History

STORY OF ZHANG SAN FENG

According to popular folklore; One day on Wudang mountain, Zhang San Feng, a Taoist priest, witnessed a fight between a snake and a crane. The crane attacked, stabbing at the snake, but the snake managed to evade.  The snake fought back with whip-like attacks of its own, and the crane deflected these attacks by fiercely spreading its wings.  It is believed that the legendary Chinese Taoist priest was so amazed by the skills as well as their self-defenses tactics, he then invented Tai Chi movements based on the event.

ABOUT TAI CHI

  • Tai Chi is one of the best-known martial arts of the internal systems from ancient China.  Based on Qi Gong and martial arts techniques from thousands of years ago.
  • Tai Chi adopted the philosophy of Yin Yang, the interplay of opposite to create balance
  • The word Tai Chi is shortened from Tai Chi Chuan which is translated as Supreme Ultimate Fists, this name statement is to differentiate against the beginning or starting point of Wuji which means Nothingness, Empty, Zero.
  • Tai Chi is categorized as Martial Arts, chosen to be used as the basic training for other harder and more forceful Martial Arts like  Kung Fu, Wing Chun, Xing Yi Quan …etc.
  • Tai Chi movements are generally slow yet full of intent and focused, requiring inner energy cultivation and balance of body and soul.
  • Tai Chi has finally been added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list, 12 years after China first applied for recognition of ancient martial art in December 2020.
  • Five major families in Tai Chi Styles that became known around the world, and are :
  1. Chen family, founded by Chen Wan Ting
  2. Yang family, founded by Yang Lu Chan
  3. Wu family, founded by Wu Jian Quan
  4. Wu/Hao family, founded by Wu Yu Xiang
  5. Sun family, founded by Sun Lu Tang

ABOUT YANG FAMILY

Yang Lu Chan, as the founder of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, has 2 sons, which are Yang Ban Hou and Yang Jian Hou, with grandsons Yang Shao Hou & Yang Cheng Fu. His great-grandchildren are; Yang Zhen Ming, Yang Zhen Ji, Yang Zhen Duo & Yang Zhen Guo. All have worked to continue the legacy of Yang Lu Chan.

Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Lineage :

  1. Yang Lu Chan – 1st generation ( Old Frame )
  2. Yang Jian Hou – 2nd generation ( Middle Frame )
  3. Yang Cheng Fu – 3rd generation ( Large Frame ), become standard practice
  4. Yang Zhen Duo – 4th generation, promotes the family-style into the world
  5. Yang Jun – 5th generation ( 6th descendants on the family tree ), successfully continued his grandfather’s work to lead the association and spread around the globe.

ABOUT YANG STYLE

  • Obviously, Yang Style was derived from the Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, founded by Yang Lu Chan ( 1799 – 1872). In 1850. The Form that is practiced now is the Large Frame which is called the “Traditional 85, 103, 108 Form” even though the counting is different but the movements are the same.  Yang Lu Chan was hired by the Imperial Family to teach his style to them and their Elite Manchu Imperial Guards Brigades Units in Beijing’s Forbidden City.  This was the beginning of the spread of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, the family art of a small village in Hebei Province, Yongnian County, Central China to an international phenomenon.
  • Beijing Yang Style was formed in 1956, under the sponsorship of the Chinese State Physical Culture & Sports Commission, further modifications have occurred including compressed the Long Form into Simplified 24 Form, used in public programs & public health promotion, making the Beijing Yang Style Simplified 24 Form the most promoted and known to the public.
  • Cheng Man Ching, a student of Yang Cheng Fu ( 1930 ) created Yang Style Short Form of 37 Postures. He moved in 1964 from Taiwan to New York City, USA, became a professor in the university, teaching Chinese Arts.  Cheng Man Ching’s legacy includes many Tai Chi Schools around the world that follow his lineage.  The Professor passed away on March 26, 1975.