The School of T'ai Chi Chuan was founded in 1976 by Patrick Watson, a senior student of Professor Cheng Man Ch'ing.

Professor Cheng Man Ch'ing was known in China as a Master of Five Excellences - medicine, calligraphy, poetry, music, and T'ai Chi Chuan. A brilliant traditional Chinese physician, he began his study of T'ai Chi as a last resort to heal himself from tuberculosis, for which there was no medical cure. His teacher, Master Yang Cheng-fu, accepted him as a student.

After several years of intense study he completely regained his health. He went on to become the head physician of China until Mao consolidated his control of China and forced Prof. Cheng to flee the country. Prof. Cheng recommended T'ai Chi to his many patients as the best possible form of exercise for their health. Because of his experience of the health benefits of T'ai Chi and his love of the playful interaction of push hands, the martial application, he devoted himself to teaching this art to Chinese and Western students alike.

Realizing that most westerners would not have the patience to learn the long form he was taught, Prof. Cheng eliminated unnecessary repetition and shortened the form into what is now called the "Yang Style Short Form".

Patrick Watson, a proficient in other martial arts, theatre, and Hawaiian Swimming, quickly became one of Master Cheng's senior students in America. At that time Patrick was also a student of Oscar Ichazo, the founder of Arica Institute, a school for the clarification of consciousness. Realizing that the principles of consciousness Oscar and Prof. Cheng were teaching were the same, Patrick introduced Oscar and Prof. Cheng, who became fast friends.

Because of Patrick's devotion to T'ai Chi and his skills as a master teacher of swimming, Prof. Cheng asked Patrick to teach teachers. After Prof. Cheng's death in 1975, Patrick honored Prof. Cheng's request by establishing the School of T'ai Chi Chuan. With advice from Oscar Ichazo, Patrick developed a unique team teaching method to teach an ancient lineage using modern methods. By the time of Patrick's death in 1992, STCC had trained nearly 200 instructors in seven countries.

The school continues today under the auspices of the T'ai Chi Foundation and the guidance of Patrick's most senior students and chosen successors.

Further information about T'ai Chi, our school, our international list of teaching locations, products, Summer, Winter, and Regional Trainings, and more can be found on the T'ai Chi Foundation's website, www.taichifoundation.org.

DavidGoodell@TaiChiSeattle.com
206-298-9376, ext 3

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