Today we’d like to introduce you to Grand Master Tsai.
Grand Master Tsai, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I began my own journey with martial arts in Taiwan at the age of 7. My family came to Chicago in 1961 and I opened my first martial arts school in 1964 in Chicago’s Chinatown. I won my first world lightweight championship in 1965, second in 1967. We later expanded to 26 locations in Chicago, Indiana, Wisconsin, Florida, and Puerto Rica. I trained under two of the best grand masters in the world in Shaolin Kung Fu, Great Grand Master Xue, and Meihua Wellness Qi Gong, Great Grand Master Zhang. I learned how to build and utilize my qi to protect myself in every way – wellness qi gong for physical, mental and spiritual health and dynamic qi body that allows me to protect and defend myself from impact force.
I have taught more than 50,000 students from around the world throughout my life in martial arts, healing qi gong and self-defense, they ranged from gang-oriented youth to Chicago Mayor Michal Belandin to judges and congressmen. No matter the race, age or occupation, we worked hard to make champions, and that we did – more than 100 champions. Tsai Kung Fu International became known across the US as one of the best martial arts schools in the country and I appeared on the cover of Inside Kung Fu as the “coach of champions.” in 1989. During this time, I made the successful video series of “How to Protect Yourself”, How to Protect Yourself with Weapons, Energize Yourself with Qi. We became the #1 self-defense video in the US and it still is today.
In May, 1983, Chicago Sun Times ran a month long series on me entitled “How to Be Strong”. The Tribune followed with a full page article on me about martial arts. I have trained many students to achieve world titles in full contact fighting, kick boxing, and even as Olympic gold medalists for the US. Lectures, workshops and seminars reached 1,000’s of individuals. I also trained more than 16 police divisions across Cooke County on mechanics of arrest and special security. I represented the USA as a coach in the 2008 Olympics and have officially been recognized as the 17th generation Grand Master of Meihua Quan Association of China, an organization of more than 50 million in China alone. I have devoted nearly 70 years to the study, practice, and proliferation of martial arts.
For the past 35 years, I have focused on research and training of how to transform this previously secret ancient wellness and fitness qi gong to enhance modern day wellness. With continued study of qi gong in Taiwan and China, I learned how to stop the depletion of energy; how to teach people to heal themselves; and how to build a first class life. Upon my return from 2 decades in China, I spent 3 years in the retirement area of Hot Springs, AR where I researched and taught senior adults about wellness qi gong for a healthier and happier life. As a no impact exercise, the more than 150 qi gong students ranged from 60 to 90 years old. While focusing on building energy and reducing pain, I discovered that a strong immune system and clean energy are the key issues to wellness, not only for seniors but for all ages.
Through my research I have discovered that it does not take 10, 20, 30 years of qi gong to build energy and gain benefits. Quick health improvement can be accomplished in 2-3 months, often even sooner. This shocking discovery led me to further my study qi gong for wellness for people who were elderly or seriously or chronically ill – people who did not have 10-30 years to get results. Meihua Wellness Qi Gong has helped many of my students who suffered from fibromyalgia, cardiovascular problems, lupus, multiple sclerosis, breast cancer, serious bone and joint pain, back problems, brain injury, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and general lack of energy.
Today, with my experience in wellness qi gong and in coaching 100’s of athletes to reach their highest potential, I am now working with top executives and entrepreneurs as a life coach in wellness. These are individuals whose recognize that their top performance depends on their energy level, their balanced emotions, and on being as stress-free as possible.
Personally, I know qi gong works. I was a wimpy kid having been born premature and stayed in the hospital the first 3 months of my life, Qi work at an early age laid a web of energy in my body around which strong muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments developed making me strong enough to spar and personally train my champions ranging from 115 to 250 pounds. I have led a rough, ragged life of a martial artist and fighter; have been run over by a car as a pedestrian in Boston in 1965; and have been in a head on collision. Hip pain, back pain, fractured neck pain, sciatic pain broken limbs, hands and feet; and much more pain resulted from all of this. In spite of the injuries, today, in my 70’s, I live pain free. Yes, pain free all because of the qi gong that I have trained. This is the knowledge and hope I want to share with people so that potentially it can be helpful to them.
Simply put, I spent the first half of my martial arts career building energy and learning and teaching techniques to defend oneself externally. This second half of my life has been dedicated to using that same energy and Meihua Qi Gong techniques to teach people how to help themselves to heal with their own qi energy. Energy reconnection, connection and activation of one’s own energy can create a qi flow of health. (Attached are a couple of testimonials.)
Has it been a smooth road?
As a martial artist and martial arts instructor, our core education is discipline – to train our students the discipline that we learned to become skillful in the art form. This is always the most difficult challenge for anyone in any arena. In Chicago I had to train many students who had no discipline at all yet I held fast to their transformation to become successful in whatever area they wanted. With Shaolin and Meihua as my teaching, I was committed to supporting the development of good humans, with ethics, skills discipline and confidence. The most rewarding for me was to train students to be champions while in martial arts and later in life. More than 100 champions carried the TKI name. Many became martial art teachers, engineers, doctors, counselors, marine colonel, police officers, youth development professionals, and leaders in their fields. I am proud to have had them all as my students.
A personal challenge for me was to understand the wide variety of individual backgrounds and personal problems. As a coach, I often came to be a “father” to my students. Their success was my success. We all won together as a family. Some did not follow a path of success and positive living, but I learned we cannot help those who do not want to be helped.
Challenges also arose in the industry of martial arts. With each style vying for the top spot, industry leaders were faced with bringing them together to create a positive public image and a viable career path for those with the passion to follow it. I was a founding board member in 1993 of the US WuShu Kung Fu Federation, second only to China’s WuShu Federation. This allowed US competitors to enter the Olympics in 2008.American Karate Association honored me as a member of their 2016 Hall of Fame and as a professor of martial arts. . The Mid-West Martial Arts Hall of Fame honored me in 2005. US Association of Martial Arts honors me as their style head in Meihua Qi Gong and Shaolin Kung Fu. Many martial arts associations have honored me with their martial arts professorships recognizing the more than 60 years of study, practice and teaching of martial arts. I was also officially appointed as Vice-President of the China Meihua Quan Association and later as the President of the International Meihua Quan Association. I carry the honor and mission of sharing our Meihua martial art culture and heritage with the world.
Another challenge continues to be running into people who I feel sure could benefit from what we offer yet do not have the confidence or will or discipline to practice qi gong for better health. I hate to see people suffer and want to help everyone. However, I often say to people who inquire about Meihua qi gong that it works if you work it. It will never work if they do not work it. I have to accept once again that I cannot help people who do not want to receive the help.
We view qi gong as a natural power that we all hold. Let’s face it. Some Higher Power breathed the breath of life into us in the beginning. If this breath has the power to jumpstart life, why would it not hold the power to heal our body when in need? It is heart-wrenching to watch people wilt away as they deplete their own energy with stress, negative emotion, chronic pain, on-going illness and more. It is like spending $1,000 a day when I have only $100 in my bank account. We have very simple answers but people have to be seeking answers. Miracles happen for those who seek miracles. Simply put, we hold the miracle of breath, life and energy in our very own bodies.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the GM Tsai Institute story. Tell us more about the business.
GM Tsai Institute focuses on training individuals from around the world about Meihua Wellness Qi Gong and Nei-Gong; how to use it to improve their own health; and/or to build it as a professional service to support others. We are building an on-line university combined with face to face training that can either be an extraordinary means of general continuing education or of earning certifications. We are building certifications in Qi Cleansing; Qi Coaches; Qi Instructors; Qi Masters. These certifications can enhance such professional services as physical therapy, massage therapy, cranial-sacral therapy, Even pain specialists who have run out of options for their patients are sharing what we have to offer for pain relief and pain reduction. Moms and dads who want to teach their children how to breathe better and how to prevent health problems are reaching out to us.
Seminars and lectures are being scheduled around the country as we are creating a health movement through the use of Meihua Wellness Qi Gong. This is an ancient system of self-care and self-healing that is ever so simple in technique and concept. Once a person fully accepts and grasps that we are made of energy – that breath powers life and therefore healing – and that we can clean up our energy; build it and direct it to help heal ourselves, or at least reduce suffering from colds and flu to multiple sclerosis, they have conquered the foundation of Meihua Wellness Qi Gong – attitude. We teach that your energy is where your attention is and that your energy goes where your intention is directed. This sounds simple yet is quite profound in impact.
We have planned a program for children to learn about their own healing power and how to help others. It is called Qi Angels. Teaching young people simple breath techniques to build a cadre of youth volunteers to help older adults in nursing homes or assisted living centers is our goal. Meihua is an association that stresses the ethics of community and helping others as we help ourselves. The GM Tsai Institute’s close association with USA Meihua Quan Association lays a solid foundation to join hands to promote such learning and to create opportunities for young people to share their hearts and their skills while assisting those who need their love and help.
What sets Meihua Wellness Nei-Gong apart is the simplicity and speed of results. Our motto is “The proof is in the pudding.” We are not about just learning “how to” or about the philosophy of qi gong. We are action-oriented, get-it-done and get it done as quickly as possible for those who want to reduce suffering and to enjoy feeling better. We know it works through the results of those I have worked with and taught over the past 25 years. Desire, discipline and keeping it simple created the results that each student sought. One student has only 65% of his heart and just wanted to live beyond the 10 years he was “granted” by his doctors. He has succeeded and continues his study with me. He even went to China with me and climbed the Great Wall in 2016. One has practiced for 2 years to reach weeks without any symptoms of his lupus. Many have begun their recovery through Meihua study. . If you commit yourself to the practice of Meihua Nei Gong, you will find the miracle inside your own body and mind – the best healing source there is.
The need for such support and teaching is great as so many suffer from pain. We know how to teach people to build a “qi ball” and qi hai that can swallow pain and suffering. The Institute is constantly in search of individuals who seriously want to learn the skills and techniques. We interview and are very particular about the students we bring in. Yet, we have an open door to share what we have learned. I am older myself and have no time to waste. My personal passion is to leave a legacy in this country of Meihua Nei-Gong – of an option for first class life without suffering. Meihua professes that life WITHOUT Qi Gong consists of birth, life, aging, pain, suffering, death. A life WITH qi gong consists of birth, life, aging, death. Isn’t that what we are all looking for…less pain and suffering? Whether physical or emotional, Meihua Nei-Gong works to reduce or eliminate the pain and suffering…and the power to do this is within you. We just have to know how to turn on the switch to our energy; how to build it; and then how to apply it.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
As stress increases in daily living and at work and as sufferers from depression and ongoing fear increase, GM Tsai Institute is placing more attention on two things: the TCM teaching of 6 desires and 7 emotions and the modern-day study of the vagus nerve. We are teaching how to cleanse both – emotions and the vagus nerve- of unwanted, harmful energy through Emperor’s Breath, Qi Cleansing, energy activation and connection.
People are also living longer and the quality of life really needs to be there. Our Meihua teachings can bring back that quality of life – even for those who are in pain now – for people of all ages. We can help people feel better.
Health care costs increase as does the instability of the industry. Who will be paying for what and what care can I receive? These are questions that many do not know the answers to. We also know that long-term side effects can sometimes exceed the pain of the original health concern. So many of us are seeking options to live longer better in an affordable, accessible, effective way. We believe we have a very inexpensive, valuable, viable, workable, simple option for everyone to feel better, at minimum. My qi gong work and research have whetted an ancient system of self-healing to fit our modern day lives. My Great Grand Master Zhang, who passed May 2 of this year, lived to be 102 years old. The famous Dr. Oz was accurate said that if you want to live to be 100, do qi gong.
Contact Info:
- Address: 825 S. Richmond St.
Westmont, IL 60559 - Website: GM Tsai Institute of Meihua Nei-Gong
- Phone: 501.626.2720 or 312.391.1942 or 501.204.2100
- Email: grandmastertsai@126.com or mala@terrasential.com
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