Wu Ta-hsin
Encyclopedia
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. He was the great-grandson Wu style t'ai chi ch'uan founder Wu Ch'uan-yu
Wu Ch'uan-yu
Wu Ch'uan-yu or Wu Quanyou 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...
and the grandson of the well-known teacher Wu Chien-ch'uan
Wu Chien-ch'uan
Wu Chien-ch'uan , was a famous teacher of the neijia martial art of t'ai chi ch'uan in late Imperial and early Republican China....
. 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
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 younger sister of Wu Ta-k'uei and Wu Ta-ch'i, and married Kuo Hsiao-chung, who was...
.
Born into a Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
military family known for their contributions towards preserving knowledge of the traditional Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
, Wu Ta-hsin endured strict training from his grandfather Wu Chien-ch'uan, uncle Wu Kung-i
Wu Kung-i
Wu Kung-i was a well-known teacher of the soft style 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....
and father Wu Kung-tsao
Wu Kung-tsao
Wu Kung-tsao was a famous Chinese teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan. He taught in Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha and Hong Kong. The second son of Wu Chien-ch'üan, 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...
. He eventually became known as a teacher and for his expertise with the t'ai chi sabre
Dao (sword)
Daois a category of single-edge Chinese swords primarily used for slashing and chopping , often called a broadsword in English translation because some varieties have wide blades. In China, the dao is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the gun , qiang , and the jian , and referred...
and sword
Jian
The jian is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the jian date to the 7th century BCE during the Spring and Autumn Period; one of the earliest specimens being the Sword of Goujian.Historical one-handed versions have blades...
as well as for his qigong
Qigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
and pushing hands
Pushing hands
Pushing hands, , is a name for two-person training routines practiced in internal Chinese martial arts such as Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, T'ai chi ch'uan , Liuhebafa, Quan Fa, Yiquan.-Overview:...
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
Wu Ta-ch'i
Wu Ta-ch'i was the descendant of the famous Wu style T'ai Chi Ch'uan founders Wu Ch'uan-yu and Wu Chien-ch'uan...
often travelled to Malaysia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to start and manage several Wu style academies. Later in his life, he also travelled extensively to North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, teaching t'ai chi ch'uan in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Detroit and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
Generational senior instructors of the Wu family
1st Generation- Wu Ch'uan-yüWu Ch'uan-yuWu Ch'uan-yu or Wu Quanyou 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...
(Wu Quanyou, 吳全佑, 1834–1902), who learned from Yang Lu-ch'anYang Lu-ch'anYang Lu-ch'an or Yang Luchan, ; also known as Yang Fu-k'ui , born in Kuang-p'ing , was an influential teacher of the soft style martial art t'ai chi ch'uan in China during the second half of the 19th century...
and Yang Pan-houYang Pan-houYang Banhou was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in Ch'ing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.-Biography:...
, was senior instructor of the family from 1870-1902.
2nd generation
- His oldest son, Wu Chien-ch'üanWu Chien-ch'uanWu Chien-ch'uan , was a famous teacher of the neijia martial art of t'ai chi ch'uan in late Imperial and early Republican China....
(Wu Jianquan, 吳鑑泉, 1870–1942), was senior from 1902-1942.
3rd Generation
- His oldest son, Wu Kung-i (Wu Gongyi, 吳公儀, 1900–1970) was senior from 1942-1970.
3rd Generation
- Wu Kung-i's younger brother, Wu Kung-tsaoWu Kung-tsaoWu Kung-tsao was a famous Chinese teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan. He taught in Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha and Hong Kong. The second son of Wu Chien-ch'üan, 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...
(Wu Gongzao, 吳公藻, 1903–1983), was senior from 1970-1983.
3rd Generation
- Wu Kung-i's younger sister, Wu Ying-huaWu Ying-huaWu Ying-hua ) was a famous Chinese teacher of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan. She was born in Beijing and died in Shanghai. She was the eldest daughter of Wu Chien-ch'uan, the best known teacher of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan...
(Wu Yinghua, 吳英華, 1907–1997), was senior from 1983-1997.
4th Generation
- Wu Kung-i's daughter, Wu Yen-hsiaWu Yen-hsiaWu 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 younger sister of Wu Ta-k'uei and Wu Ta-ch'i, and married Kuo Hsiao-chung, who was...
(Wu Yanxia, 吳雁霞, 1930–2001) was senior from 1997-2001.
4th Generation
- Wu Kung-tsao's son, Wu Ta-hsin (Wu Daxin, 吳大新, 1933–2005), 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 Guangyu, Eddie Wu, 吳光宇, born 1946).