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Quick Facts
![Ma Yueliang](https://pplstatic.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.comhttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/Shi_DeRu_and_Shi_DeYang.jpg)
Biography
Ma Yueliang or Ma Yueh-liang (1 August 1901 – 13 March 1998) was a famous Manchu teacher of taijiquan. He was the senior disciple of Wu Chien-ch'uan, the founder of Wu-style taijiquan, and married Wu's daughter Wu Ying-hua in 1930.
Biography
Ma Yueliang was also a medical doctor who graduated from the Beijing Medical College in 1929 and specialized in Hematology. He established the First Medical Examination and Experiment Office and ran the blood clinics at Zhong Shan Hospital in Shanghai. Like Wu Ch'uan-yu and Wu Chien-ch'uan, Ma was of Manchu descent. Ma was educated both in the traditions of China and in Western science.
There are accounts that Ma was a gifted martial artist in his youth. He had studied a number of martial arts including, Shaolinquan, Three Emperors Pao Chui, Baguazhang and Tongbeiquan. However, Wu Jianquan would accept Ma as a student only if he concentrated on Wu-style taijiquan. From about age 18, Ma exclusively studied Wu-style taijiquan. Wu Jianquan started the Jianquan Taijiquan Association (鑑泉太極拳社) in Shanghai in 1936, and Ma became the deputy director of the Association. Ma studied Taijiquan with Wu Chien-ch'uan until the death of his teacher in 1942. The Jianquan Association still exists today internationally and remains a resource for the study of Wu-style taijiquan.
It is difficult to overstate the importance of Ma Yueliang and his wife in the emergence of Wu-style taijiquan after the Cultural Revolution in China. Even at an advanced age, Ma was chosen as one of the 100 Best Martial Artists in China. Wu Ying-hua and Ma continued to teach in Taijiquan until their deaths. They taught a large number of students in Shanghai and in their travels to New Zealand, Germany and elsewhere. They published several books on Wu-style taijiquan. Ma and Wu Ying-hua's Wu style sword/weapons book includes a family picture with several of their closest students. Ma Yueliang also publicly practiced a number of formerly closed door (private or family secret) forms and methods so that they would not be lost. In public, Wu Ying-hua would often demonstrate the Wu style Slow Set and Ma would follow by demonstrating the Wu Style Tai Chi Fast Form. Ma taught many high level students, among whom was Fei Gua-ching who is still active in the Jianquan Taijiquan Association in Shanghai. Li Li-Qun is one of Grandmaster Ma's oldest and closest living students. He was the deputy vice-secretary of the Jianquan Association (Chien Chuan Association) in Shanghai under masters Ma and his wife Wu Ying Hua.
Ma Yueliang and Wu Ying-hua are survived by their children and grandchildren, including: Ma Jiangchun (b. 1931), Dr. Ma Hailong (b. 1935), Ma Jiang Bao (b. 1941, d. 2016) and Ma Jiangling (b. 1947). Ma Jiang Bao lived in the Netherlands and taught traditional Taijiquan throughout Europe. Their adopted daughter Shi Mei Lin now lives and teaches Wu-style taijiquan in New Zealand. She also has students in France and in the United States (Tucson, Arizona).
T'ai chi ch'uan lineage tree with Wu-style focus
Note:
- This lineage tree is not comprehensive, but depicts those considered the 'gate-keepers' & most recognised individuals in each generation of Wu-style.
- Although many styles were passed down to respective descendants of the same family, the lineage focused on is that of the Wu style & not necessarily that of the family.
Key: | NEIJIA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Solid lines | Direct teacher-student. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dot lines | Partial influence /taught informally /limited time. | TAIJIQUAN | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dash lines | Individual(s) omitted. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dash cross | Branch continues. | CHEN-STYLE | Zhaobao-style | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
YANG-STYLE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(王蘭亭) Wang Lanting 1840–? 2nd gen. Yang | (杨健侯) Yang Jianhou 1839–1917 2nd gen. Yang 2nd gen. Yangjia Michuan | (杨班侯) Yang Banhou 1837–1892 2nd gen. Yang 2nd gen. Guang Ping Yang Yang Small Frame | WU (HAO)-STYLE | Zhaobao He-style | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Li-style | (杨少侯) Yang Shaohou 1862–1930 3rd gen. Yang Yang Small Frame | (吴全佑) Wu Quanyou 1834–1902 1st gen. Wu | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(齊閣臣) Qi Gechen 2nd gen. Wu | (夏公甫) Xia Gongfu 2nd gen. Wu | (吴鉴泉) Wu Jianquan 1870–1942 2nd gen. Wu WU-STYLE 108 Form | (常遠亭) Chang Yuanting 1860–1918 2nd gen. Wu | (郭松亭) Guo Songting 2nd gen. Wu | (王茂齋) Wang Maozhai 1862–1940 2nd gen. Wu | SUN-STYLE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(董英杰) Dong Yingjie 1891–1960 4th gen. Yang | (齊敏軒) Qi Minxuan 3rd gen. Wu | (鄭榮光) Cheng Wing Kwong 1903–1967 3rd gen. Wu | (吴英华) Wu Yinghua 1907–1997 3rd gen. Wu | (吴公儀) Wu Gongyi 1900–1970 3rd gen. Wu | (吴公藻) Wu Gongzao 1903–1983 3rd gen. Wu | (马岳梁) Ma Yueliang 1901–1998 3rd gen. Wu | (杨禹廷) Yang Yuting 1887–1982 3rd gen. Wu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(鄭天熊) Zheng Tianxiong 1930–2005 Wudang-style | (吴大揆) Wu Dakui 1923–1972 4th gen. Wu | (吴雁霞) Wu Yanxia 1930–2001 4th gen. Wu | (吴大新) Wu Daxin 1933–2005 4th gen. Wu | Li Liqun 1924–2013 4th gen. Wu | (王培生) Wang Peisheng 1919–2004 4th gen. Wu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(吴光宇) Wu Guangyu 1946–Present 5th gen. Wu | (骆舒焕) Luo Shuhuan 1935–1987 5th gen. Wu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CHEN-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | WU-STYLE | SUN-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||