| My doorway to Wu's style Tai Chi Chuan I remember clearly the first time I heard of Wu's style Tai Chi: my father told me about the Chan-Wu fight that took place back in 1954. Later on I witnessed it first hand when my father learnt and practised the Wu's form at home. My dad, who has never been a fan of doing sports, had a simple reason for learning it: for his health. He was diagnosed to have macular degeneration: an eye disease that had no cure. However after three months of practising Wu's style Tai Chi, to the astonishment of his eye specialist, now retired, Dr. Eugene Min-Woon So, the illness was miraculously cured. As a Christian, I believe God had blessed me to have a taste of Wu's style Tai Chi under the instruction of Grandmaster Eddie Wu back in 1992 when I was residing in Toronto, Ontario. After three months of training, I reluctantly had to stop training as I moved back to Hong Kong. In 2006, I became aware that Grandmaster Eddie Wu has assumed the office of the Gatekeeper of Wu's style Tai Chi Chuan. This is a golden opportunity for me to go back to learn this special branch of Tai Chi. In January, 2006, I enrolled at the Headquarters at Wu's Style Tai Chi School. In the Jordan Road classroom, a warm greeting was given by Si-hing Eugene Heung, Sifu Wu's right hand man and chief disciple in Hong Kong. He is always humble, encouraging, easy-going yet meticulous and conscientious with the details when it comes to the Wu's style Tai Chi. In one of my early chats with Si-hing Heung, he shared with me his mission, in verbatim, "as the disciple of Gatekeeper Wu, I must do all I can to share the heavy burden with the Gatekeeper to honour and glorify the Wu's style Tai Chi. " Then I reacquainted with Gatekeeper Eddie Wu. His martial arts are beyond description. The moves are quick, practical, effective and deadly. Provided we are ready for it, Sifu is always prepared to selflessly share with us his immense knowledge and insight of Wu's Tai Chi. I am touched by Sifu's perseverance and commitment to teach the Wu's style Tai Chi to the world. His commitment to excellence and his duty to his ancestors has energized him to travel all over the world to help his disciples. Another teacher of mine is Si-suk Cynthia Wu, sister of Gatekeeper Grand Master Eddie Wu. Her family is based in Toronto, Canada yet she feels so strongly about passing on her family's tradition of martial arts that she flies back and forth to Hong Kong regularly. I recall one time she got back to Hong Kong after 13 hours flight, the first thing after dropping off the baggage was to go straight to the classroom to check up on the Tai Chi Chuan of the students. Other teachers who have given me a lot of invaluable advices are Si-suk Chan Sau-Shing and Jimmy Lam Kar Tak, disciples of the late Gatekeeper Wu Tai-Sin. I was formally accepted to become the 16th disciple of Gatekeeper Eddie Wu in Hong Kong in January, 2007. In May, 2007 I joined the group to visit the Singaporean School of Wu's style Tai Chi. We received the VIP treatment. As we got back to Hong Kong, we played host to the main event of the year-the 70th anniversary of the Wu's style Tai Chi Academy in Hong Kong, alumni, students, disciples and friends from all over the world gathered together in Hong Kong. Disciples and students of Gatekeeper Eddie Wu, Si-suk Tony Chan Cheong-Lap and late Grandmaster Wu Tai-Sin performed respectively Wu's style push-hands, 108 joint movement form, 54 round movement form, sword, sabre and qi-gong. Sifu Wu had also used that opportunity to introduce his eldest son Austin Wu to all of us. Last and not least, I want to say a few words of thanks to my fellow Si-hings, Si-jee. I will always cherish their care and concern for each other. |
 |
Copyright © 2017 International Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan Federation.
