About the author
Master SIM Pooh Ho has been practicing martial arts since the age of six. In 1964, while still a teenager, he founded the Nam Hwa Martial Arts Association of Singapore, and grew it into a chain of more than ten branches in less than a decade, with disciples clinching top prizes in local and international competitions. As a recognition of his achievement in the martial arts, he was invited to appear in Tokyo TV’s The World of Wonders in 1972.
From 1978 to 1988, Master Sim was President of Singapore National Wushu Coach Association for five consecutive terms. He was behind several major events, including International Martial Arts Meeting in Singapore in 1986. In recognition of his contribution, he was awarded PBM Public Service Medal by the President of Singapore in 1986.
Master Sim became a “privy” disciple of Grand Master Wu Tunan in 1978. The doyen of Taiji of China, Grand Master Wu subsequently adopted him as his son. He inherited from the Grand Master the lineage of Taijigong, which can be traced back to the 1st century. In addition to the teachings of Taiji ancestors, such as Xu Xuanping, Li Daozi, Zhang Sanfeng and Song Yuanqiao, he imbibed the teachings of scriptures such as the Tao Te Ching, Yijing, Diamond Sutra and Nanhua Jing. This explains why his approach to training goes beyond the honing of physical skills to embrace the cultivation of one’s self and attain harmony with Heaven.
Master Sim’s disciples and students come from a variety of backgrounds and are scattered in no less than 20 countries, from Asia, North America and South America to Europe. While not all of them pursue career excellence in the martial arts, many of them are high achievers in their own fields, from the academics to politics and business.
He is regarded highly by his disciples not only for the skills he teaches but also for the wisdom he imparts. He guides them to recognize the subtlety of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements that are essential to the mastery of Taijiquan, and directs them to the observation of the law of nature and the transcendence of self.
In 2016, upon requests of his disciples, Master Sim conducted a series of lectures on Decoding the Tao Te Ching, which culminated in the publication of the Chinese version of this book. During the lectures, he shared the epiphanies he had experienced and the ways to verify the teachings of the Tao Te Ching through the progressive training of Taijigong.
About the editor/translator
Tekson TEO combines his quest for Tao with investigation of management excellence, while verifying what he has learned through the practice of Taiji and Qigong and observation of organizational behaviors. The fusion results in his unique approach to leadership and personal development. It instills calmness and quiet confidence as antidotes to meeting the demand of the highly competitive and frenzy world.
An avid reader of Taoist literature, Tekson is familiar with classics such as the Yijing the Tao Te Ching, and The Art of War. Spellbound by the rare insight they offer, he observes with immense curiosity how the laws of the universe embedded in these works manifest in the modern world. Decades of practice as a management consultant across countries in the Asia Pacific region allows him ample opportunities for the observation. So is the rigorous training of the ancient lineage he follows. He examines the subtlety in the people he observes, and the energy flows that he experiences in the practice of Taiji and Qigong.
Tekson became Master Sim’s disciple in 1999. He was awarded BSc (Econ) Honby the University of London, and MBA and DIC by Imperial College London.