WU
STYLE TAI CHI CHUAN
Among the five officially recognized Tai Chi Chuan styles in China, Wu Tai
Chi Chuan is the second largest style in the world. In Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, Wu style is the most practiced of the Tai
Chi Chuan's.
Historically in China,
the Wu Style has always been recognized and respected equally with the Yang
style. In the early 1900's, Master Wu Chien Chuan was invited to teach the
Small Frame Tai Chi in the Beijing Athletic Research Society. Master Yang Chen
Fu and his brother Yang Shao Hon were invited to teach the Big Frame Tai Chi
Chuan under the same roof.
Then in the mid 1920's, Master Wu Chien Chuan and Master Yang Chen Fu went to Shanghai, in East China
to teach Tai Chi Chuan. It was about this time that Master 23223e42x Wu Chien Chuan
completed the standardized Small Frame Tai Chi and at the same time Master Yang
Chan Fu standardized the Big Frame Tai Chi. These styles were called Wu style
and Yange style respectively by the students to distinguish between them.
In the 1930's, Yang and Wu styles spread into Canton
and Hong Kong. From Hong Kong, Master Wu Chien
Chuan's eldest son, Wu Kung Yee, and Master Wu's student, Chan Wing Kwong,
spread Wu Tai Chi to the Southeast Asia area.
This made Wu style the most popular form of Tai Chi in these areas.
In the early 1950's, Wu Kung Yee answered the challenge of a young White Crane
Sifu, to a charity match. Despite his advanced age, Wu Kung Yee demonstrated
his prowess in fighting and proved the effectiveness of Wu style Tai Chi. Tung
Ying Chije, a Yang style disciple of Master Yang Chen Fu, was presented and
accepted as one of the officials at the match. This shows the mutual respect
for both the Wu and Yang family styles that was passed down to the leaders of
the next generation. Later. in
1957, the Wu style fighting ability was demonstrated by Chan Ten Hung, nephew
of Chan Wing Kwong, who was a disciple of Master Wu Chien Chuan. He won a
unamimous decision in the official public match in Taiwan
against the Taiwan
champion, who was famous for his kicks. The tradition of Master Wu's skill in
fighting has been passed down to fifth and sixth generation of Wu stylists. In
the late 1970's, international full contact Kung Fu matches became popular in Southeast Asia. Again and again the fighters proved the
superiority of Wu style by their victories in the ring.
The world expansion of Wu style started when Wu's family moved south from Beijing to Shanghai
in the 1920's. The three main bases from which the tradition of Wu style was
transmitted were Beijing, Shanghai
and Hong Kong.
From Beijing,
the Wu style developed two branches. One came from master
Wu Chien Chuan's early students, such as Wu Tunan and Chuan Zee Yee. The other
branch came down through Master Wu Chien Chuan's father, Chuan Yuo and his
student, Wang Muzhai. Yang Yuting, from the Wang Muzhai lineage, and his
students strongly influenced northern Wu Tai Chi in Beijing, as they developed the northern Wu,
which has quite different techniques than the rest of the Wu style.
The Shanghai Chien Chuan Tai Chi Society is presently led by Master Wu Chien
Chuan's daughter, Wu Ying Hua and her husband, Ma Yeh-Liang. Their postures
appear to be closer to Master Wu Chien Chuan's postures than are those of the
the other branches.
Tai Chi in Hong Kong and Southeast Asia is
mostly influenced by Wu Kung-Yee, the elder son of Master Wu Chien Chuan, the
leader of the Hong Kong Chien Chuan Tai Chi Society. The other branch is from
Master Wu's student, Chan Wing Kwong. The Hong Kong postures are basicly the
same as the Shanghai
postures. The difference is in the stance; the Hong Kong
postures are much smaller and higher. The body leans and sways more while
practicing. Ma yeh-Liang once said in an interview that all Wu stylists should
practice Tai Chi as closely as possible to the postures that were left by
Master Wu Chien Chuan.
I have researched the rare 63 photos of Master Wu Chien Chuan's postures in a
book by his second son, Wu Kung Tsai, published in Hong
Kong. I have also studied Wu Tai Chi by Wu Ying Hua of Shanghai, Chuan Zee Yee's book from Beijing entitled Wu's Tai Chi Book, as well
as Wu's Book of Tai Chi by Wang Pei Sheng of Beijing about the northern Wu
style. Besides small differences in technique, all the texts show the special
principles of Wu's Tai Chi Small Frame performed with elegance. The postures
are compact but not crowded. The tempo is slow, even, light and rounded with
the internal feelings of substantial versus insubstantial, and absolute void or
receptiveness. Energy is compressed in spiral movements to feel the connection
with the gravitational force. All this, along with the correct postures of
Master Wu Chien Chuan, is essential to achieve the most important internal
force of the Wu Tai Chi. This is the method of heart. It is the "central
equilibrium" that is the force of the earth which enables our head to
support the Tai Chi, our arms to embrace the eight trigrams and our feet to
step on the five elements.
The principles are the same whether practicing forms or push hands. It is just
like the two elements of Tai Chi: the Yin and the Yang. Push hands and the Wu
Style Tai Chi forms are two parts of one whole. An important external element
of Wu's posture is the straightness of the lower back compared to other Tai Chi
styles. The body inclines slightly to the front. From the head to the back, the
leg and the heel form a straight line. Instead of just relaxing and dropping
the hip, it is required to bow the lower back or waist to reverse the arch or
sway of the lower back. The chest will naturally relax or slightly depress, the
hip will tuck forward, and the crotch will lift. This posture allows the chi to
sink to the tan tien. The top of the head is lifted, so the chi or energy of
the body can flow to keep the body centered and the spine erect.
Because of its small frame, the Wu style appears different from other styles.
To discharge the force of press and push, and impart maximum velocity, requires
an inclined upper body to create more distance. The bow of the lower back is
kept in place to connect the upper and lower extremities to the ground. For
example, the famous Plow Oxen stance of the Wu style externally looks slanted,
yet internally the crown of the head and heels are in a straight line, and the
spine is straight allowing the chi to flow thoroughly.
Biomechanically, to give impetus to an external object with techniques of push
or press requires utilizing the lower extremities and body weight. Instead of
just using the upper extremities to impart the maximum horizontal vectors,
vertical movements are reduced to a minimum. This allows the power to generate
from the legs and flow to the body and the hands easily. The inclined posture
of the Wu Plow Oxen stance is the most efficient and anatomically correct
posture to do the job. While practicing forms or push hands, it is important to
be aware of this special quality. In the Tai Chi Classic, it is called
"Erect in Slanting."
The double weight definition of the Tai Chi Classics in push hands means one
incorrectly uses rigid stiff force against oncoming force. To avoid this
mistake, one should use rising, yielding force to reverse any oncoming force.
It is unavoidable to support the body weight with both feet at certain points
in shifting stances. It is correct and anatomically a normal human action that
the single whip in the Wu Tai Chi is externally a horse stance. Yet the
internal force is in motion from one foot to another. Therefore, it is
incorrect to interpret the horse stance as a double weight posture.
The idea that the Wu style is good for yielding and softly diverting and that
Yang is good for press and discharging comes from the students of the two great
masters. One can easily see how Yang Tai Chi is good for press and discharging
because Master Yang Cheng Fu was a man weighing 300 pounds. Students who pushed
hands with him easily were bounced off by the slight touch of the Master's
press. Conversely, Master Wu was a very gentle-natured instructor. When he
pushed with his students, all he did was disperse the student's force so he
would not unknowingly hurt the students or their feelings. The two masters
respected each other's Kung Fu skills as equals when they demonstrated their
prowess ds at public charity occasions. The idea that the two forms had
different relative strengths was proven false at the first demonstration of the
two masters in Shanghai.
On that occasion the masters demonstrated the highest skill of push hands by
seeking each other's internal force through asking and answering without giving
any slack. After an engagement of advances and encounters, the two masters
would smile in recognition of each other's proficiency. The match was serious
push hands carried out with respect for each other, each master doing his best
to find the other's flaw without showing any favoritism for press and push or
roll back and yield. This story shows there are truly no differences between
softly diverting and discharging. The problem lies in not understanding that
within softness there is hardness and within hardness there is softness. This
is Tai Chi's Yin and Yang principle.
Tai Chi is different than the straight-on external martial arts. Tai Chi uses
circular movements, soft and yielding, as the tactic to keep the opponent at
bay, then counters when at an advantageous position. This is Tai Chi's most
basic combat principle.
From the external and internal aspects, Wu style is completely in accord with
the Tai Chi Chuan classics. Traced back to its roots, Wu style shows one
hundred years of development. The first generation of Wu style was Grand Master
Chian Yao. He incorporated the soft elegance of the Big Frame Tai Chi from the
first generation of Yang style Grand Master Yang Lu -Chuan, and the quick,
sudden force of compact Small Frame Tai Chi from Grand Master Yang Bang Hous,
the second son of Yang Lu Chan. Master Wu Chien Chuan, the son of Chua Yao,
inherited the techniques from his father and developed it into today's Wu
style. Indeed, Wu style is the fruit and the passionate effort of the great
masters of all the Tai Chi Chuan styles that evolved before it. The rich
history and the roots of Wu style should merit the recognition of its
individuality in the garden
of Tai Chi styles.
Wu style is both an exercise for health and an effective martial art that can
be used for self-defence. It effectively moves,
exercises and conditions the muscles, joints and ligaments of the entire body.
It is a practice that is easily incorporated into everyday life. it can be practiced almost anywhere at any time. Most
importantly, Wu style is life enrichening. It facilitates the evolution of the
entire person in a gentle and profound way.
Wu's Tai Chi will undoubtedly give you a new perspective and appreciation for
your body - its strengths and uniqueness. It will also help you to understand
your own unique personality and energy if you will let it. As you begin,
remember that patience, persistence, dedication and appreciation in the
learning process produce miraculous results. The practice of Wu style Tai Chi
Chuan can move you - outwardly and inwardly - onward to new discoveries.
