Grand Master Dr. Kenneth Wu

1992 & 1994 Canadian Champion
in Tai Chi
1994 Canadian Champion in Kung Fu
1994 Canadian Champion in Weapon
Coach of numerous National Medal winners.

Martial Arts Classes available in:

Shaolin Kung Fu
Tai Chi Chuan
Traditional Weapons

Please check back often for further updates.

(Click on pictures below to enlarge)

Grand Master Wu's Tai Chi & Kung Fu Center
Schedules & Fees
Videos

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!!! KUNG FU & TAI CHI CLASSES !!!

Taught personally by Grand Master Dr. Kenneth Wu
1992 - 1994 National Gold Medal Holder

Kung Fu

Fall 2010 Term:

Every Tuesday 6:15 - 7:15 pm starting October 12, 2010 until November 30, 2010.

Cost: $150.00 + GST - class enrollment is limited, please sign up early.

Tai Chi

Fall 2010 Term:

Every Monday 6:00 - 7:00 pm starting September 20, 2010 until November 29, 2010.

Note: NO Tai Chi class on October 11, 2010.

Cost: $180.00 + GST - class enrollment is limited, please sign up early.


New and old students are welcome!! Both of these classes are beginner classes and will focus on the qualities of fundamentals. Beginning with approximately 20 minutes of stretching & warm-up exercises (Kung Fu will be more cardio), the classes will then move on to mastering the fundamentals and applications of these disciplines (approx. 40 minutes).

Respect and discipline for the Center's rules will be expected at all times.

All assistants have been training with Grand Master Wu for a minimum of 10 years and will be able to ensure each student gets personal attention.

           Kung Fu Assistants:
                        Keith McIntosh - Northern Shaolin Expert
                        Scott Cannam - Wing Chung Expert

           Tai Chi Assistants:
                        Barry Fermaniuk
                        Jeri & Len Preuter
                        Paulina Wu

New students please download your application here or pick one up at the Acupuncture Clinic. After completing your application, drop it off at the Acupuncture Clinic - #4, 5116 52 Street, Red Deer - or fax it to (403) 347-8388. You will be contacted with the results of your application.

**Grand Master Wu's Tai Chi & Kung Fu Center reserves the right to refuse applicants, change class dates or cancel classes.**

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A community based school founded over 25 years ago, Grand Master Wu's Tai Chi & Kung Fu Center works hard to provide the highest quality teaching in Tai Chi, Kung Fu, Weapons and other Eastern inner arts to all individuals interested in holistic personal growth and development.

Out of his basement, Dr. Wu taught Tai Chi, Kung Fu, and other Eastern inner arts to all individuals interested in holistic personal growth and development. In 1995, Dr. Wu opened up this new 2500 sq. ft. facility to meet instructional demand. His quality training in Kung Fu, Tai Chi and traditional weapons has produced numerous exceptional students, many who have achieved Gold Medal standings in national level competition. In 1998, due to a childhood heart disease, Dr. Wu was forced to reduce his role in the school. Thanks to his many devoted instructors and students, the school has been kept much alive. As of September 2002, Dr. Kenneth Wu will be reclaiming his active role as teacher and will coach the school with a new set of directions and energy. Grand Master Wu's Tai Chi & Kung Fu Center invites all those interested in personal growth, the Far East Martial Arts and Inner Arts, to join his team of champions on this exciting journey.

Kung Fu

Around 540 A.D. the Shaolin monks had already been introduced to a series of movements to help strengthen both their physical and mental stamina. We have come to understand these movements as the start of modern Tai Chi. However, there was also a need to defend oneself from pirates, bandits and even various animals in the wilderness. At the time, the Shaolin temple was a safe place for travelers to rest, and some travelers would share their knowledge of martial arts with the monks. The monks would combine this new knowledge with their understanding of the natural movements of animals, and over the years developed one of the first martial arts in the world. Before this, "martial arts" was the term for any method of self defense. The Shaolin were the first to develop a series of "forms" which are a predetermined sequence of movements that taught the basic movements, as well as developed stronger muscles for quick punches and kicks. As Shaolin prowess for martial arts grew, more and more warriors and swordsmen ended up on their doorstop for instruction, but instead of being instructed, they found themselves teaching the very monks they sought to learn from. The monks had a thirst for knowledge, and they believed that in order to defend against an attack, you must first have an intimate knowledge of that attack. An example of this mentality is the fact that Shaolin monks trained in all manner of swords and spears, as well as other deadly exotic weapons, but they would not allow themselves to ever draw the blood of their opponents, and would rarely, if ever, be seen using an edged weapon of any kind. Typically, the monks of the day were fond of the staff (a very useful and readily available weapon) as it bruised muscles and broke bones but would rarely draw blood making it ideal for the monks. This tradition of learning and constant innovation of their art produced a wide variety of unique styles, and the Shaolin gained a reputation of being very powerful warriors even though the monks themselves disliked violence of any kind.

The spread of martial arts throughout Asia is attributed to the Shaolin who toured the land teaching the tenants of Buddha and, when needed, they also taught martial arts. Over the following centuries these teachings evolved into what we now see as modern Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Kempo, and the list goes on. That is why Shaolin Kung Fu has been named "the Father of all Martial Arts" as most modern arts we see today can be traced back to the Shaolin one way or another.

Shaolin Kung Fu has since evolved into many different styles each having its own complete set of forms. Shaolin itself even split into two uniquely different styles, Northern and Southern. Modern Shaolin is a martial art that takes advantage of its long history and its vast areas of knowledge. A Shaolin practitioner can expect to learn a vast array of punches, kicks, grappling techniques and fighting techniques in all manners of weapons. Shaolin is a very beautuful art that is very dynamic and exciting to watch, but Shaolin Kung Fu is also a physical history that goes back thousands of years and will most likely be around for thousands more. Today's Kung Fu is a fun and challenging way to improve one's physical health while at the same time gaining a level of knowledge of self defense that allows one to calmly and effectively deal with almost any situation presented.




Tai Chi Chuan

Tai Chi Chuan, which translates to mean "Supreme Ultimate Fist", is quite possibly the first martial art the world had ever seen. Tai Chi was first developed as an exercise for Shaolin monks whose bodies had become weak from weeks of meditating in one place. Tai Chi is one of the most prominent "soft style" martial arts in the world today. The term "soft style" refers to the energy for the movement as it is manifested internally using the natural energy of life commonly referred to as "Chi", instead of relying on simple muscles to create the force as commonly seen in "hard style" martial arts like Karate. Chi flows through all of us through meridians or gates and it is widely believed in Chinese Medicine that when a meridian becomes blocked through either stress or emotional distress, the Chi cannot flow properly and one's health is compromised. Through specialized slow movements and special breathing techniques, Tai Chi can clear the meridians and improve Chi flow throughout one's body improving mental, physical, and even spiritual health.

Like all internal martial arts, Tai Chi focuses primarily on relaxation and tranquility of mind and body. It teaches the manifestation of our center, a point inside the body that is approximately three inches below our navel, and it is this point that we learn to move circularly and effortlessly around, while allowing each movement to seamlessly move into its opposite. These movements are slow and deliberate and are paced to the specialized breathing techniques used in Tai Chi.

The study of Tai Chi Chuan primarily involves three aspects:

Health: An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person may find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use Tai Chi as a martial art. Tai Chi's health training therefore concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. For those focused on Tai Chi's martial application, good physical fitness is an important step towards effective self defense.

Meditation: The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of Tai Chi is seen as necessary in maintaining optimum health and in the application of a soft style martial art.

Martial Art: The ability to use Tai Chi as a form of self defense in combat is the test of a student's understanding of the art. Tai Chi Chuan martially is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces; the study of yielding and "sticking" to an incoming attack rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force. The use of Tai Chi as a martial art is quite challenging and requires a great deal of training.

Tai Chi has gained enormous popularity in today's stressful society. Many people are enjoying an improved health, increased coordination, and a renewed sense of tranquility through the practice of Tai Chi. Through it's graceful yet powerful movements, people have stimulated blood circulation throughout their body, improved their metabolism, and have increased their cardio-vascular effectiveness. Today's Tai chi is a fun and relaxing way to gain harmony of one's body through a focused mind and a unified body.

Grand Master Wu's Tai Chi & Kung Fu Center teaches the Yang Family Style which is the most popular Tai Chi style practiced in China today.