Wutan UK Lineage

Grand Master Liu Yun Qiao

1909 - 1992, Taiwan.

Grand Master Liu retired from his post as Chairman of the Civil Defence Force in The Republic of China in 1966, He is accredited by many Chinese and Japanese martial artists to have been amongst the greatest masters in the world. He accepted twelve students to pass down his skills to, and named his school Wutan (founded in 1972). Most of his students were already highly-skilled martial artists before training with him. Some had been teaching in their own right for a long time and consequently brought all their students with them to the school. One of these students was Master Wu Song Fa.

An obituary detailing Grand Master Liu’s life and achievements has been translated and can be found at The Legacy of the Late Grandmaster Liu Yun Qiao.

Master Wu Song Fa

- 2018, Malaysia

Master Wu began his Wushu training in the Chin Woo Athletic Association whilst he was still a boy. After many years he had acquired an outstanding reputation in Chin Woo, and achieved a high level of proficiency. In his early twenties he travelled all over Taiwan, from school to school and from master to master, looking to develop his skill. He trained under strict supervision for six hours a day, for many years with Grand Master Liu. After three years Grand Master Wu appointed him a Master. He was subsequently instructed to return home in order to promote the teaching of Wutan.

After many years of teaching, Master Wu had many students in Malaysia and twelve senior student’s here in the UK.

All members of Wutan UK were directly under Master Wu’s guidance. One of these students was Master They Soon Tuan.

Master They Soon Tuan

Southampton, UK

Master They arrived in the UK to learn business studies in 1977. He taught traditional Kung Fu styles and Tai Chi Chuan, under the name of the Lucky Crane Tai Chi School.

In 1986, Grand Master Liu Yun Qiao granted the school permission to use the Wutan name. Wutan is now the UK’s largest Traditional Chinese Martial Arts School.

Master They has written two books: “The Path of the Complete Martial Artist” (sometimes referred to as the ‘White Book’), Wutan KungFu International (WKI), They SoonTuan, and ‘Tai Chi, The Treasure of Mankind’ (sometimes referred to as the ‘Purple Book’) published in 1997. The latter is still available for sale - ask your instructor.

  • Text for this page was originally prepared by me, for my Taichi teacher’s website, Anita Chi Wai Ho - Wutan Surrey

  • Images for this page were originally supplied to me by Sifu Sarer Scotthorne, for the creation of her website - Bristol Wutan

  • The biographical information presented here has been abstracted and abridged from Wutan UK Martial Arts.