Wu (Hao)-style t'ai chi ch'üan was created by Wu Yuxiang (, birth name Wu Heqing, , 1812?–1880?), a member of a wealthy and influential family in Yongnian, Hebei, China. Wu trained for approximately ten years with the founder of Yang-style t'ai chi, and then for over a month with a Chen-style master. Wu also obtained a manual on internal martial arts that formed the core of what are now known as the T'ai Chi Ch'üan Classics and include Wu's own writing on the subject. From these sources Wu and his family developed their own style, and may also have developed much of the cultural and intellectual foundation of t'ai chi ch'üan as well. Hao Weizhen (, 1849–1920), birth name Hao He (), was a disciple of Wu's nephew and was the first person outside the family to master their t'ai chi. Hao's contributions — in developing and spreading the art, and in training the founders of all subsequent Wu (Hao) lineages, as well as the further contributions of his son and grandson — are why many include his surname alongside or in place of Wu's when referring to this style. This Wu style (, Wǔ) is the third-oldest among the five major styles — Chen, Yang, Wu (Hao), Wu (, Wú), and Sun — but is the smallest and least well-known of the five, in part because Wu Yuxiang and his family had no need to teach professionally. It is best known for its small- and medium-frame forms, and its unique approach to developing internal strength and structure. History Wu Yuxiang Wu Yuxiang began training with Yang Luchan (, 1799–1872), the founder of Yang-style t'ai chi, in the early 1840s after Yang returned to Yongnian from his years in the Chen village. Among their many properties the Wu family were the landlords of Chen Dehu's pharmacy and clinic, where Yang offered instruction in what he then called "soft boxing" (), "cotton boxing" (), or "neutralizing boxing" (). But in the early 1850s, Wu and his family helped Yang obtain a position as a martial arts instructor to palace officials in distant Beijing. Wu then found his way to Chen Qingping (, 1795–1868), a master of Chen-style and Zhaobao-style t'ai chi, in Zhaobao village where he trained with Chen for over one month (per writings left by Wu's nephew and grandson). After approximately ten years of training with Yang, Wu was