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 .