Cheng Man-Ching

The Cheng Man-Ching style was a natural fit after learning the Tchoung Ta-Tchen style. The Tchoung Ta-Tchen style I originally learned is the closest I have found to Cheng Man-Ching style because the Tchoung Ta-Tchen style follows most of the same principles as the Cheng Man-Ching style. It took quite some time looking, but I was finally able to find some teachers in the Bay Area that would teach me the Cheng Man-Ching style. These teachers were not taking new students but took me because I knew the form and had past experience. I felt blessed to have them teach me!

Pak Chan

Another really good instructor, and one of Paks classmates, is Ed Chan who I was introduced to by Tony Wong, a Chen Style Tai Chi teacher, in the Bay Area. We met at a San Francisco Tai Chi gathering. Tony knew that Ed was an excellent Cheng Man-Ching practitioner and helped me to contact Ed. Unfortunately, Ed was not interested in teaching at the time. Fortunately Ed introduced me to Pak Chan who agreed to teach me. Then Ed and I got together every Tuesday evening for push hands in the yard of a local school. He also is VERY skilled at push hands and I learned a tremendous amount pushing with him. I had to really learn to relax otherwise I would be pushed around like a rag doll! I am deeply indebted to Ed for all his instruction! And, Fortunately for his present students, Ed Chan is now teaching a Tai Chi class!

The pictures above show Ed Chan pushing out an oppenent at a Push Hands Competition.

Benjamin Lo Doing Single Whip

Benjamin Lo

In my visit with Ben he walked up to me and touched the little finger of one of my hands to show me that I was holding tension in that finger. Two weeks later I totally tore that finger up, doing push hands, because the little finger was tense. I won't show you the pictures of my finger entirely black and blue. But, needless to say I learned the importance of relaxing. Injuries happen because of tension!

It also became apparent how small the world of Tai Chi is even though people are practicing around the globe. I showed Ben Lo a picture of my first teacher, Tchoung Ta-Tchen together with Cheng Man-Ching as younger men. Ben recognized Tchoung from the picture in Tchoung's Tai Chi book, and remembered Tchoung sometimes practicing with Cheng Man-Chings students during their early days in Taiwan!