Wu Ying-hua

Wu Yinghua (1907–1996) was a famous Chinese teacher of Wu-style tai chi. She was born in Beijing and died in Shanghai. She was the eldest daughter of Wu Jianquan, the best known teacher of Wu-style tai chi. Her older brothers were Wu Gongyi and Wu Gongzao, also well-known tai chi practitioners.

Biography Wu Yinghua began studying tai chi 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 tai chi in Shanghai. In 1928, her father followed her to Shanghai and she became his teaching assistant. In 1930, she married Ma Yueliang, who was Wu Jianquan's senior disciple. In 1933, Wu Jianquan founded the Jianquan Taijiquan Association (鑑泉太極拳社) in Shanghai. In 1935, after a fundraising effort, the association moved into a permanent hall on the tenth floor of the YMCA building on Xizang Road. Wu Jianquan died in 1942.

After the Cultural Revolution, it became possible around 1980 to teach tai chi publicly in China again. About this time, her brother Wu Gongzao was released from prison and moved to Hong Kong. Wu Yinghua and Ma Yueliang, remaining in mainland China, created a simplified Wu tai chi form, and were again able to have public meetings of the Jianquan Taijiquan Association. They taught a large number of students in Shanghai and in their travels to New Zealand, Germany and elsewhere. Together with Ma Yueliang, Wu Yinghua published several books on Wu-style tai chi. The books "Wu style Taijiquan: Forms, Concepts and Applications of the Original Style" (commonly known as the "Orange Book"), "Wu Simplified Taijiquan", and "Wu style Taiji Kuaiquan" (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 Yinghua was the senior instructor of the Wu family from 1983 until she died in 1996.

Ma Yueliang and Wu Yinghua are survived by several children and grandchildren, including: Ma Jiangchun (b. 1931), Dr. Ma Hailong (b. 1935), Ma Jiangbao (b. 1941), and Ma Jiangling (b. 1947). Ma Jiangbao lived in the Netherlands and taught traditional tai chi in Europe. He died in 2016. Their adopted daughter Shi Meilin now lives and teaches in New Zealand. She also has students in Switzerland, France and in the United States (Tucson, Arizona).

Generational senior instructors of the Wu family 1st Generation

Wu Quanyou (吳全佑, 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 senior from 1902-1942.

3rd Generation

His oldest son, Wu Gongyi (1900–1970) was senior from 1942-1970.

3rd Generation

Wu Gongyi's younger brother, Wu Gongzao (1903–1983), was senior from 1970-1983.

3rd Generation

Wu Gongyi's younger sister, Wu Yinghua, was senior from 1983-1997.

4th Generation

Wu Gongyi's daughter, Wu Yanxia (1930–2001) was senior from 1997-2001.

4th Generation

Wu Gongzao's son, Wu Daxin (1933–2005), was senior from 2001-2005.

5th Generation

The current senior instructor of the Wu family is Wu Daokui's son Wu Kuang-yu.

Tai chi lineage tree with Wu-style focus