Here is a question from Rachel in Michigan. She asks: "Having met the man himself, (Professor Cheng Man-Ch'ing) what do you think made him so brilliant and influential to so many people?"

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.

Well, that wraps up this week's QOTW. Keep those questions coming!
Ask them at Ask Sifu.

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In T'ai Chi,
Bill

William C. Phillips began his study of the martial arts in 1965. He currently holds a 7th degree black belt in Karate, and a 5th degree black belt in Ju Jitsu. He began his studies of Tai Chi in l967, studying with Prof. Cheng Man-Ch'ing from '70-'75. He became the most junior student ever to become a teacher in Cheng Man Ch'ing's New York school, the Shr Jung. Sifu Phillips became interested in the field of holistic health in the early 1970's, when a lifelong allergy problem was alleviated with Chinese herbal medicine. Since then, he has studied widely in that field as well. Sifu Phillips is available for seminars, lectures and demonstrations. He has produced two very successful Tai Chi DVDs, and is currently working on a book on Tai Chi form and a third DVD.For more information...

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