My education in taiji comes from various masters. Below you will find a list of all the people I was taught by and what their background was in the forms and styles they passed on to me. To this day I continue to study taiji and other internal styles. Our school is about to open its doors to another very big name in the taiji world, namely Grandmaster Zhu Taincai. One of the '4 Protective Warriors' of the knowledge of Chenjiagou, the birthplace of Chen style taiji.
Yes Gingcong
Master Si Gingcong was born in Shanghai. Where he lived until his thirties before he started traveling. He studied in Shanghai Taiji Yang style with Grandmaster Fu Zhongwen, one of the founders of Wu style Taiji. And he learned Taiji Wu further with a student of Grandmaster Ma Yueliang, Yang Xiliang, head coach of the Shanghai wushu team.
When master Si Gingcong started travelling he saw the whole world but settled in Belgium. He then started teaching in Antwerp in the Yang and Wu style, lessons that were also expanded with courses in Sint-Niklaas, where he met Thomas Roelant. Later when Si Gingcong went to China with Thomas, they found the Shanghai Taiji Chen Association together, then led by grandmaster Wan Wende and master Yang Naifa. To this day they both return to the 'People's' or Renmin Park in Shanghai. Master Si Gingcong has always focused more on teaching Liu He Ba Fa with 'Teacher Wan'. An internal Chinese martial art that combines the properties of 3 other older internal techniques, namely 'Ba'gua, Xing Yi and Taiji'. A style in which grandmaster Wan Wende was also an expert.
Grandmaster Wan Wende
Grandmaster Wan Wende born in 1918, died in 2010, was a true treasure trove of knowledge. He was 11th generation Chen style Taiji quan and learned from some great names in the Chinese 'Internal' Martial Art. Including Chen Zhaokui, Feng Zhiqiang and later also Chen Xiaowang. He was a specialist in Wudang Quan, Chen style Taiji and learned Hsing-i and Liu He Ba Fa from Li Dao Li. In Shanghai he became chairman of the 'Shanghai Taiji Chen Association', but also became chairman of the 'Shanghai Writers Association'. Because besides being a famous wushu practitioner and master, Wan Wende was also a very famous translator in China, from English to Chinese and vice versa. He translated among other things some important books that are a fixed standard in the education of young people today in China. But one of his greatest works was the translation of one of the most famous books on Taiji Chen in the West, namely the world famous work by Chen Xiaowang and Feng Zhiqiang, 'Chen Style Taijiquan' (Haifeng & Zhaohua Publishing) in 1984. Thomas was taught by Zhang Zhouji and Sang Xilin . 2 coaches trained by Grandmaster Wan Wende.
Yang Naifa
Master Yang Naifa was born in 1935 and studied Chen style Taiji quan with master Wan Wende in the 'People's' of Renmin Park from 1976. From 1980 he started to assist master Wan more and more in teaching. In 1994 he won the annual Shanghai Taiji quan championship with the 'Er lu' or 71-form Chen style. After the passing of master Wan Wende in 2010, master Yang Naifa took over the banner in Renmin Park. Since then he continues the tradition of the Shanghai Taiji Chen Association in Renmin Park and continues to pass on his knowledge to all those who are motivated to learn and practice Chen style taiji.
Thomas has also been receiving individual lessons from master Yang Naifa since 2011.
Deng Yuanhong
Master Deng Yuanhong was born in Hubei and began his martial arts studies with his grandfather between the ages of 4 and 6. His parents then moved to Sichuan, where he studied with Taoist priests of Baiyun Temple from the age of 7 until he was 14. Here he learned Ba'gua quan, Xing'yi quan, Jiugong quan and Qigong. In the meantime he also studied with a very famous folk hero, Yang Chaohong who taught him Shaolin quan and Er'mei Quan. At the age of 15 his family returned to Hubei and he ended up with grandmaster Zhu Zongmei and his successor You Youming 13th generation, in Jingzhou. Deng Yuanhong mainly studied with You Youming, Taiji, Xing'yi, Ba'gua, Wing Chun, Hong'quan, Ba'ji Quan, etc. until he was 35.