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Memorial Page for Grandmaster Kongjie Gou
沉痛哀悼恩师苟孔杰老师永垂不朽
My first Tai Chi Shifu, Grandmaster Kongjie Gou passed away at 2:40am on Monday 27th February 2023 in Oxford, England.
With joy and smiles he left us peacefully, his passing announced by doctors who saw him off at the hospital. He was diagnosed with cancer when he was 25 years old and he had been fighting against cancer successfully for over 52 years with his excellent Tai Chi skills. He had been practicing Tai Chi exercises until the last moment of his life during his treatment in the Intensive Care Unit of Oxford hospital, recovering remarkably well and eventually being discharged and was able to return home for a while until further complications arose and he needed readmission to hospital. This is an amazing part of his legacy that he was able to overcome and ward off serious illness for his entire adult life and his doing so provides great encouragement to us all to continue with our own Tai Chi practice and to share what we can with our students, families and communities to benefit everyone who lives for health and wellbeing. A group of his disciples are going to write a book about his legacy and I will publish it in digital version through the Tai Chi Centre Ltd.
In 1965, after many years of external Chinese Kungfu training, Grandmaster Kongjie Gou began studying Tai Chi as an indoor (private one to one session) student under Grandmaster Chen Zhaokui, son of Chen Fake and the Head Heir of 18th Generation of the Chen family and becomes the 13th Disciple. Later on he also learnt from Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang in Beijing and Grandmaster Hong Junshen in Shangdong Province, both of whom are the top disciples of Grandmaster Chen Fake. Throughout his life Grandmaster Kongjie Gou developed great friendships with all of the top Chen Style Tai Chi masters in the world including: Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei; Chen Xiaowang; Zu Tiancai and Wang Xian in the Chen Jiagou village; and Grandmaster Chen Yu, the son of Chen Zhaokui.
Grandmaster Kongjie Gou is quite unique to have had established so many great relationships and opportunities with so many top masters globally and doing so helped to elevate his understanding and standard of Tai Chi skill to the very highest levels. He was invited to take part in the 1983 first Documentary film ‘Journey to the Tai Chi Village’ by Chinese State government with Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang, and subsequently became the first committee member of National Judging Panel for Push Hands in China. In 2016, he was selected as an Executive Committee Member of the Chinese Kungfu Masters Association in China.
I started to learn Chen Style Tai Chi from him in July 1983 in Zhengzhou city, Henan Province, China. I invited him to teach Tai Chi in the University of Xiangtan in Hunan province and University of Law in Southwest of China and many other places. I also invited him over to teach Tai Chi in UK in 2000 and he spent the rest of his life sharing his Tai Chi skills with students in Oxford, UK.
He was an excellent Master and taught Tai Chi with best approach. Many of his student become world famous Masters and so many of his students have received benefits for health and wellbeing, right cross the UK and China.
I was so lucky to have him as my first official Tai Chi Shifu from that early time in China, for nearly 40 years. I very much appreciated his vast of knowledge of Chen Style Tai Chi and his guidance all the way through my Tai Chi journey. He was also a very open minded Master who for a man of his extraordinary talent and skill, also possessed striking personal qualities of modesty and humility, in 1998 he recommended myself and Liu Yong to GrandMaster Chen Zhenglei in order that we might further our Tai Chi study and inherit the Chen family lineage, and for this I am eternally grateful to him.
I wish him another wonderful life in the heaven and we are all missing him from the bottom of our hearts. All the best to his wife and family members.
The memorial service will take place in Oxford at 4pm on Monday, 13th March 2023 and the main funeral ceremony will be held later. All students of Grandmaster Kongjie Gou are welcome to attend the service and ceremony to express your condolences in Oxford. Please contact me for details. I will be in Oxford on 12th March and leave on 14th March 2023.
From Master Liming Yue on 6th March 2023 in Edinburgh
Donations and contributions toward the funeral service are very much appreciated.
Please make a bank transfer to the Barclays account below: Please state ‘Donation’ with your name such as ‘Donation-yue’
Name: Liming Yue
Sort code: 205559
Bank account: 90225665
Condolence Donation and contribution list 帛金捐献单:
| No. | Full Name | Amount | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lampson Leung | £100 | |
| 2 | Paul Lockyer & Martine Niven | £200 | |
| 3 | Stuart Ward | £100 | |
| 4 | Luke Savva | 10 | |
| 5 | Gabriela Macauley | 5 | |
| 6 | Xaanthe Healy | 10 | |
| 7 | Vikki Schwebei | 20 | |
| 8 | Linda Sale | 20 | |
| 9 | WAbingdon Wednesday Class | 200 | |
| 10 | Ruth Dams | ||
| 11 | Viv Smith & Jackie Warner | 20 | |
| 12 | Mandy Bennett | 20 | |
| 13 | Theresa Buchanan | 10 | |
| 14 | David Chandler | 20 | |
| 15 | Babara Xella | 100 | |
| 16 | Kim Lee | 50 | |
| 17 | Dorothy Mclean | 25 | |
| 18 | Steven Preston | 50 | |
| 19 | Alec & Barbara Johnson | 20 | |
| 20 | Liming Yue | 100 | Tai Chi Centre Edinburgh, Scotland |
| 21 | Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei | 100 | Chen Zhenglei Taijiquan Federation, Chen Village, China |
| 22 | Paul & Julia Overton | 20 | |
| 23 | Mavis Shepheard | 20 | |
| 24 | Adrian and Yanan | 500 | |
| 25 | Zhou Lei | 1000 | on its way |
| 26 | Clive Spring | 200 | |
| 27 | Ned Pierce | 250 | |
| 28 | Christos | 200 | |
| 29 | Botley Class Students | 65 | |
| 30 | John Lockyer | 100 | |
| 31 | Aamir Rafi | 50 | Manchester Tai Chi Kungfu School |
| 32 | Martin Blck Dragns | 20 | |
| 33 | Karl Pickering | 30 | |
| 34 | Toby Lipton | 20 | Norwich Tai Chi School, (Tai Chi Centre) |
| 35 | Kuang Wenhua | 828RMB元 | Wenhua Tai Chi Centre, Xiangtan, China |
| 36 | Jaime | 100 | |
| 37 | westley taylor | 80 | |
| 38 | Yu Weixiong 喻伟雄 | 1000RMB元 | |
| 39 | Jiang Ailian 蒋爱莲 | 1000RMB元 | |
| 40 | Liao Jianxin 廖建新 | 2000RMB元 |
Condolences from friends and students:
Grandmaster Chen Zhenglei 陈正雷大师 said ‘It is very sad to loss such a best friend and wish him has a best life in the spiritual world’
Master Wang Haijun 王海军老师: I am so sorry to hear this sad news of Grandmaster Gou kongJie’s passing. He was an excellent and outstanding Taichi Grandmaster Master worldwide and he was very kind and generous and I will miss him dearly, my condolences to his family.
Garry Seghers: Please accept my sincere condolences, I trained with the Grand Master on one of our trips to China, I really enjoyed the experience 🙏🏽
Alan Smiwing: I’m sad to hear this. The first time I met him, he gave me a big hug (I think he was trying to shut me up – and it worked! 😂). A genuinely lovely man.
Geoff from Norwich: So sorry to hear this sad news. I met him for the first time on his visit to Norfolk nearly 20 years ago and consider myself very fortunate to have trained with him. My sincerest condolences.
John Higginson: Liming, I’m very sorry to hear of the death of Grandmaster Kongjie Gou. I was only with him a few times over the past 25 years but he seemed such a kind and pleasant man with such a great wealth of knowledge that he took joy in sharing with everybody. Last time I saw him we were eating and drinking in in the new year and it struck me what are close father/son like relationship you had with him. Please add mine and all at Zhongdao’s sadness to his family and thank them for his sharing his light with the world.
Jamal Alek: I heard of his passing lastnight on facebook 🙏
Very sorry to hear this sad news ❤️
Yes, wishing him another wonderful life in Taiji Heaven ✊️🙏🙏🙏
Pedro from Madrid: My condolences to his family and friends.
I am very touched to know how he has lived in such a brave, perseverance, determination and natural way with his illness, giving so much meaning to the gift of living a life. All my respect to him. 🙏🙏🙏
Jens Ich from Germany: Thank you, Master Liming, for your great epitaph about your teacher. My condolences to you and his family, his disciples and friends. I was impressed of his relaxed Taiji-moving and learned with his videos. We will keep him in our hearts with great respect. 🙏🙏🙏🌌
Nick Taylor: A very sad day indeed. My condolences to you and his family, a great loss. I had the privilege to see how extremely hard you worked many years ago to assist GM Gou to come to the UK, demonstrating your total understanding of the special relationship between master and student, and the fullest respect for him that your actions showed. 🙏❤️
John Collins from Ireland: Very sorry for your loss, deepest condolences to you and all students of GM Gou. I was lucky to have been able to attend one of his seminars in Manchester 🙏
Bill and Linda: How sad to hear of the loss of Grandmaster Gou. You introduced Linda and I to him in Manchester and we had the absolute privilege of training with him for a few years. He was a beautiful soul and will be greatly missed in the Tai Chi world.
May he rest in peace🙏❤️ Bill & Linda
Damian from Ireland: I’m very sorry to hear about the loss of your Sifu. My thoughts are with you at this sad time. I was lucky to get to meet him at one of your seminars years ago. A very nice man. May he rest in peace 🙏
@岳黎明师兄 Liming Yue [ThumbsUp][ThumbsUp][ThumbsUp]苟老师不幸病逝，是武术界的一重大损失，使我们失去了一位德高敬重的良师，但他的不懈奋斗精神，对太极拳的重大贡献，是永垂的，将进入历史名册，造就和教育国内外弟子以此而骄傲，自豪，并将他的精神永远承传下去！安息吧尊敬的苟老师，也请师母及家人节哀顺变，保重身体，永远建康！湖南湘潭李先凯
黎明哥，谢谢你，感谢大家，虽然很遗憾我不能亲自送别我的父亲，但有你们在，我们都很放心，明天看我父亲时，请你替我给老爸说说话，告诉他，她的女儿非常想念他，我会在家等着他回来，替我给他拜别。谢谢你哥，真心感谢大家！也请替我向周姨表示感谢！谢谢她照顾我的父亲，替我们做了这一切！
知道我爸要回来，我真是高兴，虽然我爸这一生常年在外，但老了总算落叶归根，上飞机前检查要求很多，请一定提前做好各种注意事项，以便顺利回归，谢谢大家！谢谢你们能替我们子女考虑，使我们以后能常伴父亲，谢谢！
女儿芳芳
Hello Master Liming.
For tomorrow I wish you a calm heart and a lot of inner power. So many good memories you have … together with your teacher … In my thoughts and my heart I am with you 🙏🙏🙏🕯️🙋♂️ Take care! From Jens Ich Germany
Paul speech for GMG service
To touch someone’s heart, mind and soul takes a particular kind of person. To touch the hearts, minds and souls of many, takes a very special human indeed.
In many ways Master Gou was a simple man. He didn’t seem to want for much at all. Just that he could be on his allotment with his wife, drink coffee from his blue flask, play Tai Chi and teach his students; and he was really invested in his students.
From the first time someone would walk into class through to the training of his most dedicated disciples; from the moment he turned on the music through his favourite handheld speaker, or pressed the start button on his stopwatch, he was there for them 110%.
He was dedicated to the growth of each individual, not only as a student of Taiji Quan but also as a human being.
He was playful yet stern. He pushed you hard yet allowed you to rest. He imparted wisdom yet allowed you to find things for yourself.
He was confident yet humble, serious but a comedian. Patient but no fool.
A guide. A true master. One of the rarest.
Today, let’s talk of our moments with him. Let’s share the love that we hold in our hearts and be thankful for for every second we had with Grandmaster Kongjie Gou.
From Paul
Profile and Background of Grandmaster Kongjie Gou
Grandmaster Kongjie Gou started practicing Chinese Martial Arts in 1960. Five years later, in 1965, he began learning Chen Style Tai Chi from Grandmaster Chen Zhaokui (the Head and Heir of the 18th generation of the Chen Family) and became an indoor senior student. Master Gou taught Chen Style Tai Chi extensively to both universities and private students in many provinces around China since July 1983.
At the International Festival of Tai Chi in China in 2002 Grandmaster Kongjie Gou was awarded the Tai Chi Master Certificate of Excellence; This award is very rarely given and is reserved for Tai Chi Masters of exceptional skill and ability. He was also certified as a senior Chen Style Tai Chi coach by the Chen Style Tai Chi Association in Wen county, the birthplace and home of Tai Chi, and held a first degree of Tai Chi Master from the Henan Provincial Martial Arts Association.
He was co-author of the Tai Chi Push Hands standard and competition rules published by the Chinese State Sports Council and more recently had created the Chen Style Tai Chi Fan Form and the Chen Style Short Stick Form.
Grandmaster Kongjie Gou created the Tai Chi 11 Short Form, Tai Chi Fan Form and published Laojia and Kungfu Fan Instructional DVD through Tai Chi Centre UK.
Within the Chinese Tai Chi community Grandmaster Kongjie Gou’s instruction was prized above all others and students travelled the length and breadth of China to stay near his home so that they could attend his classes.
“If you want to learn Chen style Tai Chi with the best approach please follow Grandmaster Gou Kongjie”
– Master Liming Yue.
At the age of 25 Grandmaster Kongjie Gou was diagnosed with terminal cancer. During his treatment he lost his teeth, hair and muscles. More than 50 years later, having confounded the doctors, he attributed his recovery and his excellent health, to practicing Tai Chi.
Disciples Listing:
| No. | Full Name | Date of Acceptance and training history |
Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liming Yue 岳黎明 | Trained since July 1983 in China and lives in Edinburgh, Scotland | Big Kungfu Brother |
| 2 | Fang Xiangdong 方向东 | Trained since July 1985 in China | |
| 3 | Yang Jingpin 杨经平 | Shenzhen, China 深圳 | |
| 4 | Huang Shiwen 黄石文 | Trained since July 1985 in China | |
| 5 | Liao Jianxin 廖建新 | Trained since July 1983, live Huizhou, China | |
| 6 | Chen Weiwen 陈炜文 | Trained since July 1984, live in Shanghai, China | |
| 7 | Zhang Guangwen 张广文 | Trained since July 1983, lives in Zhengzhou, China | |
| 8 | Chen Xiang 陈祥 | Trained since July 1986, lives in Shanghai, China | |
| 9 | Fan Changzhi 樊昌志 | Trained since July 1986, lives in Huizhou, China | |
| 10 | Xue Wenqiang 薛文强 | Trained since July 1984, lives in Beijing, China | |
| 11 | Wen Jianzhen 温建桢 | Trained since July 1988, lives in Huizhou, China | |
| 12 | Kuang Wenhua 旷文华 | Trained since July 1989, lives in Xiangtan, China | |
| 13 | Liu Jiqiu 刘吉球 | Trained since July 1987, lives in Xiangtan, China | |
| 14 | Fan Wenya 樊文亚 | Trained since July 1987, lives in Chengdu, China | |
| 15 | Bai Chen 白晨 | Lianyungang, China | |
| 16 | Bai Jie 白杰 | Xinxiang, China | |
| 17 | Yao Gong 姚功 | Trained since July 1984, lives in Guangzhou, China | |
| 18 | Sun Weixin 孙维新 | Shenzhen, China | |
| 19 | Zhou Lei 周蕾 | Trained since July 2003 in China | |
| 20 | David Molden 英伟 | ||
| 21 | Clive Spring 英雄 | ||
| 22 | Roy Bennett 英明 | ||
| 23 | Adrian White 英龙 | Oxford, UK | |
| 24 | Douglas Elson 英虎 | ||
| 25 | Lampson 英智 | ||
| 26 | Paul Lockyer 英勇 | Bournemouth, UK | |
| 27 | Stuart Ward 英敢 | Bournemouth, UK | |
| 28 | Christos E Zois 英德 | Oxford U.K. | |
| 29 | Hymie 英毅 | ||
| 30 | Jiang Ailian 英侠 蒋爱莲 | Trained since July 1985, lives in Xiangtan, China |
华声在线湘潭讯（欧阳铁强 通讯员 岳卓琳 伍建军）2017年1月1日，中国武术家协会第一届委员会常务委员、陈氏太极拳第十一代传人苟孔杰大师，应湘潭市太极拳协会主席旷文华的邀请，在湘潭举办精英短训班，重启30年前播下的太极“星火”。
苟孔杰大师是河南省孟州市人，自幼习武，学习查拳、洪拳、梅花拳、通背拳、连环掌等外家拳。1965年，他改练陈式太极拳，后从师陈照奎大师(陈氏太极拳第十代掌门人)。
上世纪 80年代，苟孔杰大师将陈氏太极拳带到湖南，在湘大、湖大、师大、湘纺、电机厂等多处开班授课，为湘潭市乃至湖南省太极拳运动的普及与发展做出了不可磨灭的贡献；后定居英国，任英国牛津功夫学院院长。去年12月，他当选为中国武术家协会第一届委员会常务委员。
这次，苟孔杰大师受邀来湘潭举办精英短训班，目的是继续30年前的太极拳传授，让太极拳薪火相传。
苟孔杰个人简介
Grandmaster KongJie Gou （在英国众学生称呼）
苟孔杰大师（20/09/1947）祖籍：河南省孟州市南庄镇南社村
陈式太极拳第十一代传人
自幼习武，学习查拳，洪拳，梅花拳，通背拳，连环掌等外家拳。1965年改练陈式太极拳，后从师陈照奎大师(陈氏太极拳第十代掌门人)，并且全是一对一教课传授；再后经前辈洪均生大师，冯志强大师的精心指点，长期和陈氏四大金刚相处中受益非浅。早在八十年代初陕西省宝鸡地区代表团在武功集训（准备参加陕西省全运会）时，团邀请著名武术名家马振邦为武术总教练，受到了马振邦教练的指导训练，功夫进步很快。后随工作调到郑州，於1982年被郑州市武术协会安排在郑州市人民公园教太极拳，1983年郑州市武术协会安排接待湘潭大学武术团, 教他们陈式太极拳。此后被中国湘潭大学，湖南大学，湖南师范大学，长沙工学院，西南政法学院，···等大学邀请，在多个大学和长沙市武术协会，湘潭市体委办班教授陈式太极拳，并被多所大学聘请为大学 院校武术协会名誉会长。参加过大型纪录片【拳乡行-陈式太极拳】的拍摄并在八十年代，为了更加普及和提高人们对陈式太极拳的认识，于1988年开始由苟孔杰，方向东剧本 构思，由岳黎明和吴吉安于湘潭大学电化教研室拍摄，编辑和制作，于1990年3月完成一部大型宣教片 [国之瑰宝-陈式太极拳]（本片总导演: 苟孔杰 主演: 苟孔杰，岳黎明，方向东）1999年到深圳武术协会陈式太极拳研究会任教练。2004年应英国太极中心邀请到英国曼彻斯特教拳，2005年被牛津市邀请担任OXFORD TAI JI GONGFU INSTITUTE（牛津太极功夫学院 ）院长和总教练。三十多年的教学积垒了丰富的经验和教学方法：最擅长教学和育人，培养出非常多的优秀的陈式太极拳人才，也培养出一大批陈式太极拳的骨干和高级教练。有五大弟子[岳··方··扬··黄··廖··] 和 三十多位名徒在中国和世界各地开馆，办学院教拳授艺。是一位德高望众的非常受人尊敬的大师。在英国多个城市的太极拳学院，武馆，协会都邀请为荣誉院长(会长，馆长)。英国太极拳比赛和英国武术比赛邀请担任裁判长。
於2010年10月成立【英杰国际太极拳俱乐部 任主席】常驻 英国牛津教学。
在英国太极中心出版：苟孔杰: ①陈式太极拳老架DVD ②陈式太极拳功夫扇DVD
③陈式太极拳基础 小式DVD
创编有：
一 武术比赛套路 (3–4分钟)
①老架小套路36式 ②新架小套路44式 ③11式小套路 ④13式小套路
二 教学和当地形式的需要特创编
1 陈式太极功夫扇 （2003年在深圳武协比赛时编）
2陈式太极老年扇 （英国老年课使用）
三 为适用庆祝活动·舞台演出和年轻人学习特创编
1孔杰花刀 2孔杰花剑
3孔杰花棍 4孔杰花枪
5孔杰拐杖 (或称短手棍) 54式
四 1999年参加了中国太极推手一书的编写【在中国太极推手人民体育出版社，1999：(京)新登字040号：编委有苟孔杰】
著名太极拳师荀孔杰老师的趣事
1985年九月上旬，孔杰老师应湘谭太极拳爱好者的邀请，来湘授拳，我和几个好友去火車站接他，只见他抱一大捆枪刀棍剑棒下車，我和另一同事接过其工具，感觉沉重，后来才知光那几把大刀就有近50斤，只见孔老师皮肤黑，俏瘦的脸称一双炯炯有神的双眼，腰杆直挺，一看是位精干人。
第二天一早就在电机厂一大广埸教学。当天有学员一百多名，齐刷刷的站在广埸中央。因为我们预先做了宣传，羡名孔杰老师的名气，围观的人里三层外三层，场面十分壮观(湘潭电机厂是全国有名的大，当时职工就有一万多人)。九月的湘潭还有点热，只见孔杰老师站在一来米多高水泥墩上，单脚跳上跳下指导动作，满身汗水。(水泥墩两边有台阶他不走)，可见功夫不一般。
第三天，电机厂一武高武大的青年，自以为自己学过几年拳术，要和孔老师切搓，孔杰老师婉言拒绝，但该青年不依，直接一拳打过去，只见孔杰老师双手一接，转腰向身后一丢，将该人丢去一丈多远，我们目瞪口呆，根本不知如何摔出去的。该青年十几秒钟后，才慢慢起身，满脸通红，身上也未破一点皮，知趣的低着头走了。(他也是学员之一，以后，再未见到他来了)。围观者纷纷议论，想不到太极拳如此厉害，愿来只听讲，不见其实。以后，一个月内再末有人出来捣乱了。但孔杰老师要求甚严，半个月后，就只剩下50多人练习，又过一星期，就只剩下我在内的20多个人坚持到最后。此次学习，受益终身，主要思想上受到了极大振撼，以后，乐此不疲。
次年七月孔杰老师应邀到楠竹山江南机器厂授拳(该厂是軍工大厂)，週六休息，我和好友俩人去看他(该厂离市中心有近一个小时的公共汽車路程)。我们下午近五时才到，孔杰老师正好授完拳，我悄悄和孔杰老师讲，我想和您搭一下手，孔杰老师二话末说，好吧！他把右手搭我右手，哎呀！只感觉到其拳头就像称砣一样沉重，而手臂就像一根柔软的绳子。了不得呀，这种感觉从未听人讲过，让我确实感觉到了，我真是有福呀。
太极拳名家苟孔杰趣事续
上次讲到我们到南竹山去看荀老师教拳，晚上我们请其吃飯，考虑到荀老师劳累一天，我们特意多点了几个菜，一小壶酒。我帮他盛飯，他执意不肯，坚持自己盛。只见他盛一小碗飯，约不到一两，约半俩酒，菜也吃的不多。因考虑到他是北方人，我们未点任何辣菜。我问他是不是口味不合，他说不是，他一直是这样的。飯后，到其招待所休息，只见房间不大，一口旧电风扇吱吱作响，因当时条件不好，没有空调。房间大闷热，荀老师脱去上衣，只穿短裤衩，胸部露出二块凸的肌肉，腹部露出田字壯的肌肉，十分明显。原耒，他是乌龟显壳肉在里面(形容有本事不外露)。使我们更敬佩荀老师的为人。后来，在荀老师七十大寿时，晚上茶社吃茶，荀老师邀提我们几人其傍边，讲你们有什么、问题尽管提，有几个学员提了个几个动作问题，荀老师一一作了回答，并示范。问到我时，我说太扱拳简称十三式，前面十二式名字好理解，最后一词，中正不好理解，荀老师附在我耳边悄悄告之，桩也。我一就醒悟了。佩服之情，💔由心而起。荀老师身怀绝技，但从不张扬，谦虚，爱弟子。一次他示范他创造的十一式给我们看，只见其始终是脸带微信，这种表演，一般人是很难做到的。
祝愿孔老师太极拳精神永存！来自湖南湘潭李先凯
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