About Casey Abbott Payne

Casey was born in Milwaukee in the winter of 1979. His serious martial arts training began in high school studying Shaolin Kung Fu at the Chinese Kung Fu Center of Milwaukee founded by Grandmaster Chian Ho Yin.

In his early twenties he became focused on taiji and Taiji Push Hands. Even though he studied with several different teachers in Canada, the UK, the US and Taiwan, the source of these lessons were the same, Grandmaster Huang Xingxian.

Like millions of people around the world, Bruce Lee has been a major inspiration. Without Bruce Lee blazing a trail onto the silver screen, it would not  have been possible for martial arts to flourish the way they do today.

My vision for the future is a culmination of the experiences I’ve had with Traditional Chinese Martial Arts and martial artists throughout my life. A student of Grandmaster Yin’s, Shelton Calloway Jr, took me under his wing when I was in high school. There weren’t any class fees and the public parks system was his school. He wasn’t just showing me how to kick and punch. He passed on life lessons, lessons that Grandmaster Yin passed on to him. Teaching’s that have been handing down for hundreds of years.

What can I do to make sure the spirit of Traditional Chinese Martial Arts was passed on to the next generation?

EVOLVE THE ART

This is a picture of me and Zheng Laoshi (Teacher Zheng) taken in 2006 during my first and only push hands competition in Asia.

Zheng is the perfect example of what I aspire to be and create. He was a constant fixture in Taipei’s Peace Park for over 30 years, touching the lives of thousands. He was there every morning, rain or shine, available to teach taiji and Taiji Push Hands.