Dr. Yang began the study of Taijiquan (Yang Style) under Master Kao, Tao (高濤). Dr. Yang's tai chi can be traced back to the Yang family through Master Kao's teacher Yue, Huanzhi (樂奐之), an indoor disciple of Yang, Chengfu (楊澄甫).
Mr. Yue, Huanzhi (樂奐之), who held a teaching post at the Catholic Zhendan Middle School (震旦中學) in Shanghai.
Bob wrote:It's tough to really sort all this out - it could be that the san shou is an add-on - as I've said the Yang Chengfu disciple I know was unfamiliar with it - nothing in Fu Zhongwen's line that I am aware of - nothing in the writings of Chen Weiming - Zhang Manqing didn't show it but ironically TT liang has it - was even a part of Yang Luchan's practice let alone Chen family practice
However maybe it's just one of those well kept secrets -
Steve James wrote:It's clear that students of YCF did it, and it was standardized. The dispersion probably happened in the 30s when masters went to the various regions. YCF went to Shanghai, along with Wu Jianquan -but I haven't heard of Wu people doing it. Of course, they have many variations of phs.
HK does seem a likely origin, though. Which of the Yangs were there in the 30s.
Around 1930, Chen Kung, a rich merchant and student of Yang Cheng-fu, asked to borrow the family transcripts for just one evening so that he might read them to enhance his practice. Chen had been a loyal and dedicated student, so Yang Cheng-fu consented, knowing full well that in one night it would be difficult for even a fast reader to finish the book. What Yang Cheng-fu didn't know was that Chen had hired seven transcribers to work through the night to copy the entire work. After his disappearance (around 1932) he changed professions from merchant to doctor of Chinese medicine. During that same year portions of the manuscript started appearing in various journals, which infuriated the Yang family.
Later, in 1943, Chen's entire copied notes appeared in book form and enjoyed rapid sales throughout China. This further infuriated the Yang family, who then released their own book claiming that Chen's publication was a forgery and that their new, smaller work was the genuine material. Chen, in typical Chinese style, claimed his book contained his own theories and that he only used the Yang family name for authenticity. This was Chinese politics at its best.
Master Liang told me this story. He had heard it through his teacher Cheng Man-ch'ing, who heard it from his teacher, Yang Cheng-fu. With this kind of oral testimony I was never sure about the details. However, Master Jou Tsung-hwa said that Chen Kung confirmed the story when they met in 1978, and now Donald Chen, Chen Kung's grandson, has confirmed it as well.
Before anyone accuses Chen of any wrong-doing, it is clear that the T'ai Chi world owes him a great debt, whatever the ethics or politics that were involved. The Yang family teachings might well have remained hidden or become lost; likewise, the Yang family might never have published the various works of their own. An even greater result was that many masters, for whatever reasons, began publishing their works as well. Chen's courage created a chain reaction of teachers going public with their knowledge.
Bob wrote:I seemed to selectively remembered:
"Later, in 1943, Chen's entire copied notes appeared in book form and enjoyed rapid sales throughout China. This further infuriated the Yang family, who then released their own book claiming that Chen's publication was a forgery and that their new, smaller work was the genuine material. Chen, in typical Chinese style, claimed his book contained his own theories and that he only used the Yang family name for authenticity. This was Chinese politics at its best."
And then discounted the authenticity of the qi gong and any of the material although I stopped practicing Jou's material in the late 80s/early 90s as I became involved with WuTan.
Bob wrote:That is what's interesting - I'm vaguely familiar (I think I recall this from practitioners at the late Jou Tsung Hwa's Tai Chi Farm also doesn't Yang Jwing-ming have this on dvd?) with this but wonder where TT Liang learned his practice - the clip is from the mainland and I wonder who might have also done this in Taiwan assuming the Taiwan first generation martial artists came from the mainland and where on the mainland did this originate from - none of the formal Yang Chengfu practitioners I know has ever did this or did it publicly
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