Grand-master Wu Tu Nan
(1884 - 1989)
The legendary ‘longevity star’ in the Tai Chi world was one
of the most prominent Tai Chi masters in contemporary
China. He made great contributions to the development of Tai
Chi Chuan in contemporary China, having being the inner-circle
Disciple Of both Wu Tai Chi originator Wu Jian Chuan and Yang
Lineage master Yang Shao Hou.
Wu Tu Nan was born into a Mongolian martial’s family in Beijing. Being a sickly child, his grandfather made him start learning Tai Chi at the age of 9 from Master Wu Jian Chuan. After undergoing 8 years’ of training in basic drills, Tai Chi form and push-hand, Wu was then initiated into the discipleship of Yang Shao Hou within the Yang family lineage under whom he studied Tai Chi Kung (a more internal form of Tai Chi) and Tai Chi Application Form (also known as Fast Form) for 4 years.
Wu Tu Nan later went into the Peking Normal Studies University to study and also started training in Traditional Chinese Medicine under a well-known Chinese doctor from the Royal Institute of TCM in Beijing. However, Wu Tu Nan never stopped his Tai Chi training and practice during his student’s years.
Between mid 1920’s and 1940’s, Wu Tu Nan devoted a great deal of time in writing and publishing books on Tai Chi, the titles of which include ‘A Scientific Approach to Traditional Tai Chi Chuan’《科学化的国术太极拳》, ‘Internal Style Tai Chi Broadsword’ 《内家拳太极功玄玄刀》 and‘An Introduction to Traditional Chinese Martial Art’《国术概论》. Wu’s fascination with the study of history of pottery took him to extensive tours of central and south-east China which enabled him to carry out research into the history of Tai Chi. His essay entitled ‘A Historic View of Achievements of the Eminent Tai Chi Masters’ established Wu as a recognized Tai Chi historian. During this period, Wu Tu Nan also taught tai Chi as a professor first at the Central Traditional Martial Art Institute and then at the Central Physical Training Vocational College.
During the ‘Cultural Revolution’ of new China, Wu Tu Nan’s Tai Chi teaching career suffered temporary setbacks as he was banned from teaching and was delegated to live in a tiny farm building outside Beijing. But the early 1980’s saw Wu re-emerge as one of the most prominent Tai Chi masters and teachers in China. In April 1984 soon after Wu Tu Nan turned 100, he was invited to give a lecture at the Wu Han Internal Tai Chi Competition. His lecture entitled ‘On the Four Phases of Tai Chi training’ coupled with his on-stage demonstration shook the Tai Chi community . Later that year saw his major work
‘A Study of Tai Chi Chuan’《太极拳之研究》 (transcribed by his disciple, Ma You Qing) published in Hong Kong which further established Wu’s authority in both the practice and study of Tai Chi. Wu Tu Nan remained active in both national and international Tai Chi events until his death in January 1989 in Beijing at the age of 105.
Wu’s inner-door disciples are Ma You Qing and Shen Bao He (known as Sim Po-ho in Cantonese). Li Lian also studied directly under Grand-master Wu Tu Nan since the age of 16 though he is officially known as a disciple of Ma You Qing.