Wu Style Tai Chi 45 forms

[Xue Sheng]

This is a compitition form, but it is one I always liked and one that I use to do... many years ago... before I started training with my Yang Sifu.


Wu Style Tai Chi 45 forms

 

[oaktree]

Nice set. I like looking at how the different styles do their opening form and the modifications done to some of the steps. I always wonder why some of the founders modified, add or subtracted things.

I was doing a part in Laojia which causes you to bend down at an angle like punching the ground.
Pounding the Ground Zhi Di Quan. I noticed it is similar to the Judo throw Ippon seoi nage, my teacher
said that yes it can be used as a throw. Looking at Wu Taiji and 2 things come to mind now and this may be just my speculation and I could be wrong, but Wu style heavy emphasis on shuai jiao and the upper back having a little bit of a curve would allow someone to enter for throws and throw better than having the back very straight. But again its just a speculation.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Looking at Wu Taiji and 2 things come to mind now and this may be just my speculation and I could be wrong, but Wu style heavy emphasis on shuai jiao and the upper back having a little bit of a curve would allow someone to enter for throws and throw better than having the back very straight. But again its just a speculation.

Interesting speculation and possibly spot on too.

I don’t know the origin of the Wu competition form but if it is closer to the original Wu and if this origin story is right…

Wu Quanyou was a a military officer cadet and from a Manchu Military family and a hereditary officer of the Imperial Guards Brigade. This means he knew how to fight before he became a student of Yang Luchan or Yang Banhou (depending on whose story you believe). So that would likely have influenced his Taijiquan. Now the other part to consider is Wu Quanyou (Manchu) learned from Yang Luchan (Han) or Yang Banhou (Han). The Manchu and the Han were not exactly friends, as a matter of fact they were enemies, so the story goes like this; Wu Quanyou (take into consideration his background) wanted to learn Yang Taijiquan. The Yang family did not want to teach a Manchu how to beat up a Han but they could not refuse either, since we are talking about a military officer cadet from a Manchu Military family that is hereditary officer of the Imperial Guards Brigade, to refuse would not be exactly healthy no matter how good your Taijiquan was. So what the Yang family taught to Wu Quanyou was mostly defensive and not much attack.

If that is the case it would not be a surprise to see a bit more Shuaijiao that you do in styles like Yang or Chen.

 

[Sigung86]

Please pardon a relative new person. Thank you vry much for the time you take to make this all enlightening.