The late Master Liu Ji Fa was the recognized fifth generation lineage holder of Wu Family Taiji, from the founder of the Wu Style, Wu Jian Quan, via Wu Ying Hua, Ma Yue Liang and Pei Zu Yin.
Master Liu Ji Fa began his studies in 1939 at the age of 27, with Master Pei Zu Yin, fourth generation lineage holder of the Wu Family style. A student of Master Pei’s for over 40 years, he was introduced to Masters Ma Yue Liang and Wu Ying Hua by his teacher in 1980. Following Master Pei’s passing in 1985, he continued his studies in Wu style with Master Ma and Madam Wu Ying Hua.
Master Liu’s speciality was the traditional Taiji form, which follows closely the teachings of Master Ma and Master Pei, and their soft, agile, lively and relaxed push hands skills.
He stressed the basic principles of Wu style in his listening hands practice as being the most important for a practitioner to understand, and without which, one could not fully comprehend the remaining theories of Taiji. That is, “Hou fa ze ren, rou hua wei zhu”, “If the opponent doesn’t move, I don’t move, but if he moves, my intention and energy must move before him”.
Pushing hands with Master Liu, one felt that his hands were both soft and light and stuck to you without any feeling of tension or resistance, and he controlled your entire body, spirit and energy effortlessly.
One was bounced around like a basketball and thrown down without the least effort or physical force, all with a smile and a laugh, reminiscent of pushing hands with the late Master Wang Hao Da, also a student of Master Ma Yue Liang’s.
Master Liu completely dissipates students’ energy into the space around him, and controls their movements completely, so they feel that there is nowhere for them to attack, whilst he is at leisure to “attack” them. His push hands was entirely related to his Taiji form, and all applications found within the form itself.
His Dantian movements were powerful and relaxed and his internal body alive, flexible and completely under his control. He could discharge his energy at any time or direction and gave students the sensation of being a rag doll in his hands!
He stressed that one should be happy every day; practice was for health and happiness. Students playing with him were just like children playing with a favourite uncle!