Master Pan Wing Chow was
the portrait of health as he continued to perform the original Chen
style tai chi chuan as taught to him by master Chen Fake back in the
early 1930's till his death in 1996. The late master Pan maintained his
dedication to the traditional style of Chen style tai chi maintaining
the original form over the years of his life.
Master Pan began to
learn tai chi while attending the university in Peking. He was one of a
few who learned Chen style tai chi outside of the Chenjiagou village,
from the Henan province where master Chen lived. Master Chen Fake was
hired by a group of people to come and teach in Peking. There master
Pan was introduced to master Chen at the home of his friend Mr. Liou
who belonged to the Henan Association. At that time master Chen Fake
was living at the Henan Association Headquarters. Mr. Liou was teaching
master Pan Wu style tai chi but told him if he really wanted to learn
tai chi he should learn from the master himself -- Chen Fake.
Master Pan doing Push Hands
Master Pan described his
teacher master Chen as warm hearted, willing to help people, humble,
kind and very patient. Master Chen was about 44 years old at the time
and his techniques were very good and powerful. Master Chen also taught
him the History of Chen style tai chi. He said that the form had
undergone many changes and had been passed down from generation to
generation for over 600 years at Chenjiagou village until it became a
fixed form as taught at that present time.
He taught ten students
in the United States. They are: Yun-Tei Pan, New York, N.Y., Randal T.
Choy, Hawaii, Kuang-Hsi Wu, Urbana, Ill, Paul Wen-Pei Chou, San
Francisco, CA, Chy-Chun Ho, Buffalo, N.Y., James W. Mcneil, Rainbow,
CA., Albert A. Dalia, Hawaii, Victor R. Keahiolalo, Hawaii, and Yu-Hung
Chang, Arlington, Texas. Since he began his training in 1982 with
Master Pan, Master James McNeil has remained faithful to the training
and the art. He currently teaches it at Little Nine Heaven in its
original form.