Zhao Zhu Xi

Sifu Zhao Zhu Xi 1900-1991 was a martial arts grand master born with the name ''Zhao Zhu Ji'' in Loo Wan Village, Sha Ho Town, Yick County, , China.

Grand Master Zhao Zhu Xi taught style tai chi and martial arts in Vietnam after World War II in the 1950s and in Hong Kong from the 1960s onwards. His students have brought his style of martial arts to Australia, the US, New Zealand and Canada.

Name variants

Grand Master Zhao Zhu Xi's name has been in many forms, some of which are:
* Chiu Juk Kai
* Zhao Zhu Ji
* Chiu Chuk Kai
* Chiu Mon Sui
* Chao Chu Chi
* Chou Chu Hsi
* Chiu Tsu Tse
* Chao Ju See
* Zhao Wen Xiou

Zhang Sanfeng

Zhang Sanfeng was a semi-mythical priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.

A legendary culture hero, Zhang Sanfeng is credited by modern practitioners as having originated the concepts of neijia ; soft, internal martial arts, specifically T'ai Chi Ch'uan, as a result of a Neo-Confucian syncretism of Chán Buddhist with his mastery of Taoist Tao Yin principles. He is also associated in legend with the Taoist monasteries at Wudang Mountains in Hubei province.

Stories from the 17th century onward give him credit for the internal martial arts. 19th century and later stories give him credit for T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

Zhang Sanfeng is also said to have been expert in the and styles of Chinese martial arts as well as in the use of the Chinese straight sword or jian. According to relatively late documents preserved within the and family's archives, the name of Zhang Sanfeng's master was Xu Xuanping , said to be a Tang dynasty hermit poet and Taoist Tao Yin expert.

The Tai Chi Chuan families who ascribe the foundation of their art to Zhang traditionally celebrate his birthdate as the 9th day of the 3rd Chinese lunar month.

Traditional folktales

Much of the written material about him is mythical, contradictory, or otherwise suspect. For instance, he is reported by different people to have been born either in 960, 1247, or in 1279. He has at times been described as being seven-feet tall, with the bones of a crane and the posture of a pine tree, having shaped like a spear, and being able to cover 1000 li in a day . He is reputed to have worn a straw hat, and is usually depicted with one slung on his back, but two villages are reported in the 19th century ''Wu-yang Gazeteer'' to have believed that his hat was actually a cymbal, which only residents of the villages had permission to sound upon meeting him.

Some sources record two Chinese emperors sending missions to Zhang Sanfeng to ask for his advice, although neither mission is reported to have found him.

Owing to his legendary status, his name frequently appears in Chinese novels and Wuxia films of swordsmen as a spiritual teacher and master of martial arts.

Today, Chinese readers and general public are most acquainted with Jin Yong's version of Zhang Sanfeng, thanks to the popularity of his Wuxia novels. In his book ''The Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber'', Zhang Sanfeng was a former Shaolin disciple in the late Song Dynasty, and born on April 9, 1247 at midnight . He later left Shaolin Temple and established the Taoist monasteries in Wudang Mountains. In the book he had seven disciples, and was alive until the late Yuan Dynasty.

Zhang Qinlin

Zhang Qinlin was an influential martial artist, teacher, and lineage holder of the Yangjia Michuan style of T’ai Chi Ch’uan. In 1929, Zhang won the All China Fighting Championship in the unarmed division.

Early Life and Training

Zhang was born in Xingtai County, Hebei province, China in 1888, the son of a poor family. After his parents died while he was still young, Zhang ventured out at the age of 14 to find a martial arts teacher. He eventually sought out the nearby Yang family household to learn . There he began his martial arts studies with Yang Chengfu under the supervision of his father, . During the initial years of Zhang’s training with Chengfu, he was only taught the publicly known elements of the Yang style disseminated to students outside the Yang family. After Zhang successful fought a challenge match against a famous martial artist from southern China, Wan Mou, the elder Yang decided the young student had earned the right to learn the Yangjia Michuan teachings. Thereafter, Jianhou had Zhang report to his personal quarters every night between the hours of 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. while the rest of the compound slept. It was then that Jianhou taught Zhang the Yangjia Michuan taijiquan system in addition to his regular daily training.

Competition and Teaching

In 1929, the central Chinese government sponsored the All China Fighting Championship, a general competition in Chinese boxing. Each province was to send two participants – one for the armed division, one for the unarmed division -- to Nanjing, the then capitol of China, to compete. Zhang, whose occupation as a fur merchant had required that he move to Shanxi in 1925, entered and won the regional competition for that province. He went on to win the national championship in the unarmed division later that year.

After Zhang moved to Shanxi, he began search for a student to whom he could pass on the Yang family teachings. In all, Zhang is known to have taught ten students, although only a subset of those was taught anything beyond the publicly known Yang style. Wang Yen-nien, who moved to Taipei, Taiwan in 1949 where he lived until his death in May 2008, was the second and last student of Zhang’s to receive the entirety of the Yangjia Michuan taijiquan system.

Yang Shou-chung

Yang Shou-chung , birth name Yang Zhenming , was the eldest son of Yang Ch'eng-fu. Yang Shou-chung began training in of T'ai Chi Ch'uan at age 8. By age 14 he had begun to work with his father as a teaching assistant and at age 19 he was already teaching government officials around China. In 1949 he fled to Hong Kong where he remained for the remainder of his life teaching privately mostly out of his home on Lockhart Road on Hong Kong Island. He appointed three disciples: Ip Tai Tak (1st and Chief Disciple , Gin Soon Chu , Chu King Hung . Yang Shou-chung is survived by his three daughters: Tai Yee, Ma Lee and Yee Li who currently also reside in Hong Kong.

Family tree

This family tree is not comprehensive.

LEGENDARY FIGURES
|
Zhang Sanfeng*
circa 12th century

|
Wang Zongyue*
T'AI CHI CH'?AN
|
THE 5 MAJOR CLASSICAL FAMILY STYLES
|
Chen Wangting
1600-1680 9th generation Chen

|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
Chen Changxing Chen Youben
1771-1853 14th generation Chen circa 1800s 14th generation Chen
Chen Old Frame Chen New Frame
| |
Yang Lu-ch'an Chen Qingping
1799-1872 1795-1868
Chen Small Frame, Zhao Bao Frame
| |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
Yang Pan-hou Yang Chien-hou Wu Yu-hsiang
1837-1892 1839-1917 1812-1880
Yang Small Frame |
| +-----------------+ |
| | | |
Wu Ch'uan-yü Yang Shao-hou Yang Ch'eng-fu Li I-yü
1834-1902 1862-1930 1883-1936 1832-1892
| Yang Small Frame |
Wu Chien-ch'üan | Hao Wei-chen
1870-1942 Yang Shou-chung 1849-1920
1910-1985 |
|
| Sun Lu-t'ang
Wu Kung-i 1861-1932
1900-1970
| |
Wu Ta-kuei Sun Hsing-i
1923-1972 1891-1929

Note to Family tree table

Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semilegendary figures in the lineage, which means their involvement in the lineage, while accepted by most of the major schools, isn't independently verifiable from known historical records.

Yang Shao-hou

Yang Shaohou 楊少侯 along with Yang Chengfu 楊澄甫 represent the third generation of 楊氏太極拳.

Although Yang Shaohou studied Taijiquan from his father 楊健候 , it is said that he mainly learnt from his uncle Yang Banhou 楊班侯 . Likely influenced by his uncle's teaching style, Yang Shaohou was also known to have had a slightly eccentric and bellicose nature, and both of these masters are considered to have been very demanding teachers, only interested in teaching those that could stand their tough training regimes. Yang Shaohou's influence on modern Taijiquan is also represented in his instruction of many influential teachers of generations after his; among those who were referred to him for instruction were Wu Kung-i, Wu Kung-tsao and Tung Ying-chieh.

According to the famous Taijiquan historian and disciple of Wu Jianquan, Wu Tunan 吳圖南 , who also studied under Yang Shaohou for four years, this master was famous for his "small circle" style. This form was known as the Small Frame , Fast Frame 架 or Applications Frame 架 and was considered to require the highest level of skill to perform, being practiced at higher speed with fast jumps and kicks, actions that have generally been deleted from most of the modern styles of Taijiquan.

It is said that when Yang Shaohou demonstrated this style of Taijiquan the movements alternated between fast and slow, soft and hard, along with crisp fa jin expressions supported by intimidating shouts. In application the most developed characteristic of his martial art style was the use of soft interception to overcome hard energy or Hua Jin 勁, followed by the use of powerful Fa Jin pushes as a counter attack.

During practice with his students, Yang Shaohou was not known for pulling his punches and subsequently few were able to complete the full course of training and become disciples.

Yang Shaohou's branch of the family isn't as well known internationally as his younger brother's, but his grandchildren and great-grandchildren are still teaching in China, as well as descendants of his disciples.

Yang Pan-hou

Yang Pan-hou was an influential teacher of T'ai Chi Ch'uan in China, known for his bellicose temperament. He was the senior son of Yang Lu-ch'an to survive to adulthood. Like his father, he was retained as a martial arts instructor by the . He eventually became the of Wu Ch'uan-yü , a Manchu cavalry officer of the Palace Battalion. Wu Ch'uan-yü's son, Wu Chien-ch'üan , also a Banner officer, became known as the co-founder of the Wu style T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Yang Pan-hou's younger brother Yang Chien-hou was a well known teacher of Yang style T'ai Chi Ch'uan as well. Yang Pan-hou's son, Yang Shao-p'eng was also a T'ai Chi teacher.

Yang Pan-hou taught Wang Jiao-Yu his father's Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan form, Wang Jiao-Yu taught Kuo Lien Ying this original Yang style form.

Family tree

This family tree is not comprehensive.

LEGENDARY FIGURES
|
Zhang Sanfeng*
circa 12th century

|
Wang Zongyue*
T'AI CHI CH'?AN
|
THE 5 MAJOR CLASSICAL FAMILY STYLES
|
Chen Wangting
1600-1680 9th generation Chen

|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
Chen Changxing Chen Youben
1771-1853 14th generation Chen circa 1800s 14th generation Chen
Chen Old Frame Chen New Frame
| |
Yang Lu-ch'an Chen Qingping
1799-1872 1795-1868
Chen Small Frame, Zhao Bao Frame
| |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
Yang Pan-hou Yang Chien-hou Wu Yu-hsiang
1837-1892 1839-1917 1812-1880
Yang Small Frame |
| +-----------------+ |
| | | |
Wu Ch'uan-yü Yang Shao-hou Yang Ch'eng-fu Li I-yü
1834-1902 1862-1930 1883-1936 1832-1892
| Yang Small Frame |
Wu Chien-ch'üan | Hao Wei-chen
1870-1942 Yang Shou-chung 1849-1920
1910-1985 |
|
| Sun Lu-t'ang
Wu Kung-i 1861-1932
1900-1970
| |
Wu Ta-kuei Sun Hsing-i
1923-1972 1891-1929

Note to Family tree table

Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semilegendary figures in the lineage, which means their involvement in the lineage, while accepted by most of the major schools, isn't independently verifiable from known historical records.

Yang Lu-ch'an

Yang Lu-ch'an or Yang Luchan, 楊露禪, also known as Yang Fu-k'ui , born in Kuang-p'ing , was an influential teacher of the martial art known as tai chi chuan in China during the second half of the 19th century, known as the founder of Yang style tai chi chuan.

History

Yang Lu Chan’s family was from Hebei Province, Guangping Prefecture, Yongnian County and since childhood his family was poor. He would follow his father in planting the fields and as a teenager held temporary jobs. One period of temporary work was spent doing odd jobs at the Tai He Tang Chinese pharmacy located in the west part of Yongnian City . As a child, Yang liked martial arts and started studying Chang Chuan, gaining a certain level of skill.

One day some hoodlums came to Tai He Tang looking for trouble. One of the partners of the pharmacy used a kind of martial art that Yang Lu Chan had never before seen to easily subdue the troublemakers. Because of this, Yang requested to study with the owner, Cheng De Hu. Cheng saw Yang's sincerety and referred him to the Chen Village to seek the 14th generation of the Chen Family, Ch'en Chang-hsing., as his teacher.

After mastering the martial art, Yang Lu Chan was subsequently given permission by his teacher to go to Beijing and teach his own students, including and his brothers, who were officials in the Imperial Qing dynasty bureaucracy.. In 1850, Yang was hired by the to teach tai chi chuan to them and several of their élite Manchu Imperial Guards Brigade units in Beijing's Forbidden City, in whose number was Yang's best known non-family student, Wu Ch'uan-yü. This was the beginning of the spread of tai chi chuan from the family art of a small village in central China to an international phenomenon. Due to his influence and the number of teachers he trained, including his own descendants, Yang is directly acknowledged by 4 of the 5 tai chi chuan families as having transmitted the art to them.

Yang Wu Di

Having refined his martial skill to an extremely high level, Yang Lu Chan came to be known as Yang Wu Di . After emerging from Chenjiagou, Yang became famous for never losing a match and never seriously injuring his opponents. Several noteworthy episodes worth mentioning illustrate his level of attainment:

*Once while fishing at a lake, two other martial artists hoped to push Yang in the water and ruin his reputation. Yang -- sensing the attacker's intention -- arched his chest, rounded his back, and executed the High Pat on Horse technique. As his back arched and head bowed, the two attackers were bounced into the water simultaneously. He then said to them that he would be easy on them today; but if they were on the ground, he would have punished them more severely. The two attackers quickly swam away.
*Yang was invited to the abode of a rich man in Beijing called Chang who had heard of Yang's great skills to demonstrate his art. Yang Lu Chan was small of build and did not look like a boxer, when Chang saw him, he thought little of his ability and so served him a very simple dinner. Yang Lu Chan was fully aware of his host's thoughts but continued to behave like an honoured guest. Chang later questioned if Yang's Tai Ch'i, being so soft, could defeat people. Given that he invited Yang on the basis of his reputation as a great fighter, this question was clearly a veiled insult. Yang replied that there were only three kinds of people he could not defeat: men of brass, men of iron and men of wood. Chang invited out his best bodyguard by the name of Liu to test Yang's skill. Liu entered aggressively and attacked Yang. Yang, employing only a simple yielding technique, threw Liu across the yard. Chang was very impressed and immediately ordered a banquet to be prepared for Yang.
*When Yang was at Guangping, he often fought with people on the castle wall. One opponent was unable to defend against Yang's attacks and kept on retreating to the edge of the wall. Yang's opponent, unable to keep his balance began to fall over the edge. At the instant before the opponent fell, Yang, from about thirty feet away, leaped forward, caught the opponent's foot and saved him from falling to his death.

Subsequent lineage

Yang Lu-ch'an passed his art to:
*his second son, but oldest son to live to maturity, Yang Pan-hou , was also retained as a martial arts instructor by the Chinese Imperial family. Yang Pan-hou became the formal teacher of Wu Ch'uan-yü , a Manchu cavalry officer of the Palace Battalion, even though Yang Lu-ch'an was Wu Ch'uan-yü's first T'ai Chi Ch'uan teacher. Wu Ch'uan-yü's son, Wu Chien-ch'üan , also a Banner officer, became known as the co-founder of the .
*his third son Yang Chien-hou , who passed it to his sons, Yang Shao-hou and Yang Ch'eng-fu .
*Wu Yu-hsiang who also developed his own , which eventually, after three generations, led to the development of Sun style tai chi chuan.

Family tree

This family tree is not comprehensive.

LEGENDARY FIGURES
|
Zhang Sanfeng*
circa 12th century

|
Wang Zongyue*
T'AI CHI CH'?AN
|
THE 5 MAJOR CLASSICAL FAMILY STYLES
|
Chen Wangting
1600-1680 9th generation Chen

|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
Chen Changxing Chen Youben
1771-1853 14th generation Chen circa 1800s 14th generation Chen
Chen Old Frame Chen New Frame
| |
Yang Lu-ch'an Chen Qingping
1799-1872 1795-1868
Chen Small Frame, Zhao Bao Frame
| |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
Yang Pan-hou Yang Chien-hou Wu Yu-hsiang
1837-1892 1839-1917 1812-1880
Yang Small Frame |
| +-----------------+ |
| | | |
Wu Ch'uan-yü Yang Shao-hou Yang Ch'eng-fu Li I-yü
1834-1902 1862-1930 1883-1936 1832-1892
| Yang Small Frame |
Wu Chien-ch'üan | Hao Wei-chen
1870–1942 Yang Shou-chung 1849–1920
1910–1985 |
|
| Sun Lu-t'ang
Wu Kung-i 1861–1932
1900-1970
| |
Wu Ta-kuei Sun Hsing-i
1923-1970 1891-1929

Note to Family tree table

''Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semilegendary figures in the lineage, which means their involvement in the lineage, while accepted by most of the major schools, isn't independently verifiable from known historical records.''

Yang Chien-hou

Yang Chien-hou , was the younger son of the founder of Yang style T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Yang Lu-ch'an, and a well known teacher of the martial art of T'ai Chi Ch'uan in late Qing dynasty China. Yang Chien-hou's older brother, Yang Pan-hou, was the senior of Chien-hou's generation, and also an important instructor of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Yang Chien-hou's sons Yang Chengfu and Yang Shao-hou were also famous teachers of T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

Family tree

This family tree is not comprehensive.

LEGENDARY FIGURES
|
Zhang Sanfeng*
circa 12th century

|
Wang Zongyue*
T'AI CHI CH'?AN
|
THE 5 MAJOR CLASSICAL FAMILY STYLES
|
Chen Wangting
1600-1680 9th generation Chen

|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
Chen Changxing Chen Youben
1771-1853 14th generation Chen circa 1800s 14th generation Chen
Chen Old Frame Chen New Frame
| |
Yang Lu-ch'an Chen Qingping
1799-1872 1795-1868
Chen Small Frame, Zhao Bao Frame
| |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
Yang Pan-hou Yang Chien-hou Wu Yu-hsiang
1837-1892 1839-1917 1812-1880
Yang Small Frame |
| +-----------------+ |
| | | |
Wu Ch'uan-yü Yang Shao-hou Yang Ch'eng-fu Li I-yü
1834-1902 1862-1930 1883-1936 1832-1892
| Yang Small Frame |
Wu Chien-ch'üan | Hao Wei-chen
1870-1942 Yang Shou-chung 1849-1920
1910-1985 |
|
| Sun Lu-t'ang
Wu Kung-i 1861-1932
1900-1970
| |
Wu Ta-kuei Sun Hsing-i
1923-1972 1891-1929

Note to Family tree table

Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semilegendary figures in the lineage, which means their involvement in the lineage, while accepted by most of the major schools, isn't independently verifiable from known historical records.

Yang Chengfu

Yang Chengfu , or Yang Ch'eng-fu is historically considered the best known teacher of the martial art of Tai Chi Chuan .

His direct descendants, the many students he taught and their students have spread the art around the world. He was born into the famous Yang Taijiquan family, the son of Yang Chien-hou and grandson of Yang Lu-chan. With his older brother Yang Shao-hou and colleagues Wu Jianquan and Sun Lutang , he was among the first teachers to offer Tai Chi Chuan instruction to the general public at the Beijing Physical Culture Research Institute from 1914 until 1928. He moved to Shanghai in 1928. He is known for having "smoothed" out the somewhat more vigorous training routine he learned from his family as well as emphasising a "large frame" or "Da Jia 大架" with expansive movements in stepping and using large circular motions with the arms. His smooth, evenly-paced large frame form and its hundreds of offshoots has been the standard for ever since.

Tung Ying-chieh , Ch'en Wei-ming , Fu Zhongwen , Li Yaxuan and Cheng Man-ch'ing were famous students of Yang Ch'eng-fu. Each of them taught extensively, founding groups teaching Tai Chi to this day. Cheng Man-ch'ing, perhaps the most famous outside of China, significantly shortened and simplified the Yang taught him after his teacher's passing, reportedly to make them more accessible to larger numbers of students. Although Cheng's modifications are considered controversial by most other schools and are not recognized by the Yang family, Cheng Man-ch'ing is known as the first to teach Tai Chi Chüan in the West.

His sons have continued to teach their , including his first son, the late Yang Zhenming , who brought Yang style Tai Chi Chuan to Hong Kong, his second son Yang Zhenji , and his third son, Yang Zhenduo , living in Shanxi Province, who is widely considered the most prominent of the Yang family Tai Chi Chuan instructors living today.

He was the official author of ''Essence and Applications of Taijiquan'' , published in 1934.

Family tree

This family tree is not comprehensive.

LEGENDARY FIGURES
|
Zhang Sanfeng*
circa 12th century

|
Wang Zongyue*
TAI CHI CH?AN
|
THE 5 MAJOR CLASSICAL FAMILY STYLES
|
Chen Wangting
1600-1680 9th generation Chen

|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
Chen Changxing Chen Youben
1771-1853 14th generation Chen circa 1800s 14th generation Chen
Chen Old Frame Chen New Frame
| |
Yang Lu-ch'an Chen Qingping
1799-1872 1795-1868
Chen Small Frame, Zhao Bao Frame
| |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
Yang Pan-hou Yang Chien-hou Wu Yu-hsiang
1837-1892 1839-1917 1812-1880
Yang Small Frame |
| +-----------------+ |
| | | |
Wu Ch'uan-yü Yang Shao-hou Yang Ch'eng-fu Li I-yü
1834-1902 1862-1930 1883-1936 1832-1892
| Yang Small Frame |
Wu Chien-ch'üan | Hao Wei-chen
1870-1942 Yang Shou-chung 1849-1920
1910-1985 |
|
| Sun Lu-t'ang
Wu Kung-i 1861-1932
1900-1970
| |
Wu Ta-kuei Sun Hsing-i
1923-1972 1891-1929

Note to Family tree table

Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semilegendary figures in the lineage, which means their involvement in the lineage, while accepted by most of the major schools, isn't independently verifiable from known historical records.

Xu Xuanping

Xu Xuanping , was a Taoist poet who lived during the Tang Dynasty in China. He is said to have lived south of the Yangtze River in the state of Hui, Fuxi District. His legend relates that he left the city of Yangshan to become a recluse and build a home in Nan Mountain.

His legendary description is that he was very tall, perhaps more than six foot, with a beard that reached to his navel and hair down to his feet. He walked with a gait like a running horse and that each time he carried firewood down from the hills to the town to sell he would recite this poem:

:At dawn I carry the firewood to sell
:To buy wine today, at dusk I will return
:Please tell me the way to get home?
:Just follow the mountain track up into the clouds

Li Bai was said to have searched for Xu Xuanping, but couldn't find him. He was, however, inspired to compose some poetry, after seeing the Immortal's Bridge, before he departed.

According to some schools of Tai Chi Chuan, Xu is considered to be the Tao Yin teacher of Zhang Sanfeng, whom they say later created the martial art of Tai Chi Chuan. Other schools hold that Xu himself was a Tai Chi Chuan practitioner, and that the style Xu Xuanping passed down was simply called "37", because it consisted of 37 named styles or techniques. During this time it was also known as Chang Quan 長拳 or ''Long Boxing'' as a reference to the flowing power of the Yangtze River 揚子江, . He had a disciple called Song Yuanqiao who passed the Song Family Tai Chi Chuan system down through the generations to Song Shuming.

Wu Yu-hsiang

Wu Yu-hsiang was a Chinese t’ai chi ch’uan teacher and government official active during the late . Wu was scholar from a wealthy and influential family who became a senior student of Yang Lu-ch'an. Wu Yu-hsiang also studied for a brief time with a teacher from the , Chen Ch'ing-p'ing, to whom he was introduced by Yang.

There is a relatively large attributed to Wu Yu-hsiang on the subject of t’ai chi ch’uan theory, writings that are considered influential by many other schools not directly associated with his style.

His most famous student was his nephew, Li I-yü , who also authored several important works on t'ai chi ch'uan. Li I-yü had a younger brother who was also credited as an author of at least one work on the subject of t'ai chi, Li Ch'i-hsüan.

The style of t'ai chi ch'uan that Wu taught was eventually known, because of its later transmission by three generations of students of his nephew named ''Hao'', as . Hao Wei-chen subsequently taught Sun Lu-t'ang, the founder of .

Family tree

This family tree is not comprehensive.

LEGENDARY FIGURES
|
Zhang Sanfeng*
circa 12th century

|
Wang Zongyue*
|
|
THE 5 MAJOR CLASSICAL FAMILY STYLES
|
Chen Wangting
1600-1680 9th generation Chen

|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
Chen Changxing Chen Youben
1771-1853 14th generation Chen circa 1800s 14th generation Chen
Chen Old Frame Chen New Frame
| |
Yang Lu-ch'an Chen Qingping
1799–1872 1795–1868
Chen Small Frame,
| |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
Yang Pan-hou Yang Chien-hou Wu Yu-hsiang
1837– 1839–1917 1812–
Yang Small Frame |
| +-----------------+ |
| | | |
Wu Ch'uan-yü Yang Shao-hou Yang Ch'eng-fu Li I-yü
1834–1902 1862–1930 1883–1936 1832–
| Yang Small Frame |
Wu Chien-ch'üan | Hao Wei-chen
1870–1942 Yang Shou-chung 1849–1920
1910–
|
| Sun Lu-t'ang
Wu Kung-i 1861–1932
1900–
| |
Wu Ta-kuei Sun Hsing-i
1923– 1891–1929

Wu Ying-hua

Wu Ying-hua 吳英華 was born in Peking in 1907 and died in Shanghai in 1996. She was the eldest daughter of Wu Chien-ch'uan, the best known teacher of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan. Her older brothers were Wu Kung-i and Wu Kung-tsao. She began studying Tai Chi Chuan at age nine, by age seventeen, Wu Ying-hua was recognized as a teacher in Peking. In 1921, she was invited to teach Tai Chi Chuan in Shanghai. In 1928, her father followed her to Shanghai and Wu Ying-hua became his teaching assistant. In 1930, she married Ma Yueh-liang who was Wu Chien-ch'uan's senior disciple. In 1935, Wu Chien-ch'uan founded the Chien-ch'uan Tai Chi Chuan Association in Shanghai. Wu Chien-ch'uan died in 1942.

After about 1980 and the Cultural Revolution, it became possible to teach Taijiquan publicly in China. About this time her brother Wu Kung-tsao was released from prison and moved to Hong Kong, Wu Ying-hua and Ma Yueh-liang were the senior Wu family members remaining in mainland China. Wu Ying-hua and Ma Yueh-liang created a Simplified Wu Tai Chi Chuan Form and were again able to have public meetings of the Chien-ch'uan Tai Chi Chuan Association. They taught a large number of students in Shanghai and in their travels to New Zealand, Germany and elsewhere. Together with Ma Yueh-liang, Wu Ying-hua published several books on Wu style Tai Chi Chuan. “Wu style Tai Chi Chuan: Forms, Concepts and Applications of the Original Style,” “Wu Simplified Tai Chi Chuan,” and “Wu style Tai Chi K'uai Chuan or Wu Style Tai Chi Fast Form” have been collected in a single volume in China. They also co-authored a Wu style weapons/sword book. Wu Ying-hua was recognised as the senior instructor of the Wu family from 1983 until she died in 1996.

Ma Yueh-liang and Wu Ying-hua are survived by several children and grandchildren, including: Ma Jiangchun , Dr. Ma Hailong , Ma Jiang-bao , and Ma Jiangling . Ma Jiang-bao lives in the Netherlands and teaches traditional Tai Chi Chuan in Europe. Their adopted daughter Shi Mei Lin now lives and teaches in New Zealand. She also has students in France and in the United States .

Generational senior instructors of the Wu family

''1st Generation''

Wu Ch'uan-yü , who learned from Yang Lu-ch'an and Yang Pan-hou, was senior instructor of the family from 1870-1902.

''2nd generation''

His oldest son, Wu Chien-ch'üan , was senior from 1902-1942.

''3rd Generation''

His oldest son, Wu Kung-i was senior from 1942-1970.

''3rd Generation''

Wu Kung-i's younger brother, Wu Kung-tsao , was senior from 1970-1983.

''3rd Generation''

Wu Kung-i's younger sister, Wu Ying-hua , was senior from 1983-1997.

''4th Generation''

Wu Kung-i's daughter , Wu Yen-hsia was senior from 1997-2001.

''4th Generation''

Wu Kung-tsao's son, Wu Ta-hsin , was senior from 2001-2005.

''5th Generation''

The current senior instructor of the Wu family is Wu Ta-k'uei's son Wu Kuang-yu .

Wu Yihui

Wu Yihui was a Chinese martial artist and teacher in the martial arts noted as the founder of liuhebafa and as a prominent fighter and instructor.

Biography

Wu Yi Hui was originally from Tieling in Northeast China, but later lived in Beijing. He was from a scholarly and official family and a man of good nature who had strong martial art talents. He was also well versed in calligraphy and painting, enjoying social life and travel.

In 1896, his father took a government position in Pien-Liang and his family moved there as a result, where he studied all styles of martial arts and weaponry, such as Sanpan Shier Shi, and the earliest Taoist Sleeping Qigong of Chen Tuan. Two years later, he studied under Master Chen Guang Di and his skills improved tremendously.

In 1905, Wu was admitted to the Military Academy of Baoding. On weekends, he went to the Temple of the Goddess of Mercy in the suburbs where Master Chen He Lu taught him the martial arts.

In 1928, Wu started to teach martial arts at the South Senior High School in Shanghai. The following year he was transferred to Shuwei Public School. The YMCA in the Eight Immortals Bridge District in Shanghai in 1932 hired him as their martial arts director.

In 1936, at the request of General Zhang Zhi Jiang, Wu took the provost position at the National Martial Arts Association, at Nanking. When Japan invaded China, he left first to Kunming and then Guiling, from where he was invited by the Vietnamese government to demonstrate Chinese martial arts in Hanoi.

When the Second Sino-Japanese war ended in 1945, Wu returned to Shanghai and taught martial arts again. He had students from various provinces in China as well as from Hong Kong, Singapore, South East Asia, Brazil, England and the United States. Meanwhile, the City of Shanghai made him a member of the Department of Literature and History.

Wu dedicated his life to martial arts and taught aspects of liu he ba fa to thousands.

He died on March 29, 1958 in Shanghai at the age of 73.

The creator of Yiquan, Wang Xiang Zhai, once referred to Wu by saying, "I have traveled throughout the country, competing with nearly a thousand people, there is but two and half people who possess true martial skills, Hunan's Dai Tit Fu, Shanghai's Wu Yik Fan and the half being a White Crane exponent from Fukien" who engaged with him evenly.



One source states that Master Wu had 25 recorded students. Another states that "Thousands of students learned directly from him." There are no claims as to his successorship, however Chan Yik Yan is the only one known to have completed his training of the Liuhebafa System.

Wu Yen-hsia

Wu Yen-hsia was a Chinese t'ai chi ch'uan teacher of Manchu ancestry. She was the daughter of Wu Kung-i from whom she learned t'ai chi. She also helped in the teaching of her father's students. Wu Yen-hsia was the the younger sister of Wu Ta-k'uei and Wu Ta-ch'i, and married Kuo Hsiao-chung, who was also a disciple of her father. She held the position of senior instructor of the Wu family from 1996 to her death in 2001 and was succeeded by her cousin Wu Ta-hsin.

Wu Yen-hsia moved to Hong Kong from Shanghai in 1948. In an interview late in her life, she mentioned that she had often seconded her older brother Wu Ta-k'uei at his many challenge fights in those years. She mentioned applying to any injuries resulting from the fights, and she was "fearful that someone would be killed and there would be big trouble for the family" because her brother was "young and overly fierce".

She attended to the affairs of the Chien-ch'uan Tai Chi Chuan Association while training her students and disciples. She became known as a specialist with the t'ai chi and t'ai chi .

Generational senior instructors of the Wu family

''1st Generation''

Wu Ch'uan-yü , who learned from Yang Lu-ch'an and Yang Pan-hou, was senior instructor of the family from 1870-1902.

''2nd generation''

His oldest son, Wu Chien-ch'üan , was senior from 1902-1942.

''3rd Generation''

His oldest son, Wu Kung-i was senior from 1942-1970.

''3rd Generation''

Wu Kung-i's younger brother, Wu Kung-tsao , was senior from 1970-1983.

''3rd Generation''

Wu Kung-i's younger sister, Wu Ying-hua , was senior from 1983-1997.

''4th Generation''

Wu Kung-i's daughter , Wu Yen-hsia was senior from 1997-2001.

''4th Generation''

Wu Kung-tsao's son, Wu Ta-hsin , was senior from 2001-2005.

''5th Generation''

The current senior instructor of the Wu family is Wu Ta-k'uei's son Wu Kuang-yu .

Wu Ta-k'uei

Wu Ta-k'uei was a Chinese t'ai chi ch'uan teacher of Manchu ancestry. The oldest son of Wu Kung-i, he was born in Beijing, raised in Shanghai and spent most of his adult life teaching in Hong Kong. Wu Ta-k'uei was active in the resistance to the , yet he later taught martial arts in Japan after the war.

Wu Ta-k'uei was reputed to be a fierce fighter, and known as always ready to accept a challenge match. He is reported to have never been defeated, and to have been famous for badly injuring and taunting his opponents in those matches. An attested story circulated about Wu Ta-k'uei was about a fight that started in a Hong Kong dockside bar between an unarmed Wu Ta-k'uei and "over 30" stevedores armed with clubs and boathooks. The dockworkers eventually fled to a local police station for protection from the enraged Wu. Interviews with dockworkers and the police records of this fight led to sensational newspaper headlines in Kowloon and Hong Kong.

Wu Ta-k'uei assisted his father and his uncle Wu Kung-tsao to set up academies in Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. He also sat on the Advisory Board of the Martial Art Association in Hong Kong and taught martial arts in the Kowloon Police Force.

His oldest son, Eddie Wu Kuang-yu, is the current "gate-keeper" of the Wu family.

T'ai Chi family tree

This family tree is not comprehensive.

LEGENDARY FIGURES
|
Zhang Sanfeng*
circa 12th century

|
Wang Zongyue*
|
|
THE 5 MAJOR CLASSICAL FAMILY STYLES
|
Chen Wangting
1600-1680 9th generation Chen

|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
Chen Changxing Chen Youben
1771-1853 14th generation Chen circa 1800s 14th generation Chen
Chen Old Frame Chen New Frame
| |
Yang Lu-ch'an Chen Qingping
1799–1872 1795–1868
Chen Small Frame,
| |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
Yang Pan-hou Yang Chien-hou Wu Yu-hsiang
1837– 1839–1917 1812–
Yang Small Frame |
| +-----------------+ |
| | | |
Wu Ch'uan-yü Yang Shao-hou Yang Ch'eng-fu Li I-yü
1834–1902 1862–1930 1883–1936 1832–
| Yang Small Frame |
Wu Chien-ch'üan | Hao Wei-chen
1870–1942 Yang Shou-chung 1849–1920
1910–
|
| Sun Lu-t'ang
Wu Kung-i 1861–1932
1900–
| |
Wu Ta-k'uei Sun Hsing-i
1923– 1891–1929
|
Wu Kuang-yu
b.1946

Generational senior instructors of the Wu family

''1st Generation''

Wu Ch'uan-yü , who learned from Yang Lu-ch'an and Yang Pan-hou, was senior instructor of the family from 1870-1902.

''2nd generation''

His oldest son, Wu Chien-ch'üan , was senior from 1902-1942.

''3rd Generation''

His oldest son, Wu Kung-i was senior from 1942-1970.

''3rd Generation''

Wu Kung-i's younger brother, Wu Kung-tsao , was senior from 1970-1983.

''3rd Generation''

Wu Kung-i's younger sister, Wu Ying-hua , was senior from 1983-1997.

''4th Generation''

Wu Kung-i's daughter , Wu Yen-hsia was senior from 1997-2001.

''4th Generation''

Wu Kung-tsao's son, Wu Ta-hsin , was senior from 2001-2005.

''5th Generation''

The current senior instructor of the Wu family is Wu Ta-k'uei's son Wu Kuang-yu .

Wu Ta-hsin

Wu Ta-hsin was a Chinese t'ai chi ch'uan teacher who lived most of his life in Hong Kong. He was the great-grandson Wu style t'ai chi ch'uan founder Wu Ch'uan-yu and the grandson of the well-known teacher Wu Chien-ch'uan. He directed the Wu family's lineage for four years from the Wu family headquarters in Hong Kong after the death of his cousin Wu Yen-hsia.

Born into a Manchu military family known for their contributions towards knowledge of the traditional Chinese martial arts, Wu Ta-hsin endured strict training from his grandfather Wu Chien-ch'uan, uncle Wu Kung-i and father Wu Kung-tsao. He eventually became known as a teacher and for his expertise with the t'ai chi and as well as for his qigong and pushing hands skills.

When Wu Kung-i moved with his family to Hong Kong in the 1940s, Wu Ta-hsin assisted him in the promotion and teaching of t'ai chi ch'uan. During the 1950s, at the direction of Wu Kung-i, Wu Ta-hsin and his cousins Wu Ta-kuei and Wu Ta-ch'i often travelled to Malaysia and Singapore to start and manage several Wu style academies. Later in his life, he also travelled extensively to North America, teaching t'ai chi ch'uan in Toronto, Detroit and Vancouver.

Generational senior instructors of the Wu family

''1st Generation''

Wu Ch'uan-yü , who learned from Yang Lu-ch'an and Yang Pan-hou, was senior instructor of the family from 1870-1902.

''2nd generation''

His oldest son, Wu Chien-ch'üan , was senior from 1902-1942.

''3rd Generation''

His oldest son, Wu Kung-i was senior from 1942-1970.

''3rd Generation''

Wu Kung-i's younger brother, Wu Kung-tsao , was senior from 1970-1983.

''3rd Generation''

Wu Kung-i's younger sister, Wu Ying-hua , was senior from 1983-1997.

''4th Generation''

Wu Kung-i's daughter , Wu Yen-hsia was senior from 1997-2001.

''4th Generation''

Wu Kung-tsao's son, Wu Ta-hsin , was senior from 2001-2005.

''5th Generation''

The current senior instructor of the Wu family is Wu Ta-k'uei's son Wu Kuang-yu .

Wu Kung-tsao

Wu Kung-tsao was a famous teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan. He taught in in Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha and Hong Kong. The second son of , he was the grandson of the first teacher of Wu style T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Wu Ch'uan-yü. Wu Kung-tsao was the younger brother of Wu Kung-i and the older brother of Wu Ying-hua. The Wu family were originally of Manchu ancestry.

As a young man, he studied t'ai chi ch'uan, along with his brother, under the supervision of Yang Shao-hou. There was a tradition in the Chinese martial arts that youngsters be taught by teachers of a generation older than their parents'. Since Wu Ch'uan-yü had died the same year Wu Kung-tsao was born, he and his brother were taught by Yang Shao-hou, who was technically a generation senior to their father. Both Yang Shao-hou and Wu Chien-ch'üan were famous for their "small circle" martial expertise. The motions of t'ai chi ch'uan forms and pushing hands are all based on different sized circles, small circle movements in the forms and applications follow a more compact pathway for different leverage applications than larger circles.

In the 1920s Wu Kung-tsao served first as an infantry officer in the Thirteenth Brigade of the army until 1929, then later as a martial art instructor for the Hunan Martial Arts Training Centre as well as an instructor for the famous martial art school. During the 1930s, he wrote a well-known commentary on the in 40 chapters on t'ai chi ch'uan that his grandfather had inherited from Yang Pan-hou. His commentary was published as ''Wu Chia T'ai Chi Ch'uan'' , also known by speakers as ''The Gold Book'' because of the colour of its cover. In 1937, he established his family's first school in Hong Kong. In addition to his teaching and literary contributions to the art, Wu Kung-tsao became known as a specialist in the aspect of T'ai Chi training, both for martial purposes and for therapeutic interventions along the lines of traditional Chinese medicine.

Wu Kung-tsao stayed on the mainland after the Chinese Communist takeover in 1949. During and for a short time after the Cultural Revolution of 1964-1978 he was imprisoned by the Red Guards due to his history as a Nationalist military officer, a traditional Confucian scholar and Taoist teacher as well as a hostage to ensure the "good behaviour" of the rest of his family who were at the time living in Shanghai and Hong Kong. He was routinely tortured while a prisoner but was finally released in 1979, when he moved again to Hong Kong.

Wu Kung-tsao's second son Wu Ta-hsin was also known as an expert martial artist and teacher who in his turn was the senior instructor of the Wu family schools internationally from 2001 until 2005.

Generational senior instructors of the Wu family

''1st Generation''

Wu Ch'uan-yü , who learned from Yang Lu-ch'an and Yang Pan-hou, was senior instructor of the family from 1870-1902.

''2nd generation''

His oldest son, Wu Chien-ch'üan , was senior from 1902-1942.

''3rd Generation''

His oldest son, Wu Kung-i was senior from 1942-1970.

''3rd Generation''

Wu Kung-i's younger brother, Wu Kung-tsao , was senior from 1970-1983.

''3rd Generation''

Wu Kung-i's younger sister, Wu Ying-hua , was senior from 1983-1997.

''4th Generation''

Wu Kung-i's daughter , Wu Yen-hsia was senior from 1997-2001.

''4th Generation''

Wu Kung-tsao's son, Wu Ta-hsin , was senior from 2001-2005.

''5th Generation''

The current senior instructor of the Wu family is Wu Ta-k'uei's son Wu Kuang-yu .

Wu Kung-i

Wu Kung-i was a well known teacher of the martial art t'ai chi ch'uan in China, and, after 1949, in the British colony of Hong Kong. He was also the "gate-keeper" of the Wu family from 1942 until his death in 1970.

Wu Kung-i was the grandson of the founder of Wu style t'ai chi ch'uan, Wu Ch'uan-yü. Wu Ch'uan-yü's son, , became the best known teacher in his family, and is therefore also considered the co-founder of the Wu style. Wu Kung-i was his eldest son. Wu Kung-i's younger brother and sister, Wu Kung-tsao and Wu Ying-hua, were also well known teachers. The Wu family were originally of Manchu ancestry.

There was a tradition in the Chinese martial arts that youngsters be taught by teachers of a generation older than their parents'. Since Wu Ch'uan-yü had died while Wu Kung-i was an infant, he and his brother were taught as young men by Yang Shao-hou, who was technically a generation senior to their father. Both Yang Shao-hou and Wu Chien-ch'üan were famous for their "small circle" martial expertise. The motions of t'ai chi ch'uan forms and pushing hands are all based on different sized circles, small circle movements in the forms and applications follow a more compact pathway for different leverage applications than larger circles.

After the fall of the in 1912, a new teaching environment was created. More people became aware of t'ai chi ch'uan, and the former dynamic of small classes and intensive military instruction of relatively young students became less practical. Wu Kung-i responded to the new demands of larger class sizes and older beginning level students by changing some aspects of the beginning level he taught. His modifications of the "square" forms he had learned from his father and the slightly different form he learned from Yang Shao-hou, distinguished by clear sectional instructions for each move in the form sequence, more compact "small circle" movements in the body and somewhat higher stances with the feet relatively closer together than in other styles of t'ai chi ch'uan. Wu Kung-i also formulated new styles of pushing hands based on smaller circles, most notably the "four corner" method of basic pushing hands.

Wu Kung-i's children were also full time t'ai chi ch'uan teachers; his oldest son Wu Ta-k'uei, his second son, Wu Ta-ch'i and his daughter, Wu Yen-hsia.

In 1953, the fifty three year old Wu was publicly challenged by to a fight by the thirty-something Tibetan White Crane stylist Ch'en K'e-fu . The contest was arranged and fought in Macau in January, 1954. The ring was set up as if for a Western boxing match, and there were many rules prohibiting various techniques being used by the fighters; kicks, throws or , for example. The contest lasted not quite two rounds. During the second round, the judges ended the fight, declaring the contest a draw. This was done to ensure that there was no loss of face to either party. Both Wu and Ch'en invited the opposing sides to celebratory banquets. The contest was reported in detail by the media of the day, and resulted in many new students for the Wu family school, including a martial art teaching contract for Wu Ta-kuei from the Kowloon police.

Family tree

This family tree is not comprehensive.

LEGENDARY FIGURES
|
Zhang Sanfeng*
circa 12th century

|
Wang Zongyue*
T'AI CHI CH'?AN
|
THE 5 MAJOR CLASSICAL FAMILY STYLES
|
Chen Wangting
1600-1680 9th generation Chen

|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
Chen Changxing Chen Youben
1771-1853 14th generation Chen circa 1800s 14th generation Chen
Chen Old Frame Chen New Frame
| |
Yang Lu-ch'an Chen Qingping
1799-1872 1795-1868
Chen Small Frame, Zhao Bao Frame
| |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
Yang Pan-hou Yang Chien-hou Wu Yu-hsiang
1837-1892 1839-1917 1812-1880
Yang Small Frame |
| +-----------------+ |
| | | |
Wu Ch'uan-yü Yang Shao-hou Yang Ch'eng-fu Li I-yü
1834-1902 1862-1930 1883-1936 1832-1892
| Yang Small Frame |
Wu Chien-ch'üan | Hao Wei-chen
1870-1942 Yang Shou-chung 1849-1920
1910-1985 |
|
| Sun Lu-t'ang
Wu Kung-i 1861-1932
1900-1970
| |
Wu Ta-k'uei Sun Hsing-i
1923-1972 1891-1929

Note to Family tree table

Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semilegendary figures in the lineage, which means their involvement in the lineage, while accepted by most of the major schools, isn't independently verifiable from known historical records.

Wu Kuang-yu

Eddie Wu Kuang-yu is a Chinese-Canadian T'ai Chi Ch'uan teacher. He is the eldest son of the late Wu Ta-k'uei and senior instructor of the Wu family and "Gatekeeper" of the as taught in the Wu's T'ai Chi Ch'uan Academies internationally since the passing of his uncle, the late Wu Ta-hsin, in January 2005. Eddie Wu is the great-grandson of the late Wu Chien-ch'uan, and grandson of the late Wu Kung-i. His two sons, Austin Wu Chung Him and Edward Wu Chung Wai are also teachers in their family's school.

Eddie Wu started learning Tai Chi from the age of 6 from his grandfather Wu Kung-i with whom he lived with till age 12. Thereafter, Eddie Wu moved back to live with his father Wu Ta-kuei and continued learning till he left for university. He later graduated and worked as an Engineer for several years.

In 1975, master Wu Ta-ch'i started the first western hemisphere Wu family school in Toronto, Canada. Shortly afterwards, he invited his nephew, then Sifu Eddie Wu Kuang-yu to take over the school at the age of 30. Eddie Wu has promoted Wu style T'ai Chi Ch'uan in Asia, North America and Europe, with schools that recognise his supervision in Toronto, Fredericton, Ann Arbor, New Jersey, Hawaii, London , Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Wu Chien-ch'uan

Wu Chien-ch'uan , was a famous teacher of the martial art of t'ai chi ch'uan in late and early .

Wu Chien-ch'uan was taught martial arts by his father, Wu Ch'uan-yu, a senior student of Yang Lu-ch'an and Yang Pan-hou. Both Wu Chien-ch'uan and his father were hereditary Manchu cavalry officers of the as well as the Imperial Guards Brigade, yet the Wu family were to become patriotic supporters of Sun Yat-sen.

At the time of the establishment of the Chinese Republic in 1912, China was in turmoil, besieged for many years economically and even militarily by several foreign powers, so Wu Chien-ch'uan and his colleagues Yang Shao-hou, Yang Ch'eng-fu and Sun Lu-t'ang promoted the benefits of t'ai chi ch'uan training on a national scale. They subsequently offered classes at the Beijing Physical Culture Research Institute to as many people as possible, starting in 1914. It was the first school to provide instruction in the art to the general public. Wu Chien-ch'uan was also asked to teach the Eleventh Corps of the new Presidential Bodyguard as well as at the nationally famous martial arts school.

As the focus of t'ai chi ch'uan teaching in his time changed from a strictly military art to a discipline made available to the general public, Wu Chien-ch'uan modified the he learned from his father somewhat. Wu Chien-ch'uan's changes to the initial forms shown to his students included smoothing overt expressions of , jumps and other abrupt time changes in the training routines in order to make those forms easier for the general public to learn. These modified elements were preserved and taught in various advanced forms and pushing hands, however.

Wu Chien-ch'uan moved his family to Shanghai in 1928. In 1935, he established the ''Chien-ch'uan T'ai Chi Ch'uan Association'' on the ninth floor of the Shanghai YMCA to promote and teach t'ai chi ch'uan. What he taught has since become known as Wu style T'ai Chi Ch'uan and is one of the five primary styles practised around the world, the others being Ch'en style T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Yang style T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Wu/Hao style T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Sun style T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

The ''Chien-ch'uan T'ai Chi Ch'uan Association'' schools have subsequently been maintained by Wu Chien-ch'uan's descendants. He was succeeded as head of the Wu family system by his oldest son, Wu Kung-i, in 1942. Wu Kung-i moved the family headquarters to Hong Kong in 1949. Today the Association still has its international headquarters in Hong Kong and is currently managed by Wu Chien-ch'uan's great-grandson, Wu Kuang-yu, with branches in Shanghai, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and France.

Several of Wu's disciples also became well known T'ai Chi teachers. Prominent in that number were the senior disciple, Ma Yueh-liang, Wu T'u-nan and Cheng Wing-kwong. His daughter Wu Yinghua and her husband Ma Yueh-liang continued running the Shanghai ''Chien-ch'uan T'ai Chi Ch'uan Association'' until their deaths in the mid 1990s.

Family tree

This family tree is not comprehensive.

LEGENDARY FIGURES
|
Zhang Sanfeng*
circa 12th century

|
Wang Zongyue*
T'AI CHI CH'?AN
|
THE 5 MAJOR CLASSICAL FAMILY STYLES
|
Chen Wangting
1600-1680 9th generation Chen

|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
Chen Changxing Chen Youben
1771-1853 14th generation Chen circa 1800s 14th generation Chen
Chen Old Frame Chen New Frame
| |
Yang Lu-ch'an Chen Qingping
1799-1872 1795-1868
Chen Small Frame, Zhao Bao Frame
| |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
Yang Pan-hou Yang Chien-hou Wu Yu-hsiang
1837-1892 1839-1917 1812-1880
Yang Small Frame |
| +-----------------+ |
| | | |
Wu Ch'uan-yü Yang Shao-hou Yang Ch'eng-fu Li I-yü
1834-1902 1862-1930 1883-1936 1832-1892
| Yang Small Frame |
Wu Chien-ch'üan | Hao Wei-chen
1870-1942 Yang Shou-chung 1849-1920
1910-1985 |
|
| Sun Lu-t'ang
Wu Kung-i 1861-1932
1900-1970
| |
Wu Ta-kuei Sun Hsing-i
1923-1972 1891-1929

Note to Family tree table

Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semilegendary figures in the lineage, which means their involvement in the lineage, while accepted by most of the major schools, isn't independently verifiable from known historical records.

Wu Ch'uan-yu

Wu Ch'uan-yu or Wu Quanyuo was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in late Imperial China. He is credited as the founder of the Wu style t'ai chi ch'uan. As he was of Manchu descent and would have been named by his family in Manchu. The name "Wú" was sinicisation that approximated the pronunciation of the first syllable of his , ''U Hala''.

Background

Wu Ch'uan-yu was a military officer in the camp in the Forbidden City, Beijing and also an officer of the Imperial Guards Brigade during the Qing Dynasty. At that time, Yang Luchan was the martial arts instructor in that banner camp, teaching t'ai chi ch'uan. In the camp, there were many officers studying with Yang Luchan, but only three men, Wan Chun , Ling Shan and Ch'uan Yu studied diligently and trained hard enough at t'ai chi ch'uan to become disciples. However, they were unable to become Yang Luchan's disciples, because Yang Luchan taught t'ai chi ch'uan to two men of very high status in the military; they were Shi Shaonan and General Yue Guichen.

At that time Wan Chun, Ling Shan and Ch'uan-yu were middle grade officers in the banner camp and because of their rank, they could not be seen as fellow classmates with nobility and high grade officers. As a result, they were asked to become disciples of Yang Pan-hou or Yang Banhou, Yang Luchan’s oldest adult son and an instructor as well to the Manchu military.

Wu Ch'uan-yu as a teacher

When Wu retired from the military, he set up a school in Beijing. Wu Ch'uan-yu's Beijing school was successful and there were many who studied with him, he was popularly known as Quan Sanye as a term of respect. His disciples were Guo Songting , Wang Maozhai , Xia Gongfu , Chang Yuanting , Qi Gechen etc. Wu's skills were said to be exceptional in the area of softly "neutralising" hard energy when attacked, which is a core skill of good t'ai chi ch'uan practice as a martial art.

Formation of the Wu style

Wu Ch'uan-yu's son, Wu Chien-ch'uan also became a cavalry officer and t'ai chi ch'uan teacher, working closely with the Yang family and promoting what subsequently came to be known as Wu style t'ai chi ch'uan in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.

Family tree

This family tree is not comprehensive.

LEGENDARY FIGURES
|
Zhang Sanfeng*
circa 12th century

|
Wang Zongyue*
T'AI CHI CH'?AN
|
THE 5 MAJOR CLASSICAL FAMILY STYLES
|
Chen Wangting
1600–1680 9th generation Chen

|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
Chen Changxing Chen Youben
1771–1853 14th generation Chen circa 1800s 14th generation Chen
Chen Old Frame Chen New Frame
| |
Yang Lu-ch'an Chen Qingping
1799–1872 1795–1868
Chen Small Frame, Zhao Bao Frame
| |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
Yang Pan-hou Yang Chien-hou Wu Yu-hsiang
1837–1892 1839–1917 1812–1880
Yang Small Frame |
| +-----------------+ |
| | | |
Wu Ch'uan-yü Yang Shao-hou Yang Ch'eng-fu Li I-yü
1834–1902 1862–1930 1883–1936 1832–1892
| Yang Small Frame |
Wu Chien-ch'üan | Hao Wei-chen
1870–1942 Yang Shou-chung 1849–1920
1910–1985 |
|
| Sun Lu-t'ang
Wu Kung-i 1861–1932
1900–1970
| |
Wu Ta-kuei Sun Hsing-i
1923–1970 1891–1929

Note to Family tree table

Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semilegendary figures in the lineage, which means their involvement in the lineage, while accepted by most of the major schools, isn't independently verifiable from known historical records.

Wong Jack Man

Wong Jack Man is a martial artist and martial arts teacher, best known for fighting Bruce Lee in a real-life challenge match in Oakland in 1964.

Wong taught classes in Tai Chi Chuan, Xingyiquan and Northern Shaolin at the in San Francisco. He retired in 2005 after teaching for 45 years. His classes continued under his student Rick Wing.

The fight with Bruce Lee

Wong's fight with Lee is controversial, as it was unrecorded and held in private.

According to Linda Lee Cadwell, Bruce Lee's wife, Lee's teaching of Chinese martial arts to Caucasians made him unpopular with Chinese martial artists in San Francisco. Dan Inosanto stated that Wong Jack Man did not teach Caucasians, and that he showed up at Lee's school on Broadway several months after Lee began teaching and issued an ornate scroll with a challenge to stop teaching Caucasians if he lost.

Wong stated that he requested a public fight with Lee after Lee had issued an open challenge during a demonstration at a Chinatown theater where Lee claimed to be able to defeat any martial artist in San Francisco. Wong stated it was after a mutual acquaintance delivered a note from Lee inviting him to fight that he showed up at Lee's school to challenge him. This "mutual acquaintance" had never been named and had never stepped forward to corroborate Wong's story, until claimed that he had originally written the challenge, and Wong him to let him sign it. Wong contested the notion that Lee was fighting for the right to teach caucasians as not all of Wong's students were Chinese, The article does not, however, state that the non-Chinese students are in fact Caucasian. Incidentally, was the only student of Wong Jack Man, at that time, who was not fully Chinese.

As the fight date approached, Wong tried to delay the match and even asked for restrictions on techniques such as no hitting the face, no kicking the groin, no eye jabs, etc. Bruce refused "rules", and the two fought no holds barred.Individuals known to have witnessed the match included Cadwell, James Lee and William Chen, a teacher of Tai Chi Chuan.

The details of the fight vary depending on the account. According to Bruce, Linda, and James Lee, the fight lasted 3 minutes with a decisive victory for Bruce.

Lee gave a description, without naming Wong explicitly, in an interview with .

:''"I'd gotten into a fight in San Francisco with a Kung-Fu cat, and after a brief encounter the son-of-a-bitch started to run. I chased him and, like a fool, kept punching him behind his head and back. Soon my fists began to swell from hitting his hard head. Right then I realized Wing Chun was not too practical and began to alter my way of fighting."''

Cadwell recounted the scene in her book

:''"The two came out, bowed formally and then began to fight. Wong adopted a classic stance whereas Bruce, who at the time was still using his Wing Chun style, produced a series of straight punches. "Within a minute, Wong's men were trying to stop the fight as Bruce began to warm to his task. James Lee warned them to let the fight continue. A minute later, with Bruce continuing the attack in earnest, Wong began to backpedal as fast as he could. For an instant, indeed, the scrap threatened to degenerate into a farce as Wong actually turned and ran. But Bruce pounced on him like a springing leopard and brought him to the floor where he began pounding him into a state of demoralization. "Is that enough?" shouted Bruce, "That's enough!" pleaded his adversary. Bruce demanded a second reply to his question to make sure that he understood this was the end of the fight."''

This is in contrast to Wong and William Chen's account of the fight as they state the fight lasted an unusually long 20-25 minutes. Allegedly, Wong was unsatisfied with Lee's account of the match and published his own version in the Chinese Pacific Weekly, a Chinese language newspaper in San Francisco. The article, which was featured on the front page, included a detailed description of the fight from Wong's perspective and concluded with an invitation to Bruce Lee for a public match if Lee found his version to be unacceptable. Lee never made a public response to the article. Wong later expressed regret over fighting Lee, attributing it to arrogance, both on the part of Lee and himself.

Wang Zongyue

Wang Zongyue was one of the Old Masters and an architecht of modern as it is practiced today. Master Wang was a famous student of the legendary Zhang Sanfeng, a 13th-Century Taoist monk credited with the devisement of neijia in general and T'ai Ch'i Chuan in particular.

Master Wang's most famous contribution to T'ai Ch'i Ch'uan was authoring The T'ai Ch'i Treatise. This treatise was the origin of many T'ai Ch'i proverbs; among them being "Four ounces deflect one thousand pounds," and "A feather cannot be added; nor can a fly alight." The T'ai Ch'i Treatise is among a body of literature collectively referred to as the ''T'ai Ch'i Ch'uan Classics''.

From Wang, T'ai Ch'i Ch'uan branches off to Northern and Southern style T'ai Ch'i Ch'uan. The Northern style was handed down to the Chen family village via Jiang Fa during the Qing dynasty .

Family tree

This family tree is not comprehensive.

LEGENDARY FIGURES
|
Zhang Sanfeng*
circa 13th century

|
Wang Zongyue*
T'AI CHI CH'?AN
|
THE 5 MAJOR CLASSICAL FAMILY STYLES
|
Chen Wangting
1600-1680 9th generation Chen

|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
Chen Changxing Chen Youben
1771-1853 14th generation Chen circa 1800s 14th generation Chen
Chen Old Frame Chen New Frame
| |
Yang Lu-ch'an Chen Qingping
1799-1872 1795-1868
Chen Small Frame, Zhao Bao Frame
| |
+---------------------------------+-----------------------------+ |
| | | |
Yang Pan-hou Yang Chien-hou Wu Yu-hsiang
1837-1892 1839-1917 1812-1880
Yang Small Frame |
| +-----------------+ |
| | | |
Wu Ch'uan-yü Yang Shao-hou Yang Ch'eng-fu Li I-yü
1834-1902 1862-1930 1883-1936 1832-1892
| Yang Small Frame |
Wu Chien-ch'üan | Hao Wei-chen
1870–1942 Yang Shou-chung 1849–1920
1910–1985 |
|
| Sun Lu-t'ang
Wu Kung-i 1861–1932
1900-1970
| |
Wu Ta-kuei Sun Hsing-i
1923-1970 1891-1929

Note to Family tree table

''Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semilegendary figures in the lineage, which means their involvement in the lineage, while accepted by most of the major schools, isn't independently verifiable from known historical records.''

Tung Ying-chieh

Tung Ying-chieh was an influential teacher of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. He was born in China's Hebei province. A senior student of Yang Ch'eng-fu , he originally studied Wu/Hao style T'ai Chi Ch'uan as a young man. Tung also studied with Ch'eng-fu's older brother Yang Shao-hou and was the founder of ''Dong Tai Chi''. In Shao-hou's classes he was an older classmate of the Wu Kung-i and Wu Kung-tsao , and the men remained close colleagues in later years. Following the trend of many famous T'ai Chi masters who moved south during the years, Tung moved to Hong Kong in 1939 and taught there. The Dong style as it eventually developed included training features researched by Tung Ying-chieh, both with Yang Ch'eng-fu and independently.

He wrote a book called "T'ai Chi Ch'uan Explained" or "Principles of T'ai Chi Ch'uan" which has recently been translated from into . First published in 1948, it has been reprinted and updated continuously since its first publication.

Tung Ying-chieh was followed by son Dong Hu Ling who is followed by Tung Kai Ying and Dong Zeng Chen. The members of the Tung family teach T'ai Chi Ch'uan in Asia, Hawaii, North America and Europe.

Song, Sur Myung

Song Shuming lived in Beijing during the early years of the 20th Century. He practiced an ancient Martial Arts that passed down through his family. His Martial Arts ancestor was Song, Yuangqiao 1288A.D. – 1370A.D. also known as Song, Won Kyo in Koran). Song, Yuangiao was one of the seven diciples of Tai Chi founder Zhang Sanfeng. And Song, Yuangqiao's ancestors were responsible for pass down ancient Martial Arts of Tai Chi that learned exclusively from Xu Xuanping of his style Changquan.

Song Yuanqiao passed down his Martial Arts of Tai Chi Chuan through his family members and his style was well known Martial Arts style called Southern style.

Song, Duk Soon ,one of Song,Yuangiao's family members begun spread their family tradition in Korea and he become a founder of Korean Tai Chi that introduced in Korea and also he founded Martial Arts system called "Chun Seung Moo Soo傳承武術" also known as OHTC during that period.

Later, Song Shuming in China was an enigma in the Beijing martial arts world at that time, and reputed to have considerable martial ability, making him a formidable opponent.

It is said that the martial art he practiced was somewhat similar to Yang style Taijiquan, but had not been passed down via Chen Changxing. This made his style quite unique and also gives credibility to the stories that suggest modern Taijiquan has evolved from a very ancient Taoist martial arts system.

It is also said that many famous martial artists of the day sought out Song Shuming for challenges and instruction, and that both Wu Jianquan and Xu Yusheng , both visited Song Shuming and studied with him.

Song Shuming

Song Shuming lived in Beijing during the early years of the 20th Century. He practiced an ancient Daoist martial art said to have been passed down through his family from one of his ancestors called Song Yuanqiao , who was a disciple of Xu Xuanping during the Tang Dynasty. Song Shuming was an enigma in the Beijing martial arts world at that time, and reputed to have considerable martial ability, making him a formidable opponent.

It is said that the martial art he practiced was somewhat similar to Yang style Taijiquan, but had not been passed down via Chen Changxing. This made his style quite unique and also gives credibility to the stories that suggest modern Taijiquan has evolved from a very ancient Daoist martial arts system.

Shi Mei Lin

Shi Mei Lin is a teacher of Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan. She is the adopted daughter of Wu Yinghua and Ma Yueliang.



A Wushu and Tai Chi champion in the 1970s and 1980s, she toured with Chinese Wushu teams internationally, including the United States in 1974 when she was part of an elite Chinese Martial Arts Delegation that also included Jet Li . She is a graduate from the Beijing Sports and Cultural University in Chinese Martial Arts and was a member of the Shanghai Wushu Team. In later years she coached Wushu in Shanghai and later the Taiwanese Wushu Team in 1994.

In 1986 she won the Chinese National Tai Chi sword competition as well as becoming the Wu Style Tai Chi Champion. Shi Mei Lin often represented Wu Style Tai Chi with Grand Master Ma Yue Liang and Grand Master Wu Ying Hua at martial arts demonstrations, competitions and conferences in China. She also co-authored the book "Wu Style Tai Chi Fast Form" with Grand Master Ma and Grand Master Wu.

In 1988 Shi Mei Lin emigrated to the Netherlands and then later New Zealand where she now lives and teaches Wu Style Tai Chi and Wushu. She also has students in Europe and the United States.

Wu style Tai Chi was created by a Manchurian named Wu Quanyou . Wu was a student of Yang Luchan, , and Yang Banhou. Wu Quanyou’s son, Wu Jianquan , studied under the tutorship of his father. After 1912 he developed the teaching of Tai Chi Chuan at the Beijing Sport Research Society, gradually refining his father’s style. His two sons, Wu Gongyi and Wu Gongzao, were his first students.

Wu Jianquan’s eldest daughter Wu Yinghua , started studying Tai Chi Chuan with her father at a very young age. In 1935 Wu Yinghua was also appointed deputy director of the Jian Quan Association in Shanghai. She married her father’s student, Ma Yue Liang , and throughout her life she taught with her husband all over China. Both Wu Ying Hua and Ma Yue Liang were very highly regarded in martial arts circles.

Ma Yueh-liang

Ma Yueh-liang was a famous teacher of Taijiquan. He was the senior disciple of Wu Jianquan, the founder of Wu style Taijiquan, and married Wu's daughter Wu Ying-hua in 1930. Ma Yueh-liang was also a medical doctor who graduated from the Beijing Medical College in 1929 and specialized in Hematology. He established the First Medical Examination and Experiment Office and ran the blood clinics at Zhon Shan Hospital in Shanghai. Like Wu Quanyou and Wu Jianquan, Ma was of Manchu descent. Ma Yueh-liang had roots both in the traditions of China and in Western science.

There are accounts that Ma Yueh-liang was a gifted martial artist in his youth. He had studied a number of Chinese martial arts including, Shaolinquan, Three Emperors Pao Chui, Baguazhang and Tong Bei Quan. However, Wu Jianquan would accept Ma as a student only if he concentrated on Wu Style Taijiquan. From about age 18, Ma Yueh-liang exclusively studied Wu style Taijiquan. Wu Jianquan started the Jianquan Taijiquan Association in Shanghai in 1936, and Ma became the deputy director of the Association. Ma studied Taijiquan with Wu Jianquan until the death of his teacher in 1942. The Jianquan Association still exists today internationally and remains a resource for the study of Wu style Taijiquan.

It is difficult to overstate the importance of Ma Yueh-liang and his wife in the emergence of Wu style Taijiquan after the Cultural Revolution in China. Even at an advanced age, Ma Yueh-liang was chosen as one of the 100 Best Martial Artists in China. Wu Ying-hua and Ma Yueh-liang continued to teach in Taijiquan until their deaths. They taught a large number of students in Shanghai and throughout the world and published several books on Wu style Taijiquan. Ma Yueh-liang and Wu Ying-hua's Wu style sword/weapons book includes a family picture with several of their closest students. Ma Yueh-liang also publicly practiced a number of formerly closed door forms and methods so that that they would not be lost. In public, Wu Ying-hua would often demonstrate the Wu style Slow Set and Ma Yueh-liang would follow by demonstrating the Wu Style Tai Chi Fast Form. English translations of some of Ma Yueh-liang's writings were done by Dr. Wen Zee, one of his students who eventually opened a Wu style school in Tucson, Arizona shortly before he returned to China and died. Ma Yueh-liang taught many high level students, among whom was Fei Gua-ching who is still active in the Jianquan Taijiquan Association in Shanghai.

Ma Yueh-liang and Wu Ying-hua are survived by their children and grandchildren, including: Ma Jiangchun , Dr. Ma Hailong , Ma Jiang-bao and Ma Jiangling . Ma Jiang Bao lives in the Netherlands and teaches traditional Taijiquan throughout Europe. Their adopted daughter Shi Mei Lin now lives and teaches Wu style Taijiquan in New Zealand. She also has students in France and in the United States .

Books

* Wu Style Taichichuan : Forms, Concepts and Application of the Original Style, Wu Ying-hua and Ma Yueh-liang
* Wu Style Taichichuan Push-hands , Ma Yueh-liang, Zee Wen
* Wu Style Simplified Tai Chi Chuan
* Wu Style Tai Chi Fast Form
* Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Explanation in detail

Ma Jiang Bao

Ma Jiangbao is a well known teacher of Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan. He is the third son of Wu Yinghua and Ma Yueliang. In 1986 he came with is father Ma Yueliang to Europe to teach Wu style. Ma Yueliang returned home after four months. Ma Jiangbao stayed and lives now in Rotterdam. He and his students are teaching in many countries, in Europe as well as in South Africa and Japan.

Wu style was created by a Manchurian named Wu Quanyou . Wu was a student of Yang Luchan, , and Yang Banhou. Wu Quanyou’s son, Wu Jianquan , loved martial arts from his youth and studied under the tutorship of his father. After 1912 he continuously developed the teaching Tai Chi Chuan at the Beijing Sport Research Society, gradually refining his father’s style. His two sons, Wu Gongyi and Wu Gongzao, were his first students.

Wu Jianquan’s eldest daughter, Ma Jiangbao's mother Wu Yinghua , started studying Tai Chi Chuan with her father at a very young age. In 1935 Wu Yinghua was also appointed deputy director of the Jian Quan Association in Shanghai. She married her father’s student, Ma Yueliang , and throughout her life she taught with her husband all over China. In martial arts circles she was regarded as one of the most renowned teachers. Ma Hailong, the eldest son of Wu Yinghua and Ma Yueliang, also studied Tai Chi Chuan from a young age and is now the president of the Jian Quan Association Shanghai.

Lu Shengli

Lu Shengli is a martial artist specialized in , , and . He first studied with master Han Ying and later studied Baiyuan Tongbei Quan with master Li Shusen. He became an indoor disciple under Wang Pei Sheng's number one disciple, Luo Shu Huan, studying Taiji Quan, Bagua Zhang, and Xingyi Quan. He studied directly with Wang Pei Sheng as well.

Lu has been actively teaching martial arts for more than fifteen years at the Beijing Information Technology Institute, and for the Beijing Wu Style Taiji Quan Association and the Yin Cheng Gong Fa Association.

Publications

Jiang Yu Kun

Jiang Yu Kun was a Tai Chi Chuan master who was born in Hangzhou in the province of Zhejiang. Master Jiang Yu K'un was a student of grandmaster Yang Chengfu . Although he studied different Tai Chi styles like Chen, Wu, Sun and Li, his specialism was syle.

Jiang Yu K'un began martial arts training at the age of 7 with his uncle. Then his Tai Chi training began with Han Ch'ing-t'ang. In Zhejiang provincial Wushu Academy he became the student of Yang Chengfu at his age of 30's. After passing the entrance exam of Nanjing China Central Wushu Institute, he studied Xingyiquan, , Chin Na and Sanshou, Wudang Sword respectively with masters Chiang Jung-Ch'iao, Huang Pai-nien, Wu Chun-shan, Liu Pai-ch'uan and Huang Yuan-hsiu.

In 1930 he became the champion in Zhejiang, in 1933 he scored the highest point in graduate exam of Nanjing China Central Wushu Institute, in 1948 he became the national champion of wrestling, in 1956 he got 2 titles in national Wushu Championship, in 1975 he was invited to be the national Wushu trainer.

Jiang Yu K'un studied Da Jia in Yang Style Tai Chi system from a martial arts approach. He learned and Xiao Jia Small Frame Yang Style from Gong Rongtian, who was a disciple of Yang Ban-Shou . Jiang also learned Chen Style Tai Chi from Master Chen Ziming, the 17th generation successor of the Chen Family.

One of the heritages of Yang Chengfu, the traditional , could come to the present day thanks to master Jiang Yu K'un. Fortunately this rarely practised form was passed on to his students. has high and low stands, beautiful circular moves and powerful yet relaxed actions with much details. 43 form has been created by Yang Chengfu just a few years before his death and undergone small edit by Master Jiang Yu K'un.