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.
