Shi Mei Lin is a teacher of
Wu-style t'ai chi ch'uan
The Wu family style () t'ai chi ch'uan (Taijiquan) of Wu Quanyou and Wu Chien-ch'uan (Wu Jianquan) is the second most popular form of t'ai chi ch'uan in the world today, after the Yang style, and fourth in terms of family seniority. This style ...
. She is the adopted daughter of
Wu Yinghua
Wu Yinghua (1907–1996) was a famous Chinese teacher of Wu-style tai chi. She was born in Beijing and died in Shanghai. She was the eldest daughter of Wu Jianquan, the best known teacher of Wu-style tai chi. Her older brothers were Wu Gongyi a ...
and
Ma Yueliang
Ma Yueliang or Ma Yueh-liang (1 August 1901 – 13 March 1998) was a famous Manchu people, Manchu teacher of taijiquan. He was the senior disciple of Wu Chien-ch'uan, the founder of Wu-style taijiquan, and married Wu's daughter Wu Ying-hua i ...
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
Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, Chinese martial arts, martial artist, and retired wushu (sport), Wushu champion. He is a naturalized Singapo ...
(Li Lianjie). 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. She is the current head Wushu
Taolu coach of the New Zealand Kung Fu Wushu Federation. The NZKWF is New Zealand's representative for Chinese Martial Arts to the International Wushu Federation (IWUF).
Shi Mei Lin often represented Wu-style t'ai 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
The different slow motion solo form training sequences of t'ai chi ch'uan are the best known manifestation of t'ai chi for the general public. In English, they are usually called the ''hand form'' or just the ''form''; in Mandarin it is usually c ...
" with Grand Master Ma and Grand Master Wu.
In 1983 Shi Mei Lin demonstrated the Wu-style t'ai chi Fast Form at the All China Traditional Martial Arts competition in Nanchang where she received the Award of Excellence. In 1986 she won the Chinese National Tai Chi sword competition as well as becoming the Wu-style t'ai chi Champion.
In 1988 Shi Mei Lin emigrated to the Netherlands and then later New Zealand where she now lives and teaches Wu-style t'ai chi and Wushu. She also has students in Europe and the United States.
Wu-style t'ai chi was created by a
Manchu
The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) and ...
rian named
Wu Ch'uan-yu
Wu Quanyou (1834–1902), or Wu Ch'uan-yu, was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in late Imperial China. His son 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 ...
(1834–1902). Wu was a student of
Yang Luchan
Yang Lu-ch'an or Yang Luchan, also known as Yang Fu-k'ui or Yang Fukui (1799–1872), was an influential Chinese practitioner and teacher of the internal style t'ai chi ch'uan (taijiquan). He is known as the founder of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'ua ...
, founder of the Yang style, and
Yang Pan-hou
Yang Pan-hou or Yang Banhou (1837–1890) was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan (taijiquan) in Ch'ing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.
Biography
He was the senior son of Yang Luchan to survive to adulthood. Like ...
. Wu Ch'uan-yu’s son,
Wu Chien-ch'uan
Wu Chien-ch'uan or Wu Jianquan (1870–1942) was a famous teacher and founder of the neijia martial art of Wu-style t'ai chi ch'uan in late Imperial and early Republican China.
Biography
Wu Chien-ch'uan was taught martial arts by his father ...
(1870–1942), 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
Wu Kung-i or Wu Gongyi (1898–1970) was a well-known teacher of the soft style martial art t'ai chi ch'uan (taijiquan) in China, and, after 1949, in the British colony of Hong Kong. He was also the "gate-keeper" of the Wu family from 1942 unti ...
and
Wu Gongzao
Wu Kung-tsao or Wu Gongzao (1902–1983) was a famous China, Chinese teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan. He taught in Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha and Hong Kong. The second son of Wu Chien-ch'uan, Wu Chien-ch'üan, he was the grandson of the first teach ...
, were his first students.
Wu Chien-ch'uan’s eldest daughter Wu Ying-hua (1907–1996), started studying Tai Chi Chuan with her father at a very young age. In 1935 Wu Ying-hua was also appointed deputy director of the Jian Quan Association in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
. She married her father’s student, Ma Yueh-liang (1901–1998), and throughout her life she taught with her husband all over China. Both Wu Ying Hua and Ma Yueh-liang were very highly regarded in martial arts circles.
References
External links
Shi Mei Lin's Wu-style t'ai chi websiteShi Mei Lin Short demo of Wu-style t'ai chi Sword & Wushu SwordShi Mei Lin Short demo of Wu-style Fast Form & Slow formWu Ying Hua, Ma Yueh Liang and Shi Mei LinT'ai Chi Magazine February 2003 No 1 Editor's notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shi, Mei Lin
Chinese tai chi practitioners
Manchu martial artists
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people