I have been very remiss at posting over the last several months due to big changes in my professional life (as I both quit my job and left China earlier this year). As my stint in China drew to a close, I felt more and more certain that the practice of Wu (Hao) style taijiquan in the tradition of Chen Gu’an and Wu Wenhan represented the ‘key’ and the ‘answer’ to many of the questions I have had around neijia arts – such as whole-body power, fajin, how to ‘attract into emptiness’ – which I have had for more than two decades now.
As the old saying in China goes “the shifu inspects the disciple for 3 years, and at the same time the disciple inspects the shifu for 3 years” (师访徒3年，徒也访师三年), and so thanks to much shuttle diplomacy by master Gao’s daughter Gao Ying, I had the honour of becoming a disciple to 6th generation Wu (Hao) style taijiquan master Gao Liancheng in Zhengzhou.
M Gao is rare in several respects. Firstly he is not only an accomplished practitioner himself, having won both local and regional shuaijiao and taijiquan competitions well into his 40s, but is also a dedicated and detail-oriented teacher, with many of his Zhengzhou disciples having gone on to win medals in Chenjiagou and Beijing push hands competitions.
Secondly, not only has he faithfully passed on the Wu (Hao) system as taught to him by Chen Gu’an, who was known for his willingness to ‘cross hands’ with other styles, but also researched and practices the Wu(Hao) fajin set passed down by renowned 4th generation master Li Baoyu (and also teacher of Dong Yingjie), as shown in the videos below.
I am looking forward to deepening my understanding of this complete style under master Gao’s guidance 😉