A friend of my girlfriends is interested in Tai Chi and has heard of a Wu style kwoon in London, run by a fella called Garry Wraag.
Does anyone know about the man, his organisation etc?
The chap interested in learning wants to, in addition to learning the form, learn some Chi Gung exercises and martial applications (ahh, donāt we all ). Will he get this from Wu?
I had to confess I didnāt know a thing about Wu style Tai Chi, but said Iād ask on this forum.
Thanks.
Ps. My girlfriend thinks Iām the beeās knees for helping her mate outā¦ DONāT LET ME DOWN PEOPLEā¦ thereās a lot riding on this
Anyway, to clarify what I mean is that, the www.wustyle.com people have been claiming to carry on the lineage for some time. There are conflicting claims that are just as strong, despite no blood relation.
That is to say:
Do you buy into the Hong Kong Wu claim?
Do you think Mah Liu Liangās claim is stronger?
Or do you think the northern Wu pracititioners who claim that Qu Jian Quan changed the style from they way Quan You taught it?
Or even, do you think Cheng Style is a better example of Wu style than Wu style itself?
I donāt understand any of the last postās questions :rolleyes:
Thanks for the response, but what I really need to know is āis the guy in London any good?ā
I checked out the site, and they have a link to the UK site. Naturally this tells you what they doā¦ but Iād like to know if itās worth someone going there?
Are there better alternatives in London for my friends needs?
I would recommend purchasing a few albums by the Wu Tang clan. They have a good understanding of the art, and theyāre veterans in the rap industry. Pay close attention to their music, and thereās hidden instructions about martial arts techniques.
the best thing you can do before making any recommendation is to experience that which you are either going to or not going to recommend.
otherwise, you can tell your friend the same thing. look around, try some classes out, see how you feel about the place and itās people, if itās comfortable and it feels good then do it. That sort of thing.
As for the Wu lineage, well it doesnāt really matter and the politics of martial arts are a lot of bs to begin with.
The school I indicated I indicated as āaā lineage holder. as opposed to ātheā lineage holder.
generally, the sifu arenāt the ones that are hyping about this sort of thing anyway, itās generally people who donāt know better or are at their core jealous and petty which is something that kungfu practice can relieve one of. so no worries about that sort of thing.
I would suggest you attend a class and see how it goes. Take things for what they are. Tai Chi and Kungfu are physical activities that benefit many other aspects of your life. Enjoy them for what they are.
Hmm perhaps you could clerify your claim about www.wustyle.com. If you look at there site they show a very authentic lineage and very provable, I mean just look at the head guy Wu Kwong Yu he looks just like Wu Gong Yi. I dont mean to critizise you but could you show me some proof for your statment
Rory, I suggest you do some independent research. The argument over who was the lineage holder after Wu Jien Quan is a pretty old one, and there is plenty out there about it.
āIf you look at there site they show a very authentic lineage and very provable, I mean just look at the head guy Wu Kwong Yu he looks just like Wu Gong Yi.ā
Family lines do not make a person the head of a system in MA. Its skill based.
One final edit. In my experience, it really does not matter anyway. Its more important that you practice hard, than who your teacher is.
FWIW, I studied under Gary Wragg for about 6 months two years ago. In reply to your original question, yes, he will be able to learn a form, some chi gung and some martial art applications from Gary Wraggās school. His school teaches a fairly complete curriculum (from what I could see, form, push hands, the 24 neigong set, sanshou, weapons [sword, broadsword and spear], etc, etc). There is a fairly strong connection to Eddie Wu (Wu Kwong Yu) and the HK branch of Wu style, and they do compete in full-contact sparring in the UK. Certainly itās one of the best places to learn Wu style in the UK, Iād advise your friend to give it a try.
I see in your profile that you also had a brief stint with Practical Tai Chi.
What was your impression? I believe his isnāt Wu Style Tai Chi, but I think thereās also some classes in Londonā¦ any good.
A little off topic, but I was chatting to some training partners at my Wing Chun class, and someone asked if the sword work in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was Tai Chi sword.
Yeah, Iād recommend Dan Dochertyās practical taiji - certainly the man and his students can fight, whatever else you might think of them. To be honest, if you look at the forms and the weapons routines, just the structure of his curriculum, itās undeniable that what Dan does is a variation on Southern (Hong Kong branch) Wu style taijiquan. Bear in mind Cheng Tin-hung (Danās teacher)was first taught by his uncle Cheng Wing-kwong (a disciple of Wu Jianquan), and also, from what Iāve heard, studied from Wu Gongyiās son, Wu Dakui. Of course, the āinside the doorā stuff may differ markedly, but youāll have to ask Danās disciples about that As for the sword work in CTHD, I believe the form was made up by the choreographer Yuen Woo-ping. Pretty, isnāt it?
). Will he get this from Wu?