Saturday, September 11, 2010

News Feed Comments
You are here: Home / What We Teach / Taiji (Tai Chi) / Yang Taijiquan

Yang Taijiquan


 Tai Chi Style of the Yang Family

Yang Family Taijiquan was developed by Yang Lu Chan who was supposedly the first non-family member to learn from the Chen village school of internal boxing. The Yang style spread very quickly around China and now several different branches are popular around the globe. As a style it is usually practiced as a health-care system but like all other forms of Taijiquan it incorporates martial arts training, Chinese medicine and Daoist philosophy into its practices.

The Yin Aspect of Martial Arts

Yang Taijiquan places a great emphasis on the Yin or softer aspects of the style. Learning how to yield and flow around an aggressive force is paramount to the study of yang style. Through practice of the various forms, exercises and partner work, a practitioner learns how to rotate their body and fold their joints to neutralise an incoming force with minimal effort. The clash of muscular power against muscular power quite simply should not take place within the practice of Yang Taijiquan.

Our Yang Syllabus

We teach a complete and traditional syllabus of Yang Taijiquan which places an equal emphasis on martial arts, health and personal development. The syllabus is as below:

  • The 37 (Short) Form
  • The 85 (Long) Form
  • The Jian (Sword) Form
  • Taiji Ji Ben Gong
  • Tui-Shou (Pushing Hands)
  • Quan Fa (Applications and Martial Usage)
  • Taiji Nei Gong Exercises

Relax Into Life

Daily life is fraught with stresses and difficulties. many of us are unable to cope with these stresses and consequently the majority of people live in a state of constant tension. This gradually drains our energy system and damages our internal organs which leads to ill health and ultimately, an early death. It is sad to see that many people shorten their life by simply not being able to ‘relax’. The study of Yang Taijiquan places a great emphasis on staying calm and relaxed when confronted with outside stresses and aggressive forces. It is for this reason that we usually teach Yang Taijiquan to the majority of our students. Most of us are not attacked on a daily basis but rather we are defetated by our own inner nature. If we can neutralize this ‘inner opponent’ then we have truly achieved a victory.