# Sun Lutang

Sun Lutang (1860-1933) was a master of Chinese neijia (internal) martial arts and was the progenitor of the syncretic art of Sun-style tai chi. He was also considered an accomplished Neo-Confucian and Taoist scholar (especially of the I Ching), and was a distinguished contributor to the theory of internal martial arts through his many published works.

## Biography

He was born in Hebei and was named Sun Fuquan (孫福全) by his parents. Years later, his baguazhang teacher Cheng Tinghua gave him the name Sun Lutang. (It was common in old China for people to have multiple names, through various phases of life). He continued to use his original name in some areas, including the publishing of his books.
He was also well-versed in two other internal martial arts: xingyiquan and baguazhang before he came to study tai chi. His expertise in these two martial arts were so high that many regarded him as without equal. Sun learned Wu (Hao)-style tai chi from Hao Weizhen. Sun started studying with Hao relatively late in his life, but his accomplishments in the other two internal arts led him to develop his tai chi abilities to a high standard more quickly than is usual.
He subsequently was invited by Yang Shaohou, Yang Chengfu and Wu Jianquan to join them on the faculty of the Beijing Physical Education Research Institute where they taught tai chi to the public after 1914. Sun taught there until 1928, a seminal period in the development of modern Yang, Wu and Sun-style tai chi.

## Family

In 1891 he married Zhang Zhouxian, with whom he had three sons and a daughter.
* First son, Sun Xingyi (孫星一; 1891-1929)
* Second son, Sun Cunzhou (孫存周; 1893-1963)
* Third son, Sun Wuzi (孫务滋; 1897-1922)
* Daughter, Sun Jianyun (孫劍雲; 1913-2003)

## Teachers

* Xingyiquan from Li Kuiyuan (李奎垣), and later from Guo Yunshen (from 1882).
* Baguazhang from Cheng Tinghua (from 1891).
* Wu (Hao)-style tai chi from Hao Weizhen (from 1911).

## Tai chi lineage tree with Sun-style focus

Note:
* This lineage tree is not comprehensive, but depicts those considered the 'gate-keepers' & most recognised individuals in each generation of Sun-style.
* Although many styles were passed down to respective descendants of the same family, the lineage focused on is that of the Sun style & not necessarily that of the family.
* v
* t
* e
| Key: | Key: | Key: | Key: | Key: | Key: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NEIJIA | NEIJIA | NEIJIA | NEIJIA | NEIJIA | NEIJIA |
| Key: | Key: | Key: | Key: | Key: | Key: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | NEIJIA | NEIJIA | NEIJIA | NEIJIA | NEIJIA | NEIJIA | | | | | Solid lines | Solid lines | Solid lines | Solid lines | Solid lines | Solid lines | Direct teacher-student. | Direct teacher-student. | Direct teacher-student. | Direct teacher-student. | Direct teacher-student. | Direct teacher-student. | | |
| | | | | | | Dot lines | Dot lines | Dot lines | Dot lines | Dot lines | Dot lines | Partial influence /taught informally /limited time. | Partial influence /taught informally /limited time. | Partial influence /taught informally /limited time. | Partial influence /taught informally /limited time. | Partial influence /taught informally /limited time. | Partial influence /taught informally /limited time. | | | | | TAIJIQUAN | TAIJIQUAN | TAIJIQUAN | TAIJIQUAN | TAIJIQUAN | TAIJIQUAN |
| | | | | | | Dash lines | Dash lines | Dash lines | Dash lines | Dash lines | Dash lines | Individual(s) omitted. | Individual(s) omitted. | Individual(s) omitted. | Individual(s) omitted. | Individual(s) omitted. | Individual(s) omitted. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | Dash cross | Dash cross | Dash cross | Dash cross | Dash cross | Dash cross | Branch continues. | Branch continues. | Branch continues. | Branch continues. | Branch continues. | Branch continues. | | | | | CHEN-STYLE | CHEN-STYLE | CHEN-STYLE | CHEN-STYLE | CHEN-STYLE | CHEN-STYLE | | | | | Zhaobao-style | Zhaobao-style | Zhaobao-style | Zhaobao-style | Zhaobao-style | Zhaobao-style |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | YANG-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | WU (HAO)-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | | | Zhaobao He-style | Zhaobao He-style | Zhaobao He-style | Zhaobao He-style | Zhaobao He-style | Zhaobao He-style |
| | | | | Li-style | Li-style | Li-style | Li-style | Li-style | Li-style | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (郝為真) Hao Weizhen 1849–1920 3rd gen. Wu (Hao) | (郝為真) Hao Weizhen 1849–1920 3rd gen. Wu (Hao) | (郝為真) Hao Weizhen 1849–1920 3rd gen. Wu (Hao) | (郝為真) Hao Weizhen 1849–1920 3rd gen. Wu (Hao) | (郝為真) Hao Weizhen 1849–1920 3rd gen. Wu (Hao) | (郝為真) Hao Weizhen 1849–1920 3rd gen. Wu (Hao) |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | WU-STYLE | WU-STYLE | WU-STYLE | WU-STYLE | WU-STYLE | WU-STYLE | (孙禄堂) Sun Lutang 1861–1932 SUN-STYLE | (孙禄堂) Sun Lutang 1861–1932 SUN-STYLE | (孙禄堂) Sun Lutang 1861–1932 SUN-STYLE | (孙禄堂) Sun Lutang 1861–1932 SUN-STYLE | (孙禄堂) Sun Lutang 1861–1932 SUN-STYLE | (孙禄堂) Sun Lutang 1861–1932 SUN-STYLE | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | (孙存周) Sun Cunzhou 1893–1963 2nd gen. Sun | (孙存周) Sun Cunzhou 1893–1963 2nd gen. Sun | (孙存周) Sun Cunzhou 1893–1963 2nd gen. Sun | (孙存周) Sun Cunzhou 1893–1963 2nd gen. Sun | (孙存周) Sun Cunzhou 1893–1963 2nd gen. Sun | (孙存周) Sun Cunzhou 1893–1963 2nd gen. Sun | (孙剑云) Sun Jianyun 1913–2003 2nd gen. Sun | (孙剑云) Sun Jianyun 1913–2003 2nd gen. Sun | (孙剑云) Sun Jianyun 1913–2003 2nd gen. Sun | (孙剑云) Sun Jianyun 1913–2003 2nd gen. Sun | (孙剑云) Sun Jianyun 1913–2003 2nd gen. Sun | (孙剑云) Sun Jianyun 1913–2003 2nd gen. Sun | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Wudang-style | Wudang-style | Wudang-style | Wudang-style | Wudang-style | Wudang-style | | | | | (孙婉容) Sun Wanrong 1927–Present 3rd gen. Sun | (孙婉容) Sun Wanrong 1927–Present 3rd gen. Sun | (孙婉容) Sun Wanrong 1927–Present 3rd gen. Sun | (孙婉容) Sun Wanrong 1927–Present 3rd gen. Sun | (孙婉容) Sun Wanrong 1927–Present 3rd gen. Sun | (孙婉容) Sun Wanrong 1927–Present 3rd gen. Sun | | | | | | | | |
| CHEN-STYLE | CHEN-STYLE | CHEN-STYLE | CHEN-STYLE | CHEN-STYLE | CHEN-STYLE | | | YANG-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | YANG-STYLE | | | WU-STYLE | WU-STYLE | WU-STYLE | WU-STYLE | WU-STYLE | WU-STYLE | SUN-STYLE | SUN-STYLE | SUN-STYLE | SUN-STYLE | SUN-STYLE | SUN-STYLE | | | | | WU (HAO)-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | WU (HAO)-STYLE | | | | | | | | |

## Publications

In later life, he published five martial arts texts which were also later translated to English recently:
* Xingyiquan xue (A study of form mind boxing) 1915
* Baguaquan xue (A study of eight trigrams boxing) 1916
* Taijiquan xue (A study of grand ultimate boxing) 1921
* Baguajian xue (A study of eight trigrams straight sword) 1927
* Quanyi Shuzhen (An explanation of the essence of boxing)
He also wrote a study of bagua spear, though this was never published.