- Wu Yihui
Wu Yihui (Chinese: 吳翼翬;
Cantonese : Ng Yik Fai; 1887 – March 29, 1958) was a Chinesemartial art ist and teacher in the martial arts. He was the founder ofliuhebafa , or water boxing, and was a prominent fighter and instructor.Biography
Wu Yi Hui was originally from
Tieling in northeast China, but later lived inBeijing . He was from a scholarly and official family, and a man of good nature who had strong martial art talents. He was also well versed incalligraphy and painting, enjoying social life and travel.In 1896, his father took a government position in
Pien-Liang (Kaifeng), and his family moved there as a result, where he studied all styles of martial arts and weaponry, such as Sanpan Shier Shi, and the earliestTaoist SleepingQigong ofChen Tuan . Two years later, he began to improve his skills under Master Chen Guang Di.In 1905, Wu was admitted to the Military Academy of
Baoding . On weekends, he went to the Temple of the Goddess of Mercy in the suburbs, where Master Chen He Lu taught him the martial arts. In 1928, Wu started to teach martial arts at the South Senior High School inShanghai . The following year he was transferred to Shuwei Public School. TheYMCA in the Eight Immortals Bridge District in Shanghai in 1932 hired him as their martial arts director.In 1936, at the request of General Zhang Zhi Jiang, Wu took the provost position at the National Martial Arts Association, at
Nanking . WhenJapan invaded China, he left first toKunming and thenGuiling , from where he was invited by theVietnam ese government to demonstrate Chinese martial arts inHanoi .When the
Second Sino-Japanese war ended in 1945, Wu returned to Shanghai and taught martial arts again. He had students from various provinces in China as well as fromHong Kong ,Singapore ,South East Asia ,Brazil ,England and theUnited States . Meanwhile, the City of Shanghai made him a member (director) of the Department of Literature and History.One source states that Master Wu had 25 recorded students. Another states that "Thousands of students learned directly from him." [ [http://wudanglongmen.com/liuhebafa.html A Brief Discussion of Liu He Ba Fa ] ] There are no claims as to his successorship, however
Chan Yik Yan (Chen Yi Ren) is the only one known to have completed his training of the Liuhebafa System.The creator of
Yiquan ,Wang Xiang Zhai , referred to Wu, in 1927, by saying, "I have traveled throughout the country, competing with nearly a thousand people, there is but two and half people who possess true martial skills,Hunan 's Dai Tit Fu, Shanghai's Wu Yik Fan and the half being aWhite Crane exponent fromFukien " who engaged with him evenly.ee also
*
Chan Yik Yan
*Liuhebafa References
*cite web |url=http://www.liuhopafa.com/chenpo.htm |title=Wu Yik Fan - Wu I-Hui (1887-1961) |accessdate=2008-10-09
*"History of Chinese Martial Arts" (1966), Yellow Mountain Press, People's Republic of ChinaExternal links
* [http://www.liuhopafa.com/chenpo.htm History of Liu He Ba Fa, including Wu I-Hui]
* [http://wudanglongmen.com/liuhebafa.html another source]
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