1st September 2012, was the day of my first memory of Mr Michael Pang.

 

Mr. Pang was a picture of solitude, peace and grace. He was seated alone in a dim small stadia at Block 328 Yuhua Zone 5 RC, with a bag of photographs, wearing a pair of dark blue Crocs, watching a young Taekwon-Do practitioner run around and play. When approached he had few words, and showed me some photographs of the past, with his fellow instructors and when he was young. We spoke of old friends, and experiences. He was not ostentatiously regardless of his rank or his seniority. He pulled no airs and was humble and kind. He generally had few words, but his words always meant something,

 

A young student came to him and deliberately addressed “Hello, Monster!” instead of "master". He only responded “you don’t naughty naughty ah!” after several attempts of provocation.

 

He then took class, and did every exercise that he had instructed us to do.

 

As the months went by, he walked slower. Once he fell backwards when he stood up too suddenly.

 

But he still took class, and did every exercise that he had instructed us to do. He encouraged me daily to open a class of my own. 

 

I once fell ill, quite ill to the point of near hospitalisation. When Mr. Pang called, I had asked if there was something that I needed to do for him that I forgot - turns out that he just wanted to know if I was fine. 

 

His leg hurt, and there was once he called me in anguish asking me to take class, because it was too painful. But he came down, he was there, to watch every exercise that he would have instructed them to do.

 

On one occasion, I was angry. He calmed me, and told me that people are full of excuses. He reminded me, that I should disregard what others say or do, and never give up.

 

So he took class, and did every exercise that he had instructed us to do.

And he persisted, 24 patterns for 24 hours, or every day of his life.

 

In memory of Mr. Michael Pang Hin Siong (31 October 1950 – 26 December 2013).

 

Because of you Sir, I will not give up, I will not settle for less, and I will make you proud of what you had left behind.

 

Yours in Taekwon-Do, 

 

Chen Weiling