Grandmaster Wang Zhuang Hong
The Founder of Water Style Tai Chi
Wang's Water Style Tai Chi is a complete martial arts system developed by Mr. Wang Zhuang Hong (1931-2008) through the integration of his lifelong learning, through the stages of "realization, modification, development, and creation". During his lifetime, Mr. Wang won many honors in the martial arts world, including the highest gold cup award in the 1987 World Cup Sanshou Competition held by the International Wushu Federation in the United States, and the certificate of honor signed by then-US Vice President George Bush Sr.; he was also appointed as the highest honorary chairman of the International Wushu Federation of the United States, and a doctoral professor at the California International University of Martial Arts and Medicine.
Master Wang's expertise lies in calligraphy and the study and verification of inscriptions and artifacts. He was personally taught the "authentic method of calligraphy" by Mr. Shen Yin Mo, a renowned calligraphy master, learning the lost secrets of ancient calligraphic art. His technique, characterized by the 'forward and backward twisting loops', embodies a fluid, water-like nature that is in harmony with the principles of Tai Chi Chuan.
Master Wang not only had a profound understanding of both martial arts and calligraphy, but in his later years, he also devoted himself to the study of Buddhism. By chance, he found inspiration in the book Wang Zong Yue’s Tai Chuan Chuan Classic, which led him to realize that the essence of Tai Chi Chuan lies in "the innate natural ability, which is not achieved through effort of acquisition." The principles of Tai Chi Chuan, such as the forward and backward twisting loops and the concept of "using no force to generate power," are, like Buddha nature, inherent in the human body. Therefore, the path of learning Tai Chi Chuan is not merely about exerting effort or applying learned techniques. Tai Chi Chuan is an internal martial art, seeking from within. As the Daoist principle states, it is a process of continual reduction: "The way of the Dao is to decrease, decrease, and again decrease," gradually restoring one's pure and inherent nature. This is the common root shared by Confucianism, Daoism, I Ching, and Buddhism.
Master Wang made significant contributions to martial arts. First, he delved deeply into the true meaning of Tai Chi and verified the core of traditional Chinese culture. Second, he established the status of Wang's Water Style Tai Chi as a complete Tai Chi martial arts system. Practitioners now have a method to follow. If they practice diligently, they will see immediate results and achieve great success.
