Five Willow evolved into being in Seattle during the mid-1970s. Its early days were not well documented; thus they are somewhat obscure and open to conjecture. Eastern mysticism and Taoist philosophy were in a heyday at that time. Seattle was ripe for Tai Chi masters, so not unexpectedly, one appeared. Hsu Shan-Tung(Sandy), a Hakah Chinese from Taiwan, was attending graduate school at the University of Washington. Being a lifelong student of traditional Chinese culture, he naturally found himself sharing his knowledge of Tai Chi Chuan. He taught classes at various locations: the University of Washington, the Theosophical Society Library, and the Madrona Dance Studio, to name a few. He had a friendly and charismatic character. His classes were well attended; thus he managed to attract some dedicated students. His emphasis on softness and sensitivity set the tenor for the Five Willow Tai Chi Association.

Hsu Shan-Tung's Tai Chi teacher was Mr. Tao Ping-Siang. Five Willow had become intrigued by Mr. Tao long before we ever had a chance to meet him. Sandy would return from a trip to Taiwan and apologetically inform us in class that he had not taught us a certain posture correctly. Mr. Tao was always striving to improve Sandy's form. Naturally, Sandy constantly tried to do the same for us. Mr. Tao was a native of Shanghai China and had become interested in Chinese martial arts as a child. He studied a number of different styles, both hard and soft. Practicality, dedication, and character development were essential ingredients of Mr. Tao's martial arts studies.

Our interest in having Mr. Tao come to Seattle forced this previously unnamed group of people who liked to practice Tai Chi Chuan to become an actual legal entity. Five  Willow Tai Chi Association became incorporated under the laws of the State of Washington on May 6, 1980, and was soon recognized as an exempt organization described in the Internal Revenue Code, Section 501(c)(3).

Having an official organization allowed Mr. Tao to feel more comfortable and willing to visit Seattle. Thus began Five Willow's enduring relationship with Mr. Tao. Over the years, Mr. Tao taught numerous workshops and classes for Five Willow in Seattle. He was always eager for Five Willow to improve our Tai Chi skills, and he was generous in the sharing of his knowledge. Mr. Tao's Tai Chi skills could not go unnoticed for long. Other Tai Chi clubs around the country invited him to teach workshops for them. Mr. Tao was willing to go wherever he was invited. Mr. Tao's enthusiasm for teaching the art of Tai Chi Chuan continued until his death on December 10, 2006.

Five  Willow Tai Chi Association continues onward. Our Saturday morning practice (followed by breakfast) is endless. Winters (October through April) we meet at Langston Hughes Cultural Center at 17th and Yesler from 9am to 11am. The summers (April through October) we spend at Volunteer Park on Capitol Hill from 8am to 10am. Five Willow strives to keep Mr. Tao's Tai Chi knowledge alive and growing. Mr. Tao's words "Yield," "Follow," "Not by Force," and "Whole Body" guide us through our forms and push-hands practice. If this intrigues you, whatever your Tai Chi style, you are welcome to meet us at any of our practices. Five Willow is a nonmembership organization. You can't join and you can't quit. You can only show up.