Liu Yun-Chyau, also named Shiaw-Chen, was born in a wealthy family. The first ancestor Liu Yi relocated to Tsang-Chou from Ji-Mou in Ming Dynasty. For various generations , there were 12 family members climbed up to Jinn-Shi position in the government. The Liu’s had been an affluent family in the township. Until the generation of the sixteenth, his father and uncle both enrolled and studied in a military school in Bao-Ding. This was quite an event at that time. Master Liu was born on the eighth of February on the lunar calendar of 1909 and was numbered  the 17the generation. He was the only boy and two elder sisters died in their early years. As a child with a bulgy belly, his poor health was a great concern to his parents.

Chang Yau-Ting, the bodyguard of his family and expert on martial arts, was assigned to take care of him, giving him massage therapy as a daily routine. Progressively, he was growing stronger and started receiving instructions on Charng boxing from Chang. His father also received the instruction for the sake of health. While practicing , his father would remark that he stay healthy to carry on generations instead of pursuing for wealth and positions. Afterwards, he continuously learned Mi-Tzong from Chang and grew much stronger. His father was therefore very pleased and rewarded Chang with lands and money as retirement pension.

In the meantime, Master Liu’s father desperately sourced for best martial arts experts to train his young son. He made a luxurious preparation to invite home the marksman, Master Li, teaching his son Ba-Chi, and smashing art. In three years, his son received only instructions on basic Ba-Chi. In a feast prepared for Master Li, the father politely touched on the reason . Master Li, in turn, retorted that he knew what the son should learn. Those around were all discouraged.

Master Li was very weird-tempered. A number of people were defeated by him in numerous martial arts contests. He was once working for an Inspector Lee. He later got fired for angering the inspector. With this in mind, Li mulled over a revenge. Inspector Lee was well-known for his fencing and was named the number one in this field. But Li sneered at him.

In 1931, Li brought young Liu to Shan-Tung for trial tests and in a bid to revenge on Inspector Lee.  The Liu family had connections with the warlords that would provide protection. Arriving in Huang Hsien, they stayed with General Chang Hsiang-Wu.
 

General Chang was, however, friendly with Inspector Lee and took sides with him.
The young Liu would often go out to have trials of strength with people with his martial arts expertise. No one could ever win over him and he was hence reputed as “the Junior Overlord”.

One day, the young Liu saw a kind elder giving “wrong” instructions at a martial art class. He challenged the latter and was defeated on the ground. This elder was actually Master Ting of Mantis boxing. General Chang therefore retained him as an instructor for Liu.

Liu also met with General Chang’s instructor, Mia Takalala, for the eight divine diagrams and followed him to Ian-Tai city for advanced practicing. General Chang was engaged in drug purging, killing a gang of smugglers, and was reputed as Killer Chang. The confiscated goods were used as Liu’s tuition for Mia. His father also wired money monthly as tuition. The young Liu had therefore had enough money to further his martial arts.
 

        Spared of work from Master Liu, Li felt bored and left alone and was poisoned to death on the way home. It was in 1934. General Chang and Liu tried to find the assassin but failed.

In 1936, Oda Pokusamulow, a Japanese general in Tien-Jing concession, had been thumbing his nose at our martial art and despised the Chinese-styled fencing nothing but dancing. He challenged publicly if anyone would have a fencing fight with him.  None dare take it. He grew even more aggressive and snobbish. Master Liu heard about this and angrily went to Tien-Jing overnight to take the challenge. Both met at the French Park to have the fencing fight in public. The people of Tien-Jing martial art field grew excited and gathered together to support Master Liu. In the fight, both took wooden swords. Oda attacked Liu directly. Liu side-blew and continuously hit his ribs. In the end, Oda was forced to toss in the towel.

Master Liu therefore earned the respect in Tien-Jing. He met Ho Dien-Kuei who was surprised that they shared the same origin of Ba-Chi and the smashing art though with  some forms of difference. He was also acquainted with a Ba-Gua master Sun Shyi and several martial arts experts.  Often times, he would challenge and harshly beat disciples from various sects. It was at his teens.
 

        In 1937, Master Liu was encouraged by his father to study laws in Jau-Yang University. Then, the war against Japan broke out. Liu left for the Northwest and studied military in Shi-An Military School.

After the graduation, he made great contributions in the war and was promoted from the position of lieutenant to a colonel. He was wounded several times and was made
captive once. In his captivity, because of his bravery and military skills he earned respect from the Japanese army. They even shared with him the canned food. The vigil against him became slack. One day, he made his escape and succeeded. Several tried to follow him but were shot to death.

While Liu led his army to Shan-Shi province, he met an acquaintance Li Tzeng-Shu in Shi-An city. Li was then working for the Northwest Farmer’s Bank as a bodyguard and was very good at the art of gun-shooting. Both held a friendly match. Li cave in after long hours of a trial of strength.

He later, in Pao-Chi city, met Mr. Ma, the former curator of Kai-Fong National Gymnastic Center. The often met in tea shops to discuss and exchange ideas and experiences , and sometimes had trials of strength. Ultimately, he won Ma’s admiration and respect. Later, he received a consultant contract from Ma and both became close friends.
 

         In 1949, he followed the national government to Taiwan. Serving in the parachute unit, he still showed his boundless enthusiasm. He was then transferred to the Ministry of National Defense. As a Director of Personnel, he was responsible for evaluating levels of military personnel relocated from China. At this time, however, he was feeling not up to the position because of physical downturn. He was assigned to supervise the military personnel’s dependents housing projects and won the applause from the people. He was a man with integrity and lived plainly in the suburbs of Taipei. Even before the age of 50, he already lamented for retirement.

Taipei New Park was one of the best known places for practicing gymnastic arts. Several were there to give instructions to the interested. The only heir, Chang Hsiang-San, to Mantis boxing was among the fold for three decades. In 1966, he once chatted with two amateurs and learned that Master Liu was in Taiwan.
 

         Master Liu was therefore unable to live unrecognized and started to mingle with people in the same field. Then, the Legislative Yuan functioned as a gathering place for people of the gymnastic arts on Sundays. Shadow boxing and other martial arts denominations could all be found there in the Legislative Yuan. It was billed that Taipei topped the list of Taiwan gymnastic arts and Taipei’s gurus convened in the Yuan for “meetings”.

Though Master Liu associated with men of the same course, he still felt dispirited in his bosom. He instructed and harshly trained a few of his followers. Those under his training and supervision were completely changed alive in very short time. He was therefore made  more public and engaged in related organizations and activities of the field.

A general Hu chaired the National Acrobatics and Boxing Commission. On one occasion, he met Master Liu and was very impressed. Often times, both would meet and chat closely. As a medium, he introduced Master Liu to General Chiang Wei-Kuo. General Chiang surprisingly asked if that was the same Liu who served in the same unit with him in Tuong-Kuan.

In 1968, as General Hu’s deputy Master Liu led a Chinese martial arts delegation to Malaysia to pay regards to overseas Chinese , make an exchange of martial arts and raise funds for Malaysian Social Study Institute. They performed in Kuala Lumpur for charity and had a great success.

In 1970, he was invited to the Philippines and opened classes of shadow boxing, eight- diagram palm and Kuen-Wu fencing in Manila. He also organized charity performances to raise money for the flood sufferers.

The first issue of Wu-Tan martial arts magazine published in June of 1971 gained applause and reputation, however, owing to inability in business operation it was put to a halt in 1973 for financing difficulty.

The affiliated martial arts training class still grew strong and actively became a promotion center. Coaches from this unit have been giving instructions in colleges and universities numbering more than 20 islandwide. As students taking the instruction were all intellectuals who afterwards brought what they had learned and had skilled to overseas and to their careers, therefore, Wu-Tan disciples were all over the world.

Some were of high positions. All this has helped to change and upgrade the image of martial arts in an inconceivable way and has had a great impact on its development.

The Japanese martial arts enthusiasts constantly came to Taiwan to take instructions from Master Liu and got to know the depth of it. After China was open to the world, they continuously visited there for Ba-Chi boxing and the smashing art with great zeal. Their footsteps could be found in Tsang-Chou , Bei-Jing, Shanghai. The eight-diagrams palm experts in Northwest and Northeast were all visited and were even invited to teach in Japan. According to the Japanese statistics, Ba-Chi boxing was the most popular, apart from Chen’s shadow boxing. In retrospect, Master Liu was the originator of the arts.

At the invitation of his disciples in the States, Master Liu made a visit to the U.S. in 1982. Then, he visited Japan in 1983. He is now turning 80 years old, has over 3,000 disciples and is still toiling himself to extend the landscape of our national gymnastic. While in Taipei, he personally presided over the training at Wu-Tan Promotion Center. In summer and winter every year, he executed the extensive training in Pu-Li ( central Taiwan ), Dah-Hsien Temple in Kuan-Tze-Ling ( southern Taiwan ) and Jeau-Ban Mountain scenic area ( northern Taiwan ). These were all regarded as very important and significant events in Taiwan in the domain of martial arts.

Exclusive of Yang’s shadow boxing and mantis boxing for the sake of his temperament not in line with these two arts and therefore not proficient, in an overview, Master Liu’s Tai-Tzuu long boxing features a variety of styles and slow-moving. It has many similarities to the pictures shown on Chi’s boxing classics, and differs from the one originated from  provinces of Shan-Tung, Her-Nan and直.

There are 3 sets in his Mi-Tzong. The first set “ Mi-Tzong fight “ is an one-on-one fight. The second set “ Ten-sides Ambush boxing “ is also an one-on-one fight. The third is for individual practicing. This is very different from the Mi-Tzong originated from Her-Nan or Shan-Tung.

As for his ba-chi and smashing art are an extraction from the senior marksman Master Li. They are different from skills of various sects. They are even different from what Master Li had taught him in Li’s early and mid years. Master Li’s life-long skills evolution reveals his depth in marksmanship.

Each sect has its own style of the eight-diagram palm. Master Liu has obtained all skills from Mia Takalala  in the east of Shan-Tung province. Mia teaches with various approaches according to trainees’ characteristics. He leads on gradually by excellent methods to appeal to trainees. Therefore, Master Liu’s eight-diagram palm features progressively the styles of the basic and the extensive, and has come with a secondary. It also has its exclusive weapon.

Master Liu’s sabre wielding is based upon Tai-Tzuu sect and is very proficient in smashing. He used to fell logs and shaped them into sabres for practicing. Nowadays, it is rare to display lancet wielding skill without mixing with other styles. Only Master Liu’s  keeps the quintessence of lancet wielding.

Most know Lee Jing-Lin was noted for his fencing skill, but have no idea that it was based on Kuen-Wu fencing. Jing-Lin took it as his lifetime mission to promote chinese martial art. But he had always kept Kuen-Wu fencing secretive. Master Liu first learned this fencing skill from General Chang Hsiang-Wu and grew very fond of it. He was in suspicion that Jing-Lin had only the fencing style and had no fencing power. He would make Hsiang-Wu test Jing-Lin’s skill and snatched his sword in just one shot. Hsiang-Wu would therefore analyze the skill and make perfect Master Liu’s fencing which has later become a Chinese art and legend.

Master Liu often mentioned that Ba-Chi must have been named by intellectuals. In the early days in the village, Ba-Chi was called the “harrow” because the shape of a clinched palm looks like a harrow. Compiled in the Chi’s boxing classics, the skill of  “harrow boxing and club wielding” is exactly Ba-Chi. Master Liu’s Ba-Chi club wielding uses an eight-feet long club. Each style is practical and in depth.

Lance skill was Master Li's pride. And Master Liu inherited it with all his efforts and later perfected it. Either for the purpose of offense or defense, Master Liu has mastered it. Furthermore, he has even sophisticated this wondrous skill and fused it with all kinds of weapons. From his practice, it proves to be true that “Lance is the guru of all weapons.”

Master Liu's articles on chinese martial art can be found in “Wu-Tan” magazine but are not compiled. There are versions in Taiwan and Hong Kong Mandarin and in Japanese on his book of “Ba-Chi Boxing”. His finished new book “Kuen-Wu Fencing”is in two volumes. “The Smashing Palm” is in proof-reading. Miscellanea written by various Wu-Tan disciples are in the works of compiling and categorizing for publication.