Wu Ying hua

Biography

Wu Ying-hua began studying t'ai chi ch'uan 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 t'ai chi ch'uan in Shanghai. In 1928, her father followed her to Shanghai and she became his teaching assistant. In 1930, she married Ma Yueh-liang who was Wu Chien-ch'uan's senior disciple. In 1935, Wu Chien-ch'uan founded the Chien-ch'uan Tai Chi Chuan Association (鑑泉太極拳社) in Shanghai. Wu Chien-ch'uan died in 1942.

After the Cultural Revolution, at about 1980, it became possible to teach t'ai chi ch'uan publicly in China. About this time her brother Wu Kung-tsao was released from prison and moved to Hong Kong. Wu Ying-hua and Ma Yueh-liang, remaining in mainland China, created a simplified Wu t'ai chi ch'uan form and were again able to have public meetings of the Chien-ch'uan Tai Chi Chuan Association. They taught a large number of students in Shanghai and in their travels to New Zealand, Germany and elsewhere. Together with Ma Yueh-liang, Wu Ying-hua published several books on Wu-style t'ai chi ch'uan. The books “Wu style Tai Chi Chuan: Forms, Concepts and Applications of the Original Style,” “Wu Simplified Tai Chi Chuan,” and “Wu style Tai Chi K'uai (Fast) Chuan or Wu Style Tai Chi Fast Form” have been collected in a single volume in China. They also co-authored a Wu style sword book. Wu Ying-hua was the senior instructor of the Wu family from 1983 until she died in 1996.

Ma Yueh-liang and Wu Ying-hua are survived by several children and grandchildren, including: Ma Jiangchun (b. 1931), Dr. Ma Hailong (b. 1935), Ma Jiang Bao (b. 1941), and Ma Jiangling (b. 1947). Ma Jiang Bao lives in the Netherlands and teaches traditional t'ai chi ch'uan in Europe. Their adopted daughter Shi Mei Lin now lives and teaches in New Zealand. She also has students in France and in the United States (Tucson, Arizona).

Generational senior instructors of the Wu family

1st Generation

Wu Ch'uan-yü (Wu Quanyou, 吳全佑, 1834–1902), who learned from Yang Luchan 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.

T'ai chi ch'uan lineage tree with Wu-style focus

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