Welcome to issue three of the current volume. In this issue we are taking a look at the Yang Style of Taijiquan. This will be the second of the five major styles to be reviewed, it covers some history and looks at a few of the major players and influences. However, the vastness of the subject matter makes it impossible to draw any definitive conclusions, but it may stimulate our readers to conduct their own further investigations. Any readers out there with your own insights or anecdotes, we would welcome your contributions.

The Forty Two Forms Taijiquan

Simon Watson competed in four World Wushu Championships and four European Wushu Championships between the years 1991 - 1997. In addition to witnessing all the major performers and champions of the era he trained prolifically to achieve a first place in Europe, third place in the British Commonwealth and fourth place in the World competitions. He is familiar with the requirements for marking and judging as well as the history and development of the International Combined 42 Forms Taijiquan. In this issue he shares a little of his experience and knowledge.

BCCMA National Championships - November 2000

Jo White traveled down from Glasgow for this event and the trip to Luton was well worthwhile. Jo gained two first places, one for the ladies' Taiji hand form and another for the Taijijian form. Well done Jo for two gold medals. Jo is a member of Derek Daly's Traditional Chinese Shaolin and Tajiquan Club in Glasgow and many of Derek's students are also members and supporters of Longfei Tajiquan Association.

Two Silver Medals for Push Hands

Richard Gera and Giuliano Vetere both secured second places in their respective weight categories. Congratulations to you both for representing Longfei and you follow a long line of medal success awards to our association. From three entries, four medals can't be bad. Keep up the good work and well done to Simon who trains Richard and Giuliano.

A Taijiquan Legacy

The last decade of the twentieth century saw the demise of a number of Taiji's most famous and talented teachers. Fu Zhong-Wen (1903-1994), Ma Yueh-Liang (1901-1998), Wu Ying-Hua (1907-1996), Li Tian-Ji (1913-1996) and Jou Tsung-Hua (1917-1998). All these teachers were touched by their predecessors of the art of Taiji and they were important for their connection to the nineteenth century when Taiji could be considered a village or folk art. There were of course many other dignitaries from the Taiji community that passed away during the century but these few brought their influence to the 21st century. It is only 150 years since Yang Lu-Chan (1799-1872), brought Taijiquan to the capital Beijing.

Have Taiji will Travel

The current generation of Taijiquan teachers have taken a firm hold of the baton from those of the last century, so many experts now travel the world imparting their knowledge to an eager worldwide audience. Only thirty years ago very few people had any information regarding the subject, sometimes mentioned in the writings of Aldous Huxley, Alan Watts, Henry Miller, perhaps around mid-century.

My first book on the Yang Style Long Form was 'Tai Chi Chuan Its Effects and Practical Applications' by Yearning K Chen. The first English edition was published in Hong Kong in 1971. In 1967 Cheng Man-Ching and Robert Smith published through Charles E Tuttle 'Tai Chi' and 'The Supreme Ultimate Exercise for Health, Sport and Self Defence'. Apart from these two books there was very little information available in English.

The cultural revolution was in full flight (1966-1972). Tai Chi teachers were compelled to have a low profile. There was of course a trickle of information from Hong Kong and various other ex-patriot Chinese communities around the world, although some of the early influence tended to be partisan, exclusive and with a cult-like perfume.

The big changes began after the passing of Mao Tse-Tung, the changes that were initiated by Richard Nixon's political, friendship and cultural exchange visit. It would appear that during Mao's period of office the Martial Arts and Martial Artists were viewed with some suspicion and this was probably due to the double edge sword (analogous) of their intellectual capacity, spirit and fighting independence. In contrast, under the government and sporting authority, Chinese Wushu was to be nurtured, rationalised, developed and maintained as part of Chinese cultural heritage.

While there are many critics of the government sponsored martial arts versus the traditional Tai Chi, players can wax lyrical about them being a little bit Yin and a little bit Yang. The net result of the last thirty years' development can only be good for the erstwhile practitioners of Taijiquan and all other forms of Chinese Martial Arts. We in Longfei have been fortunate with our connections with Professor Li De-Yin, in many ways he epitomises the foregoing with his family arts connected to the traditions of the 19th century while he is also famous at home and abroad for his innovative development of modern Taijiquan.

Among the nomads of Taijiquan there is no one with more worldwide renown than Chen Xiao-Wang, a consistent and familiar visitor to Great Britain, he must be a great inspiration to the Chen stylists throughout the country. Chen Xiao-Wang, born in 1946, a nineteenth descendant of the Chen dynasty and grandson to Chen Fake - his father was Chen Zhaoxu and his uncle was Chen Zhaokui - all were Taiji masters of note. Chen began his training under his father's supervision when he was eight years old and he was appointed as a Wushu coach to the Wushu Academy of Henan Province in 1980.

The foundations of Chen Xiao-Wang's training emphasises Zhan Zhuang (Pile Standing and Standing Meditation) and Chan Ssu Jing (Silk Reeling Energy) followed by forms practice, weapons and push hands. Alongside the martial arts content there is strong emphasis on health and not forcing the movements. Everything must be natural to free the pathways for the easy confluence of Qi to the Dantian.

A first time visitor to our shores last year was Master Liu Jishun. I met this gentleman in China in 1991 and was able to renew the acquaintance when two of my Taiji friends brought him to the UK.

Master Liu has adopted them as his representatives in this country. Liu has trained in the Wu/Hao style since 1960, Wu style was originated by Wu Yu-Xiang and is one of the five major styles of Taijiquan. Liu has very sound credentials, he has spent much of his life in Chinese hospitals administering Tuina (Chinese Therapeutic Massage).

Liu was born in 1930 and his massage has three levels, the first is for the muscles and joints, the second deeper level works on the tendons and the third level works on the meridians and pressure points. He points out that he took up Taiji to bring greater direction to his strength and Qi for his work on the patients in his hospitals. Liu's teaching is absorbing, fascinating and yet abstract and he discusses the need for separation of the muscle from the bones. 

He suggests that Taiji breathing is not simply the normal use of the lungs but Taiji breathing for him is the relaxing of all the muscles from head to toe on inhalation and on exhalation, the skeleton expands along the same path. The breathing is with the whole body using its entire structure and energy he is suggesting a different type of breathing other than what we would apply to normal breathing exercise. I have asked my Taiji associates to supply an in-depth view on Master Liu and Hao Style Taijiquan. Watch this space!

Grandmaster Wang Hao-Da and Master Xu Guo-Ming

Xu Guo-Ming has been coming to Britain for some time and is affectionately known as George Xu. He left China in the mid-1980s and currently resides in the USA. I believe he is a consumate martial artist (he could have a good scrap) in his own right. In the past, Simon and I have worked with him on some Pushing Hands, Applications and Qigong and he is a Taijiquan practitioner and Chen stylist and many other styles of Chinese Wushu.

He is also a free spirit. Last year he acted as guide and interpreter to a newcomer, Wu stylist Grandmaster Wang Hao-Da. This Wu style is not from Wu Yu-Xiang, this style came from Wu Quan-Yu, who had learned from the Yang Family. Wang Hao-Da learned from the second generation of Wu style masters Ma Yueh-Liang. Ma was also married to the granddaughter of the founder. I was particularly keen to meet Wang as he weighed in at 120lbs and was only 5.1 inches tall and had a creditable push hands reputation. In the year 2001 Wang Hao-Da will be 77, living through many changes in China - The Sino Japanese War, The Peoples Revolution, The Cultural Revolution and survived whole.

He began his training with Ma Yueh-Liang in 1961 and has pursued self cultivation for many years. Although there are common threads connecting all great Taiji teachers, nevertheless they all bring us some personal, individual insights of their own training to inspire our own efforts, so it is with Wang. He constantly reminds us to be loose (perhaps a more apt translation of Sung, usually referred to as relax). Another reference he uses is to sink the coccyx into the ground as though it was an additional leg when referring to Zhongding (Central Equilibrium). George Xu makes constant reference to the tiger in the wild, its looseness, its power, its poise, its focus, its Taiji.