Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo (Ben Lo) (April 1927 - October 12, 2018) was a proponent of tai chi in the United States. Lo was a student of Cheng Man-ch'ing, translated several influential tai chi books into English, and was a teacher in his own right.
Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo was born in Jiangsu Province, China. [1] In 1948, he and family moved to Taiwan. In 1949, when Lo was ill, his father sent him to see Cheng Man-ch'ing, a well-known artist and practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. Lo was not well enough to be treated with traditional herbs, so Cheng recommended he study tai chi to build up his strength. Lo began studying with him and continued to study and practice tai chi for the rest of his life. [2]
Lo graduated from National Taiwan University with a degree in Chinese literature. He then worked in the government, and later completed a master's in public administration at National Chengchi University. [1]
In 1974, with Cheng's encouragement, Lo moved to San Francisco, where he began teaching tai chi, establishing the Universal T'ai Chi Ch'uan studio. Along with teaching there, he traveled around the United States, Holland, Sweden and elsewhere in Europe, as well as Israel and Taiwan, holding workshops and camps for thousands of students. Lo was a staunch defender of Cheng's teachings and reputation. Lo often summarized his teaching into "Five basic principles for the development of good Tai Chi Ch'uan skills .... 1) Relaxation. 2) Separating Yin from Yang. 3) Turning the waist. 4) Keeping the body upright. And 5) Maintaining the hand like a beautiful lady's hand." [3] Above all, he emphasized the need for practice.
Robert W. Smith, another martial artist and tai chi proponent, wrote that Lo was "the best example of Zheng's [Cheng's] teaching in the U.S., and possibly the world." [4]
Lo died in San Francisco on October 12, 2018.
Lo was the lead translator for three books that were some of the earliest tai chi books available in English.[ citation needed ]
Neijia is the collective name for the internal Chinese martial arts. It relates to those martial arts occupied with spiritual, mental or qi-related aspects, as opposed to an "external" approach focused on physiological aspects. The distinction dates to the 17th century, but its modern application is due to publications by Sun Lutang, dating to the period of 1915 to 1928. Neijin is developed by using neigong or "internal changes", contrasted with waigong or "external exercises".
Tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art. Initially developed for combat and self-defense, it has evolved into a sport and form of exercise. Tai chi is a gentle, low-impact form of exercise in which practitioners perform a series of deliberate, flowing motions while focusing on deep, slow breaths. Often referred to as "meditation in motion," tai chi aims to concentrate and balance the body's qi, providing benefits to mental and physical health.
Cheng Man-ch'ing or Zheng Manqing was a Chinese expert of tai chi, Chinese medicine, and the so-called three perfections: calligraphy, painting and poetry. He was born in Yongjia, Zhejiang Province, during the Qing dynasty. Cheng died March 26, 1975; his grave is near the city of Taipei in Taiwan.
In Chinese philosophy, taiji is a cosmological state of the universe and its affairs on all levels, including the mutually reinforcing interactions between the two opposing forces of yin and yang,, as well as that among the Three Treasures, the four cardinal directions, and the Five Elements—which together ultimately bring about the myriad things, each with their own nature. The taiji concept has reappeared throughout the technological, religious, and philosophical history of the Sinosphere, finding concrete application in techniques developed in acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine.
The Sun-style tai chi is one of the five primary styles of tai chi. It is well known for its smooth, flowing movements which omit the more physically vigorous crouching, leaping and fa jin of some other styles. Its gentle postures and high stances make it very suitable for martial arts therapy.
Wu Jianquan was a famous teacher and founder of the neijia martial art of Wu-style tai chi in late Imperial and early Republican China.
Sun Lutang (1860-1933) was a master of Chinese neijia (internal) martial arts and was the progenitor of the syncretic art of Sun-style tai chi. He was also considered an accomplished Neo-Confucian and Taoist scholar, and was a distinguished contributor to the theory of internal martial arts through his many published works.
Huang Sheng-shyan or Huang Xingxian was a Chinese martial artist. He was a practitioner and promoter of the art of tai chi.
Yang Jianhou (1839–1917), or Yang Chien-hou, was the younger son of the founder of Yang-style tai chi Yang Luchan, and a well known teacher of the soft style martial art of tai chi. Yang's older brother, Yang Banhou, was the senior of Jianhou's generation, and also an important tai chi instructor. Jianhou's sons Yang Chengfu and Yang Shaohou were also famous teachers of tai chi.
Tchoung Ta-tchen or Zhong Dazhen was a martial arts teacher who developed his own version of Yang-style tai chi. He died on February 22, 2000.
Wu Quanyou was an influential teacher of the tai chi martial art in late Imperial China. His son is credited as the founder of the Wu-style tai chi. As he was of Manchu descent, and would have been named by his family in Manchu, the name "Wú" (吳) was a sinicisation that approximated the pronunciation of the first syllable of his Manchu clan name, U Hala.
Taijijian is a straight two-edged sword used in the training of the Chinese martial art tai chi. The straight sword, sometimes with a tassel and sometimes not, is used for upper body conditioning and martial training in traditional tai chi schools. The different family schools have various warmups, forms and fencing drills for training with the double-edged sword known as jian.
Chen Weiming (1881–1958) was a scholar, tai chi teacher, and author. He was also known by his name Chen Zengze (陳曾則), Weiming being his hao, a pen-name.
Robert William Smith was an American martial artist and writer, most noted for his prodigious output of books and articles about the Asian martial arts and their masters. Smith's writing was an important factor in the spread of Asian martial arts such as judo, baguazhang, xingyiquan, and tai chi in the postwar United States.
The tai chi classics are a collection of over 100 articles on the Chinese martial art of tai chi written by the art's master practitioners over the centuries. They cover everything from the underlying taiji philosophical principles, to methods of practice and application. Previously passed down in secret from generation to generation in whole or in parts through various lineages, they achieved classical status as they became public starting in the mid-1930s. Together they now serve as the single authoritative guide for the development and usage of tai chi skills. Written mostly in classical Chinese, they are used today mostly by the serious martial art practitioners of modern 6 Lineages that all trace their lineages to the ancient style taught by the Chen family and Yang family starting in the mid-19th century.
Chang Dsu Yao was a teacher of the martial arts Meihuaquan and tai chi from Taiwan.
Yang Zhenduo, a native of Yongnian, Hebei, was born in Beijing, China, into the famous Yang family of martial artists. A son of Yang Chengfu and a great-grandson of Yang Luchan, Yang Zhenduo was a fourth-generation descendant of the Yang Family of tai chi, and the fourth lineage-holder of the style.
Dong Yingjie was a leading master of tai chi, and a top disciple of Yang Chengfu. Born in Renze, Xingtai, Hebei, China, his given name was Wenke (文科). Famous in his time for defeating a foreign boxer in a public challenge match, he dedicated his life to the martial arts, training intensively in multiple styles, serving as chief assistant instructor for Yang Chengfu, and going on to found his own thriving tai chi legacy.
Yang Luchan, also known as Yang Fukui (1799–1872), was an influential Chinese practitioner and teacher of the internal style tai chi martial art. He is known as the founder of Yang-style tai chi, the most popular and widely practised tai chi style in the world today.
Wu-style tai chi is one of the five main styles of tai chi. It is second in popularity after Yang-style, and the fourth-oldest of the five major tai chi styles. It was developed by Wu Quanyou and Wu Jianquan.