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Yang-style T'ai Chi Ch'uan
Yang-style tai chi ( zh, s=楊氏太极拳, p=Yángshì tàijíquán) is one of the five primary families of tai chi. Including its variations, it is the most popular and widely practised style of tai chi in the world today. It is second in terms of seniority, after Chen-style tai chi. History The Yang family first became involved in the study of tai chi in the early 19th century. The founder of the Yang-style was Yang Luchan, who studied under Chen Changxing starting in 1820. Yang became a teacher in his own right, and his subsequent expression of tai chi became known as the Yang-style, and directly led to the development of three other major styles of tai chi (see below). Yang Luchan (and some would say the art of tai chi, in general) came to prominence as a result of his being hired by the Aisin Gioro, Chinese Imperial family to teach tai chi to the elite Imperial Guards Brigade, Palace Battalion of the Imperial Guards in 1850, a position he held until his death. Yang Luchan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yang Chengfu
Yang Chengfu (1883–1936) was one of the best known teachers of Yang-style tai chi Chinese martial art. He helped develop the art into its modern form. His students would go on to found successful martial arts schools of their own and helped spread Yang-style tai chi around the world. Biography Yang Chengfu was born into the famous Yang family of tai chi practitioners, the son of Yang Jianhou and grandson of Yang Luchan. With his older brother Yang Shaohou and colleagues Wu Jianquan and Sun Lutang, he was among the first teachers to offer tai chi instruction to the general public at the Beijing Physical Culture Research Institute from 1914 until 1928. He moved to Shanghai in 1928. Chengfu is known for having "smoothed" out the somewhat more vigorous training routine he learned from his family as well as emphasising a "large frame" ( zh, c=大架, p=dà jià, labels=no) with expansive movements in stepping and using large circular motions with the arms. His smooth, evenly pa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chen Changxing
Chen Changxing ( zh, c=陳長興, w=Ch'en Chang-hsing; 1771–1853) was a tai chi master belonging to the 6th generation of Chen-style tai chi. He is most famous as the teacher of Yang Luchan Yang Luchan ( zh, c=杨露禅, w=Yang Lu-ch'an, p=Yáng Lùchán), also known as Yang Fukui (1799–1872), was an influential Chinese practitioner and teacher of the internal style tai chi martial art. He is known as the founder of Yang-styl ..., but there is much disagreement over which style of martial art Chen actually taught Yang Luchan. Some schools of thought suggest that Chen Changxing was a maverick who practiced and taught a style of martial art that was not part of the Chen family martial arts tradition, and that was passed to him either directly or indirectly from a tai chi master known as Jiang Fa. Some other schools of thought suggest that Chen Changxing re-worked two or more of the traditional Chen family routines into his own style and then taught it to Yang Luchan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chen Weiming (scholar)
Chen Weiming (1881–1958) was a scholar, tai chi teacher, and author. He was also known by his name Chen Zengze (), Weiming being his ''hao'', a pen-name. Chen came from an educated family with roots in Qishui, Hubei, China. His great-grandfather was a famous scholar; and his mother was skilled at calligraphy. As a boy, Chen prepared for the civil service exams by studying the Chinese classics, Chinese calligraphy, poetry, and essay-writing. He passed the mid-level exam of ''juren'' in 1902, and received a post in the Qing History Office. His two brothers also became scholars and authors. Chen began to study the Chinese martial arts in Beijing under Sun Lutang (1859–1933), with whom he studied Xingyiquan and bagua. He then began to study tai chi with Yang Chengfu (1883–1936), grandson of Yang Luchan, founder of the Yang family lineage. In 1925, Chen moved to Shanghai and established the Zhi Ruo (Achieving Softness) Tai Chi Association. Chen recorded Yang's teachings in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shanghai
Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowing through it. The population of the city proper is the List of largest cities, second largest in the world after Chongqing, with around 24.87 million inhabitants in 2023, while the urban area is the List of cities in China by population, most populous in China, with 29.87 million residents. As of 2022, the Greater Shanghai metropolitan area was estimated to produce a gross metropolitan product (GDP (nominal), nominal) of nearly 13 trillion Renminbi, RMB ($1.9 trillion). Shanghai is one of the world's major centers for finance, #Economy, business and economics, research, science and technology, manufacturing, transportation, List of tourist attractions in Shanghai, tourism, and Culture of Shanghai, culture. The Port of Sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fa Jin
''Fa jin'', or ''fa chin'' (, ), is a term used in some Chinese martial arts, particularly the ''neijia'' (internal) martial arts, such as tai chi, ''xingyiquan'', ''baguazhang'', '' liuhebafa'', '' ziranmen'', '' bak mei'', and '' bajiquan''. It means to issue or discharge power explosively or refining the explosive power, and is not specific to any particular striking method. With this definition in mind, a boxer is also capable of ''fa jin''. However, in the context of internal martial arts, the term usually refers to a set of methods to generate and focus force, resulting in physical feats with far less visual physical expression such as the one-inch punch. ''Jin'' ( zh, c=勁, p=jìn, l=power, labels=no) is often confused by Westerners with the related concept of '' jing'' ( zh, c=精, p=jīng, l=essence, labels=no), possibly because when ''jin'' is an adjective it is also spelled ''jing'' (''jìng'', 'strong') but with a different pinyin tone mark. ''Jin'' describes the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sun-style Tai Chi
The Sun-style tai chi ( zh, s=孙氏太极拳, p=Sūn shì tàijíquán) is one of the five primary styles of tai chi. It is well known for its smooth, flowing movements which omit the more physically vigorous crouching, leaping and ''fa jin'' of some other styles. Its gentle postures and high stances make it very suitable for martial arts therapy. History Sun style tai chi was developed by Sun Lutang, who is considered expert in two other internal martial arts styles: ''xingyiquan'' and ''baguazhang'' before he came to study tai chi. Today, Sun-style ranks fourth in popularity and fifth in terms of seniority among the five family styles of tai chi. He was also considered an accomplished Neo-Confucian and Taoist scholar, especially in the ''I Ching'' and the tai chi classics. Sun learned Wu (Hao)-style tai chi from Hao Weizhen, who was Li Yiyu's (李亦畬) chief disciple. Sun-style tai chi is considered to be part of the umbrella of Sun-style internal martial arts developed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wu Yuxiang
Wu Yuxiang (Wu Yu-hsiang, 1812?–1880?) was a Chinese martial artist, teacher and the founder of Wu (Hao)-style tai chi. Wu was a scholar from a wealthy and influential family who became a senior student of Yang Luchan, the founder of Yang-style tai chi. Wu also studied for a brief time with Chen Qingping, a master of Chen-style and Zhaobao-style tai chi. There is a relatively large body of writing attributed to Wu on the subject of tai chi theory, writings that are considered influential by other tai chi styles were the source of what are now known as the tai chi classics. Wu developed his own style of tai chi and shared it with members of his family, who also wrote about the art. He trained with his two older brothers Wu Chengqing (武澄清, 1800-1884)) and Wu Ruqing (武汝清, 1803-1887), and took on two nephews as disciples. One of those nephews Li Yiyu (Li I-yu, 李亦畬, 1832–1892), authored several particularly important works on tai chi. The other nephew, L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yang Shaohou
Yang Shaohou (; 1862–1930) was a Chinese martial arts master who, along with Yang Chengfu (楊澄甫; 1883–1936), represents the third generation of Yang-style tai chi. Grandmaster of his generation and known for his compact "small-frame" techniques, he was a ferocious fighter and a demanding teacher. Early life Yang began learning tai chi at age 7, in Beijing under his father Yang Jianhou, his uncle Yang Banhou (who formally adopted him), and his grandfather — the founder of Yang-style tai chi — Yang Luchan. His name at birth was Yang Zhaoxiong (楊兆熊, Pinyin: Yáng Zhàoxióng). But as was common in the era, as he reached adulthood he took the courtesy name Yang Mengxiang (楊梦祥, Pinyin: Yáng Mèngxiáng), and after he earned a reputation he changed it to Yang Shaohou. Shaohou can be translated as "young noble", and makes use of the "hou" (侯) character from his father's and uncle's names in a reflection of respect for his lineage and his status as grandma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wu Jianquan
Wu Jianquan ( zh, c=吴鉴泉, w=Wu Chien-ch‘üan, p=Wú Jiànquán; 1870–1942) was a famous teacher and founder of the ''neijia'' martial art of Wu-style tai chi in late Imperial and early Republican China. Biography Wu Jianquan was taught martial arts by his father, Wu Quanyou, a senior student of Yang Luchan, and Yang Banhou. Both Wu Jianquan and his father were hereditary Manchu cavalry officers of the Yellow Banner as well as the Imperial Guards Brigade, yet the Wu family were to become patriotic supporters of Sun Yat-sen. At the time of the establishment of the Chinese Republic in 1912, China was in turmoil, besieged for many years economically and even militarily by several foreign powers, so Wu Jianquan and his colleagues Yang Shaohou, Yang Chengfu and Sun Lutang promoted the benefits of tai chi training on a national scale. They subsequently offered classes at the Beijing Physical Culture Research Institute to as many people as possible, starting in 1914. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Banner System
The Eight Banners (in Manchu: ''jakūn gūsa'', , ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin and Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu households were placed. In war, the Eight Banners functioned as armies, but the banner system was also the basic organizational framework of all of Manchu society. Created in the early 17th century by Nurhaci, the banner armies played an instrumental role in his unification of the fragmented Jurchen people (who would later be renamed the "Manchu" under Nurhaci's son Hong Taiji) and in the Qing dynasty's conquest of the Ming dynasty. As Mongol and Han forces were incorporated into the growing Qing military establishment, the Mongol Eight Banners and Han Eight Banners were created alongside the original Manchu banners. The banner armies were considered the elite forces of the Qing military, while the remainder of imperial troops were incorporated into the vast Green Standard Army. Membership in the banners became he ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manchu
The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin (1616–1636) and Qing dynasty, Qing (1636–1912) dynasties of China were established and ruled by the Manchus, who are descended from the Jurchen people who earlier established the Jin dynasty (1115–1234), Jin dynasty (1115–1234) in northern China. Manchus form the largest branch of the Tungusic peoples and are distributed throughout China, forming the fourth largest ethnic group in the country. They are found in 31 Chinese provincial regions. Among them, Liaoning has the largest population and Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia and Beijing have over 100,000 Manchu residents. About half of the population live in Liaoning and one-fifth in Hebei. There are a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wu Quanyou
Wu Quanyou ( zh, c=吴全佑, w=Wu Ch‘üan-yu; 1834–1902) was an influential teacher of the tai chi martial art in late Imperial China. His son is credited as the founder of the Wu-style tai chi. As he was of Manchu descent, and would have been named by his family in Manchu, the name "Wú" (吳) was a sinicisation that approximated the pronunciation of the first syllable of his Manchu clan name, ''U Hala''. Life Wu Quanyou was a military officer in the Yellow Banner camp in the Forbidden City, Beijing and also an officer of the Imperial Guards Brigade during the Qing dynasty. Wu wished to study under Yang Luchan, the tai chi instructor for that banner camp, but he was still a middle grade officer and Yang refused to teach him. Instead, Wu and two other officers, Wan Chun (萬春) and Ling Shan (凌山), were asked to become disciples of Yang Banhou, Yang Luchan's oldest adult son and also a tai chi instructor for the Qing military. When Wu retired from the military, h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
