Shifu Billy

Shifu Billy
Greer

Owner
Jing Ying Institute

Within a few minutes of speaking with Shifu Billy, it becomes clear that he is passionate about what he does and determined to help others succeed. His background as a scientist, his studies in biology, his experience teaching and his pursuit of studying martial arts provide him with unique skills as an instructor. Not only can he demonstrate a movement and explain its purpose, he can analyze it and break it down to a step-by-step process that makes it easier for others to learn. His holistic approach to instruction helps ensure students understand movements combining mind, body and spirit.

He has given presentations for hospitals, schools, colleges, government agencies, churches, business groups, scouts and more. He has appeared on the Diane Rehm Show, the Marc Steiner Show, the DC Cupcakes episode "So You Think You Can Lion Dance", and has been featured in the New York Times, Baltimore Sun, and Washington Post as well as local papers such as the Capital, and Severna Park Voice. Shifu Billy has had a long career of competing and teaching. Here are some dates for the start of his training, competing, and teaching:
  • 1973 - began training and competing in the martial sport of folkstyle wrestling (to 1981 when he finished college)
  • 1976 - began first teaching job - teaching gymnastics to children 5 to 16 for the Virginina Beach Department of Parks and Recreation
  • 1987 - began studying Tian Shan Pai Kung Fu (Northern ShaoLin) under Mfundi Tayari Casel at the Dennis Brown ShaoLin Wushu Academy

Shifu Billy also gained valuable coaching experience as the team captain of his high school Cross Country, Wrestling and Gymnastic teams as well as his college Cross Country and Wrestling teams. When the first kung fu school he and Nancy attended closed, he started a club and organized and led classes. During his laboratory career, he trained new employees locally, and also provided training for other locations nationally and internationally. In addition, he has taught credit and non-credit courses for Anne Arundel Community College including martial arts and tai chi. He also has over 15 years experience working with the developmentally disabled for Bello Machre and the ARC of the Chesapeake.

At Jing Ying, he not only teaches classes. but also continues his own studies. In 2005, he had the good fortune to begin training directly with Grandmaster Willy Lin, the person who first brought Tian Shan Pai Kung Fu to the US. Grandmaster Lin asked Shifu Billy to become his formal indoor student and he went through a traditional BaiShi ceremony to become his Disciple and a Third Generation inheritor of Tian Shan Pai. Currently, Shifu Billy is one of only three disciples of GM Lin running a school that teaches Tian Shan Pai Gong Fu.

Shifu Billy also was fortunate to study Tai Chi directly with Grandmaster Chen ZhengLei in the US and in China. Grandmaster Chen invited Shifu Billy to become his indoor student and he underwent a traditional BaiShi ceremony in 2011 to become his Indoor Disciple and a 12th generation inheritor of Chen Family TaiJiQuan. Shifu Billy had the opportunity to visit the birthplace of TaiJi in Chen Village and study at the Chen Village training Center. He has also participated in many intensive training camps that Grandmaster Chen holds specifically for his disciples. In 2018, GM Chen celebrated his 70th birthday, the 40th anniversary of his Chen ZhengLei TaiJi Association, and the opening of his new training and exhibition center. During the celebration, Shifu Billy was recognized with an award as an Outstanding International Teacher for his work in helping to share Chen Tai Chi. In a special disciple pledging ceremony, GM Chen accepted his first ever In-Chamber Disciples (his highest level) from the USA. Shifu Billy joined YiJiao Hong of Seattle, Washington and Jimmy Dong of Greenville, South Carolina for this special honor and was the only one not born in China and the first foreigner to undergo the In-Chamber BaiShi ceremony in China.

Through his close relationship with these and other high-level martial artists, Shifu Billy has been able to arrange workshops with some of the top coaches in the world at Jing Ying on a regular basis.

Shifu Billy has won numerous gold medals in forms, weapons, sparring, tai chi and push hands at local, regional, national and international competitions. He is one of those rare competitors who can win gold with a soft tai chi form, or a dynamic kung fu form, and then apply the priciples against another person to win push hands and free sparring - all in the same tournament. He has also been on the other side of the competition ring serving as a judge. A few highlights include:

  • 2005 Grand Champion of the USA National Open Martial Arts Tournament winning gold in sparring, tai chi, and forms
  • 2009 USA WKF National Champion in advanced sparring and advanced Chen Style Tai Chi
  • 30th Anniversary Capitol Classics China Open - Head Judge, Internal Division
  • 2014 USAWKF Traditional Team Trial - Head Judge, selecting US representatives for the 6th World Traditional Championship in China.

In addition to special training with Willy Lin and Chen ZhengLei as a Disciple, Shifu Billy has also been fortunate to have the opportunity to train with Chen XiaoWang, Chen XiaoXing, Zhu TianCai, Wang HaiJun, Chen Bing, Chen ZiQiang, Zhu BaoLin and others.