Dragon and Crane is a lineage school. Many of the authentic martial arts taught at our studios have passed directly from Great Grandmaster Ch'ang Tung Sheng to his adopted son Grandmaster Frank DeMaria, and from him to Master John Scattaretico. Students are indeed fortunate to have access to training and knowledge of this caliber.

Grand Master Frank DeMaria, left and Great Grand Master Ch'ang Tung Sheng

Great Grandmaster Ch'ang Tung Sheng was born in 1905 in Hopei, China, and began his training at an early age. His instructor was the renowned master Ch'ang Fen Yen who was noted for his BaoDin style of shuai-chiao, the most famous of the three styles in China. Ch'ang Tung Sheng quickly worked his way up to become the master's number-one student and later married his teacher's daughter.

After becoming proficient in fighting skills, he traveled to Peking where his reputation preceded him. There he fought and defeated all challengers. His victories gained recognition in China and his combat experience increased. Ch'ang then left the Peking area and traveled throughout Mongolia, challenging the best fighters in that part of the country. Ch'ang defeated them all and garnered unanimous acclaim by defeating the heavyweight Mongolian champion Ke Lee.

Ch'ang learned Tai Chi Chuan from General Li Chien Lin in the 1930s and because of his complete mastery of Shuai Chiao, was able to perfect the style called Ch'ang Shih Tai Chi Chuan which incorporates the techniques of this ancient art of Shuai Chiao, and is unique among Tai Chi styles for its combat potential. Ch'ang was also expert in the arts of Hsing-I, Pakua and Shao-lin Kung Fu.

In the early 1930s. Ch'ang taught at the Central Kuo Shu Institute in Nanking, which had been established by the government to preserve the national martial arts. Ch'ang never retired from the combat arena even while teaching. In 1933 Ch'ang emerged number one in the Fifth National Athletic Meet, a very popular event in China. He also captured the championship at the Seventh National Athletic Meet held in Shanghai in the 1940's.

Ch'ang, already nearly 70 years old, was invited to Morocco as a guest of His Majesty King Hassan II in 1975. There he demonstrated his forms and techniques. During his demonstration, Ch'ang was unexpectedly attacked by a high-ranking black belt of another Oriental fighting system. Ch'ang quickly back-stepped and pivoted to his attacker's rear, catching him with a strike and throw, which catapulted his attacker to the ground and rendered him unconscious. King Hussein was so impressed that he presented Ch'ang with a rare sword inlaid with jewels.

In Taipei, Ch'ang taught at the Central Government Police Academy for nearly 30 years. His defense techniques are now being utilized by police agencies throughout the world. They are also standard curriculum in law enforcement academies in New York and in Texas.

Grandmaster Frank DeMaria, better known in Chinese circles as Ma For Ren, has studied Martial Arts for over 50 years. He was first introduced to Kung Fu in New York City’s Chinatown district. From the age of nine he learned the Chinese arts in order to survive on New York City’s tough lower east side.

As the years progressed, so did his interest in learning all he could of Kung Fu styles, history, traditions, and fighting skills. He went as far as to learn the Chinese language in order to speak with his Kung Fu teachers so he could better understand his art from the Chinese point of view. His greatest martial arts teacher was the aforementioned Great Grandmaster Ch'ang Tung Sheng, who adopted Frank DeMaria as his son. His greatest meditation and philosophy teacher was the renowned Shen Yen, Abbott of Nung Chan Temple in Taipei. He completed college, where he received his A.A.S. degree in the study of the human anatomy to aid in the use of his Kung Fu skill. He competed in tournaments in New York and throughout the United States, as well as in international competition. He has made motion pictures and been on radio and television, nationally and internationally. He has been featured in numerous magazines and was the subject of a book which was written in Taiwan. He was a career police officer with the Department of Public Safety in Westchester, New York, and the head instructor in police defensive tactics at the Zone 3 Police Academy. He is also a teacher at New York State University, where he teaches an accredited course in personal self defense. He is the President of the New York Kuoshu Federation, as well as the head instructor of his Shao-lin schools in upper New York. Grandmaster De Maria is an advocate of the northern and southern styles of Shao-lin Ch’uan. His other accomplishments are in the arts of Pa Kua Ch’uan, Hsing-I Ch’uan, and Tai Chi Ch’uan. He wrote a book, "Ch'ang Shih Tai Chi Chuan", which fully documents the Tai Chi style developed by Ch'ang Tung Sheng.

Out of his desire to preserve and pass on these arts in a traditional way, Grandmaster DeMaria founded the American Center For Chinese Studies (ACCS) with which Dragon and Crane is affiliated. In 1995, the ACCS became an official brother school of the Society of Shao-lin Temple in New York, headed by Reverend Guo Lin Shi. Reverend Guo Lin Shi -- 34th generation Shao-lin monk of the Song Mountain Shao-lin Monastery in Henan Province, China, and slated successor to the current Abbott -- presided over the ceremony. The ACCS is one of the few martial arts organizations to have this honor.

Update: In 2007 the lineage of Yip Man (Bruce Lee's teacher) contacted Grandmaster DeMaria and their school is now a brother school with ACCS.