Erle Montaigue began his martial arts training when he was 11 years of age, training in karate and judo at the local police Boys' Clubs. His forte in these early years, however, was wrestling, which later led him to professional wrestling for a time. He was also an avid bodybuilder, later realizing the error of his ways. In 1966, Erle was expelled from school for little more than being a rebel and painting the school yellow, among other "small" things. In 1974, while performing as a nightclub entertainer, Erle left Australia for England, where he met taijiquan instructor Chu King-hung, one of only three disciples of the late Yang Sau-chung. In 1981 he travelled to Hong Kong, where he studied with Ho Ho-choy, a direct disciple of Baguazhang Master Chiang Jung-jiao. In 1982, he began teaching taijiquan in Sydney and became the chief of therapeutic movement at the NSW College of Natural Therapies. He opened his own school in Sydney in 1983. The next year, Erle found his main internal martial arts master, Chang Yiu-chun, from whom he learned the secrets of dim-mak and h'ao ch'uan (taijiquan). Erle Montaigue wrote for Fighting Arts International, the prestigious British martial arts magazine, and Australasian Fighting Arts Magazine, one of the longest-running quality martial arts magazines. In 1995, Erle was invited to study with Liang Shih-kan, the leader and "keeper" of the now almost extinct forerunner to taijiquan, the Wutan Shan System of Boxing, thus becoming the only Westerner and one of only a handful of people to be taught the twelve qi-disruptive forms. Erle was the founder of the World Taiji Boxing Association (WTBA), which now has schools all over the world. He headed the WTBA until 2009, when he was succeeded by his son Eli Montaigue. Erle kept teaching workshops and producing videos right up until his death in 2011. Eli now takes the system forward, holding workshops all around the world.Readers wishing to contact the Montaigue family can do so at the following website www.taijiworld.com
