The Wudang School was given its name by its founder Master Cheng Tinhung. Master Cheng chose the name for two main reasons.

Firstly he chose not to use a family name, as was the usual tradition, because he wanted to indicate that his teaching was not derived from a restrictive family system.

He chose the name Wudang as this is the name of a mountain range that is held by Daoists as being very important and the place of practice of a famous Daoist immortal called Zhang Sanfeng. It is believed that Zhang played a crucial part in the formation of internal martial arts. Though it is generally recognised that he cannot be linked directly to Taijiquan.

It should be understood that, contrary to what some people think, it is not claimed that this method is Wudang boxing.

For a full description of Wudang TJQ and its history, please visit my teacher's web site.

You will see in the diagram below that Wudang TJQ is derived in the main from orthodox Wu style, however as a young man Master Cheng studied intensivley with another teacher, Qi Minxuan.

It was this period of study that Master Cheng believed was the most valuable and filled many gaps in his understanding of the martial application of TJQ.

Qi's lineage can be traced back to both orthodox Yang and Chen styles. It is probably this mixture of teachers that accounts for some of the differences between Wu and Wudang styles.

It should be noted that on the diagram below only the central column is a part of the Wudang lineage.

As with any complex subject, greater understanding can be achieved by undertaking

"comparative study" . Reading around a subject, understanding other points of view helps to put one's own practice into context.

I have therefore taken the opportunity to train with practitioners of both orthodox Chen and Wu styles.

But I do not claim either of these lineages to be a part of my own. They are on the chart, in order to show their connection with the Wudang lineage.