Wu (Hao)-style t'ai chi ch'uan

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Wu (Hao)-style t'ai chi ch'uan
(武/郝氏太極拳)
Also known as Wu (Hao)-style taijiquan
Wu (Hao) family taijiquan
Wu (Hao) school of taijiquan
Wu (Hao) shi taijiquan
Date founded mid 19th centuary
Country of origin China
Founder Wu Yuxiang
Current head Liu Jishun (刘积顺)
6th gen. Wu (Hao)
Arts taught T'ai chi ch'uan
Ancestor arts Chen-style taijiquan,
Zhaobao-style taijiquan,
Yang-style taijiquan
Descendant arts Sun-style taijiquan
Practitioners Li Yiyu (李亦畬),
Hao Weizhen (郝為真),
Hao Yueru (郝月如),
Hao Shaoru (郝少如)
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The Wu or Wu (Hao) style (simplified Chinese: 武氏 or 武/郝氏; pinyin: wǔshì or wǔ/hǎoshì) of t'ai chi ch'uan of Wu Yu-hsiang (武禹襄, 1813-1880), is a separate family style from the more popular Wu-style (吳氏) of Wu Chien-ch'üan. Wu Yu-hsiang's style was third among the five t'ai chi ch'uan families in seniority and is fifth in terms of popularity.

Contents

History [edit]

Wu Yu-hsiang was a scholar from a wealthy and influential family who became a senior student (along with his two older brothers Wu Ch'eng-ch'ing and Wu Ju-ch'ing) of Yang Lu-ch'an. There is a body of writing attributed to Wu Yu-hsiang on the subject of t'ai chi theory, writings that are considered influential by many other schools not directly associated with his style. Wu Yu-hsiang also studied for a brief time with a teacher from the Chen family, Chen Ch'ing-p'ing, to whom he was introduced by Yang. His most famous student was his nephew, Li I-yü (李亦畬, 1832-1892), who also authored several important works on t'ai chi ch'uan. Li I-yü had a younger brother who was also credited as an author of at least one work on the subject of t'ai chi ch'uan, Li Ch'i-hsüan. Li I-yü taught Hao Wei-chen (郝為真, 1842-1920), who taught Li Xiang-yuan, Li Shengduan, Sun Lutang, his son Hao Yüeh-ru (郝月如) and others. Sun Lutang later on created Sun style Tai Chi. Hao Yüeh-ru in turn taught his son Hao Shaoru (Hǎo Shǎorú, 郝少如) Wu Yu-hsiang's style of training, so that it is now sometimes known as Wu/Hao or just Hao style t'ai chi ch'uan. Hao Yüeh-ru was teaching in the 1920s, a time when t'ai chi ch'uan was experiencing an initial degree of popularity, and he is known for having smoothed out (in the sense of under-emphasising jumps and snap kicks, etc.) and standardized the forms he learned from his father in order to more effectively teach large numbers of beginners. Other famous t'ai chi ch'uan teachers, notably Yang Ch'eng-fu, Wu Chien-ch'üan and Wu Kung-i, made similar modifications to their beginning level forms around the same time.

Wu Yu-hsiang's t'ai chi ch'uan is a distinctive style with small, subtle movements; highly focused on balance, sensitivity and internal ch'i development. It is a rare style today, especially compared with the other major styles. While there are direct descendants of Li I-yü and Li Ch'i-hsüan still teaching in China, there are no longer Hao family members teaching the style. The inheritors to learn under Hao Shaoru currently living are :

Li Wei Ming (Chinese: 李伟明; pinyin: Liwěimíng), who is Hao Shaoru's adopted son and disciple. Li Wei Ming is currently flying between Bangkok, Thailand and Shanghai, China to teach Wu-style t'ai chi ch'uan.
Liu Jishun (Chinese: 刘积顺; pinyin: Liújīshùn), who has many students around the globe but only two disciples in the United Kingdom.

T'ai chi ch'uan lineage tree with Wu (Hao)-style focus [edit]

Note:

  • This lineage tree is not comprehensive, but depicts those considered the 'gate-keepers' & most recognised individuals in each generation of Wu (Hao)-style.
  • Although many styles were passed down to respective descendants of the same family, the lineage focused on is that of the Wu (Hao) style & not necessarily that of the family.
  • Names denoted by an asterisk are legendary or semi-legendary figures in the lineage; while their involvement in the lineage is accepted by most of the major schools, it is not independently verifiable from known historical records.


Key:
NEIJIA
Solid lines Direct teacher-student.
Dot lines Partial influence
/taught informally
/limited time.
TAIJIQUAN
Dash lines Individual(s) ommited.
Dash cross Branch continues.
CHEN-STYLE
Zhaobao-style
(杨露禅)
Yang Luchan
1799–1872
YANG-STYLE
(陈清萍)
Chen Qingping
1795–1868
Chen Small Frame,
Zhaobao Frame
(武禹襄)
Wu Yuxiang
1812–1880
WU (HAO)-STYLE
Zhaobao He-style
Li Qinuan
2nd gen. Wu (Hao)
(李亦畬)
Li Yiyu
1832–1892
2nd gen. Wu (Hao)
Li-style
(郝為真)
Hao Weizhen
1849–1920
3rd gen. Wu (Hao)
(李逊之)
Li Xunzhi
1882–1944
3rd gen. Wu (Hao)
WU-STYLE
(孙禄堂)
Sun Lutang
1861–1932
SUN-STYLE
(郝月如)
Hao Yueru
1877-1935
4th gen. Wu (Hao)
Li Shengduan
1888-1948
4th gen. Wu (Hao)
Li Baoyu
4th gen. Wu (Hao)
Li Jinfan
4th gen. Wu (Hao)
(董英杰)
Dong Yingjie
1891–1960
4th gen. Yang
(郝少如)
Hao Shaoru
1908-1983
5th gen. Wu (Hao)
Wudang-style
(刘积顺)
Liu Jishun
1930-Present
6th gen. Wu (Hao)
(李伟明)
Li Weiming
6th gen. Wu (Hao)
Pu Gongda
1905-1998
6th gen. Wu (Hao)
CHEN-STYLE
YANG-STYLE
WU-STYLE
SUN-STYLE
WU (HAO)-STYLE

References [edit]

  • Wile, Douglas Lost T'ai-chi Classics from the late Ch'ing Dynasty (1996) State University of New York Press, Albany. ISBN 0-7914-2653-X

External links [edit]

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