Tai Chi Great, Ben Lo Passes Away

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2 responses to “Tai Chi Great, Ben Lo Passes Away”

1. 

   January 13, 2019

   Herman Haluza

   That I study Tai Chi n the style of Cheng Man Ching with a master who knew Ben Lo, I feel the loss. I wish I could have met him, especially that I live in San Francisco.

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2. 

   January 18, 2020

   Oren R.

   I met Benjamin Lo in the early 1990s. I had just started learning Tai Chi in Virginia Beach, and a few months later Benjamin’s student Lenzie came to lead a three day clinic. It was tough, but I liked it a lot.

   It turned out I was visiting San Francisco shortly after that, so I tried to set up a private lesson with Lenzie while I was there. But he was moving that weekend and suggested that instead, I see the master himself, Benjamin Lo. I was afraid, but I made an appointment. It wasn’t too expensive, if I remember correctly.

   I went to his studio. It was upstairs from a market. Nice hardwood floors. Benjamin began the lesson by telling me to expect he will say nothing if I do things right, but he will correct my posture if I’m wrong. Then he told me “Just do the form.” So I did.

   I had been practicing almost daily for a few months. I knew I got a few things wrong, but I felt I had done OK. After I finished, Benjamin asked me, “So, do you study Tai Chi in Virginia with Larry?” (That would be Lawrence Mann, of blessed memory, the founder of Tidewater Tai Chi). I told him I did. He asked, “Does he teach you the five basic principles of Tai Chi?” I proudly told him all of them in order.

   Then Benjamin said to me, “You do none of them! What you do is not Tai Chi! It is, maybe, exercise? We must start from the beginning!” He took me through the most basic postures, correcting me harshly nonstop. But I could see that I was not correctly separating. It was hard work and I was tired. And disappointed.

   But I kept at it. I went back home, and in my daily practice I applied what he had taught me. And a few months later they announced another clinic, in Virginia, this one led by Benjamin Lo himself.

   I was terrified this time around. There were 30 or so students, including about 10 from my original cohort. Benjamin began the clinic again by explaining how he says nothing when people do something correctly, but he will correct you if you do something wrong.

   He had us begin the form and pause to hold postures. Then he would walk around us making corrections. I remember standing in a row for that first posture, which I had been working hard on. I saw Benjamin correct the person in front of me who had been in my cohort, then he looked at me but walked right past me to correct the person behind me, who was even more senior than me.

   The feeling was more thrilling than I can describe it here. May Benjamin’s memory be a blessing. He was a great great teacher, and he taught me this lesson I love to share to this very day.

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