About the Yang Style
Tai Chi Chuan belongs to the long and rich tradition of Chinese martial arts or 'wushu'. In China, the martial arts have many different styles, each with it's own long history. Within Tai Chi Chuan there are also different styles whose techniques were developed and taught by a particular family. The Yang family style of Tai Chi Chuan is one of the oldest styles, second only to the Chen family style.
Yang Lu Chan
Yang Lu Chan
While the precise origin of Tai Chi Chuan is uncertain, often shrouded in legend, the techniques were practiced by the Chen family from at least the 17th Century. For many generations, the secrets of Tai Chi Chuan continued to be kept within the Chen family. The first outsider to learn the skills was Yang Lu Chan (1799-1872).
Yang Lu Chan was born in the Heibei Province, in northern China. At first, he learned a style of Shaolin boxing, but then heard of the Chen family and the martial arts they practiced. Eventually, he persuaded Chen Changxing (1771-1853) to teach him Tai Chi Chuan. Yang Lu Chan then returned home to teach what he had learned. He gradually changed the two Chen style forms he had been taught, and developed the first "Big Frame" Yang style form. Later he moved to Beijing to teach the Imperial family, and Yang's style of Tai Chi became more widely known, and spread across China.
Yang Jianhou
Yang Jianhou
Yang Jianhou (1839-1917)was the youngest son of Yang Lu Chan. He was more easy-going than his father and his elder brother, and taught many students. He developed a "Middle Frame" form, based on his father's "Big Frame" style.
Yang Chen Fu
Yang Chen Fu
Yang Chen Fu (1883-1936) was the third son of Yang Jianhou, and had a kind nature like his father. He did not study Tai Chi as a child, but began to practice in his twenties. After his father died, Yang Chen Fu dedicated himself to studying Tai Chi Chuan and became one of the most celebrated masters of the art, developing the current Yang "Big Frame" long form. Yang Chen Fu's style had smoother and more comfortable movements than the earlier Yang forms, and became the foundation of the most popular style of Tai Chi Chuan in the world. Yang taught Tai Chi in many places including Shanghai and Beijing. He had many students, including Fu Zhong Wen, Chen Man Ching and Deng Ke Yu.
Yang Chen Fu and his students, with Deng Ke Yu
(far left) as a senior student, and Masters of other Tai Chi
styles.
1. Master Deng Ke Yu, 2. Yang Chen Fu,
3. Yang Shao Hou, 4. Sung Lu Tang, 5. Wu Chien
Ch'uan, 6. Tung Ying Chieh, and 7. Ch'en Wei Ming.
Deng Ke Yu
Deng Ke Yu
Master Deng's father, Deng Ke Yu, along with his fellow student Chen Man Ching, was taught Tai Chi in Shanghai and Beijing by Master Yang Chen Fu. Deng Ke Yu actively practiced Tai Chi from the age of twenty-one until into his nineties and was closely associated with other practitioners of Tai Chi such as Wu Chien Ch'uan of the Wu style.
In the group photograph above, Deng Ke Yu can be seen as a senior student (on the far left of the photo) at Yang Chen Fu's Tai Chi school.
Deng Er Li
Master Deng Er Li was taught Tai Chi by his father, Deng Ke Yu, and also learned from his brothers. He continues to practice and teach the Yang style according to the traditional training he received.
Master Deng remains affiliated to the Shanghai 'Yong Nian' Yang style association, of which Yang Chen Fu's nephew Grand Master Fu Zhong Wen was a master.
Master Deng discussing Tai Chi with Grandmaster Fu Zhong Wen (nephew of Yang Chen Fu)