17/10/2025
Thanks you Sifu Bill Phillips for another rare photo of his time at the Shr Jung school in the 1970s! "Professor gave an informal talk before he left for Taiwan, telling us he would not be around as long as we thought. He told us that we were keeping t’ai chi there in New York City because of our need to study with him. He held up a closed fist to demonstrate the idea. He said it was like a flower holding onto its seeds but that when he passed away, t’ai chi would spread to the four corners of the USA. He opened his hand and said, “Let the seeds get taken by the winds.” When Professor died we were in shock. We just could not understand it. He seemed so youthful and healthy and vibrant. We were informed by a telegram, which was then put in the display case for all to see. As the shock passed, we pulled ourselves together and organized a memorial. Robert W. Smith came up from Washington D.C. and Ben Lo attended also..." - Sifu William C Phillips, Excerpt from In The Presence Of Cheng Man Ching: My Life And Lessons With The Master Of Five Excellences. Order In The Presence Of Cheng Man Ching on Amazon (also available Amazon UK, Japan, Europe) or from your local bookseller: https://www.amazon.com/Presence-Cheng-Man-Ching-Lessons-Excellences/dp/0648283127
"William C. Phillips, a devoted student and master teacher with over fifty years experience, takes us on a journey into his lifetime in the martial arts and in particular, his lessons and experiences with the Master Of Five Excellences, the incomparable Cheng Man-Ch'ing, the master who brought tai chi to the West in the 1960s."
Photo credit: William C Phillips
