A Tribute To Madame Gao Fu

November 2004 Retirement Party Gao Fu & Master Yueng	The ripples of sadness for Master Gao's passing will spread deeply throughout the northwest. Since the early days of Taiji Quan in the Seattle area, there has never been anyone as influential as Gao Laoshr. Shortly after her arrival in 1989, due to her skill, generosity, qi, and spirit, she was able to bring together the many different schools and students of Taiji in the northwest. In addition to bringing different schools together, she raised the level of Taiji Quan through her teachings and emphasis on developing the internal aspect of the art not merely the external forms. She was kind, sweet, generous, and had an inner beauty that filled any room she entered. Gao Laoshr, the seeds of the nei gong (internal work) of Taiji Quan will grow and blossom for many generations to come because of your efforts. We hope to make you proud of us as your students and spread your teachings. You will be remembered and talked of fondly like many of the past great masters. Andrew T. Dale, Seattle WA
My favorite memory of learning with her is this: when I became mired in too much "mind" and asked too many unimportant questions, she would simply say to me "do it for reasons of beauty." And these were not just hollow words, she truly lived a life of beauty. This elegant life will live on in all of us who had the opportunity to know her - if for decades or if for a few moments. Her practice was Tai Chi, yes, but moreover, it was to give us all she had at every moment. In form, she gave us generous instruction, breaking all the rules by allowing us to put our hands on her, so we could break through our own ignorance and actually feel for ourselves the movement of the spirals and the power of perfect coordination. She gave us exacting corrections, many times stopping us at the very beginning so we would not live in an illusion but would come to understand. (She had more patience than we did!) But moreover, I feel Madame Gao passed on the true gift that Tai Chi offers us, in her presence, she embodied an unveiled connection to the universe and in her presence we knew that there is no separation, there is just flow. In this way, surely what she gave us all was the experience of unconditional love. Xie, Xie, Madame Gao. Thank you for your deep and kind generosity. May the spirit continue. Kim Ivy, Seattle WA						Michael Gillman's Energetic Retreat August 2000
Madame Gao's First Visit	Though I only took a few classes from Gao Fu directly I felt her influence very strongly through Andy Dale. Master Tchoung's Yang style had many "Chen-ish" elements but with exposure to Feng's Chen style, via Gao Fu and Andy I was encouraged to deepen and nourish it's Chen style roots. My impression of Gao Fu was of a quietly, deeply committed teacher. Patient, kind, and generous to all who wanted to practice and learn this art. She answered some simple questions during one class in a way that really stuck with me and helped improve my form immeasurably. Also her style of having you touch her body while she did a movement answered many questions I didn't even know I had! She really initiated a wave of learning through the T'ai-Chi community that has yet to exhaust it's usefulness. Thank you Master Gao. Gene Burnett, Ashland OR
"I only took two Chan Su Gong workshops with Madame Gao last spring, but she made a huge impression on me. I was very nervous because of her reputation and my own general ineptness. But when she entered the room, there was a peacefulness and gentleness that really calmed me. I was struck by how much she seemed to care about sharing her knowledge with us and how patiently she answered our questions. Most amazing was when she actually made eye contact with me. I never expected that. There I was, a young stranger who could not speak Chinese, and she was able to bridge that gap by seeing me as an individual. I will never forget how happy she made me feel when she nodded in approval at my progress. Even though she had no idea who I was, I actually felt that I had pleased her. I understand that Gao Fu suffered a great deal in her life, but to survive with her humanity and compassion intact is a testament to a great spirit." Anna M. Pedroso, Seattle WA		Boat Trip on Lake Washington
1999 Energetic Retreat		Gao Fu Gao Fu Gao Fu Gao Fu, slip into my shoe Gao Fu Gao Fu, we are fresh and new Your touch through our hands, Your spirit through our Eyes Our tears wash the pain, and soothes our hearts rise Our center fills of you, as the warmth of the Sun Joy sparks up through us, we are One, Oh! What fun! As we take our first steps, hard to see through the tears The joy of your being will be here through our years. Thank you Thank you! Thank you!! Gao Fu Gao Fu, slip into my shoe Gao Fu Gao Fu, we are fresh and new Robin Wilson/Roger Cloutier
"Coordinate the internal energy with outside movement...If you have forms, and no internal energy, and you forget the forms, you have nothing. But If you have internal energy and you forget the forms, you still have Taiji" Group practice or private session, Gao Fu spoke these words, and then she would watch and search for evidence of internal work. It is said of most masters that they may, in time, point the way to the well of internal cultivation. It is said of Gao Fu, she would drag you there kicking and screaming! I found this to be true about Gao Fu with one addition; she also marked the way. She knew that over time, we might individually find our own way, (through practice) to that well, and drink of its deep sweet water. In doing so, our practice would be our companion until the end of our days. She challenged us to share the joy of this journey with others, cultivating community and friendship. Gao Fu was a Living Treasure through her accomplished skill, now transformed to a Living Treasure in all our hearts. Derryl E. Willis, Seattle, Washington		Chen Taiji Festival 2002
Gao Fu and Family Photo Courtesy of Martin Mellish	Gao laoshr embodied the taiji principle of firmness within, gentleness and beauty without. She demonstrated incredible patience, coupled with absolute determination on behalf of her students. In class, she would correct my form again and again (and sometimes, to my chagrin, yet again) until I had it right. She had a remarkable ability to focus in on each student individually and give them exactly what they needed, no more and no less. Gao Fu taught us from the inside out: Not to work to make our form more outwardly graceful, but to work to imbue it with depth and meaning by turning our tantiens, working on our internal energy, and learning to coordinate it with the external movement. The effects of her teaching have rippled out into other areas of my life, as I try to strip away the sometimes deceiving external appearance of things and look for the meaning underneath, and try to say less, and do more. I don’t have words for the way she inspired me, and continues to inspire me every day. I don’t know how to say how much I miss her. -Randi Ganulin, Sammamish, WA
It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the death of our very beloved teacher, Madame Gao Fu, in Beijing on January 17th, 2005. She passed on following a very brief illness and died in the presence of her family. As much pleasure as she gained by spending many of these last years living and teaching in Seattle Washington, it was her wish to spend her last days with her family in Beijing, and this she accomplished. There are plans for a memorial in Seattle in March 2005. Details will be posted on Gao laoshi's website: www.seattletaiji.com Jill Bader, Seattle WA				Photo Courtesy of Martin Mellish
Gao Fu and Jill in Spokane Photo Courtesy of Dan Brasher	Madam Gao first paid a visit to Spokane on November 9, 2002. Her presence and radiant spirit were an inspiration to Tai Chi community here. With her first instruction in Ni Gong the understanding and benefits to the people that have attended her workshops here has grown. Every visit would draw 20 – 30 people many of whom she would remember from previous visit. Her passing is a great loss to the Tai Chi Community and especially her students here in Spokane. With out the aid of her good friend and travel companion Jill Bader we would not have experienced this bright star in our world. I will miss her enduring spirit and indelible cheer. Good by dear friend. Daniel Brasher, Spokane WA January 23, 2005
Madame Gao Fu, a woman whose smile alone was a truly powerful demonstration of the meaning of Taiji. Gao Laoshr, with her soft and gentle ways showed me the true meaning of power and grace. She will be dearly missed. ~ Carlton Doup, Seattle WA				Master Feng's visit 2001
Martin's Visit: Gao Li, Gao Fu, Feng, Martin Photo Courtesy of Martin Mellish			What I'd like to leave as a memorial is the following teaching, which she gave me on the early morning bus into Tian Tan park in July 1996: There is an important key to practice I want to share with you. I know that like all Americans you are very busy when you are in America, and right now even here in Beijing we are busy, so we need to make the very best use of the time we have. The fundamentals of Tai Chi and Chi Kung can be practiced in every moment, not just when you are in the park.
Even as you sit here on this bus, you can feel the top of your spine and the crown of your head extending upward through the roof on the bus toward Heaven: your tailbone sinks down through the seat and the wheels of the bus to root deeply into the earth. You can feel your spine stretching, with each vertebra moving gently apart from its neighbors like a string of pearls on an elastic thread. Your consciousness is comfortably settled in Tan Tian, and with every in-breath you draw the pure primeval Chi of the natural universe into it. With every out-breath you circulate that energy throughout your body, and particularly to anywhere in your body that is in need of healing. Use your inner sight to look through all the muscles, bones and joints of your body from the inside. Feel all the joints of your body becoming more spacious, let the muscles relax and melt let even the pores of your skin relax. None of us know how long we have to live. The traffic here in Beijing is very dangerous: we could quite easily die before we reach the park. How do you want to be in your last moments do you just want to be sitting there like a sack of vegetables, or would you rather be practicing? Even when you practice all the time like this standing, sitting, driving, resting your practice should not be obvious from the outside. The most important is the inner practice, not the outer. As far as ru jing [the meditative state] is concerned, you lose it if you make a show of it. And in the martial arts, the last thing you want to do is to let your opponent know about your skills. As you practice constantly like this, you need to remain very aware of the world around you especially when you drive! If you practice like this, not only will your form improve, but you will live a long, happy, and healthy life. Martin Mellish, Seattle WA
The closer it came to leaving for Beijing, the more Gao Fu seemed to become infused with energy to teach the form, and the harder she worked all of her students, giving direction, correction and admonishing us to "always be practicing", no matter where we were. We will miss her dedication to us and her beautiful spirit. -Gao Fu's Monday Night Class				Monday Night Class Photo Courtesy of Randi Ganulin (click on pictures for larger image)
Gao Fu with Master Tian Photo Courtesy of Martin Mellish				On behalf of myself and the students of Northwest Tai Chi in Spokane, WA, we will miss Madame Gao Fu's inspiration and open spirit. She inspired myself and my students to always remember the basics and find newness in them. She is a reminder that the practice of Tai Chi is not just to become a better martial artist, but to be a better person. Sifu Bryan Knack &Students Northwest Tai Chi, Spokane, WA
You might have read about Silk Reeling Energy in books and magazines, but studying with Madame Gao Fu, imaginary words became a reality. She not only taught the basic and advance essentials of Tai Chi, she shared the essence. We were incredibly fortunate to have this great master, and wonderful, gentle woman teach here in Seattle over the last 15 years. As many classes as some of us took, we could have only wished for more. I started studying with Gao Fu soon after she came to Seattle. My first class with her was the 48 Chen style solo-form. What!? I said. Chen style? I was a committed Yang style practitioner. But Gao Fu came to Volunteer Park one day, and did a Tai Chi demonstration. I started studying with her that next week. From then on, no matter what she was teaching, if I could swing it, I took classes. Fifteen years later, after solo-form, sword forms, and just open discussions she lead about Tai Chi, I still say, I could have only wished for more time with Gao Fu. She was truly an astonishing teacher, a great master, an extraordinary person She will be dearly missed. Cosette LeCiel, Seattle						Instructor's Class 1989
			Among all the fine teachers I have experienced, Gao Fu stands alone as the gracious, wondrous poet of teaching energy cultivation. She opened the gate, encouraging me to continue practice despite doubt, sickness, fear until awakening, transformation, stabilization could begin. I will always remember and be grateful for this initiation, for her example of how to teach and be true to self and for her continued presence in my daily life. Cedar Acosta Seattle, WA

I was introduced to Madam Gao by Grandmaster Feng in 1982 in Beijing, and we trained together under GM Feng until 1989. Among our Taiji brothers and sisters, we often call her Gao Dajie, which means big sister as she was one of our senior Taiji sisters at GM Feng’s school. I was amazed when she called me from Seattle in 1997 and told me that she decided to immigrate to the U. S. to teach Taiji. As an immigrant myself, I knew what that entailed, especially at her age: language, culture, teaching, food, transportation…. Whenever I close my eyes, her beautiful, kind, wise, and brave image emerges. She set up a wonderful example for all of us as a life long Taiji student, a great teacher, and an astonishing human being. I believe we all will remember the great contribution Madam Gao had contributed to the Taiji community in this country. I know she would be happy to see how many people have benefited and continue to benefit from her wonderful teaching. Yang Yang Director, Center for Tajii Studies Champaign, IL.

				Gao Fu Memorial Several years ago we were indeed fortunate to hear about Madame Gao Fu from one of her students. When she described how carefully Gao Fu taught- thoughtfully going over each movement with attention to detail, including the internal aspects, and we learned of her availability, it was an opportunity not to be lost. The Boeing Employees Yang Tai Chi Club quickly arranged a series of sessions for Gao Fu to teach the Yang Tai Chi Sword. We were pleasantly surprised when this elderly but amazingly spry woman arrived, speaking little or no English, and requiring a translator from Chinese so we could follow her. The language difference turned out to be no impediment at all. Even when a translator was unavailable, she was able to communicate with her movements, patience, and a soft smile. Her humor when she observed some of our clumsy attempts to follow her was refreshing. Based on this experience, the club was delighted to support Gao Fu in obtaining her green card to teach in the US. Since then, several of us have sincerely enjoyed many of her classes and workshops in internal energy. Whenever we walked through the workshop door, she always was so happy to see us that it was like greeting not only a special teacher, but a friend. She has taught so much from her during her stay with us. Our hope is that we can continue to progress using Madame Gao Fu’s example and teach others what she so willingly and personally taught. Yes, she was unique in that she allowed others to feel the subtle movements of her body when using internal energy, and the difference when the same movements were made without internal energy, and she has inspired in all of us a desire to develop these abilities. Gao Fu taught the essence of Tai Chi. She more than any other taught her students to feel comfortable using the power of Qi in their practice. But she was also a kind, generous and gracious human being. We are saddened by the passing of Gao Fu and that we will no longer have her instruction and company in the coming years. We hope that her legacy of teaching will be an inspiration for continuing practice and achievement in the coming years. Boeing Tai Chi Club
MASTER GAO FU, was one of the most incredible people that I have ever met or had the privilege to know in my life. Her teachings helped to shape my future and my path, imbuing my daily life with thoughtfulness, mindfulness and clear intent. The Chen Form has permeated my studies in Tea and Painting and Healing Practice and especially in teaching and sharing the 48 form here in the Bay area. She will always be remembered as a Great Master and knowledge of her teachings and kindness shared with students and friends, she is always in our thoughts. David Furukawa-Chen Shifuku Tea & Arts Japan Center 1737 Post Street Suite 337 San Francisco Ca 94115

					I was just perusing your updated website and saw the comments and the memorial photos etc. of Madame Gao. It brought tears to my eyes. She was such a wonderful person. Studying with her for several years, doing the 48 and sword made a lasting impression that I will never forget. She was truly a beneficent force of nature. Looking at the photos it was as if it all happened just yesterday. Deborah Goldhaft fireiceglass.com

A Tribute To Madame Gao Fu June 23, 1916 - January 17, 2005 photo album to add a tribute: email

A Tribute To Madame Gao Fu
June 23, 1916 - January 17, 2005
photo album
to add a tribute: email