As many of you know, I had the great privilege of studying directly with Prof. Cheng Man-Ch’ing from 1970 until his passing in 1975. Upon entering his school in February of 1970, I had no idea just how strong an influence he would have on my life.
I think that Professor Cheng was a genius and possessed a very strongly analytical mind. There’s no doubt that his intelligence and wisdom played a great role in how influential he was, but he was also a very friendly, fatherly person, as well as a man of integrity and strong ethics.
Professor Cheng was a Renaissance man, full of many abilities. In China, he was called “Master of the Five Excellences.” The traditional 5 excellences are Painting, Poetry, Calligraphy, Medicine and T’ai Chi. I believe he was also a master of Philosophy. At his school, the Shr Jung, in New York City, he held lectures on Confucius and Lao Tzu. His breadth and depth of knowledge were truly amazing. I think it is fair to say that he mastered whatever he touched upon.
He understood a lot more than the typical person. He created his Yang Short Form from the Yang Long Form, which can be practiced every day for great benefit in as little as 7 minutes. And then he set out to teach Tai Chi to the world for its healthful benefits (which is how I came across him in NYC). I think that he was a very good and patient teacher to be able to share the things he mastered, and this he very much wanted to do. In Taiwan, he founded colleges and was considered a living national treasure. He wrote many books, including those we study on Tai Chi.
In sum, I believe Professor Cheng’s influence – his legacy that continues to live on – is due to the fact that he had an analytical mind coupled with an open heart, coupled with seemingly boundless energy he directed towards sharing with the world.
In T’ai Chi,
Bill
