Chan Tai San

Chan Tai San (Chan Tai-San; Chinese: 陳泰山) (July 12, 1920 – September 1, 2004) was a Chinese martial arts grandmaster. Often called one of China's "living treasures", Chan was featured as such on the cover of Inside Kung Fu magazine in 1996.

Early training and military service Chan said he began kung fu training at age eight under Yee Hoi-Long (余海龍), a stonemason who worked for the Chan family. Chan was also taught by the monk Gaai Si Wu Song and trained mostly in the Choy Lay Fut style.

At 17, Chan left the monastery to fight against the Imperial Japanese Army, enlisting in a peasant division which also had some of the most skilled traditional martial arts fighters in China. While in the army, Chan trained and served with Cheung Lai-Chung (張禮泉), a master of Bak Mei or "White Eyebrow" style, and Baahk Mo Jyu (洪瑋翔, nicknamed the "White Haired Devil"), a master of Hung Fut style, and others. As a member of the national demonstration team (and through exhibitions at national level tournaments in the United States), Chan demonstrated internal martial arts (Qigong), Iron Palm and Iron Body.

Chan was one of only a few instructors who openly taught the Lama Pai style. When he opened his classes to Americans, there were estimated to be only five other public Lama Pai sifu in the world.

Footnotes