History of Ji Hong Tai Chi
The Main Branch of Ji Hong Tai Chi College was officially established in Edmonton, Alberta in 1989, by Masters Luo Hong-Yuan and Jennifer Gu. The College now has branches in Ontario, Calgary, China and the most recent addition—the Greater Vancouver Area. But the story of Ji Hong Tai Chi begins many years ago: Grand Master Luo Ji Hong—for whom the school is named—lived his life with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge.
Origins
Already struggling to survive in one of the poorest areas in Southern China in the 1920’s, Luo Ji Hong’s family was left destitute with the death of his father when he was only three years old. Even as a young boy, Ji Hong understood that education was the only way to improve his family’s position in life, and he studied tirelessly, skipping several grades in a Classical Chinese Education. He then attended a secondary school which emphasized a Western style analytical approach, and was later accepted on Scholarship to the most prestigious University in China—Zhong Shan University in Guangzhou (named in honor of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, founder of the Chinese Republic).
Several years after completing a degree in Sociology, Grand Master Luo Ji Hong was diagnosed with a terminal kidney condition. He was given only months to live by both Western and Traditional Chinese doctors. Married, with young children, he wasn’t ready to give up so easily. Against his doctors’ advice, he began to practice Tai Chi at a local park, and as his lessons progressed, his health and vitality returned. His condition was eventually fully reversed.
The Benefits of Tai Chi
Fascinated by the improvement, he began to read and analyze every historical Chinese Text to which he could gain access. His university education allowed him to uncover a wealth of knowledge that had been lost or misconstrued through many years of verbal instruction, and he was soon able to defeat his peers—and even his instructor—in a traditional Tai Chi exercise called Tui Shou (Push Hands). He attended a Traditional Chinese Medical School, and classes in Engineering and Physics, in order to fully understand the physical effects of the concepts he was studying—the effects of force on the human body.
His extreme dedication to the study of all aspects of Tai Chi led to opportunities for Grand Master Luo to both correspond, study, and ‘push hands’ with several of the most revered Tai Chi Masters in China. Each experience shaped his personal practice, and from this he slowly developed the methodology of what would later be called the Ji Hong Tai Chi System.
Throughout the years of his study, Grand Master Luo taught many, many students. His son, Luo Hong-Yuan, and Gu Dai-Juan (Jennifer) were among them. In 1984, students Luo and Gu won the Gold Medals for both the Men’s and Women’s Divisions at the Wuhan International Tai Chi Chuan & Sword Competition, clearly validating Grand Master Luo’s knowledge and approach to Tai Chi. Grand Master Luo passed away later that year.
A New Beginning in Canada
After Grand Master Luo Ji Hong’s death, Master Luo Hong-Yuan and Master Jennifer Gu accepted an invitation to teach in Canada, and relocated to Edmonton, Alberta. In 1988, they co-authored the book Theories & Training of Taijiquan. The book’s second print was significantly revised and titled The Ji Hong Tai Chi System—Evolutionary Theory, Applications and Methodology. Masters Luo and Gu refused to become complacent in their understanding of Tai Chi. They continued—and still continue—to apply modern scientific knowledge to the Traditional exercise of Tai Chi so that students may follow the most efficient and effective path to a profound understanding and practice of Tai Chi.
Since 1989, the students of Ji Hong Tai Chi College have distinguished themselves among their peers, winning a multitude of top awards, and again proving the validity and effectiveness of the Ji Hong Tai Chi System of training. One of these students, Master Richard Omura, has demonstrated its success against the best of the best—winning Gold Medals in Tui Shou (Push Hands) competition in Chen Village (the birthplace of Chen Style Tai Chi) and Handan (the home of Yang Style Tai Chi).
Heavily involved in the school since 1993 (you’ll find him demonstrating techniques alongside Master Luo in the second print of the book) Master Omura has been immersed exclusively in the Ji Hong Tai Chi System from the start, aiding in its evolution, and consistently proving its effectiveness in competition. He was honoured to receive Master Luo and Master Gu’s blessing in starting the Vancouver Branch of the Ji Hong Tai Chi College, and looks forward to instructing a new group of students in the Traditional, yet Evolutionary Ji Hong Tai Chi System.
