Meet Lay Seng Chng
Published Tai Chi Chuan Magazine (Meet The Teacher Series)
How many years have you been practicing Tai Chi?
I started learning Tai Chi Chuan in 1972 in the state of Johor in Malaysia
at the age of 28. In 1974, I moved to Penang I have the honour to receive
direct instructions from Master Tok Sing Gim of Penang who was one of the
first students of Grandmaster Yeh Siu Ting who in turn is the student of
Professor Cheng Man Ching (Details on website). I
Joined the Penang Tai Chi Association in 1975 as a life member. I was
appointed to join the group of instructors at the Association in 1981 and in
1997 I was elected as the Chief instructor of the group of instructors of
the Association.
What does Tai Chi Chuan mean to you?
TCC has saved me from the misery of having to suffer the worries and torture
of the migraine and heart problems my young age. It might even have saved and prolonged my
life!
To me TCC is one of the most interesting hobbies I have ever enjoyed. It is
a treasure of my life. It has helped me to lead a more secure life in the
sense that I am relieved from worries from health problems many people face;
and more important, to be able to impart to others this privilege.
It has not only helped me in my health, it has taught me to live a better
life physically, mentally, and socially by adopting the principles of TCC.
What is the most important aspect for you?
Generally TCC is one of the best forms of martial
arts/calisthenics/sports/excercises(or whatever one may call it) especially
in its ability to help people to recover from chronic health problems and
maintain good health and to be free from various health troubles many people
face.
It is not just healthwise that TCC is known have benefited people. I am very
sure people who have practiced TCC in the right way will agree that one will
feel more secure in ones? movements regardless of age race or gender and
enjoy benefits leisurewise, sportswise, socialwise, workwise.... In life
health comes first, then comes financial stability, d social/communal
integration.
Do you have any personal goals in Tai Chi?
My personal goals is to try to improve myself so that I can improve others;
help others to achieve what I have not achieved, and to discover what I have
not discovered. I believe there is still very much to be achieved, very much
to be discovered.
Who or what inspired you?
My poor health and hopelessness (in the ability to get it cured)in my younger
days made me give TCC a try and when it proved to me that it helped, I was
intent to go in search for a deeper understanding of the art.
What do you make of Tai Chi Chuan's current popularity?
TCC's current popularity is a good trend, but there is a danger and be
counter productive if it goes on the way it is developing. Instead of
studying further into the art people think that they have mastered the art
and are good enough to start to develop what they think to be better sets
and forms. Before one clearly understands what it means people have tried
to teach what it can mean. This will lead to shallow knowledge and thus
retard further research into the art. To study an art it is not just to
learn to know the forms and to create new ones to give oneself a name for
that form he/she has created. Example I can easily create my own set and
call it LSChng's Tai Chi and LOOK! HOW GREAT I AM!!! MINE IS BETTER THAN THE
ONE I LEARNT!!! This may make new learners feel disillusioned for they have
been given a wrong impression of what TCC is. It confuses the beginners.
There has been in existence so many forms of TCC and people are making more
sets of forms. In this sense they may retard the growth and progress of the
art.
As a Teacher, how do you feel about the Martial aspects of Tai Chi?
Martial applications of TCC is not as simple as one thinks. TCC will not be
called an internal art and the name ?Tai Chi Chuan? if it is just to apply
this form this way and that form that way. It can be one of the best forms
of self defence but it needs much training and understanding, especially in
sensing and qi cultivation.
It is strange to many if I say that martial aspect of TCC can lead to
prevention of direct clashes in every sense of our daily life, like avoiding
direct clashes with people at home, at work, in the community. So, to train
martial applications does not mean training to fight but it is as beneficial
in our everyday life.
Let us not forget that while TCC is one of the best forms of self defence,
what is the use of martial applications when faced with present day weapons?
The Opium Wars of China is a good example of the illusions of martial arts.
What are your views on competition? and What direction would you
like to see Tai Chi Chuan going in the future?
As TCC is a good form of sports, competitions should be encouraged with
proper rules. It helps to develop TCC into a healthy sport which people can
benefit. So TCC needs to be presented in a different approach. We have to
try to think of a way to popularise TCC as a sports especially to the
younger generation, but in doing so TCC as an art for health must not be
compromised.
I belief, and to me it is a fact, that TCC is not just for health or as a
sports, it can calm and nourish the brain, for the brain is a very powerful
creation which most practitioners may not have experienced or may have
experienced but not voiced out for individual reasons. In conclusion, I
would say that TCC can be a very fascinating art which needs to be
researched to much greater depths.