Tai Chi Master B.P. Chan Dies at 80

Remembered For his Humbleness and Knowledge by Frank Allen.

Master B.P. Chan, who taught at the William C.C. Chen School of Tai Chi for the past 27 years, passed away Sunday morning at 9:35AM, March 17 2002. He was 80 years old and teaching up until 2 weeks before his passing, which was gentle and completely accepted. Master Chan was laid to rest yesterday with a combined Roman Catholic and Buddhist ceremony. Although many of us will carry on his teachings within our own amalgamations, Master Chan's successor who will carry on his teachings in their pure form is Sifu Michael Benaman.

especially noted for how much he loved Master Jou's Tai Chi Farm and the time he spent there teaching and working on the facilities with his students. B.P. Chan was one of the last of that rare breed of simple and humble kungfu masters, [as much as he hated being called a master], and he will be sorely missed by everyone who he ever came into contact with.

http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=201

Grand Master B.P. Chan

B. P. Chan started his studies of Chinese marital arts training at the age of 10 in Fu-Kien, china, his birthplace. It was there that he met his first teacher, Chan Jin Ming, a Shaolin master. He learned other Northern Shaolin forms with Lian-Dak Fung in 1933.

As his interest grew, he went on to study Ba Gua, Hsing-Yi Boxing, Tung Tai Chi Chuan, Chan Style Tai Chi Chuan, Tai Chi Staff, Tai Chi Knife, Tai Chi Push-Hands and Tam-Tuei. These are just a few of the many martial art forms that was practiced and taught by Grandmaster B P Chan.

Master B P Chan did not believe in utilizing intellectually logical parameters, to try to conceive of the internal martial arts. He believed that thought, reflection, analysis, intention were worthless and that it was better for a martial artist to have a empty mind, then have a intellectually tactical mind".