Wutan Kung Fu School

In 1966, when Grand Master Liu retired from his post as Chairman of the Civil Defence Force in The Republic of China, he accepted twelve disciples to pass down his skills. He named his school Wutan. Most of these disciples, including my own Master, were already highly-skilled martial artists before commencing their studies with him. Some had been teaching in their own right for a long time and consequently brought all their students with them to WUTAN.

Grand Master Liu Yun Qiao passed his skills down to many disciples, and many of these masters have spread their knowledge and skill throughout the world. One of Grand Master Liu's favourite disciples was Master Wu Song Fa, who was already a very skilful and proficient martial artist before he was accepted as a student of Grand Master Liu. He trained under strict supervision for six hours a day for many years before Grand Master Liu Yun Qiao finally accredited Master Wu as having mastered the arts of Wutan.

He was subsequently instructed to return home in order to promote the teaching of Wutan, the school that was founded by Master Liu Yun Qiao,

Here in UK Wutan is also very well received by the public who love authentic traditional Chinese martial arts.

The Founder of Wutan UK They Soon Tuan arrived in the UK to learn business studies in 1977, he found martial arts greatly misrepresented in this country. At the time, of course, the UK was still suffering from a Bruce Lee fever, and even those same arts that Bruce Lee had learnt from his master Yip Man had been misinterpreted by some UK teachers.

Sifu They set to teaching traditional Kung Fu styles and Tai Chi Chuan, under the name of Lucky Crane Tai Chi School. The school immediately earned the respect of many instructors who were teaching other forms of Chinese martial arts.

In 1986, Grand Master Liu Yun Qiao grated the school the permission to use Wutan as it name.

Many students including some instructors of other martial arts system have come to Sifu They to learn some of his skill, many passed on the knowledge they learnt by adding into their own system. Majority prefer the tradition Chinese martial arts they learn to be as close as possible to the one that have been scrutiny by history of China instead the one made recently. They continue to train with Wutan and follow the way of WutanUK strictly even after they have become very adapt martial artist or instructors in their own right.

1997 Sifu They feel that many of the students has proved their commitment to the arts of WUTAN and are ready to move another level up. 12 were selected as formal student of Master Wu Song Fua.

Wutan is now the UK biggest Traditional Martial Arts School All members of Wutan UK are now training directly under Master Wu’s guidance. Hopefully, more students will be able to fulfil the expectation of Wutan International, and honour the Masters who have passed on this heritage.

Students of Wutan are first taught the systems which were brought into Wutan by the twelve disciples. The curriculum of Wutan International UK's Branch was divided into internal and external systems. The internal system embraces the teaching of :

Tai Chi, Pa Kua and Hsing-I,

whereas the external system includes both the Northern and Southern fighting styles such as:

Wing Chun, Choi Lei fut, Praying Mantis, kickboxing(competition Kung Fu) and 18 weapons systems.

Students who have a proven record of being well-disciplined and of good character will be taught the superior system that Grand Master Liu professed. These restrictions are important and necessary, as the systems passed down by Grand Master Liu are too dangerous to be in the hands of the irresponsible. The degree of their efficiency can be measured by the responsible positions that some of Great Grand Master Li's disciples held.

The closed-door disciple Grand Master Liu was appointed as a bodyguard in chief, responsible for protecting the premier of The Republic Of China, President Chiang Kai Shek, and his successors. The eldest disciple, Fou Tien Kok was appointed as a teacher of martial arts and as bodyguard to Pu Yi, the last Emperor of China.

Another disciple Li Chian Wu was appointed head martial arts trainer for Chairman Mao Tsi Tung, the first chairman of the People's Republic Of China.

Out of the hundreds of competent fighters in China, these three mortal enemies chose to appoint three disciples of Great Grand Master Li Su Wen. Each considered that no other martial artists of the time had the skills necessary to protect their lives.