Master Michael Lee Kok Seng

Sifu Michael Lee was born in Penang, Malaysia in 1952. His parents had migrated from China to ensure a better standard of living for their family. Sifu Lee's father, Lee Pak Ying, had studied Seven Star Mantis under Sigung Wong Kam Hoong for many years and was a member of his senior class of disciples. The young Michael Lee accompanied his father when he was training and Sigung Wong Kam Hoong began teaching his young student the foundations of the Seven Star Mantis School.

Sifu Lee emigrated to Britain in the early '70s to advance his studies and pursue a career. In 1971 he began teaching at the University of Huddersfield and due to the interest in Kung Fu and the high standard of tuition Master Lee was soon teaching classes of up to 300 people a night. Today this school is still running after 38 years of uninterrupted teaching by Master Lee.

During the late seventies and into the early eighties Master Lee won many titles at tournaments where he would compete in the forms section, for many people it would be their first time to witness traditional Kung fu performed to this level. Master Lee also coached his senior students to many victories in both forms and sparring in both "open" and Chinese style only events, particularly on the tough "Kuo Shu" circuit in Britain.

Among his students most notable successes were title winning efforts at the 1985 National Kung Fu Championships in fighting and forms categories, the 1987 Northern Kung Fu Championships with students winning in forms divisions and at the prestigeous 1992 World Kuo shu Championships held in Milton Keynes.

After an absence from the competitive arena of many years, in 2007 three of Master Lee`s students entered the prestigeous SENI event Londons Docklands Arena gaining two first places and a runner up position. In 2008 Master Lee named a group of his students who had studied with him for in some cases in excess of thirty years, to become his disciples and a whole day was devoted to the occasion inculding the traditional tea ceremony. In his personal address to the gathering Master Lee stressed his wish that all present dedicated themselves to the success of the school and then named his senior disciple Marc Hampshire as his successor as chief instructor of the organisation.

Among Master Lees proudest achievements was leading a team of his instructors to Penang in 2006 to participate in the 28th annual celebration of Sigung Wong Kam Hoongs association. The British team were in Penang for three weeks and trained with Sigung Wongs school nearly every evening, sharing knowledge and forging close links between the two schools. The culmination of the trip was a performance by the British team at the Chinese Town Hall in Penang in front of hundreds of invited guests and dignitaries. Everyone in attendance, including Sigung Wongs surviving family and his oldest surviving disciples, were incredibly impressed with the standard that Master Lee had striven to achieve in his students, and their performance showed that Master Lee had fulfilled his promise to Sigung Wong, namely that he would protect his art and legacy and ensure that the highest standards were aimed for and achieved.

The trip began a bi-annual journey to Penang by Master Lee and his students where as well as renewing their friendship with the Penang Tang Lang Society, they have made links with Master Wong Pak Cheongs Chin Woo Tang Lang School and the Sao Lim school of Dato Sifu Pn`g Chye Khim. In 2008 Master Lee took the decision to announce that he would begin to withdraw from the day to day management of his school and allow the inception of a new organisation. Master Lee nominated his senior student Marc Hampshire to lead this project and elections were held to form a management committee and develop a constitution. Thus the British Tang Lang Academy was formally launched on 31st August 2008 with Marc Hampshire as its Chairman and Chief Instructor.

Apart from his teaching commitments, Sifu Lee is sought after as a judge and advisor at National and International tournaments and is also the enthusiastic head coach of the Seven Star Praying Mantis Lion Dance Team. Sifu Lee is currently living and working in Oman and his senior disciple Marc Hampshire is now the Chief Instructor of the British Tang Lang Academy and the Chairman of its committee.

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