Grandmaster Tchoung Ta-tchen, a T’ai Chi Legend

Even When he prefers in direction of live in direction of himself and not boast of his electricity, Tchoung Ta-tchen was a very well understand determine in just the tai-chi ch’uan (aka Taijiquan) environment of Taipei, Taiwan, Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC. Though authorities who rather comprehend tai chi fulfilled him, there was no ponder that they realized they incorporate fulfilled a legitimate grandmaster of the artwork.
Grandmaster Tchoung Ta-tchen (excess at ) moved toward Canada within 1972. Within Canada he was welcomed by means of t’ai chi college students who have been of hungry for accurate practical experience of the legitimate artwork of t’ai chi. Last in the direction of transferring in the direction of Vancouver, he taught in just Africa and Taiwan.
Tchoung was in the beginning against Hunan and turned a knowledgeable soldier. As an Officer inside of the Calvary, he fought with Chang Kai Shek towards the Jap. Though Chang fled in the direction of Taiwan, Tchoung and a lot of other prominent masters went also. Tchoung turned the thoughts of the „T’ai Chi Ch’uan Fitness and Security Institute of Taipei“ and was a representive of the Chinese T’ai Chi Ch’uan Affiliation (Key T’ai-chi ch’uan Small business of Taiwan).
Within Taiwan he experienced number of distinguished pals and prepare associates. A couple of of his pals have been Cheng Male-ch’ing, Kuo Lien Ying , Liang T’ung Tsai, Wang Shu Chin, Wang Nien Yien, Yuan Tao, and many others. Greatest of who have been identical within some path in the direction of Chang’s govt and fled Mao’s China. Tchoung analyzed the pushing fingers technique of Cheng Male-ch’ing and labored out with Cheng and other masters. He was effectively recognised inside of Taiwan for his fa-jin and rooting electricity. A lot more not long ago he taught pushing arms in just Mainland China toward categories of Chinese college students and masters within an test in direction of provide the true t’ai chi ch’uan „Electrical power“ again in direction of China. In accordance toward Sifu Laurens Lee Although Tchoung was within Taiwan there was a assertion inside martial artwork circles that „Massive Tchoung are not able to be moved, minor Tchoung won’t be able to be driven off harmony.“ Very little Tchoung was Tchoung Ta-tchen.
Tchoung was questioned by means of the Chinese Tai Chi Chuan Affiliation of Taiwan in the direction of be the person tutor for President Bongo of Gabon. Tchoung taught president Bongo O’Mei ch’i kung (Emmei qi gong) and t’ai chi ch’uan then Tchoung moved towards Johannesburg, South Africa, wherever he taught his exceptional style and design.
In accordance in the direction of Understand Martin Lee, who is The Chairman of the „Vancouver Tai Chi Chien Masters and Buddies Club“, „He (Tchoung) incorporates amazing tai chi ability. His pang-jing (peng-chin) is tremendous-potent… Every time he pushes with everybody he usually wins, he includes hardly ever been defeated through all people. Merely one particular or 2 All those can split even with him…Every time Understand Tchoung driven arms, possibly fingers are smooth which include cotton; anytime yourself contact his arm, yourself appear very little. He is seriously acquiring the position of „Invisibility“. Anytime he assaults, he moves which include a hurrying arrow, with Good electric power. A great deal of martial artwork Champions and tai chi fans enjoy Discover Tchoung’s approaches.“ Tchoung incorporates experienced a amount of t’ai-chi champions arrive out of his higher education and various masters of kung-fu and ch’i kung contain examined with him.
As a youthful person Tchoung examined his family members design of t’ai chi ch’uan and tui-na. He in addition was a monitor athlete. He grew to become a educated soldier and Navy officer. He traveled inside of China trying to find out the supreme masters. Inside of 1943, he examined ch’i kung (qi gong) and t’ai chi ch’uan with the Senior Taoist, Abbott Hui Kung, at the O’mei (Emmei Shan) Mountain Monastery inside Sichuan province.
Tchoung researched the Aged Variety of Yang Household Style and design based mostly upon the lineage of Tian Zhao Lin (Tian Shaolin) of Hangzhou. Tian (additionally spelled Tien through some) was a famed pupil of Yang Chien-hou, When some say he analyzed with Yang Shou-hou, or either. Inside of 1959 Tchoung analyzed with Shi Tiao-mei, university student of Tien and the intellect of the law enforcement academy. Tchoung furthermore researched Organic Faculty (Mother nature College or university) Boxing, additionally named the „Organic Layout“ of kung-fu with a Hsiung Chien-yuan popular trainer of Character Higher education Boxing. Hsiung was named the „Superb Outdated Guy of Hangchow“. Tchoung click this site found pa-kua chang (baguazhang) towards his pal Wang Shu Chin and Hsin I Ch’uan (Xing-Yee quan) towards his close friend Yuan Tao. He researched the t’ai chi San Shou with the famed Hsiung Yang Ho, who was furthermore a college student of Yang Shao-hou. And he uncovered the exceptional knife style and design of his pal Wu Ta Nan. He handed such sort upon in the direction of his college students.
Tchoung experienced a exclusive focus is examining the sword and adhere types. He acquired many sword designs against the supreme masters of the working day. The sword styles experienced names this kind of as „Environmentally friendly Duckweed Sword“, environmentally friendly bamboo sticks of the beggars design and style, Kun Lun (Kwin Lin) sword, Heaven and Entire world sword, as effectively as the t’ai chi sword, double sword, as nicely as Yang and Wu t’ai-chi knife sets. He designed his particular t’ai chi Tuan Kune or strolling adhere sort which he taught toward his college students.
His philosophy was in the direction of train his college students every little thing he may possibly. Not retain back again, as countless lecturers did. That is the cause hence numerous college students remaining their former universities toward investigate with him. He tells his learners in opposition to the setting up that he can educate them the process, nonetheless it is up in the direction of them as in direction of what they do with it. That is if they do not prepare tough, they will not carry out their foreseeable future. He states there are no magical magic formula, merely complicated performing exercises and training. He observed that there was a decay in just t’ai-chi ch’uan good quality inside China and the worldwide. That is the artwork was getting to be conceptually a calisthenics health or efficiency artwork, and the aged martial great importance and conventional technique was staying misplaced.
He felt the final output’s capacity becoming dropped or watered down was because of toward the thought of normally retaining a minor again against the pupil (as nicely as intentional persecuting of the artwork and modernizing it upon the mainland). Thus each and every production dropped a very little added, therefore at present even the supreme names had been only shells of the more mature artwork, Really couple of experienced any true ability. He desired in direction of thrust his learners consequently that the artwork would be greater and that his college students would even be excess qualified than he was then if they taught their learners would be improved and consequently upon. Then the lengthy setback right after Mao took in excess of adopted by way of a modifying the sort towards a calisthenics more in direction of the loss. Tchoung traveled toward China where by he taught pushing arms toward masters there towards boost their capability and improve the position of tai chi inside of China.
Tchoung assumed thanks in direction of variations within just physique design and style and mother nature that everybody will impart their private essence in direction of the artwork. They specific by themselves particularly as they could inside of option creating or calligraphy products. Even When by yourself could understand the exact course of action of producing as your classmates, your self will compose a small option than every person else inside the course. The exact same goes for t’ai chi, it is not the strategy in the direction of clone the instructor, nonetheless really in the direction of let the exceptional electricity of every single patient in direction of categorical alone. We are not on the lookout towards manufacture robots. He in addition permitted differences within strategy based upon the college student’s techniques or limits. For illustration the moment inside of our early morning course, 2 superior pupils requested him above the proper course toward do a strategy. Each and every scholar did a alternate change of the similar method. Tchoung advised them, „It relies upon upon the employ.“ He was further fascinated within ideal fundamentals, than mindless robots. He once in a while reported all t’ai-chi ch’uan types have been fantastic as extensive as the fundamentals have been! appropriate.
He taught a special structure based mostly upon what is known as the Previous Yang Layout. He teaches his twin sort or symmetrical type wherever each individual method is carried out upon the specifically and still left facets. This is his variation of the style. This path the overall body is healthful. It is a exceptionally „Comfortable“ style with no pressure authorized and the stances are rather large. The again is right and the overall body upright. It is comparable in the direction of Cheng Gentleman-ching’s variety in just principle nevertheless a lot a lot more complicated. There are many models of the insider secrets within just the style and a number of pa-kua chang ( bagua zhang) actions are furthermore within just the variety. The quick style includes actions versus Kuang Ping style and design and Mother nature Boxing layout as nicely.
Tchoung’s symmetrical prolonged type is earlier mentioned 300 actions extensive and his small kind, which detailed within just his e-book, is regarding 120 actions. He much too does a quick type for demonstrations which is comparable toward Cheng Male-ch’ing’s kind. The Tchoung method incorporates ch’i kung, extended sort, quick sort, san shou, a 2 personal t’ai chi sparring kind, a instantaneous variety, pushing arms, going for walks adhere, sword and knife as effectively as pa-kua and hsin-I (which is an additional phrase for hsing-I). His attention is upon essentials and energies, pretty than rote coaching.
He composed his masterwork, a 328-webpage e book, The Annotated Theoretical and Convenient Tai Chi Chuan, in just 1995. The guide is prepared in just English and Chinese and reveals his „limited“ sort, chi kung, san shou, and pushing arms. It furthermore consists of some t’ai chi ch’uan classics not generally recognized within just translation.
Inside of the United states of america Andrew Dale and Harvey Kurland are capable as a result of Tchoung in direction of Educate his course of action, a thorough checklist of his capable lecturers is at: Academics Anytime Grandmaster Tchoung was inside his late 80’s he even now practiced his artwork and labored with his superior college students. He is one particular of the smaller sized understand greats of the t’ai chi entire world. Tchoung died inside February 22, 2000.
Creator: Harvey Kurland, M.Sc., MFS, CSCS, is an health physiologist and was Qualified as a result of the Chinese T’ai-Chi Ch’uan Affiliation and Grandmaster Tchoung Ta-tchen as a Leader Teacher (Sifu). He teaches for the Faculty of California Riversida and Loma Linda Faculty Drayson Heart. Even further content at