Wu Tan or Wu-Tang depending on region and school, is a Martial Arts school founded in Taiwan by Liu Yun-Qiao [刘云樵] in 1971, as part of an effort to organize, research, and promote authentic traditional Chinese martial arts. The headquarters is in Taiwan, Taipei, Wenshan District under 中華武壇國術推廣協會.
Description[]
Due to regional differences, both Wu Tan and Wu Tang are used to refer to this school and are both correct.
Wu Tan is not affiliated in any way with any of the WuDang Quan schools such as WuDang Dan Pai and WuDang San Feng Pai, which also teach varities of Bajiquan.
Martial Arts[]
The Wu Tan Curriculum houses five main martial arts: Baji, Pigua, MiTzung, LiuHe Mantis, and Bagua. Most of Liu's early students (prior to WuTan's establishment) were already experienced martial artists who had previously studied under other masters. After the WuTan Martial Arts Development Center was established in 1973, Liu incorporated a lot of these outside styles such as Long Fist, Luo Han Quan, Seven Star Mantis, 8 Step Mantis, Mi Men Mantis, Tai Chi, Xing Yi Quan and more into Wu Tan's curriculum, having systematically learned, researched, organized and taught these collected outside styles of Kung Fu in hopes of keeping the torch lit for the next generations. Liu was not adverse to learning from and sharing his knowledge and teachings with other martial artists such as Du Yu-Ze and others.
Although the curriculum varies between individual schools with a focus on different martial arts, students generally begin with Changquan [長拳] (Longfist) before moving on to Seven Star Preying Mantis or QiXing Tanglangquan [七星螳螂拳]. Later they are introduced to the footwork of Eight Step Preying Mantis or BaBu Tanglangquan [八步螳螂拳]. Finally, students are taught weapons which include. single handed broadsword / Dao [刀] Saber, the long staff, gùn[棍] or The Long sword, Miaodao [苗刀].
Bajiquan is generally not taught to students until after they have learned other styles of kungfu first.
Changquan is taught to most beginners.
Although Wu Tan teaches basic Piguaquan style stretching and conditioning exercises early on to all beginner students, the actual discrete teaching of Pigua generally doesn't come until they have made sufficient progress in their Baji practice. Liu Yunqiao's Pigua system is rather small, containing only two taolu , however, it features a large number of single movement practices.
Naming System[]
Under Liu Yun-Qiao's lineage, each generation goes by a character: Wu, Tan, Guang, Huei, Zao, Yao, Huan, and Yu. The Wu generation is the first generation of WuTan. Currently, most WuTan branches around the world are led by the Tan generations while they induct their disciples of Guang and Huei.[1]
Locations[]
Asia[]
- Taiwan HQ, http://www.wutang.tw/
- Taiwan, Taipei
- Japan, Tokyo
- Indonesia,
North America[]
- Wu-Tang Ohio, Tony Yang, Akron
- WuTang New York City HQ, Marlon Ma, Queens
- WuTan New Jersey, Grand Master Chen, Tribeca
- Philadelphia, Roxborough
- New York City, Lower Manhattan
- New York City, Lower East Side
- Alabama, Moulton, http://wutangalabama.com/
- Georgia,
- Alaska, Anchorage
- Canada, Ontario
Europe[]
- Spain, Barcelona
- Spain, Mallorca
- Venezuela, Caracas
- Venezuela, Merida
- England, Cambridge
- Switzerland, Thun-Allmendingen, https://www.wutan.ch/
- Netherlands, Holland
- Norway, Oslo
Notable Figures[]
- Liu Yun-Qiao - Founder of the system
- Li Shu-Wen - One of Liu Yun-Qiao's teachers
- Su Yu Chang - Liu Yun Qiaos's Student & Tanglangquan lineage.
- Adam Hsu - Liu Yun Qiao's Student & Changquan lineage.
Trivia[]
- World famous rap culture and Hip-Hop Icon of the similar name. [Wu-Tang Clan], 1993, There is mutual respect between both institutions and agreements were settled over the phone and in person at the New York school. However the naming system of the Clan is based upon the "Wu-Dang" wuxia stories and movies of the 1980's.
- The development of Wu-Tang style Bajiquan is based upon the teachings left behind by Li Shu Wen, Liu Yun Qiao.
- Six Harmony or Liuhe is to re-soften students for flexibility and for a new perspective. The polar opposite of this is to incorporate Bajiquan. WuTan students are easily recognized for their Baji Style and adding Baji to others. This process is best understood during Six Great Openings, Liu Da Kai. Which when understood becomes Six 'Destruction' Openings.
- There is minute virtually invisible differences between 2C & 2E and 4-B1 & 4-B2.
- The "Wu-Dang sect" / "Wu-Tang Sect" [ 武当派 ] [ 武當派 ] is a fictional martial arts sect, created in the 1980's mentioned in several wulin and wuxia works. While the references of Taijiquan, Bagua, Neijin, Internal martial arts are loosely based upon Taoism and the 2 early major umbrella terms of separate Chinese "Kung Fu"; Other 'External' styles, thought to be derived of Buddhism, Muslim and Ancient Shaolin Martial Arts, and so, Shaolin style or Shaolinquan, to follow the 72 Arts of Shaolin. '4 Internal' Styles of Wudang Mountains and Taoism; Mostly Taijiquan and Baguazhang, Xinyiquan and Bajiquan. Now It is also more common for Chinese martial arts to be separated as Traditional or Modern, Northern or Southern, Muslim, or Taiwanese.