Wu Nanfang | Great Hero 1962 to Present

      Wu Nanfang, the fifth-generation Grandmaster of Gu Lun Fist, is renowned as the most comprehensive and systematic inheritor of Gu Lun Fist in the present era. He is also recognized as the true master of the original Xinyi Bagua principles in the current age.

      In 1962, Wu Nanfang was born. At that time, Grandmaster Wu Shanlin was 88 years old and showed special affection towards his great-grandson. As a young child, Wu Nanfang often slept beside his great-grandfather. As he grew older, he spent his days with Grandmaster Wu Shanlin, listening to teachings about family traditions, observing his actions and practices, and absorbing his wisdom. Wu Shanlin, perceiving the ways of the world, entrusted the teaching of martial arts to his son, Wu Youde, who in turn taught Wu Nanfang.

      The elders frequently took him to see the murals in the Baiyi Hall of Shaolin Temple, witnessing the heroic posture of his ancestors and listening to their legends. Influenced by this environment, Wu Nanfang consciously developed the aspiration to inherit Gu Lun Fist from a young age. He successively studied Gu Lun Fist under his grandfather Wu Youde, his uncle Wu Musheng, and his cousin Qiao Heibao. Later, he studied under Master Xingxing (Zhang Qinghe) in both martial and Zen practices for over twenty years.

      In 1995, Wu Nanfang took refuge in Buddhism, becoming a disciple of Venerable Shisu Xi, the abbot emeritus of Shaolin Temple, and was given the Dharma name Defang.

      Throughout his life, Wu Nanfang has been collecting "fragments" of Gu Lun Fist scattered throughout various places, traversing the mountains and rivers of Yanshi and its surroundings. Whether learning from an old martial arts master who had studied with the Wu family ancestors for a few months or discovering a mural that potentially records the culture of Gu Lun Fist, he tirelessly visits these places time and again. This year-after-year persistence is not just martial arts practice in daily life but also the realization of his vow to inherit Gu Lun Fist. Eventually, he absorbed all the teachings of the Wu family's Gu Lun Fist, becoming a repository of martial arts essence spanning generations.

      He is humble and modest, referring to himself as just an ordinary practitioner of Gu Lun Fist. Inheriting the wisdom and temperament of his great-grandfather Wu Shanlin, Wu Nanfang practices martial arts like Zen, paying attention to every detail in life and possessing deep insight into worldly matters. He combines the characteristics of the present era, societal traits, and the needs of people today, making Gu Lun Fist a way of life that enhances both physical and mental well-being, thereby benefiting society greatly. Therefore, learning Gu Lun Fist requires the spirit of Bodhidharma's nine years of wall-facing meditation, the determination of Second Patriarch Huike who severed his arm in pursuit of the Dharma, and the wisdom of Sixth Patriarch Huineng in daily living. Using Chan Wu studies to overcome oneself       repeatedly in the "battlefield" of life, one can elevate life and awaken to one's true nature.

To share this ancient and secret treasure with the world and benefit more people, Wu Nanfang began teaching disciples in 1988 and was invited to teach at Shaolin Temple for over seven years. Since 2007, Wu Nanfang has successively established the Gu Lun Fist Training Base and the Shaolin Chan Wu Medical Specialized College. Wu Nanfang said, "Such outstanding Chinese culture should not belong to any specific sect or family but should belong to the entire Chinese nation. Therefore, it should be returned to the country, society, and all humanity. My most important mission is to organize and pass on the ancient Gu Lun Chan Wu culture of the Wu family through generations, making it better known, learned, and utilized by people." For this reason, in 2013, he officially established the ancestral home of Gu Lun Fist—the Gu Lun Chan Yuan, reopening the gates of Chan Wu practice. While teaching those with the affinity and aspiration to learn Gu Lun Chan Wu according to ancient methods, he promotes Gu Lun Fist, paving the way for people to achieve "wisdom, clarity of mind, and natural realization of one's true nature."