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| Chen Family Taijiquan | |
| with Master Wong Wai Yi (Tony) | |
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Profile of Tony Wong
Although Tony learned various styles of Chinese "gong fu" during his teenage years in Hong Kong, he felt that he did not really embark on his martial arts journey until he started his internal martial arts training. In the early 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. He also practiced Wing Chun for a few years with Sifu Ken Chung. It was not until Sifu Ken introduced Tony to Master Cai Song Fang (Wuji 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 there are also martial arts applications. Master Cai gave Tony a glimpse of the benefits hidden in Taiji and Qigong and inspired Tony to look further into internal martial arts. It was Master Cai who opened the door to internal martial arts for Tony. 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 practitioner from China. Tony began learning Chen Style Taijiquan (Master Feng Zhiqiang's Chen Style Xin Yi Hun Yuan Taijiquan System, which evolved from Chen Style Xin Jia system and other martial arts background of Master Feng) from Master Zhang. In the early years when Master Zhang was teaching more classes, Tony practiced intensively, five 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 were invited to attend private practice sessions with Master Zhang while he continued to attend the public classes. Tony felt that Master Zhang was the person who gave him the building blocks of a strong foundation for his future pursuit of excellence in Chen Taijiquan. During Tony’s trip to compete in Chen Village in year 2000, Tony visited Master Zhang’s teacher, Master Feng’s group in Beijing after the competition in Chen Village. This visit deepened Tony’s understanding of Hun Yuan Taiji and Qigong system. Tony continues to maintain a close relationship with Master Feng's group in China and hosts workshops for Master Feng's Chen Style Hun Yuan Taijiquan System when Master Feng's daughter, Xiuqian and his senior disciple, Chen Xiang, visit the U.S.
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 to look into Lao Jia Chen Taijiquan. Tony began studying and practicing Lao Jia Chen Family Taijiquan with Master Chen Qingzhou. It was Master Chen Qingzhou who led Tony one step further into his Taiji journey and enabled him to capture the essence of integrating the external and internal aspects of Taijiquan. Master Chen Qingzhou was the first person who taught Tony and a group of Tony's close Taiji 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 Taijiquan) drill to a public class in the Bay Area as well as in the United States. Tony is fascinated by both Lao Jia and Xin Jia systems of Chen Taijiquan. Master Chen Qingzhou’s practical teaching and critical training with applications and theories enable Tony to understand the different emphasis of each system as he observes, compares and explores various applications of each system. Learning the complete and authentic Lao Jia system from Master Chen Qingzhou enables Tony to establish a solid foundation for the original system, which then empowers Tony to gain further momentum to acquire knowledge and understanding of not only the universal principles but also the different emphasis between the Lao Jia and Xin Jia Chen Taijiquan systems. Such knowledge and understanding not only provides Tony with an in-depth insight to the evolution of Chen Taijiquan but also propels Tony with unfaltering faith in his pursuit of internal martial arts excellence. It is Master Chen Qingzhou who transmitted this original Chen Taiji system to Tony unconditionally in its
Tony met Master Chen Xiaowang during his visit to the United States in 1996. That was the first time Tony saw how Master Chen Xiaowang fa jin. This is how Tony described it..."It cannot be described in words how the explosive power was issued...you just need to be there and see it for yourself!" The impression of that explosive issuing got Tony wondering about how the internal setup and body mechanics could integrate together to issue such power without any internal injury?! Better yet, how were the mind and body prepared before the issue of internal energy was executed? Several people who knew Master Chen Xiaowang for a long time told Tony that what he witnessed was the best fa jin they had seen Master Chen Xiaowang demonstrate. Master Chen Xiaowang jumped up in the air several times and issued that explosive fa jin in mid-air right in front of everybody. Tony learned the Xin Jia Yilu and Erlu directly from Master Chen Xiaowang through these years. The in-depth teaching of how to "prepare" yourself to fa jin and push-hand has not only enriched Tony's knowledge of taiji, but also taken Tony back to the Wuji Stand and the intriguing search of the reasons for practicing Taijiquan. Tony has great respect for Master Chen Xiaowang's accomplishment and he appreciated Master Chen Xiaowang's openness and willingness to teach and share his vast Taiji knowledge and learning experience with him. Of Master Chen Xiaowang’s teaching, one thing that Tony can always relate to for it also echoes Master Chen Qingzhou’s expectation of his students is when Master Chen Xiaowang told Tony what
Fate! Before one of my Taiji friends visited Hong Kong in 1997, he told me that he was going to meet a Yiquan/Taiji teacher, Master Chen Zhengzhong, whom he met some ten years ago. My friend told me that he has never met anyone like Master Chen... someone who can move my friend with ease "like his teacher". I was always interested in Yiquan and had read many books about Wang Xianzhai. I was fascinated by the Yiquan principles. In hope that one day I can meet Master Chen, I asked my friend to help me bring a bottle of cognac and a letter to Master Chen Zhengzhong to show my respects. A few weeks later, I asked another friend to help me bring some more wine to Master Chen. After meeting Master Chen, this friend told me, "Master Chen is very, very good. He threw me all over the place." I received a phone call from Master Chen a few days later thanking me for the gifts I sent him. It was astonishing how the martial arts conversation continued after the usual "How are you? I am fine stuff..."
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. Tony always feel it's his honor and privilege to be accepted into Maser Chen Qingzhou's lineage and carry on the mission to pass down the unchanged Lao Jia Chen Taijiquan to the next generation. Although Tony has permission from Master Chen Qingzhou, Master Chen Xiaowang, Master Zhang Xuexin, and Master Chen Zhengzhong to teach their Taiji and Yiquan 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. October 31, 2007 Sing Tao Newspaper Article about Tony Wong. Names of Master Chen Qingzhou and Master Chen Xiaowang and three of their taiji brothers are listed directly under Grandmaster Chen Zhaopi's Lao Jia lineage at the Chen Village - Taiji Ancestral Temple.
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Tony Wong (Wong Wai Yi)
"Jiao dai qing chu" means to present and execute a clear full description of the posture without skipping and holding back any information. That’s how Master Chen Qingzhou treats each and every posture in the Lao Jia system and he would not allow any slurry movements when he teaches his students. He is very critical about each movement with proper intention; how energy propagates out from dantian to the limb; exact details of weight shifting and sinking; tensing and relaxing; opening and closing, etc. Tony feels fortunate that he has the opportunity to follow Master Chen Qingzhou and to continue Master Chen Qingzhou's lifelong pursuit and efforts of preserving the very original Taijiquan system as how it was handed down to him from generation to generation. 
"yuan zhi yuan wei" (original juice original flavor) as how he learned it from his teacher, Grandmaster Chen Zhaopi. Tony became Master Chen Qingzhou's indoor disciple in 1999.
"dao li" (reason) is. The character "dao" is put together by two characters/symbols meaning literally "The head is going to travel," and the character "li" is put together by two other characters/symbols meaning "The king determines what a mile is." Master Chen Xiaowang used the term "dao li (reason)" in Chinese to draw a clear picture of the philosophy of the Chinese learning and teaching. Students have to totally follow the teacher's instruction without the slightest doubt and question! It is the teacher who determines and makes that sole decision about what to teach, how to teach, and when to teach the student. On the other hand, it is the responsibility of the student to learn how to receive the teaching and be ready when the time comes. This absolute trust, devotion, and discipline allow the direct and effective transmission of the family art to be passed down from past generations and carried on to future generations.
"Fan pu gui zhen" was what we are trying to do... "fan pu gui zhen" - right. I nodded my head and thought deeply, trying to remember how many empty hands forms, weapons, and qigong sets I have learned in the past twenty years. "All I need is one good direct punch to get you!" Master Chen Zhengzhong's voice rang from the other side...
: (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. 
