Wu Tianyou | Defender of Home and Country 1898-1950       

     Wu Tianyou, the grandfather of Wu Nanfang and the eldest son of Wu Shanlin, was the first inheritor of the Gu Lun Fist tradition. He mastered the martial arts techniques to a highly advanced level. In his youth, Wu Tianyou taught martial arts to his neighbors, and in his prime, he continued to train and instruct students tirelessly. He advocated for teaching students with a foundation of virtue, applying martial arts in daily life to strengthen the body and cultivate the mind, and using martial skills to defend the nation. He truly embodied the principle that every aspect of life is an opportunity for martial practice, seamlessly connecting physical and mental adjustments with the improvement of his skills.

     In 1931, Wu Tianyou accompanied his father, Wu Shanlin, to Shaolin Temple to teach martial arts. In 1937, at the invitation of Dengfeng County and the Zhongyue Temple, he founded a martial arts school at Zhongyue Temple, where he taught Gu Lun Fist to Taoists, monks, and the public (Wu Tianyou is the person in the center of the image on the right). After the Zhongyue Temple was bombed by Japanese aircraft in 1941, Wu Tianyou moved to Gongyi and formed the Anti-Japanese Salvation Society, training numerous martial artists and making significant contributions to the local resistance against the Japanese invasion.

     Around 1944, Wu Tianyou led a broadsword team through Japanese blockades in the Zhitan and Xingyang areas, successfully breaking through despite being shot near his heart, an injury that nearly claimed his life.

     In 1950, when the Korean War broke out, Wu Tianyou sent his second son, Wu Musheng, who had inherited his teachings, to join the military and fight on the front lines, continuing the family's patriotic legacy. Tragically, a little over a month after Wu Musheng left home, Wu Tianyou's old injury relapsed, and he passed away.