| Birth name | 吴全佑 |
|---|---|
| Birth place | China |
| Death date | 1902 (aged 67–68) |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Style | Wu-style tai chi |
| Students | Wu Jianquan Wang Maozhai Guo Songting (郭松亭) Chang Yuanting (常遠亭) Xia Gongfu (夏公甫) Qi Gechen (齊閣臣) |
| S | 吴全佑 |
|---|---|
| T | 吳全佑 |
| P | Wú Quányòu |
Wu Quanyou (; 1834–1902) was an influential teacher of the tai chi martial art in late Imperial China. His son is credited as the founder of the Wu-style tai chi.[1] As he was of Manchu descent, and would have been named by his family in Manchu, the name "Wú" (吳) was a sinicisation that approximated the pronunciation of the first syllable of his Manchu clan name, U Hala.[2]
Life
Wu Quanyou was a military officer in the Yellow Banner camp in the Forbidden City, Beijing and also an officer of the Imperial Guards Brigade during the Qing dynasty. Wu wished to study under Yang Luchan, the tai chi instructor for that banner camp, but he was still a middle grade officer and Yang refused to teach him.[1][2][3] Instead, Wu and two other officers, Wan Chun (萬春) and Ling Shan (凌山), were asked to become disciples of Yang Banhou, Yang Luchan's oldest adult son and also a tai chi instructor for the Qing military.[2]
When Wu retired from the military, he set up a school in Beijing. Wu's Beijing school was successful and there were many who studied with him, he was popularly known as Quan Sanye (全三爺) as a term of respect. His disciples included Wang Maozhai, Guo Songting (郭松亭), Xia Gongfu (夏公甫), Chang Yuanting (1860–1918; 常遠亭), Qi Gechen (齊閣臣), and Wu's own son, Wu Jianquan (see Wudang tai chi lineage). Wu's skills were said to be exceptional in the area of softly "neutralising" () hard energy when attacked, which is a core skill of good tai chi.[3] Chang Yuanting's son Chang Yunji taught a style known as "Quanyou laojia tai chi" (全佑老架太极拳) or "Chang-style tai chi" (常氏太極拳).[4]
Wu's son, Wu Jianquan also became a cavalry officer and tai chi teacher, working closely with the Yang family and Sun Lutang, promoting what subsequently came to be known as Wu-style tai chi in Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong.[1][5][6]
See also
- Wu Yinghua
- Ma Yueliang
- Ma Jiangbao, son of Wu Yinghua and Ma Yueliang
- Wu Daqi
- Wu Daxin
References
- ^ Wile, Douglas (1995). Lost T'ai-chi Classics from the Late Ch'ing Dynasty (Chinese Philosophy and Culture). State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-2654-8.
- ^ Wu, Ying-hua (1988). Wu Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan – Forms, Concepts and Applications of the Original Style. Shanghai Book company, Ltd., Hong Kong.
- ^ Wu, Kung-tsao (2006 [1980]). Wu Family T'ai Chi Ch'uan (吳家太極拳). Chien-ch'uan T'ai-chi Ch'uan Association. ISBN 0-9780499-0-X.
- ^ Zhang, Tina (2006). Classical Northern Wu Style Tai Ji Quan. Berkeley, California: Blue Snake Books. ISBN 978-1-58394-154-6.
- ^ Yip, Y. L. (Autumn 2002). "Pivot". Qi: The Journal of Traditional Eastern Health and Fitness. 12 (3). Insight Graphics Publishers. ISSN 1056-4004
- ^ Philip-Simpson, Margaret (June 1995). "A Look at Wu Style Teaching Methods". T'AI CHI the International Magazine of T'ai Chi Ch'uan. 19 (3). Wayfarer Publications. ISSN 0730-1049
External links
- International Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Federation Archived 2010-11-11 at the Wayback Machine at www.wustyle.com Wu family website with a link to a biography of Wu Quanyou (listed as "Wu Chuan Yau")