Wu Ta-k'uei

Wu Ta-k'uei or Wu Dakui (1923–1972) was a Chinese Wu-style tai chi teacher of Manchu ancestry.

Biography The oldest son of Wu Gongyi, he was born in Beijing, raised in Shanghai (where he was first taught tai chi by his grandfather, Wu Jianquan) and spent most of his adult life teaching in Hong Kong. Wu Ta-k'uei was active in the resistance to the Japanese invasion of China, yet he later taught martial arts in Japan after the war.

Wu Ta-k'uei was reputed to be a fierce fighter, and known as always ready to accept a challenge match. He is reported to have never been defeated, and to have been famous for badly injuring and taunting his opponents in those matches. An attested story circulated about Wu Ta-k'uei was about a fight that started in a Hong Kong dockside bar between an unarmed Wu Ta-k'uei and "over 30" stevedores armed with clubs and boathooks. The dockworkers eventually fled to a local police station for protection from the enraged Wu. Interviews with dockworkers and the police records of this fight led to sensational newspaper headlines in Kowloon and Hong Kong.

Wu Ta-k'uei assisted his father and his uncle Wu Kung-tsao to set up academies in Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore. He also sat on the Advisory Board of the Martial Art Association in Hong Kong and taught martial arts in the Kowloon Police Force.

His oldest son, Eddie Wu Kuang-yu, is the current "gate-keeper" of the Wu family.

Generational senior instructors of the Wu family 1st Generation Wu Quanyou (1834–1902), who learned from Yang Luchan and Yang Banhou, was senior instructor of the family from 1870-1902.

2nd generation His oldest son, Wu Jianquan (1870–1942), was the senior instructor from 1902-1942.

3rd Generation His oldest son, Wu Gongyi (1900–1970) was senior from 1942-1970. Wu Gongyi's younger brother, Wu Kung-tsao (1903–1983), was senior from 1970-1983. Wu Gongyi's younger sister, Wu Yinghua (1907–1997), was senior from 1983-1997.

4th Generation Wu Gongyi's daughter, Wu Yanxia (1930–2001) was senior from 1997-2001. Wu Kung-tsao's son, Wu Daxin (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 (born 1946).

Tai chi lineage tree with Wu-style focus