdu village, Haiyang county (Shandong Province). However, PRC sources mention he was from Li Jia (Li family) village, in Cui Jia (Ping You county).
Legend says that at the Taoist Temple of the Green Dragon, shifu Li San Jian met the abbot Sheng Xiao Dao Ren. The Taoist monk helped shifu Li San Jian to defeat a number of bandits and their friendship grew. Seeing that shifu Li San Jian was a sincere man, Abbot Sheng Xiao Dao Ren taught him the complete system of Praying Mantis.
The relationship between shifu Li San Jian and his master Sheng Xiao Dao Ren is based on the Qi Xing Tang Lang tradition (legend), however there is no evidence of that. We only know that during Dao Guang period in the Qing Dynastie shifu Li San Jian learned tang lang quan from a Xia Ke (in old times this was an courteously dealing person experienced in the martial arts). Without having a better documented theory we will keep supporting the oral tradition relationship between these two masters.
After completing his studies with Sheng Xiao Dao Ren, shifu Li San Jian established a security service based in Chi Nan city (Shan Dong Province). For a fee he would guard a caravan of valuable goods. Li's security service became well known throughout China for its reliability.
The local bandits dubbed shifu Li San Jian as Dian Shou (Flash hand) or Kuai Shou (Fast hand) as no one was able to defeat him. It is said that caravans carrying his flag during transport were often avoided by thieves and bandits.
As Li grew older he became concerned that he had not taught the art of praying mantis to anyone. He felt that the art that had brought him so much prosperity would die out. Not having children, at age sixty shifu Li San Jian decided to travel and find a worthy individual to inherit the art of praying mantis. He went to Fushan (Shandong Province), where he accepted three tudimen (disciples) being one of them shifu Wang Rong Sheng.
According to some masters in Qingdao, shifu Li San Jian originally taught only 2 forms:
1. "Crushing Step" (Bengbu) also called "Crushing Step from Yantai City" (Yantai Bengbu)
2. "Obstacle" (Lanjie)
According to other sources sometimes 4 more forms are added to this list:
"Eighteen Basic Elements" (Shiba Su)
"Avoiding Hardness" (Duo/Zuo Gang)
"Efficacious Softness" (Rou Ling)
"Catching Cicada" (Buchan).

Around 1891 shifu Li San Jian had trained several disciples and retired in Tianjin, Heibei Province.


Page Updated: 1st. July 2005.
If you have comments please contact me !! Fernando Blanco Dopazo .


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