Yang Luchan

Portrait of Yang Luchan

Yang Luchan ( Chinese  楊 露 禪  /  杨 露 禅 , Pinyin Yáng Lòuchán , W.-G. Yang Lu-ch'an , * 1799 in Guangping ; † 1872 ), also known as Yang Fukui ( 楊福魁  /  杨福魁 , Yáng Fúkuí , Yang Fu-k 'ui ), born in what was then Guangping Fu (Kuang-p'ing Fu, 廣 平 府  /  广 平 府 ), was an influential master and teacher of the internal martial art style Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) in China during the second half of the 19th century. Century . He is known as the founder of the Yang style Taijiquan

Life

Yang Lu-ch'an was from a poor peasant (worker) family in Hebei Province , Guangping Prefecture , Yongnian County . Yang helped his father with the field work and also took part-time work as a teenager to support the family financially. Among other things, he worked in the Chinese pharmacy Tai He Tang ( 太和 堂 , Tàihétáng ) on Xiguan Da Jie ( 西 關 大街  /  西 关 大街 ), a street in the western part of the city of Yongnian, owned by a Chen De Hu ( 陳德 瑚  /  陈德 瑚 ) from Henan Province , Huaiqing Prefecture , Wen County was. Even as a child, Yang loved martial arts and had reached a certain level in Changquan ( 長拳  /  长拳 ).

One day, Yang witnessed one of the pharmacy's business associates catch a group of would-be thieves using a martial art that Yang had never seen before. Yang then began to exercise with the pharmacy owner, Chen De Hu. Chen recommended that he visit his master, Chen Changxing ( 陳長興  /  陈长兴 , Chén Chángxìng , Ch'en Ch'ang-hsing ; * 1771 , † 1853 ) in Chenjiagou .

The Wu family owned the house where the Chen De Hus pharmacy was located and the brothers Wu Chengqing ( 武澄清 , Wu Chengqing , Wu Ch'eng-ch'ing ) Wu Ruqing ( 武汝清 , Wu Ruqing , Wu Ju-ch ' ing ) and Wu Yuxiang ( 武 禹 襄 , Wu Yuxiang , Wu Yü-hsiang ; * 1812 ; † 1880 ) were, for their part, enthusiastic about martial arts. So it is possible that they made it possible for the young Yang Luchan to go to Chenjiagou to study with Master Chen Changxing. In the tradition of the Yang family, the story looks a little different: as a stranger, he is said to have had no opportunity to train with Master Chen, but as a deaf and mute servant he sneaked into the household of Chen Chanxing. He is said to have spied on the secret nightly training for long periods of time until his camouflage was blown and he had to show how much he had already acquired. Regardless of the previous history, he was meanwhile more advanced than all other students of Chen Changxing and this then officially accepted him as a master student. While sneaking in as a deaf and mute servant was probably an afterthought, the martial arts training actually took place that night in the house of Chen Changxing, because he was forbidden to teach his martial art publicly, from a foreign Wushu master Wen County , Jiang Fa ( 蔣 發  /  蒋 发 , Jiǎng Fā , Chiang Fa ), who had recently brought her to Chenjiagou.

After studying with Master Chen Changxing (Chen Chang Hsing) for 18 years, he first went to his hometown and paid his respects to the Wu family. The Wu brothers probably learned as a result of Yang Luchan, but certainly Wu Yuxiang, to whom the "old Wu style" goes back. On a recommendation from Yu Ruqing, who was an official in the Qing Dynasty in Sichuan, Yang Luchan traveled to Beijing, where he was initially housed with a wealthy businessman named Chang ( Pinyin Zhang ). The legend further down on this page tells of his first meeting with Zhang. During this time he faced repeated challenges and his call came to the ears of some people at the imperial court who demanded to be taught by him: Shi Shaonan, General Yue Guichen and Wang Lauting. In 1850 , Prince Duan brought him to the Forbidden City as a martial arts expert , Yang became an officer and taught the Shen Ji Ying (Armed Escort Battalion). He also became the teacher of the eight Lords of the Banners, important Manchu princes, and was not only known as Yang Wudi ( 楊 無敵  /  杨 无敌 , `` Yang the Invincible ''), but also as Yang Ba Ye ( 楊 八爺  /  杨八爷 , `` Yang, the gentleman in eighth position '') known.

Pupil and successor

Yang Luchan's historic home, Yongnian 2014

When Yang returned to Yongnian, he taught the Wu brothers, especially Wu Yuxiang ( 武 禹 襄 , Wu Yuxiang , Wu Yü-hsiang ; * 1812 ; † 1880 ), the founder of the Wu-Hao style , also known as the "Old Wu Style “Is known.

Yang Luchan had personal students in the Imperial Body Guard: Shi Shaonan and General Yue Guichen demanded his services as private tutors. His really gifted students were of low rank and therefore officially had to become students of his son, Pan-hou. Yang Pan-hous students include:

• Wu Quanyou ( 吳全佑  /  吴全佑 , Wu Ch'uan-yü ; * 1834 ; † 1902 ), the founder of the Wu style , also known as the "New Wu style"
• Ling Shan ( 凌 山 )
• Wan Chun ( 萬春  /  万春 )
• Chen Xiufeng ( 陳秀峰  /  陈秀峰 )
• Jiao Liantang ( 教 蓮 堂  /  教 莲 堂 )
• Li Lianfang ( 李連芳  /  李连芳 )
• Li Wancheng ( 李萬成  /  李万成 )
• Niu Lianyuan ( 牛 連 元  /  牛 莲 元 )
• Wang Maozhai ( 王茂 齋  /  王茂 斋 )
• Zhang Xinyi ( 張信義  /  张信义 )
• Zhang Yintang ( 張 印堂  /  张 印堂 , * 1903 , † 1991 )

Yang Luchan had three sons

• Yang Fenghou ( 楊鳳 侯  /  杨凤 侯 , Yáng Fènghóu , Yang Feng-hou ; * 1835 , † 1861 )
• Yang Banhou ( 楊 班 侯  /  杨 班 侯 , Yáng Bānhóu , Yang Pan-hou ; * 1837 ; † 1892 )
• Yang Jianhou ( 楊健 侯  /  杨健 侯 , Yáng Jiànhóu , Yang Chien-hou ; * 1839 ; † 1917 )

Yang Banhou and Yang Jianhou became famous masters for their part; little is known about the eldest son.

The legend of Yang the Invincible

After staying in Chenjiagou, Yang became famous for never losing a fight and never seriously injuring his opponents in the process. After he reached an extremely high level in his art, he became known as Yang Wudi ( 楊 無敵  /  杨 无敌 , '' Yang the Invincible ''). Over time, many legends arose about his fighting skills, which were also processed in various biographical books and films. While not all of this is verifiable, there are a few episodes that are worth noting because they shed light on Yang's character:

• In Beijing, a wealthy man named Chang heard of Yang's skills and invited him to demonstrate his art. When Yang arrived, Chang didn't take him seriously because he was small and just didn't look like a kung fu fighter. Yang was only served a very simple meal, but he continued to behave like an honored guest, contrary to what his host thought. Chang later asked Yang whether his Taijiquan, which was so soft, was also suitable for defeating others in combat. Given that he invited Yang because of his reputation as a great fighter, it was a hidden insult. Yang replied that there were only three types of people he could not defeat: men made of brass, iron or wood, all others were no problem. Chang invited his best bodyguard, Liu, to test Yang's skills. Liu immediately attacked aggressively, this uses a simple yielding technique and Liu flew across the yard. Chang was very impressed and ordered that a feast should be prepared for Yang immediately.

• The home of Prince Duan, one of the imperial families in the capital, employed a large number of martial arts masters and wrestlers - some of whom were eager to challenge Yang. Yang usually rejected these challenges. One day a very famous martial artist came and challenged Yang to compete with him in physical strength. The fighter suggested that they sit on two armchairs facing each other with their right fists touching. Yang could not avoid this challenge, and they began as suggested. Shortly after the argument began, Duan's martial arts master began to sweat all over his body and his chair creaked as if it were about to break apart; Yang, on the other hand, showed no strain. Yang finally got up and said to the audience: "This master is of an extremely high standard, his chair alone is not as solidly built as mine." The challenger was touched by so much modesty and never missed an opportunity to express Yang's exemplary courtesy and to extol his extraordinary abilities.

• One day while he was fishing in a lake, two martial artists sneaked up on him, hoping to push him into the lake and ruin his reputation. As soon as he realized her intention, Yang rounded his chest and performed the "high pat on horse" technique (stroking the horse's mane). Just as his back arched and his head leaned forward, the two attackers ricocheted off and fell themselves into the water. Yang said he would let them get away with it this time, but if they got ashore he would punish them more severely. The two attackers swam away quickly.

Origin of the name Taijiquan

When Yang Luchan started teaching in Yongnian (in some sources: Yung Nien), his art was called Huaquan ( 化 拳  - "neutralizing boxing"), Rouquan ( 柔 拳  - "flexible boxing") or Mianquan ( 綿 拳  /  绵拳  - "Fluent, continuous boxing"). When he taught at the imperial court, he faced many challenges, some of them friendly, some less so. But he always won so convincingly only with soft techniques that he gained a great reputation.

Many who frequented the imperial households came to see his challenge battles. On one such occasion, when Yang won against several renowned opponents, the scholar Wēng Tónghé ( 翁同龢 , Wēng Tónghé , also outdated: Ong Tong-He ) was present. Inspired by the way Yang moved and performed his techniques, Weng (Ong) felt that Yang's movements and techniques were the physical manifestation of the Tai Chi philosophy. Weng (Ong) wrote the following verse:

"Hands holding Taiji shake the whole world, a chest in which the highest abilities are hidden can defeat a gathering of heroes."

- Wēng Tónghé (also: Ong Tong-He)

After this incident, his art was called Taijiquan , as were the styles that emerged from his teaching or were otherwise related to him.

Web links

• Official Site - Short biography of Yang Luchan (English)
• Official Site - History of Yang Luchan (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b} Douglas Wile: Tai Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions . Sweet Ch'i Press, 1983, ISBN 978-0-912059-01-3 .
2. ^ ^{A b} Douglas Wile: Lost T'ai-chi Classics from the Late Ch'ing Dynasty (Chinese Philosophy and Culture) . State University of New York Press, 1995, ISBN 978-0-7914-2654-8 .
3. ↑ Jordi Vilá: Taijiquan of Yang Luchan in the Forbidden City . In: Spanish Taijiquan Magazine . November 26, 2013.
4. ^ Peter Lim Tien Tek, Historical Series Notes . Itcca.it. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
5. ^ Gu Liuxin, The Evolution of the Yang School of Taijiquan
6. ↑ Peter Lim Tien Tek, The Development Of Yang Style Taijiquan . Itcca.it. Retrieved July 9, 2015.

Note: This article places the family name before the person's first name. This is the usual order in Chinese. Yang is the family name here, Luchan is the first name.