Editor's         Note

     Last November 9, 2007, Zhuang Zichen (Cheng Chi Thim), the last of the Local traditional Yang Style Tai Chi Chaun teachers, passed away in Binondo. “Lolo” as his students affectionately call him, was a product of Kong Han, one of the older Chinese martial art schools in Manila during his younger days. Later in his life, he shifted to studying traditional Yang Style Tai Chi Churn from the legendary Wong Kit min in the 1960s. Wong was known for his practical Tai Chi fighting skill which he learned from Dong Yingjie in Hong Kong. It is said that Wong would often visit NBI (where Judo was being taught) to test his skill with judokas. After the untimely demise of Wong in the early 70s, Lolo continued his search for knowledge by taking lessons from Yang Shouzhong in Hong Kong, learning ‘standing pole’ from a teacher of Liuhebafa, and much later on sought out other masters of Qigong and Tai Chi Chuan in Taiwan.
     After his retirement, he took to teaching traditional Tai Chi Chuan full-time. First, at a local Chinese association than later at the rooftop at his residence in Binondo. Many came to learn from him, but few remained and even fewer understood the essence of his teachings. He was a moody person and was often harsh openly and held no secrets. He had students of different nationalities, Chinese, Filipino, Swiss, Irish, etc.
     In many ways, lolo was a traditional teacher who kept a very low profile. During his lifetime, he has not allowed anyone to take photos or videos of him practicing. He taught for the love of the art and never received any tuition. Before accepting a student, he would ask for his name, date and time of birth and would consult the divination book to determine the personality of the student. Sometimes in his one-on-one teachings, he would never hesitate to hurl a student against the wall or apply a painful punch or lock just to make a point. Standing practice was required until the student was literally dripping with sweat. Unfortunately, this practice resulted in students quitting especially when contemporary Tai Chi Chuan was introduced in the late 80s. The new forms offered something different under a modern set-up. Instead of the old teacher-student relationship, it became an instructor-student relationship. Here students were free to come and go as they please. Lessons were tailor-made for practitioners making it easy for many and just hard enough to break sweat. This set-up facilitated availability and comfort in a sports club atmosphere whereas in the traditional setting, the student was under the watchful eye of the teacher or father, so to speak.
     Lolo belonged to a different era and his ways though tough, sometimes boring and time-consuming would produce results only if the students were patient and committed enough to endure the training. It takes a certain amount of awareness and length of practice of feel the internal workings of Tai Chi Chuan but majority of people were just attracted by the aesthetic moves of the external. Watching lolo move was like viewing the flowing of water in a river as it passes the rocks and crevasse in its path; one move naturally flows into another in a relaxed manner yet filled with internal force ready to surge forward.
      Many of the earlier articles on Tai Chi Churn in this journal were inspired or based on his teachings. The legacy of lolo’s art is now in the hands of a few dedicated disciples. May his lessons continue to stand out in the midst of today’s myriad of simplified forms practiced for the sake of convenience. At the end of the day, students must face the fact that mastery of any art takes time and correct practice.