Grandmaster Wang Jyue Jen

Grand Master Wang is known as the sole inheritor of the "robe and bowl" of T'ien Shan Pai (Celestial Mountain School of Boxing). He was born in December of 1911 in the Hsi-Chuan Province of China. His father was a doctor of herbal medicine and also a martial artist. Because Wang's father was quite successful, the family lived well.

As a child, Wang was trained in martial arts. Over the years many teachers were hired to instruct him privately at home.

By the early 1930's, as civil war raged across China, the then 18 year old Wang joined Chiang Kai Shek's forces. He became a Kung Fu instructor for the KMT, Chaing's army for the Republic of China, and was assigned to teach at their Armor Force Headquarters. Coach Wang was so successful in his position that he made the military his primary career.

When Chiang's forces were defeated by Mao and fled to Taiwan in 1946, Wang went with them. He settled in Taichung, because that was where the Republic of China had set up its Armored Force base.

Wang bought a house in Taichung. During the day, he worked for the army. After hours, he taught martial art in the backyard of his home.

His backyard school, was called "Lei Sheng Wu Yuan", or "Thunder Sound Martial Arts Garden." It was not long before the reputation of both Wang and his school extended far beyond military circles.

Soon, the coach was being hired to go throughout the countryside to teach. First he taught privately, in young men's homes. Later on, as more and more wanted to learn, he set up classes for group training, in the villages surrounding Taichung.

By the mid-1950's, Wang had retired from the military and was teaching his system, which he called "T'ien Shan Pai," full time. He had many students and taught in many locations throughout Taiwan. Wang continued to teach and to operate his school full time through the 1980's.

Although Wang never actually told any of his instructors he was "yi ben" or the inheritor of the mantle of "T'ien Shan Pai", it was understood by both his students as well as his instructors that he was. Once Willy Lin had become Wang's assistant and head instructor, Wang Jyue Jen made it clear to all of the members of his Lei Sheng (Thunder Sound) School that Willy Lin was also "yi ben" .

In his later years, Wang enjoyed traveling and spending his time painting in the traditional Chinese manner. We have Wang Jyue Jen's Tiger Painting on display in our Gallery. He died a natural death in 1990.