Grandmaster Dong Shi Zuo
Lineage & Beginnings
Dong Shi Zuo, along with his elder gongfu brother Yue Huan Zhi, was a senior student of Grandmaster Dong Ying Jie, famed disciple of Yang Style Taiji inheritor Yang Cheng Fu. (Although all having the same surname, neither Dong Shi Zuo or Dong Bin were related to Dong Ying Jie).
Dong Bin started studying with Dong Shi Zuo when he was a young man, after he watched Dong Shi Zuo, who was Catholic by faith, teach beginners at the local church hall. Dong Bin, being of very limited means could only ‘sneak peaks’ through the windows of the church hall; but after Dong Shi Zuo saw him outside over the course of several days mimicking the moves he had seen the students learning, invited him in and took him on as a student.
Generosity
Dong Bin was forever grateful for Dong Shi Zuo’s generosity, and mentioned his teacher had such esteem for his young charge’s potential that he regularly invited Dong Bin to join him at banquets and other events over the years, never allowing him to pay a penny, or try to skip attending out of embarrassment. Dong Bin said his teacher was adamant that he should join and never made him feel like he was sponging, despite other students taking it in turns to pay for dinners! (It is normal practice in China for students to invite teachers.)
Dong Bin said he developed his own moral character in response and was an exceedingly generous and ‘grandfatherly’ figure to his own students, refusing to accept gifts or money for training.
Gongfu Skills
Besides being a great Taiji player, and wonderful person, Dong Shi Zuo was also widely regarded by his contemporaries for his “Iron Silk Jacket” gongfu skills, or the ability to not be harmed by strikes anywhere on his body. Anecdotes abound as to his legendary skills and interesting (physical) interactions with various ‘ne’er-do-wells’ who sought to try their luck!
Dong Shi Zuo was instrumental in developing and teaching the basic foundation exercises that Dong Bin later taught himself, and which have become the foundation for learning the Yang Style Taiji form with DDA. And for that, DDA are also extremely grateful to a wonderful martial artist and teacher!
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