He leapt from his shoes.
     Mounted a dragon.
          Now soars among the heavens.

“Do Nothing — Achieve Everything”
“At the end of technique is skill…at the end of skill is spirituality.”
“Don’t move the body – you train your Qi.
                     Don’t move your mind – you train your Spirit.”

Grand thoughts and principles of a great teacher.

Grandmaster/Dashi/LaoSi/Sifu Ha,CheungFong or Fong Ha (or just Fong as he frequently wanted to be called) was born and raised in Canton, China in or around 1937. In 1947, the family then moved to Hong Kong where he had a happy life there. Ha Sifu studied in a well-known Catholic school, took private lessons of Kung Fu, and started his T’ai Chi practice at the age of 16, studying with well renowned teachers. He also practiced Chinese calligraphy which he continued well into his late life.

He dreamt that he saw himself “embarking on a very big ship sailing to the United States.” There he knew right away that this was the next part of the journey. In 1958, at 21, he came to San Diego where he studied at San Diego State University. He used to practice T’ai Chi outdoors and people started to ask him questions about it. His friendliness, openness, approachability and knowledge made him a trusted teacher, and he began teaching T’ai Chi in San Diego.

Then in 1969 he moved to San Francisco and went to San Francisco State University where he graduated as a High School Teacher. He was a math teacher and taught at Lowell High School for over two decades. He continued to teach T’ai Chi in Berkeley and SF. His practice grew. Sifu Ha was always very happy to invite different T’ai Chi, Ch’i Kung and push hand masters to the states and shared their teaching with all his students, so everybody’s practice could grow deeper. For a few years, he went to China once a year to visit his masters to continue to learn from them. He also took some of his students with him on these trips. Then he moved to Berkeley in 1978 and bought his house where he lived ever since and where he continued to teach T’ai Chi and awareness to his last days in the park at the elementary school across the street where the tall and windy redwoods were perfect for standing meditation or Zhan Zhuang/Chan Chuang.

Ha Sifu studied under Grandmasters Tung,YingChieh/Dong,Yingjie (Yang Taiji); Yang,ShouChung/Yeung,SauChung (Yang Taiji); Han,XingYuan/Hon,SingYuen (Xingyi/Yiquan); Cai,SongFang (Wuji Qigong); Yu,PengSi/You,Penxi (Qigong/Yiquan); Zhao-family (Tai Chi Ruler).

He had an impact over his lifetime, and continues to have impact on many people in the afterlife. As a teacher, students discovered an ease of being which was reflected in his teachings as well as in his personal relationships. Others discovered a desire for spiritual awakening, which he combined with his personal practice of sitting meditation and mindful living. It was refreshing for him to meet someone that understood this as his former wife and accomplished T’ai Chi/Ch’i Kung teacher, also competitor in many CMAT and national tournaments would say, “l’habit ne fait pas le moine” or “the robe does not make the monk”, for conventional beliefs about T’ai Chi Masters were a challenge for him. He never chose to wear a uniform, always wore jeans, and always taught that the most important was to be comfortable and relaxed, not just with clothing but with your body, ideas, beliefs, spirit and with an open heart. He loved the potential of T’ai Chi to help develop physical power, energetic sensitivity, mindful awareness and love. For him, he was not just teaching, he lived his beliefs in everyday encounters and in his personal practice.

Family was very important to Ha Sifu, not just his personal family but his students also were part of his family. You really felt that you were walking the path of the Tao with him, side by side, moment to moment, guided by his very grounded presence and his gentle awareness. This would become the focal point of his teachings, awareness of your breath, your standing meditation, of your interconnectedness through the push hands practice, and it became the practice of its ongoing spiritual awakening. We all are better human beings and souls because of him. May we continue to be inspired by his presence and teachings upon our lives.

On behalf of the Ha Family and the Integral Ch’uan Institute family of teachers, students and practitioners worldwide,

Simu/Sifu Micheline Bogey-Ha and Sifu Bruce Wolfe

“What cannot lead to comfort, happiness, and gaining strength does not deserve to be called martial art.” –Master Wang Xiang Zhai, founder of Yiquan