I met Dr. Weng when I was studying Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. By the time, acupuncture was my main interest. I did not expect that a Tai Chi class would become such an important part of my life.
I had practiced Tai Chi before, but I mostly thought of it as a set of movements. Dr. Weng changed that.
He taught us Ch’ang-style Tai Chi, but he did not stop at showing us the movements, such as where the hands and feet should go. He taught us Li, the physical movement and the strength/force coming with it; Qi, the breath and internal energy; and Yi, the mind and intention behind the movement.
Slowly, I began to feel that these were not three separate things. The movement affected the energy flow. The energy affected the mind. The mind reinforced the movement. Something clicked!
It felt strangely familiar, almost as though I had known Tai Chi for a long time without really knowing it.
I didn’t truly understand Tai Chi until I met Dr. Weng.
A Teacher Who Was Willing to Share
There is something else about Dr. Weng that has stayed with me just as strongly as his teaching.
He is a quiet and sincere person. He does not need to make himself the center of attention. But when a student genuinely wants to learn, he is willing to spend the time. That meant a lot to me.
With someone who has spent a lifetime mastering an art, I might have expected knowledge to be carefully guarded. Instead, I often felt the opposite. Dr. Weng seemed to want to give us as much as we were willing to receive.
He would explain a movement, correct a small detail, talk about breathing or intention, or show us a martial application. There was always another layer if you were willing to look for it.
I felt, “If you want to learn, I will teach you.”
That generosity made me want to practice—not simply to remember the form, but to understand what he was trying to show us.
What I Carry With Me
I practice Tai Chi every day now.
Every time I practice, something else happens that I did not expect when I first met Dr. Weng. For those moments, I can put aside the day’s stress, my schedule, the things I need to do, and the things I am worrying about. I am simply there with the movement, the breath, and my mind. Everything becomes quieter.
My mind feels clear—almost crystal clear. When I finish, I feel lighter and at ease.
That feeling has become one of the reasons I keep practicing every day. It is also the reason I want to share Tai Chi with others through teaching. I know how easy it is to get caught up in work, family, schedules, and the endless list of things waiting to be done. If Tai Chi can give someone even a small part of the clarity and ease that it gives me, I want to share that experience.
Sometimes, in the middle of a familiar movement, I remember something Dr. Weng taught us. A movement I have done many times suddenly feels different. I notice my breathing. I notice where my mind is. I notice whether I am simply moving my body or actually practicing.
The form has stayed with me, but so has a way of seeing it.
The longer I practice, the more I realize that Tai Chi does not have a final lesson. The same movement can teach me something different at a different time. There is always another detail to notice, another connection to feel.
That is one reason I continue to practice every day. And it is one reason I feel such deep appreciation for Dr. Weng.
His titles and accomplishments tell us that he is a grandmaster. His lineage, years of practice, teaching, and contributions to Chinese martial arts establish his place in the field. But those are not the things I remember most.
I remember a sincere teacher who had so much knowledge and was willing to share it.
I remember a teacher who would give his time to students who genuinely wanted to learn.
And I remember how fortunate I was to be one of them.
My path to Tai Chi teaching began almost by accident, through my acupuncture studies. I did not know then that I would eventually practice Tai Chi every day or teach it to others myself.
Now, whenever I practice, I feel connected to what Dr. Weng gave me.
As I continue to practice and teach, I hope I can pass some of that generosity forward—not by treating Tai Chi as something mysterious that should be kept to a few people, but by sharing what I have learned with anyone who is willing to learn.
That may be the part of Dr. Weng’s teaching I treasure most.
He taught me Tai Chi. More importantly, he showed me how much there is to keep learning.
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