Wu Ta-k'uei

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Wu Ta-k'uei or Wu Dakui (1923–1972) was a Chinese Wu-style t'ai chi ch'uan teacher of Manchu ancestry.^[1]

Biography[]

The oldest son of Wu Kung-i, he was born in Beijing, raised in Shanghai (where he was first taught t'ai chi ch'uan by his grandfather, Wu Chien-ch'uan) and spent most of his adult life teaching in Hong Kong. ^[2][3] 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.^[2]

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.^[3] 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.^[3]

Wu Ta-k'uei assisted his father and his uncle Wu Kung-tsao to set up academies in Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.^[3] He also sat on the Advisory Board of the Martial Art Association in Hong Kong and taught martial arts in the Kowloon Police Force.^[3]

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 Ch'uan-yu (Wu Quanyou, 吳全佑, 1834–1902), who learned from Yang Luchan and Yang Pan-hou, was senior instructor of the family from 1870-1902.

2nd generation

• His oldest son, Wu Chien-ch'uan (Wu Jianquan, 吳鑑泉, 1870–1942), was senior from 1902-1942.

3rd Generation

• His oldest son, Wu Kung-i (Wu Gongyi, 吳公儀, 1900–1970) was senior from 1942-1970.
• Wu Kung-i's younger brother, Wu Kung-tsao (Wu Gongzao, 吳公藻, 1903–1983), was senior from 1970-1983.
• Wu Kung-i's younger sister, Wu Ying-hua (Wu Yinghua, 吳英華, 1907–1997), was senior from 1983-1997.

4th Generation

• Wu Kung-i's daughter, Wu Yen-hsia (Wu Yanxia, 吳雁霞, 1930–2001) was senior from 1997-2001.
• Wu Kung-tsao's son, Wu Ta-hsin (Wu Daxin, 吳大新, 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 (Wu Guangyu, Eddie Wu, 吳光宇, born 1946).

T'ai chi ch'uan lineage tree with Wu-style focus[]

See also[]

• 108 form Wu family T'ai Chi Ch'uan

External links[]

• Wu Ta-k’uei demonstrating t’ai chi sword form, throws and freestyle applications

References[]