Grand Master John Kells (born 1940 in Dublin) sadly passed away on the 6th January 2017. John started Tai Chi in London, 1967, under a student of Liang Tung-tsai (whom John also later studied with) called John Yelenesian. Chi Chang Tao (1919-1994): the top student of Cheng Man Ching (1900-1975) Yang Shou chung (1907-1985): the son of Yang Cheng-fu who taught John much about spirit. Hsieh Chi sheng: a top student of Chen Wei ming with many martial artist friends who also helped John in his Tai Chi studies. Master Hsieh also taught John, Pa Gua and Hsing I. Liang Tung tsai (1900-2002): full of mischief and humour whose wife introduced John to Chi Chiang-tao. Wang Yen nien (1913- ): student of Chang Chin lin and of impeccable character with whom John studied power.

John opened the British T'ai Chi Chuan Association in 1970 and started teaching, mainly to train up people to Push Hands with. In 1977, after his principle teacher, Chi Chiang-tao (Dr Chi) had spent over a year in London bringing John up to a high level, he started teaching in a big way, with beginner's classes commencing monthly, until 1993. It is estimated that from 1977 to 1993 John taught over 10,000 students.

Dr. Chi was born 15th October 1919 and in 1937, Started studying T'ai Chi Ch'uan. In 1942 - 1944. He continued to study under the guidance of Master Chang Teh-Fu whose teacher was Li Ching-Lin, whose teacher was Yang Pan-Hou - the eldest son of Yang Lu-Ch'an (the founder of the Yang school of T'ai Chi Ch'uan). For ten years (1955 - 1965) he Studied under the guidance of T'ai Chi Master Cheng Man-Ching, whose teacher was Yang Chen-Fu (nephew of Yang Pan-Hou). He also studied Chen style T'ai Chi Ch'uan and T'ai Chi sword with other masters in Taiwan, From 1959 - 1988, he taught T'ai Chi Ch'uan and T'ai Chi sword and sadly passed away in 1994, learning to love everyone and this teaching has been passed on to many and practised by few.

Of all the modern Tai Chi masters, none have had the impact of the late Cheng Man-Ch'ing. As a child growing up in China, Cheng suffered from a chronic lung condition and a local doctor suggested that he take up Tai Chi to remediate his condition. Cheng proved so good a student that he not only learned Tai Chi, he also cured himself of his illness through his practice.

In many ways Cheng was a prodigy. He grew up to become renowned in his own country as a master of the "Five Excellences": painting, poetry, calligraphy, medicine and martial arts. When one considers the vast learning and diligent study it takes to master even one of these disciplines, Cheng's achievement becomes even more remarkable. His skill as a physician was said to be particularly uncanny and it is in this capacity that he was brought to the attention of Yang Ch'eng-Fu, the standard bearer and lineage heir to the great Yang Lu-Chan, founder of the Yang Family Style of Tai Chi. It seems that Yang's wife was extremely ill and the most prominent doctors had little success trying to find a cure for her illness. Yang had heard of Cheng's reputation as a doctor and he agreed to examine her.

Cheng was able to successfully restore Madame Yang to health and in gratitude, Mrs. Yang persuaded her husband to accept him as a Tai Chi student. Cheng studied daily with Master Yang for years, enduring many hardships to learn the art. Although he later rose to become a great master of Tai Chi himself, Cheng, in typical modesty, always denigrated his own skill with respect to his teacher's. "If Tai Chi was a human body," he was fond of saying, "all I possess is the thumb. My teacher (Master Yang) has the whole body!" No small praise from this highly accomplished individual.

After an illustrious career as a physician, senator and martial artist in Taiwan, Professor Cheng emigrated to the U.S. where he ran a large Tai Chi School in New York's Chinatown section. Much to the detriment of us all, the old master departed this life on March 26th 1975, but his legacy lives on through his poetry, his painting, those he healed and those he taught.