Robert William Smith (December 27, 1926 – July 1, 2011) 是世界著名的武術歷史學者和老師，鄭曼青宗師第一位西洋弟子，他們合著了一英文巨作 “Tai Chi” 。Mr. Smith 曾贈送此書給陶炳祥老師並親筆感謝教他太極拳。另著有14本中國武術書，包括第一本英文的”八卦和形意拳”。1960年到1988年在美國Maryland 的Bethesda, 教太極、八卦和形意拳。從他最初的暢銷書”中國拳術大師們和拳法”以至最近的”Martial Musings”一本他五十年武術生涯和友情的書，都持續推崇鄭宗師及陳志誠師叔，對太極在美推廣貢獻極大。個人著作有柔道全書、柔道和其他武術、少林拳的秘密、八卦和形意。並與羅邦楨師伯合譯陳微明大師的“太極拳問答”。並寫了柔道、合氣道、法國拳術等研究文章。
從1959年到1962年，奉美國中央情報局（CIA）派往台灣。 1949年，毛澤東和共產黨在大陸取得勝利後，由蔣介石領導之中華民國政府播遷台灣。在美國第七艦隊的保護下，台灣成為中華民國政府之所在地。 直到1970年代，美國政府在外交上承認的唯一中國政府。史密斯是共和黨政府的聯絡員。
在台灣期間，史密斯曾與許多中國武術大師（例如八卦掌，形意拳）一起訓練和學習。最重要的是，他遇到了書法，詩學，繪畫，中醫和太極拳等“五絕老人”鄭曼青宗師。傳說史密斯持續被觀察至少六個月，方可接納他，為鄭子太極拳第一位非中國學生。史密斯在等待與鄭子的學習期間，與梁棟材先生一起學習。 鄭子和他的學生們每個星期天都會在台灣見面，進行太極拳和推手（“推手”，史密斯經常更喜歡將其翻譯為“感應手”）。鄭子在1960年代中期移居美國，並在紐約市生活和教書多年，然後於1970年代中期返回台灣。史密斯和鄭子保持密切的聯繫，直到1975年去世。
From 1959 to 1962 he was posted by the CIA to Taiwan. The Republican Chinese government led by Chiang Kai-shek had fled to Taiwan (Formosa) after the victory of Mao Zedong and the Communists on the mainland in 1949. Protected by the U.S. Seventh Fleet, Taiwan became the seat of government for the Republic of China – the only Chinese government diplomatically recognized by the U.S. Government until the 1970s. Smith worked as a liaison to the Republican government.
While in Taiwan Smith trained and studied with many masters of Chinese martial arts (e.g., baguazhang, xingyiquan). Most importantly, he met Professor Cheng Man-ch’ing (Zheng Manqing), the “master of five excellences” – calligraphy, poetry, painting, Chinese medicine, and taijiquan. Legend has it that Smith had to keep knocking on Cheng’s door for at least six months before Cheng would accept him as his first non-Chinese student. While waiting to study with Cheng, Smith studied with T.T. Liang. Cheng and his students would meet every Sunday in Taiwan for taijiquan and tuishou (“push hands”—which Smith often preferred to translate as “sensing hands”). Cheng moved to the United States in the mid-1960s and lived and taught in New York City for a number of years before returning to Taiwan in the mid-1970s. Smith and Cheng kept in close contact until Cheng’s death in 1975.
陶炳祥老師珍藏1960年代黑白照片轉為彩色