Chan Kam Lee

Chan Kam Lee (died 1953 or 1954) was one of the first Taoist masters to bring the Taoist Arts to the West. He established a Taoist arts school in London in 1933^[1] teaching Lee style tai chi chuan, Qigong, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Feng Shou 'Hand of the Wind' Kung Fu.

Business

Chan Kam Lee was the last in line of the Lee family, and as he was an importer and exporter of precious and semi-precious stones, he travelled thousands of miles promoting his business, which was mainly between Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and England. After he had built up a stable business he finally set up his main office in London, and from there he did most of his trade.

Arts

After a while Chan Kam Lee began to get restless, and he sought an outlet for his physical, mental and spiritual needs. As a result, he established a small and select class in a schoolroom in Red Lion Square, near Holborn, in Central London, teaching and practising his Chinese Taoist arts. He catered only for his own personal friends and their sons, so the total number of his students was very small, and at the most there were only a dozen people attending. All of them were in business and travelled quite a lot, so the average attendance at any one time was only in the region of six people. However, this did not deter Chan Lee for he was able to keep up his own practice as well, which was the main objective in the first place, so he was very happy.^[2]

Death and legacy

Chan Lee died in the winter of 1953-4, when his boat sank in a fierce storm off the coast of China, and it was then that his nephew Chee Soo was asked to take over the Presidency of all the Taoist Arts that were being taught.^[3]

References

1. ^ The Chinese Art of T'ai chi ch'uan by Chee Soo published by HarperCollins 1884 ISBN 0850303877 page 15
2. ^ Taoist Ways of Healing by Chee Soo published by HarperCollins 1986 ISBN-085030475X page 137
3. ^ Taoist Ways of Healing by Chee Soo published by HarperCollins 1986 ISBN-085030475X - page 139