郝少如先師

 

Hao Shaoru (1907–1983), personal name Mengxiu, courtesy name Shaoru, was a native of West Street inside Guangfu City, Yongnian County, Hebei Province. His grandfather Hao Weizhen and his father Hao Yueru were both renowned masters of Taijiquan.

Hao Shaoru was tall and powerfully built, possessing the bearing of his grandfather Hao Weizhen. Born into a Taijiquan family, he studied boxing from an early age under the guidance of his grandfather and father, with daily life closely intertwined with training. From a young age he deeply grasped both the theory and practice of Wu-style Taijiquan. At the age of twenty-one, he had already attained a profound understanding of the essentials of Wu-style Taijiquan and served as an assistant instructor at the Guoshu Institute of Yongnian County.

In 1932, at only twenty-four years of age, he taught Wu-style Taijiquan together with his father at Nanjing Central University and the Supreme Court of Nanjing, among other institutions.

Subsequently, upon the introduction of Zhang Shiyi, he went in place of his father to teach Taijiquan at the Xinya Pharmaceutical Factory in Shanghai, marking the beginning of the transmission of Wu-style Taijiquan to Shanghai. In 1933, upon the recommendation of Wu Shangqian, he taught Wu-style Taijiquan at the Private Shanghai Middle School and the Zhengde Society of Wujin. In 1937, he founded the “Hao Style Taijiquan Society” in Shanghai; later, due to political turmoil, he became a regular employee of the Xinya Pharmaceutical Factory and temporarily withdrew from his career as a professional instructor.

In 1961, upon the recommendation of Gu Liuxin, Director of the Shanghai Sports Palace, Hao Shaoru once again taught Wu-style Taijiquan at the Shanghai Sports Palace. During this period, Li Weiming studied under him.

 

Master Hao Shaoru's photo taken at Shanghai people's park in 1965

 

Hao Shaoru possessed extensive knowledge of Taijiquan, with theory and practice highly unified. He was able to correctly explain the meaning of every word in the boxing treatises of Wang Zongyue, Wu Yuxiang, and Li Yiyu, and to manifest their essence fully in practice. His understanding of Taijiquan principles was meticulous and thorough, his explanations clear and precise, earning him a reputation as a Wu-style Taijiquan master accomplished in both skill and theory.

In push-hands, Hao Shaoru could manipulate opponents at will without causing injury. On September 5, 1964, during a push-hands demonstration at the Shanghai Sports Palace, he employed a lifting-and-releasing technique known as “White Goose Spreads Its Wings,” raising Sun Youde from the left front into the air, rotating him 180 degrees in a spiral, and releasing him several meters behind to the right, stunning the audience. On December 21, 1979, at the Luwan District Gymnasium in Shanghai, he again demonstrated push-hands, sending opponents airborne alternately to the left and right, circling around his body, to prolonged applause.

Hao Shaoru’s issuing of force relied purely on internal strength, using intent to lead qi and qi to move force. His hands neither grasped nor seized; with only light contact he could control the opponent. When the internal form changed while the external form remained still, the opponent felt as if falling into an abyss and lost balance; once force was issued, the opponent was thrown out without understanding how, completely losing control. Observers sensed his grand and full presence, with strength permeating the entire body. He consistently regarded Taijiquan as an art rather than merely a technique.

In daily life—walking, standing, sitting, or lying down—Hao Shaoru habitually remained in a state of training; when someone collided with him while standing or walking, they were often immediately rebounded away.

Throughout his life, Hao Shaoru pursued continual refinement. His exposition of Taijiquan principles was more comprehensive, concrete, and precise than that of his predecessors, further enriching and perfecting the Taijiquan corpus. In June 1963, the People’s Sports Publishing House of Beijing published his work Wu-Style Taijiquan, which made an important contribution to the dissemination of Wu-style Taijiquan. The book contains many highly valuable yet little-known materials, helping to clarify understanding, correct longstanding misconceptions regarding Taijiquan principles, and holding significant importance for the in-depth study and development of Taijiquan.

Hao Shaoru passed away from illness in Shanghai on January 5, 1983, at the age of seventy-five. During his lifetime, he served as a member of the Shanghai Wushu Association and as an advisor to the Xuhui District Wushu Association.