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Wu Kung-i Wikipedia

Image:Wu Kung-i.jpg|thumb|Wu Kung-i ?????????
Wu Kung-i also known as Wu Kung-yi or Wu Gongyi (????????? 1900-1970), was a well known teacher of the Nei chia|soft style martial art known as T'ai Chi Ch'uan in China, and, after 1949, in the British colony of Hong Kong.

Wu Kung-i was the grandson of the founder of Wu style T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Wu Ch'uan-y?? (?????????, 1834-1902). Wu Ch'uan-y?? was taught T'ai Chi Ch'uan by Yang Lu-ch'an (????????? 1799-1872), starting in 1850. Wu Ch'uan-y?? eventually became the senior disciple of Yang's son, Yang Pan-hou (????????? 1837-1890), and was given permission by the Yangs to teach his own students in 1870. Wu Ch'uan-y??'s son, Wu Chien-ch'uan|Wu Chien-ch'??an (????????? 1870-1942), became the best known teacher in his family, and is therefore also considered the co-founder of the Wu style. Wu Kung-i was his eldest son. Wu Kung-i's younger brother and sister, Wu Kung-tsao (????????? 1902-1983) and Wu Ying-hua (????????? 1906-1996), were also well known teachers. The Wu family were originally of Manchu ancestry.

There was an old tradition in the Chinese martial arts that youngsters be taught by teachers of a generation older than their parents'. Since Wu Ch'uan-y?? had passed away while Wu Kung-i was an infant, he and his brother were taught as young men by Yang Shao-hou (????????? 1862-1930), who was technically a generation senior to their father. Both Yang Shao-hou and Wu Chien-ch'??an were famous for their "small circle" martial expertise. The motions of T'ai Chi forms and pushing hands are all based on different sized circles, small circle movements in the forms and applications follow a more compact pathway for different leverage applications than larger circles.

After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912, a new teaching environment was created. More people became aware of T'ai Chi, and the former dynamic of small classes and intensive military instruction of relatively young students became less practical. Wu Kung-i responded to the new demands of larger class sizes and older beginning level students by changing some aspects of the beginning level 108 form Wu family T'ai Chi Ch'uan|hand forms he taught. His modifications became known as the "square form", distinguished by clear sectional instructions for each move in the form sequence, more compact "small circle" movements in the body and somewhat higher stances with the feet relatively closer together than in other styles of T'ai Chi. At intermediate and advanced levels in his classes, the older forms of his grandfather's and father's generations were also trained.

Wu Kung-i's children were also full time T'ai Chi teachers; his oldest son Wu Ta-kuei (????????? 1923-1970), his second son, Wu Ta-chi (????????? 1926-1993) and his daughter, Wu Yan-hsia (????????? 1930-2001).

In 1953, Wu was publicly challenged by to a fight by the Tibetan White Crane stylist Ch'en K'e-fu. The contest was arranged and fought in Macau in January, 1954. The ring was set up as if for a Western boxing match, and there were many rules prohibiting various techniques being used by the fighters, kicks, throws or Chin na|joint locks, for example. The contest lasted not quite two rounds and was offically declared a draw. The contest was reported in detail by the media of the day, and resulted in many new students for the Wu family school, including a martial art teaching contract for Wu Ta-kuei from the Kowloon police.

Last Modified:   2005-11-04