Wu Kung-tsao

Wu Kung-tsao (1902–1983) was a famous Chinese teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan. He taught in 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.cite book|last=Wile|first=Douglas|title=Lost T'ai-chi Classics from the Late Ch'ing Dynasty (Chinese Philosophy and Culture)|publisher=State University of New York Press|date=1995|isbn=978-0791426548] 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.cite magazine|last=Yip|first=Y. L.|title=Pivot – Qi, The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness Vol. 12 No. 3|publisher= Insight Graphics Publishers |date=Autumn 2002|issn=1056-4004]

In the 1920s Wu Kung-tsao served first as an infantry officer in the Thirteenth Brigade of the Nationalist 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 Ching Wu martial art school. During the 1930s, he wrote a well-known commentary on the classic writings in 40 chapters on t'ai chi ch'uan that his grandfather had inherited from Yang Pan-hou.cite book|last=Wile|first=Douglas|title=Lost T'ai-chi Classics from the Late Ch'ing Dynasty (Chinese Philosophy and Culture)|publisher=State University of New York Press|date=1995|isbn=978-0791426548] cite magazine|last=Philip-Simpson|first=Margaret|title= A Look at Wu Style Teaching Methods - T’AI CHI The International Magazine of T’ai Chi Vol. 19 No. 3 |publisher= Wayfarer Publications|date=June 1995|issn=0730-1049] His commentary (including the original 40 chapters) was published as "Wu Chia T'ai Chi Ch'uan" (吳家太極拳, Wu family T'ai Chi Ch'uan),cite book|last=Wile|first=Douglas|title=Lost T'ai-chi Classics from the Late Ch'ing Dynasty (Chinese Philosophy and Culture)|publisher=State University of New York Press|date=1995|isbn=978-0791426548] also known by English speakers as "The Gold Book" because of the colour of its cover.cite magazine|last=Philip-Simpson|first=Margaret|title= A Look at Wu Style Teaching Methods - T’AI CHI The International Magazine of T’ai Chi Vol. 19 No. 3 |publisher= Wayfarer Publications|date=June 1995|issn=0730-1049] 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 nei kung aspect of T'ai Chi training, both for martial purposes and for therapeutic interventions along the lines of traditional Chinese medicine.cite magazine|last=Cai|first=Naibiao|title=In Memory of Wu Daxin - Journal of Asian Martial Arts Vol. 15 No. 1|publisher= Via Media Publishing, Erie Pennsylvania USA|date=2006|issn=1057-8358]

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.cite magazine|last=Cai|first=Naibiao|title=In Memory of Wu Daxin - Journal of Asian Martial Arts Vol. 15 No. 1|publisher= Via Media Publishing, Erie Pennsylvania USA|date=2006|issn=1057-8358]

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.cite magazine|last=Cai|first=Naibiao|title=In Memory of Wu Daxin - Journal of Asian Martial Arts Vol. 15 No. 1|publisher= Via Media Publishing, Erie Pennsylvania USA|date=2006|issn=1057-8358]

Generational senior instructors of the Wu family

"1st Generation"

Wu Ch'uan-yü (Wu Quanyou, 吳全佑, 1834-1902), 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 (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-tsao (Wu Gongzao, 吳公藻, 1903-1983), was senior from 1970-1983.

"3rd Generation"

Wu Kung-i's younger sister, Wu Ying-hua (Wu Yinghua, 吳英華, 1907-1997), was senior from 1983-1997.

"4th Generation"

Wu Kung-i's daughter , Wu Yen-hsia (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).

References

External links

* [http://www.wustyle.com/ International Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Federation website]
* [http://www.wustyledetroit.com/ Detroit, Michigan Wu style website]