Instructor –  Lao Shi Frank Allen Instructor – Tina Zhang (National Women's Wu Style Champion @ the Wu Shu Union National Tournament in Las Vegas)

Classical Northern Wu Style Tai Ji Quan The Fighting Art of the Manchurian Palace Guard By Tina Chunna Zhang & Frank Allen 1-58394-154-1 EAN 978-1583-94154-6 $21.95 (Canada Yes) Trade Paper 280pp, 7 x 9 1/4 B&W photos throughout Martial Arts & Self-Defense SPORTS & RECREATION / Martial Arts & Self-Defense  SPO027000 Spring 2006 Rights: W

Great grandmaster Wu Quan You (1834-1902) was the founder of Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan. He was a Manchurian member of the Imperial Guard in Beijing. He learned Tai Chi Chuan from the founder of Yang Style, Master Yang Lu-Chan. Quan You ‘s area of specialization was neutralization. Quan You had three primary disciples : He's son Wu Jian Quan ( 1870-1942 ), Wang Mao Zhai ( 1862-1940 ) and Guo-Fen.  Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan developed into two branches in Beijing, one from earlier students of Chaun You, and the other from students of Wu Jian Quan. Wu Jian Quan modified the forms taught to him by his father. He utilized a narrower circle and created many new ways to apply the form in a practical manner. In 1924, Master Wu Jian Quan, along with colleagues, Xi-Yu Sheng, Yang Shaou Hou and Yang Cheng Fu founded a famous martial arts school. This had an important effect in the practice of Tai Chi Chuan as it became available to the general public for the first time.	Wu Jian Quan
Master Wu Jian Quan moved south to Shanghai in 1928. There he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Shanghai Martial Arts Association. Subsequently, he became the supervisor of the Tai Chi Chuan section of the famous Jing  Wu Sports Association. In 1935, he established the first Wu's Tai Chi Chuan Academy in Shanghai. This style has been primarily transmitted from Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Wu Jian Quan’s daughter, Wu Ying Hua (1906-1996) and her husband Ma Yue Liang (1901-1998) lead the Shanghai Jian Quan Tai Chi Society founded in 1932 by Wu Jian Quan. Wu Jian Quan's two sons, Wu Gong Yi and Wu Gong Zao established another branch of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan in Hong Kong which led to the spread of the system throughout Asia with additional schools in Macau, The Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Canada.	Wang Mao Zhai
It is said that Wang Mao Zhai, who was a highly skilled martial artist in Beijing, pursued Quan You for three years in an effort to learn Tai Chi Chuan. During this time, he reportedly learned only one posture from Quan You, the Golden Pheasant stands on one leg. Impressed by his sincerity and perseverance, Quan You then taught him the rest of the Wu style of Tai Chi Chuan. After twenty years practice, Wang Mao Zhai's achieved high skill in the art. Wang Mao Zhai's primary disciple was Yang Yu Ting ( 1887-1982 ). He was a well-respected and active teacher in Beijing for many years. He had a superior understanding of the internal aspects of Quan You’s teaching  which he acquired through studying the arts with Wang Mao Zhao. He held the vice-chairmanship of the Beijing Martial Arts Association at the time of his death at age 95. Yang Yu-Ting is noted for his emphasis on the standardization of postures and for his popularity as a teacher who passed his art on to many students in Beijing, including Wang Pei Sheng, Li Jing Wu and Li Bing Ci.	Yang Yu Ting
Wang Pei Sheng, (1919-2004) who is noted for his expertise in the self-defense applications of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan. In his book Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan ( Zhaohua Publishing House, Beijing, 1983 ), Wang Pei Sheng presented the 37 posture form of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan which he developed in the early 1950's. He had many students in Beijing. As mentioned previously, Quan You, who was the originator of Wu style Tai Chi Chuan had another highly skilled disciple named Guo Fen.  Little is known about this man other than that he passed his art down to Guo Hong Jun and Li Wen Qi.  They are not well known in Beijing, but their genealogical closeness to Quan You is significant.	Li Bing Ci

Perhaps the most significant aspect that distinguishes the Wu style of Tai Chi Chuan is its emphasis on the application of an internal approach to developing power.  It emphasizes correct movements of Chi through the deeper internal systems inside the human body (spine, internal organs, spaces within the joins, etc) to create correct and efficient physical movements and body alignments.

Traditional Chinese medicine theory is the root of Tai Chi Chuan.  Especially the Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan which is based on soft, fluid and gentle movements to cultivate and generate Chi in the body, to balance or release the accumulated tension or blockage in the muscles, tendons and inner organs of the body, and enhance the functioning of the network of one’s health system.  Generally, when “Qi” or energy guided by the “Yi” or mind help the flow of  blood circulation to properly go through the meridian channels of entire body, physical health is achieved, and, the “Li” or power can then be developed by constant practice.

Movements in the Wu style of Tai Chi Chuan are relatively small and compact, emphasizing the manipulating of connective tissue in opening and closing the joints rather than employing the expansive postures which characterize the Yang school. This concentration on inner movement helps to encourage an internal rather than external focus, hence, Wu style Tai Chi Chuan is studied as an internal art even in the initial stages of training.

Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan’s special softness of its movements, comfortable  expanded postures, unique footwork, upright when slanting spinal alignment, perfect transitions between the postures, neutralization skills and effective martial combat has gained a lot of lovers around the world.  It is very interesting to note that many Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan practitioners  have lived to a very advanced age.

While Wu Jian Quan was spreading his version of his father's art in South China, Wang Mao-Zhai and Guo Fen continued Quan You's tradition in Beijing. Because Wu Jian Quan modified the posture sequence and, to some extent, the individual postures themselves. It may fairly be stated that the southern Wu school is that of Wu Jian Quan, while the northern or Beijing school is that of Quan You, his father. Wang Mao Zhai stayed in the northern part of China to continue teaching Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan to more than 100 disciples at his time pried.  One of the famous and important disciples of the Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan masters was Yang Yu Ting (1887-1982).  Who was still actively involved in teaching when he was 96 years of age.   Wu style Tai Chi Chuan in Beijing was not subject to outside influences, and so a degree of consistency was maintained in transmitting the art from teacher to student. This uniformity was vigorously encouraged by one of the style's foremost exponents, Yang Yu-Ting, who was teaching actively for more than 40 years and taught many people in China.  Most practitioners of Beijing Wu style Tai Chi Chuan today execute the postures very much as Yang Yu-Ying did, at least from the standpoint of outward appearance.

Master Li Bing Ci studied Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan under Yang Yu Ting for 37 years and taught  thousands of students around the world.  He is 76 years of age in excellent health and actively  researching, teaching and developing the art.

On March 15, 2002, Wu Jian Quan’s great grand son, President of  the International Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Federation, Master Wu Guang Yu  arrived in Beijing to have a successful meeting with the president of Beijing Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Master Li Bing Ci.  They exchanged the book of “Wu Family Tai Chi Chuan” by Wu Gong Zao and “Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan and Weapons” by Li Bing Ci and Wong Fu Qi at the meeting.  Wu Guang Yu said that Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan was foundered by Quan You, Wang Mao Zhai and Wu Jian Quan in Beijing and  now has spread to the global  community, that it  benefits people’s health and that the art belongs to the world!

Wu Quan You

Wu Jian Quan

Wang Mao Zhai

Yang Yu Ting

Li Bing Ci

Master Li Bing Ci was born in Beijing in Novmenber,1929.  He has practiced Chinese martial Arts for 60 years of his life.  He studied Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan under Grandmaster Yang Yu Ting from 1946 to 1982.  He also studied with well known Martial Arts Masters Shi ZhengGang, Luo XingWu, Shan XiangLing, Liu Tan Feng in Cha Chuan, Da Bei Chuan, Xing I Chuan and Ba Gua Zhang.  In 1995, he was selected as one of the one hundred outstanding Martial Artists.  He is an eighth Duan in Chinese Martial Arts rakings.

As a professional martial arts teacher, tournament judge, and researcher for more than 30 years, He has trained thousands of great martial artists around world and Wu Style continuous championship winners.  He is the president of the Beijing Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Research Center.

Master Li Bing Ci and Master Men Hui Fen created the 45 posture Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan official competition routine in 1988 for China, which was recognized  by the practitioners as a form which incorporated both “Competition and Tradition”.  It was created based on traditional Wu Style with a combination of the movements from both the southern and the northern schools.  It also preserves the main structure of the traditional routine. Li Bing Ci is one of the most respected teachers in Beijing teaching and practicing Wu Style today.  He is the  co-author of the book of “Yang Yu Ting’s Tai Chi Chuan” and “ Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan and weapons”.

Tina Zhang & Master Li Bing Ci  at Shi Sha Hai Sport Center, Beijing.

Tina Zhang experienced Chinese Martial Arts and dances in her childhood in Beijing, China and moved to the U.S. in the 80’s.  She has been studying and training with world class martial arts master teachers both in China and in the U.S.  She won gold medals in sparring at the Summer Bash Chinese Martial Arts Championships in the years of 2001 and 2002.  She continued to win the medals in Martial Arts Tournaments every year, covering the areas of Tai Chi Chuan, Ba Gua Zhang in forms, weapons, and push hands.  She had appeared in the major martial arts magazines.

Tina currently teaches Tai Chi and Ba Gua classes at Wu Tang PCA, fitness gyms in New York City, and summer retreats.   As a professional instructor and personal trainer, she has helped many people achieve their physical and emotional health and fitness goals through her training methods.   She specializes in weight control, flexibility, women’s health, and energy therapy.

Tina Zhang – 16 Years Old Practicing in the Forbidden City	Tina’s fight with the Heavy Weight Women, 2001
Tina Zhang won gold medals in the Women’s Advanced Division  of Tai Chi Forms, Weapons and Push Hand  with Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan and Wu Style Tai Chi Sword. Tropicana, Atlantic City, Jan. 16, 2005

We, at the Northern Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Center offer the practitioner the following:

Wu Style Basic Form (16 posture)

	Lao Shi Frank Allen

Wu Style 45 posture Form

	Instructor  Tina Zhang

Tina Teaches the Northern Wu Style 45 Posture Form  in a Special 13 Week Course  Starting on Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Traditional Wu Style Long Form

	Master Yang Yu Ting (1887-1982)

Traditional Wu Style Sword Form

	Instructor  Tina Zhang

Push Hands

©  Tina Zhang