Vince Black

Vince Black began his journey in the martial arts in the mid 1960s with kajukenbo instructor Jay LaBistre in Yuma, Arizona. During a visit to the Los Angeles area in 1973, he met his first xingyi quan instructor, Master Hsu Hong-Chi.

This first introduction would lead to a ten-year relationship with Master Hsu. Mr. Black studied with Master Hsu when he came to California, hosted Master Hsu at his school in Yuma, and went to Taiwan on numerous occasions, including a trip in 1980 when he won the super heavyweight division of the Cheng Chung Cup Invitational Tournament.

In addition to teaching xingyi quan, Master Hsu also taught Chinese medical theory according to the classics, tuina, bone-setting, and herbal applications for acute injuries. In 1985, Mr. Black received his Diplomat in Acupuncture with the National Certification of Acupuncturists, and in 1986, received his Doctor of Oriental Medicine degree from California Acupuncture College in San Diego. After Master Hsu’s death in 1984, and following his advice, Vince Black continued to seek out other instructors in the Chinese internal arts by traveling throughout mainland China.

Mr. Black undertook numerous trips to China throughout the 1980s and 1990s, studying under several renowned instructors–Li Ziming, Li Guichang, and Wang Shitong–and making friends with countless luminaries of the internal arts world, including Xie Peiqi, Zhang Baoyang, Liu Wanfu, Liang Kequan, Wang Shusheng, and others. Simultaneously, he sought out and learned from extraordinary martial and medical practitioners in other regions, including Sijo Adriano Emperado, Filemon Momoy Cañete, and John Upledger.

He passed on all of the material he learned throughout his many years of continual research and practice to his students within the North American Tang Shou Tao Association. It is now in their hands to carry on his remarkable legacy, and ensure that these treasures of martial and medical knowledge continue to be available to future generations.

Early Years

Vince’s art was founded on old school kajukenbo and the rough and tumble of Yuma, Arizona in the 1960s. He also had the opportunity to study Yang style taiji quan and became fascinated with the internal styles. Robert Smith’s “Chinese Boxing: Masters and Methods” convinced him that xingyi quan was the art that he wanted to learn and in 1973 at the age of 24 he began to study under Hsu Hong-Chi of Taipei, Taiwan.

Taiwan

Master Hsu said to Vince, ”Here in America I can talk a lot and it is hard for you to understand, if you come to Taiwan, you will see with your own eyes and you will understand right away.” Vince took him at his word and began traveling to Taiwan as often as he could. He did indeed learn a lot about how Master Hsu ran his school and used his art as much to change people’s hearts as to win fights. This philosophy continues to direct the North American Tang Shou Tao’s efforts to this day.

Studies in China

After Master Hsu’s passing, Vince again followed his directions and began traveling in China looking for old masters and researching the roots of his xingyi quan. It was here that the relationships that he formed with his teachers and school brothers set the stage for all the North American Tang Shou Tao’s activities. Vince was in China during a precious and short window of opportunity, as the old men who were trained before 1949 were reaching the end of their lives and time was running out to see the expression of the internal arts from another era.

Medicine

Beginning with Master Hsu’s directive that, ”You can only be half a gongfu teacher without the medicine”, Vince concentrated a lot of his energy on researching, practicing and teaching traditional medicine. He was very proud of his and his students’ abilities to provide medical aid using efficacious traditional techniques requiring no hi-tech machines or medicines, using only the practitioner’s hands and know-how augmented with simple tools such as acupuncture needles and herbal medicines.

Legacy

Vince taught and treated many, many people in his life and touched many hearts. He worked hard to ensure all the skills and knowledge he accumulated would continue to be passed down to future generations so that his beloved gongfu would not disappear, and that we might fulfill Master Hsu’s desire that, ”this knowledge be spread to the four winds to help people everywhere.” His martial arts along with his medicine is today in the care of his disciples and his many students who continue the work he began.

The North American Tang Shou Tao Association is a 501c3 organization dedicated to the research and cultivation of internal Chinese martial arts and medicine.