- 1996 North West Taichi Association Southern California Taichi Chuan Championship, Chen TaiChi form 1st place.
- 1996 USA WKF National and International Invitational Tournament, Official Ranking Internal Chen Taiji Gold Medal.
- 2000 Berkeley Taichi Chuan Championship, TaiChi Push Hand Gold Medal.
- Head coach, Chen Tai Chi Association, R.O.C. Taipei
How I started my Tai Chi Journey
When I was 23 years old I met Grand Master Pan. He was demonstrating Chen Style Tai Chi, and I volunteered to challenge him. He easily threw me aside. I was amazed at his power and impressed with his elegance. He was 75 years old, and I was young and strong. How could he defeat me so effortlessly?! I then asked Master Pan if he would teach me.
Photo: Master Wen Pei Chou (First row, second from right) posing with other students with Master Pan (Center in blue).
The good times that I have spent with my teacher
I visited and practiced with my teacher every day, and his wife fixed lunch for us. She always urged me to eat a lot, saying that a young man should eat as much as he could. This was the year before I went to graduate school in the US.
After three years, I returned to Taipei to live just several blocks from my teacher's house. Every morning before work, I would practice with him. He showed me different forms and would ask for my comments, but how could I give any? He showed me ''pushing hands'' and challenged me to figure out what skills he was using.
Every Sunday, at a kindergarten school playground, he held his school. Each student performed their form in front of him, and he gave comments and corrections. When we were not performing, we practiced pushing hands at the side. We would bring Grand Master Pan questions from our pushing hands practice. He always showed us the right moves, repeating them until we understood.
Grand Master Pan told us whenever he closed his eyes he could see his teacher, Chen Fa-Ke. He missed his teacher very much. I understand now how he feels, and I always remember his words during my continuous journey of Tai Chi.
My progress in searching in Tai Chi
1. learn the movements
2. develop agility in steps; clearly demonstrate Yin and Yang.
3. integrate the entire body within movements
4. maintain accurate joint alignment in every instant of motion.
5. achieve harmony of movement at different speeds and intensities.
6. Into the sensitivity of fluctuation of Yin and Yang. Learn to synchronize my Chi with it.
7. able to sense and direct opponent's energy, and maintain balance & harmony with it.
8. with precise bones structure and ligament tensegrity, Ying and Yang can be demonstrated simultaneously.
9. govern the principle of inverse dynamics, movements feels like flowing through a roller coster tracks, experience the exchange between potential and kenatic energy.
10. design a set of instruction materials to assist fellow practitioners to reach the same goal and satisfaction.
My Tai Chi practice today, and for tomorrow
I know the direction to go to continue to improve myself. I practice what my teacher has shown me, everyday... to aligned exactly, to adjust my body to neutralize the opponent's ''issuing'' and to issue energy in the same instance. I sense the energy flow around me, I measure the incoming trend so I adjust myself accordingly. This is how I started learning Tai Chi and this is how I continue. There is no graduation, simply continuation.
Why I wanted to put up this site
In appreciation of all Grand Master Pan has given me, I want to share with others what he taught me. I am dedicated to presenting Chen Style Tai Chi in a way that can reach the most people. So they can enjoy the harmony between our body and the physical world.
I want to present this art in a clear and obvious manner, demonstrate and explain what I have learned, from the very basic forms to the deepest subtleties of the art.