Wu Yinghua (1907–1996) was a famous

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

teacher of

Wu-style tai chi Wu-style tai chi ( zh, c=吳氏太极拳, p=Wúshì tàijíquán) is one of the five main styles of tai chi. It is second in popularity after Yang-style, and the fourth-oldest of the five major tai chi styles. It was developed by Wu Quanyou an ...

. She was born in

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

and died 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 was the eldest daughter of

Wu Jianquan 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, ...

, the best known teacher of Wu-style tai chi. Her older brothers were

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 ...

, also well-known tai chi practitioners.

Biography

Wu Yinghua began studying

tai chi Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called "shadowboxing", is an neijia, internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and medita ...

at age nine, and by age seventeen, she was a full-time teacher in her father's school. In 1921, she was invited to teach tai chi in Shanghai. In 1928, her father followed her to Shanghai and she became his teaching assistant. In 1930, she married

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 ...

who was Wu Jianquan's senior disciple. In 1935, Wu Jianquan founded the

Jianquan Taijiquan Association The Jianquan Taijiquan Association (also spelled as ''Chien-ch'uan T'ai Chi Ch'uan Association'', ''Chian Chuan Taichi Chuan Association'' and in Chinese: 鑑泉太極拳社) is a well known school teaching Wu style t'ai chi ch'uan. It was found ...

(鑑泉太極拳社) in Shanghai. Wu Jianquan died in 1942. After the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...

, at about 1980, it became possible to teach tai chi publicly in China again. About this time her brother

was released from prison and moved to

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...

. Wu Yinghua and Ma Yueliang, remaining in mainland China, created a simplified Wu tai chi form, and were again able to have public meetings of the Jianquan Taijiquan Association. They taught a large number of students in Shanghai and in their travels to

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and elsewhere. Together with Ma Yueliang, Wu Yinghua published several books on Wu-style tai chi. The books "''Wu style Taijiquan: Forms, Concepts and Applications of the Original Style''" (commonly known as the "Orange Book"), "''Wu Simplified Taijiquan''", and "''Wu style Taiji Kuaiquan''" (

Wu-style tai chi fast form The different slow-motion solo form training sequences of tai chi are the best-known manifestations of tai chi for the general public. In English language, English, they are usually called the ''hand form'' or just the ''form.'' In Mandarin Chines ...

) have been collected in a single volume in China. They also co-authored a Wu-style sword book. Wu Yinghua was the senior instructor of the Wu family from 1983 until she died in 1996. Ma Yueliang and Wu Yinghua are survived by several children and grandchildren, including: Ma Jiangchun (b. 1931), Dr. Ma Hailong (b. 1935),

Ma Jiangbao Ma Jiangbao (31 October 1941 – 12 October 2016) was a well known teacher of Wu-style tai chi. He was the third son of Wu Yinghua and Ma Yueliang. Biography In 1986 he came with his father Ma Yueliang to Europe to teach Wu-style. Ma Yueliang ...

(b. 1941), and Ma Jiangling (b. 1947). Ma Jiangbao lived in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and taught traditional tai chi in

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. He died in 2016. Their adopted daughter Shi Meilin now lives and teaches in

. She also has students in

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and in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

(

Tucson , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

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Generational senior instructors of the Wu family

''1st Generation''

Wu Quanyou 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 f ...

(吳全佑, 1834–1902), who learned from

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 ...

and

Yang Banhou 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 ...

, was senior instructor of the family from 1870-1902. ''2nd generation'' His oldest son,

(1870–1942), was senior from 1902-1942. ''3rd Generation'' His oldest son,

(1900–1970) was senior from 1942-1970. ''3rd Generation'' Wu Gongyi's younger brother,

(1903–1983), was senior from 1970-1983. ''3rd Generation'' Wu Gongyi's younger sister, Wu Yinghua, was senior from 1983-1997. ''4th Generation'' Wu Gongyi's daughter,

Wu Yanxia Wu Yen-hsia or Wu Yanxia (1930–2001) was a Chinese t'ai chi ch'uan teacher of Manchu ancestry. Biography She was the daughter of Wu Kung-i (1900-1970) from whom she learned t'ai chi. She also helped in the teaching of her father's studen ...

(1930–2001) was senior from 1997-2001. ''4th Generation'' Wu Gongzao's son,

Wu Daxin Wu Ta-hsin or Wu Daxin (1933–2005) was a Chinese t'ai chi ch'uan teacher who lived most of his life in Hong Kong. He was the great-grandson Wu-style t'ai chi ch'uan founder Wu Ch'uan-yu and the grandson of the well-known teacher Wu Chien-ch'uan ...

(1933–2005), was senior from 2001-2005. ''5th Generation'' The current senior instructor of the Wu family is Wu Daokui's son Wu Kuang-yu.

Tai chi lineage tree with Wu-style focus

Bibliography

* Wu Kung-tsao. ''Wu Family T'ai Chi Ch'uan'' (吳家太極拳), Hong Kong, 1980, Toronto 2006, . * Wu Yinghua, Ma Yueliang, Shi Meilin (1987). Wu Style Tai Chi Fast Form. Henan Science Skills Ltd. Henan (only available in Chinese) . * Wu Yinghua, Ma Yueliang, Shi Meilin (1991). Wu Style Tai Chi Fast Form. Shanghai Book Co Ltd, Hong Kong (only available in Chinese) . . * Wu Yinghua, Ma Yueliang(1993). Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Forms, Concepts and Application of the Original Style. Shanghai Book Co Ltd, Hong Kong. . * Ma Yueliang & Zee Wen(1986, 1990, 1995). Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Push Hands. Shanghai Book Co Ltd, Hong Kong. . * Dr. Wen Zee (2002) Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan, Ancient Chinese way to health. North Atlantic Books. .

External links

*
Ma Jiangbao's Traditional Wu-style tai chi websiteWu-style tai chi New Zealand website
* * *
Wu style Taichichuan: Forms, Concepts and Applications of the Original Style
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wu Yinghua 1907 births 1996 deaths Chinese tai chi practitioners Manchu martial artists Sportspeople from Beijing Writers from Beijing 20th-century Chinese writers Chinese non-fiction writers