Master Bertram Chock

     Mr. Bertram Chock was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was in 1965 when he was a young boy, that he first became intrigued with the internal Chinese art of Taijiquan, but due to circumstances, his parents sent him to learn Kodokan Judo instead from the local YMCA, which was only a few blocks from his home. There he studied for 6 years under the guidance of Sensei Toshiaki Inouye. In 1971, he discovered that his cousin’s grandfather, Sifu Lum Koon Yoi, taught the famous Choy style of Southern Chinese boxing, and thus began his serious study of Chinese boxing at Sifu Lum’s home.
     In 1973, he was introduced by a close friend to Sifu Arthur Lee, a disciple of Lum Dai Yong and soon began his study of Siu Lum Fut Ga (Shaolin Buddhist Style Boxing). In 1976, he began a concurrent study of Yang style Taijiquan under Sifu Lee who had learned from T.Y. Pang, a student of Dong Ying Jie. Dong Ying Jie was a long time disciple of the Yang Cheng Fu, grandson of the founder of Yang style Taijiquan. After returning to Hawaii from college in 1978, he was introduced to and briefly studied under Sifu Patricia Leong, a disciple of Wu Yan Hsia, granddaughter of Wu Jian Quan, founder of the Wu style of Taijiquan.
     In 1982, Sifu Lee discontinued his Taijiquan classes, so Mr. Chock asked him where he could continue with his training in Taijiquan. Sifu Lee referred him to several teachers, one being Sifu Lew De Yee. After paying his respects to Sifu Lew, he was accepted as a student and thus began his study of Chen style Taijiquan and Muih Fa Kyuhn (Plum Flower Boxing). Sifu Lew was a disciple of Pang Hop (Peng Hsieh in Mandarin), a 7th generation practitioner of Plum Flower Boxing. Pang was a disciple of Monk Ho Sim Sim See of the White Crane Monastery in Kwangsai province, China. Sifu Lew was also a disciple of Pan Wing Chow (a.k.a. Pan Tso Min), an 18th generation practitioner living in Taiwan and an authority on Chen style Taijiquan. Pan Wing Chow was a disciple of Chen Fa Ke, 17th generation and who made a name for himself in the martial art circles in Beijing in the early part of the 20th century .
     In 1985, he was introduced by a family friend to Sifu Hu Kin. Although Sifu Hu was in his 80’s, he was still a powerful man and had studied Taijiquan, Xingyiquan (Form and Will Boxing), Baguazhang (Eight Trigram Palms) and Fut Ga in his younger days. Under Sifu Hu’s guidance, he furthered his study of Taijiquan and Qigong (Breath Work).
In 1990, Mr. Chock began his study of Mao Shan Dao Quan (Boxing from the Mao Shan sect of Taoism) after being introduced to Sifu Patrick Moon, the first disciple of Sifu Andrew Lum. Later that year, he also met Sifu Ng Kwok Tai, a disciple of Wu Gong Yi, son of Wu Jian Quan, the founder of the Wu style of Taijiquan. Under Sifu Ng, he continues to gain further refinements and insights into Taijiquan.
     In 1992, he began the completion of his Muih Fa Kyuhn training under Professor Randy Choy who had also studied under Sifu Lew and is his successor. He also started his training in the Chiu Chuk Kai style of Taiji Praying Mantis, and other Chinese Gung Fu under Professor Choy. In honor of their teachers and to keep alive the traditional Chinese martial arts, he and Professor Choy co-founded the Chinese Athletic Arts Academy.