Born in 1929 in Shanghai, Grand Master Shih represents the fifth generation of Chinese medicine doctors and qigong masters in his family lineage. He began his study of qigong at the age of eleven when he contracted malaria during the World War II Japanese bombing of Shanghai. At that time, his grand-father taught him a special qigong technique that cured his life threatening illness.
When he was 19, he developed tuberculosis due to harsh living conditions and deprivation following the war. Doctors did not expect him to live so they sent him home from school to be with his family. For three months, Doctor Shih continuously practiced qigong exercises for his lungs and the microcosmic orbit meditation as he was unable to do anything else. He soon recovered completely. Doctor Shih continued his qigong studies during his youth under the tutelage of famous Taoist and Buddhist masters. He also learned Chinese medicine and acupuncture through apprenticeship with his father’s brother, a well-known TCM doctor. This included a specialized head acupuncture technique transmitted by his family.
In 1949, Grand Master Shih furthered his medical studies by becoming Dr. Yzi Wing Bei’s assistant. Dr. Bei was an accomplished doctor of Chinese medicine. During his twenties, Doctor Shih began his life-long association with the Taoist traditions of Wu Tang mountain, a famous center for Chinese martial arts and qigong. He learned the secret form of Wu Tang Tai Chi Chuan. In the 1970’s, Dr. Shih and Dr. Bei were given permission to publish their book on Wu Tang Tai Chi, making it public for the first time. Grand Master Shih is an accomplished Master of several styles of Tai Chi: Wu Tang, Wu, Sun and Yang styles. He has written books on Ba Gua and Wu Tang qigong, Wu Tang Tai Chi and other works on Chinese medicine and martial arts. During the 1950s and 1960s, under Mao’s rule, qigong was not taught openly in China and many masters were killed, imprisoned or persecuted. During those years, Grand Master Shih worked as a doctor in municipal hospitals.
In the 1970s, the practice of qigong was again allowed to be practiced openly and Doctor Shih was asked to teach it to doctors and patients in Shanghai. He worked with many kinds of patients, including those with cancer. Dr. Shih is widely acknowledged as a leading expert in medical qigong and Qi healing. Besides his accomplishments as a TCM doctor and qigong Grand Master, he is also an excellent calligrapher and a fine painter in several traditional Chinese styles. In 1982, he moved to the United States and became the president, founder and Master of the Chinese Healing Arts Centers in Kingston, NY and Danbury, CT. He also founded the Wu Tang Chuan Kung Association. He is the author of the books, “Swimming Dragon” and “The Chinese Art of Healing with Energy: Qigong Therapy”, as well as videos on the swimming dragon form, Chinese herbal medicine and Chinese medical Tuina. These materials can be found on the Healing Products – Books & Videos page.