Interview with Master Wang Rengang

Interview by Jonah Ewell

Date of Birth: 5/7/65

Hometown: Liaoning Province, China

At what age did you start practicing martial arts?
7 years old

Why did you start practicing martial arts?
I grew up as the last child in a large, very poor family. I had to wear hand-me-downs from my older sisters. The other children at school would tease me because of this and beat me up. I was very small and helpless. I went to my father’s friend, who practiced kung fu, to teach me how to defend myself. We were too poor to pay him, but my mother was too proud to accept free lessons. So I took him a basket of eggs every month. Today this seems like a small payment, but back then it was a real sacrifice.

Was it also to build up health?
As a child it was for self-defense, but later I appreciated the health aspects. Kung fu changed my puny, sickly body to a strong well-oiled machine.

What is your earliest memory of martial arts training?
I had strong determination from the very beginning because I was tired of getting beat up. I would train everyday, even in the snow and pouring rain.

A 1966 poster shows Mao Zedong inspiring the people to launch the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.

Was it difficult to maintain practice of martial arts during the Cultural Revolution? What was your experience of the Cultural Revolution?
One thing that I need to clarify is that Chairman Mao was China’s father. A son is a very bad person if he insults his father, especially after his death. We are taught not to speak ill of the dead. In general terms, I will say that the Cultural Revolution did not affect us much. We lived in a relatively isolated area. Everyone was dirt poor before, during, and after this period of time. I will say that there were significant innovations within the Hao-style Taijee Mei Hua Tanglang (Plum Blossom Mantis) as a direct result of the cultural revolution. My teacher’s (Hao Wei Zhi) father, Hao Bin, moved into his sister’s home during this time and surreptitiously taught the whole family only one movement each day which they held in Zhuang (stationary poses). This method was used primarily so that the children wouldn’t reveal the forms to their school mates, lest they drew precarious attention from those that sought to destroy the martial arts. What actually happened was that this method actually internalized their mantis, which is traditionally an external style of kung fu. After Mao’s reign, Hao Bin taught his son and the Sun family how to string the movements together to execute the forms. Grandmaster Sun De Yao is the only member of the family to come to the US. He conducts seminars twice a year in NYC with me, and Canton, Ohio with Master Tony Yang.

When did you open your school in New York?
When I first came to America in 2000, I went into business with another Grandmaster Li Tai Liang. I started my own corporation (International Dachengdao Inc.) in August of 2002.

Why New York City in particular? Did you always want to come to New York or was it by chance?
Prior to coming here in 2000, I had never left China. I never wanted to leave China. I couldn’t speak one word of English. So I was a little surprised when I met with my Dachengquan Grandmaster Wang Xuan Jie, and he instructed me to bring Dachengquan to America. He was very adamant about America needing it more than any other country. He gave me a lot of instructions on what he wanted done. He passed away three days later, so I realized that he understood these were the last instructions for me to follow. After 9/11, I found a deeper meaning in his words…he must have had a vision or something. Now I truly see America is my destiny. I have a mission to fulfill on behalf of my late master.

The late Master Wang Xuanjie

My deepest sympathies on the passing of your teacher, Wang Xuanjie. I was surprised to learn, from your website, that he had suffered a heart attack. Without intending any disrespect, isn't one of the advantages of practicing qigong health and longevity? How could your master suffer from a heart attack, which is usually prevented by a good diet and regular exercise?
Yes, I’m glad you brought this up, and I need to add this to the website as well. My teacher was born with a congenital heart defect and his prognosis was fatality by adolescence. Of course his parents were devastated and could not accept this news. When the medical community failed them, they went to the Buddhist. There my teacher learned meditation and kung fu. He practiced life-long celibacy and dedicated his life to the health aspects of kung fu. Therefore, his passing away in his 60’s was a medical miracle which does in fact support kung fu as a healing art. I would also like to add that even though my teacher had this heart defect, it did not prevent him from developing strong combat abilities. Because my teacher mastered both the health and combat aspects of Dachengquan, the founder (Wang Xiang Zhai) took him as his last disciple and then passed the lineage on to him.

The Chinese martial arts organizations of the United States are currently divided. There is the U.S.A.W.K.F. and the U.S. Wushu Union. As a wushu judge certified by the Chinese government, which organization do you see surviving and thriving? Can they co-exist? How will the U.S. put together a top-notch wushu team without a unified national organization?
This is not an easy situation to resolve. Since these two organizations are already established, the ideal solution would be a merger. This is not likely to happen because personalities and egos tend to get in the way of the bigger picture. I hope they prove me wrong, though.

You will be hosting a seminar with Grandmaster Sun De Yao at the Fighthouse in Manhattan. Please tell us about what the seminar will cover and who would benefit most from it.
Grandmaster Sun will first and foremost review the basics which are common to most mantis styles. Once deficiencies are corrected, then we will add the Zhai Yao (higher fighting) forms. Sun will teach the Hao family method of mantis Zhuang (as mentioned above) in order to internalize the style. Day two will be a review once again, with a layering of information. Then more forms will be given at the pace that the participants are able to absorb the information. Any mantis practitioner can benefit from this training, even beginners or cross-trainers.

What is the guiding principle of your practice?
The principle that guides me is to change the world through kung fu instruction. When you change a student and they develop good energy, this will affect all those in contact with them. Hopefully the good energy that spreads will bring peace and harmony to the world. First to the individual student, then their friends and family, then their community, then to surrounding places, etc.

Are you married? Do you have children?
I have a teen-age son and a baby daughter. My son is not interested in Kung fu, but my daughter has natural abilities that I am helping to develop.

What are some of your favorite non-martial arts related things to do?
I like to do things that will enhance my qi cultivation. I am a member of a barbershop singing group, the Queensmen’s Chorus. I play guitar and Chinese flute. I also work on the side as a Chinese name painting artist.

What do you like most about New York City? What do you like least?
I love the zoos, parks and museums. I enjoy going on the subway and hearing a dozen or so languages being spoken simultaneously. For someone who never left China before, coming to NY is like visiting all the world. Even in my classes, I have students from Africa, Asia, eastern and western Europe, South America, and of course Americans. I enjoy meeting new people and learning about their cultures. Because of world-wide representation in NY, this makes it an ideal spot for kung fu school so that the teachings will spread. The thing that I like least about NY is that people are too focused on business and making money, to the point where they often lose their humanity towards each other.

Do you have a favorite food?
Growing up poor like I did, I have to say honestly that I like all the food and that I am grateful for each bite that I take. Here in NY for the first time I have tried food from other countries. Out of all the food I have tried, I have found Indian food to be the most different and I like it very much. Last time when Sun De Yao came to NY for the first time, I wanted him to try Indian food too. Unfortunately the smell made him queasy, so we had to stick with Chinese food. Peruvian food is also very tasty and unique.