2017 marks the 50th anniversary of the passing of Great Grandmaster Chen Pan Ling. His work and research in the practice and function of Chinese Martial Arts gave rise to what we call today the Chen Pan Ling Martial and Healing Arts System. His system is taught all over the world and I am proud to say that I am a part of that martial family.

I was introduced to the Chen Pan Ling 99 Taiji form by Mr. David Liu. He taught a small group at a noodle factory every Sunday morning. When I joined the group they were almost finished learning the form, so to complete my learning I would drive to his house to finish. Did I mention he spoke very little English and I spoke no Chinese? Nonetheless, it was fun and he was generous.

While searching the internet for Chen Pan Ling practitioners I found Shifu Brian Bruning of the Rochester T’ai Chi Ch’uan Center, and he informed me that the son of Chen Pan Ling was coming to the U.S. to hold week long training sessions. That’s where I first met Grandmaster Chen Yun Ching, the man who would become my Shifu.

Grandmaster Chen is a very kind and generous man, and a very skilled practitioner and teacher. He is also very passionate about keeping a promise he made to his father to continue to teach the family system to those who wanted to learn and to take it all over the world. I thank Grandmaster Chen Yun Ching and his family for allowing me to have a part in keeping that promise.

I would like to encourage all of my Chen Pan Ling family the world over to take the opportunity this year to renew your commitment to keep this martial and healing art system alive and share it with whoever wants to learn, so we can help Grandmaster Chen Yun Ching keep his promise.