Wexu origin story
Welcome to the story of a Romanian Jewish boxer, who escaped the Holocaust and the Communist regime with his family, became an atheist, discovered acupuncture, moved to Canada, helped the Black Panthers heal their community through acupuncture, and helped to legalize acupuncture in Canada.
Born a Jew, a Walstein-Weiss, Oscar changed his last name to Wexu for unknown reasons well before the Holocaust. As being a boxer was poorly regarded for Jews, perhaps it was a stage name.
Save for his sister Juliette, possibly second from right, he and his family somehow escaped the Holocaust. From left, (the one that lived in Louisiana), Lucia his mother, Oscar and his sister Beatrice, possibly Juliette, and his wife Mina, right.
From feather weight champion to trainer to the King of Romania, to author of a book about boxing. The family escaped the country in 1947 as Communism took hold of the government.
Oscar, Mario and Mina Wexu before Mario leaves for China to learn acupuncture in 1972.
Mario Wexu with his Acupuncture teach Professor Lok in 1972. He helped legalize acupuncture in Nevada in 1974.
Oscar Wexu performing acupuncture on a horse before a race, 1971.
Mario learning acupuncture in Hong Kong 1972.
Mario teaching acupuncture in the first school in Canada, circa 1975. Acupuncture is not yet legal.
Mario at the Lincoln Detox Center with members of the Black Panthers. Circa 1975.
Mario Wexu’s 1975 book about ear acupuncture. This book prompted the Black Panthers to ask the Wexu’s to teach them acupuncture as an alternative to methadone.
Mario Wexu guides the Black Panthers & Young Lords through China to learn acupuncture in 1979.
Mario Wexu in front of the Lincoln Detox Center in Bronx, NY. Run by the Black Panthers and the young Lords, it was the first center to use ear acupuncture to as a heroin detox. Circa 1980.
Mutulu Shakur performing acupuncture under the guidance of Mario Wexu.
