
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)
- 1974 - 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.
Shifu Billy continued his studies in
Tian Shan Pai kung fu , having 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. Since then, he has had the opportunity to participate in Disciple-only training sessions in the US and in Taiwan, learning push hands, fighting techniques, qinna, weapons and more. Currently, Jing Ying Institute is one of only three schools teaching Tian Shan Pai Gong Fu under a disciple of GM Willy Lin.
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 to become his Indoor Disciple and a 12th generation
inheritor of Chen Family TaiJiQuan. Shifu Billy has
visited the birthplace of TaiJi in Chen Village and studied 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. When GM Chen accepted his first ever In-Chamber Disciples (his highest level) from the USA, Shifu Billy was one of three selected for this special honor, was the only one not born in China and was the first foreigner to undergo the In-Chamber BaiShi ceremony in China!
Shifu Billy is an International Examiner and a Certified Instructor for the Chen ZhengLei TaiJiQuan Federation. In 2021, he was one of the first three USA instructors to be promoted to Level 9. Currently, Jing Ying Institute is one of only three schools teaching Chen Family TaiJiQuan under a USA In-Chamber Disciple of GM Chen ZhengLei.
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 principles 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.
- 2017 International Wushu Elite Competition winning gold for tai chi form and tai chi sword.
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 many others. |