Wu Ch’uan-yu was a military officer cadet of Manchu ancestry in the Yellow Banner camp (see Qing Dynasty Military) in the Forbidden City, Beijing and also a hereditary officer of the Imperial Guards Brigade. At that time, Yang Lu-ch’an was the martial arts instructor in the Imperial Guards, teaching t’ai chi ch’uan, and in 1850 Wu Ch’uan-yu became one of his students.
In 1870, Wu Ch’uan-yu was asked to become the senior disciple of Yang Pan-hou, Yang Lu-ch’an’s oldest adult son, and an instructor as well to the Manchu military. Wu Ch’uan-yu had three primary disciples: his son Wu Chien-ch’uan, Wang Mao Zhai and Guo Fen.
Wu Ch’uan-yu’s son, Wu Chien-ch’uan (吳鑑泉, 1870-1942), and grandchildren: grandsons Wu Kung-i and Wu Kung-tsao as well as granddaughter Wu Ying-hua were well known teachers.
Wu Chien-ch’uan became the most widely known teacher in his family, and is therefore considered the co-founder of the Wu style by his family and their students. He taught large numbers of people and his refinements to the art more clearly distinguish Wu style from Yang style training.
Wu Chien-ch’uan moved his family south from Beijing (where an important school founded by other students of his father is headquartered, popularly known as the Northern Wu style) to Shanghai in 1928, where he founded the Chien-ch’uan T’ai Chi Ch’uan Association (鑑泉太極拳社) in 1935.
Wu Kung-i then moved the family headquarters to Hong Kong in 1948.
His younger sister Wu Ying-hua and her husband, Ma Yueh-liang, stayed behind to manage the original Shanghai school.
Between 1983 and her passing in 1996 Wu Ying-hua was the highest ranked instructor in the Wu family system. Her sons continue teaching and today manage the Shanghai school as well as schools in Europe:
- Ma Hai Long is the current head of the Shanghai Jianquan Taijiquan Association.
- Ma Jiang Bao lives in the Netherlands and teaches traditional Taijiquan throughout Europe.
- Her adopted daughter Shi Mei Lin now lives and teaches Wu Style Taijiquan in New Zealand, with students also in France and The United States.
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Not only Tai Chi but other maraitl arts are awesome for improving the quality of life. I have been in Karate course for 2 years and I understood its importance after I quit. In few weeks, I started to gain weight and lose my flexibility.Because of this I totally agree with Dr Browne. All people should be practicing and Thai Chi is one of the best way!Thank you