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| Chen Family Taijiquan | |
| with Master Wong Wai Yi (Tony) | |
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Profile of Tony Wong
Wing Chun with Sifu Kenneth Chung:
Although Tony learned Chinese "gong fu" during his teenage years in Hong Kong, he felt his real martial arts training did not really start until he met Sifu Kenneth Chung. Sifu Ken is a very innovative and true Wing Chun master. In the early 1980's, Tony began studying and practicing Wing Chun at Sifu Ken's home in Los Altos, California. Sifu Ken opened Tony's eyes to martial arts. Tony still maintains a close relationship with Sifu Ken and will always treasure all the martial arts Sifu Ken had instilled in him. Tony deeply appreciates Sifu Ken's openness in sharing his martial arts expertise as well as his sincerity in exploring and exchanging martial arts topics with others.
In the mid 1980's, Tony began studying and training in Yang style taijiquan (Guang Ping) for health reasons - to relax and obtain mobility for a stiff shoulder and bad knees. It was not until Sifu Ken introduced Tony to Master Cai Song Fang (Qigong master from China) in the summer of 1987 that Tony discovered the other aspects of Taiji and Qigong - the martial arts aspect. He discovered that not only are Taiji and Qigong beneficial to one's health, but within Taiji and Qigong are martial arts applications. Master Cai gave Tony a glimpse of the benefits hidden in Taiji and Qigong and inspired Tony to look further into the internal martial arts. Since then, Tony has been on a quest - intensely searching, exploring, investigating, researching, and pursuing everywhere the internal martial arts aspect as well as the health aspect of Taiji and Qigong.
In 1993, Tony met Master Zhang Xuexin, a Chen Taijiquan Master from China. Tony began learning Chen Style Taijiquan (Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang's Chen Style Xin Yi Hun Yuan Taijiquan System - Xin Jia) from Master Zhang. In the early years when Master Zhang was teaching more classes, Tony practiced intensely 5 days a week with Master Zhang. When Master Zhang reduced his public class time from five days to three days per week, Tony and a group of close students attended private practice sessions with Master Zhang while still attending the public classes. Tony felt Master Zhang was the person who gave Tony the building blocks for his strong foundation in Chen Taiji and opened for him the door of Chen Taijiquan.
Tony met and started studying with Master Chen Qingzhou during Master Chen's first visit to the United States in 1994. With Master Zhang Xuexin's permission to help Master Chen Qingzhou promote Chen Family Taijiquan Gong Fu Frame (Lao Jia) in the United States, Tony started looking into Lao Jia Chen Taiji. Tony began studying and practicing Lao Jia Chen Family Taijiquan with Master Chen Qingzhou. It was Master Chen Qingzhou who took Tony a step further into his Taiji journey. As a matter of fact, Master Chen Qingzhou was the first person who taught Tony and a group of Tony's close friends how to practice dantian rotation through exercises. Tony believes Master Chen Qingzhou was the first Taiji teacher to teach dantian rotation (one of the characteristics of Chen Taiji) in a public class. Tony is fascinated by both the Lao Jia and Xin Jia systems of Chen Taiji. Tony understands the different emphasis of each system and sees the various applications of each system. He feels fortunate that he had the opportunity to study with both of these wonderful Taiji teachers, Master Zhang Xuexin and Master Chen Qingzhou. These two masters enabled Tony to gain knowledge and understanding of the Lao Jia and Xin Jia Chen Taiji systems as well as an insight to the evolution of Chen Taijiquan.
Tony believes that the pursuit of knowledge, understanding, and excellence in Taijiquan is a life-long journey. Although Tony mentioned only four teachers who made significant contribution to his martial arts development, there were others from whom he had learned - other teachers, friends, and students. Tony is deeply appreciative of all these individuals who have contributed toward his knowledge, practice, and understanding of both the health and martial aspects of Taijiquan as well as other martial arts.
Although Tony has permission from both Master Zhang Xuexin and Master Chen Qingzhou to teach their Taiji systems to the public, Tony considers himself a humble student of Taijiquan who is on a journey of discovery as he practice it each day. Tony wants to share and pass on this wonderful art of Chen Taijiquan, both the health and the martial aspects, to others. It is Master Chen Qingzhou's open teaching philosophy that Tony has committed to follow and carry on. "Taiji belongs to the world", said Master Chen Qingzhou.
1) Tony is a co-founder of the National Neigong Research Society. He acts as a technical advisor and instructor of Chen Taiji. - Provided short Taiji programs to various high schools to promote health consciousness to teenagers. - Provided alternative treatment for depressed patients using simple taiji movements and Qigong in a local hospital. - Conducted stress management workshops, taiji and qigong workshops throughout the Bay Area - Provided taiji performances for various functions - Judged at various Taiji tournaments and competitions in the Bay Area. Currently, Tony and his group are teaching Chen Style Taijiquan throughout the San Francisco Bay Area of California in the United States. Check Locations/Schedule for the classe(s) near you.
October 31, 2007 Sing Tao Newspaper Article about Tony Wong.
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Tony Wong (Wong Wai Yi)
: On the surface, it means to cover up for your elders, but we should take it one step further. Wei zhang zhe huireflects the attitude of respecting our seniors and the way of committing ourselves to martial art integrity while showing appreciation for the devotion and hard work of the past generations. This is one of the principles Sifu Ken always emphasized in his school and it is this principle that has a deep influence in Tony's moral standard.
: (Renown Master) at the 2000 International Taiji Conference held in Wenxian County (the birthplace of Taiji), China. Tony also received his first grade award and gold medals at the various competitions in this conference. 