This is the translation of an article one of the acquaintances 清風軒 of my Sifu wrote - on Yang Shou Chung. They had corresponded a number of times to share information. It provides a good history and overview of his style.
Yang Zhen Ming has a special place in the development of Taijiquan. Several decades ago, outside of Hong Kong he was not well known in the Taiji circles around the world. However in recent years, due to the increased sharing of information especially due to the promotion done by the Hong Kong Yang's Tai Chi Association and other organizations, recognition has increased, but without a deep understanding.
Regardless of this, Yang Zhen Ming plays a very important role in the development of Taiji in China, especially in the development of Yang Taiji and cannot be overlooked in any history of Taiji. His influence is not that of a glorious illumination, but instead can be likened to a quiet current underlying deep in the core of Taiji. I feel that he has still not attained the level of attention that he is rightfully due.
Studying Yang Zhen Ming has a special meaning for anyone who wants to have an objective and accurate understanding of Yang Taiji.
(1.) Yang Zhen Ming's Taiji Life
Yang Zhen Ming, (1910-1985) whose courtesy name was Shou Chung, was the eldest son of Yang Chen Pu, and was the daughter of YCP's original wife who died at an early age. Later on YCP married his second wife Hou Zu Qing 侯助清 in 1919 in his hometown of Yongnian in Hebei, who gave birth to Yang Zhen Ji, Yang Zhen Ze and Yang Zhen Guo 楊振基、楊振鐸、楊振國.
With regard to Yang Zhen Ming's mother, it was reputed that she was beautiful and refined, and one day she went to offer incense at the temple, when she happened to encounter a craftsman carving a statue of the "Golden boy and the Jade Girl". When he saw her he was surprised and sighed and used her for the model for his statue. No long after she passed away and many people speculated that she had been transformed into the Jade Girl. Obviously this is but a legend.
He started learning the martial arts aged 8 years and had a deep understanding of his family style under the tutelage of his father. At 14 he had mastered the principles of boxing, and acted as an assistant instructor for Yang Chen Pu, teaching across the nation. His stance was modeled after Yang Cheng Pu and was very proficient at pushing hands. At 19 he moved to Anhui and Jiangsu to teach Taiji. He also followed his father to Shanghai, Guangdong and Zhejiang to teach and escaped to Hong Kong in 1949, where he taught for many years where he spread Taiji to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and South East Asia. He had many disciples overseas and authored the book 《雙人圖解太極拳用法及變化》.
Although his life was seen as simple, without too many ups and downs, it had a deep cultivation, and was one of the biggest influences on the art of Taiji in the last hundred years.
His life can be divided into five stages:
The First Stage: Training at home (1910-1928)
The Yang family, from Yang Lu Chan, had the tradition of practicing kungfu and and passing on the family style. It was a way of making a living and a family duty. They treated taiji as a family art, and instituted many rules, that all male members of the family had to be trained in Taiji from a young age and the training was extremely harsh with strict requirements. The children of Yang Chen Pu also endured this kind of training. Yang Zhen Ming, being the eldest child, was the original recipient of this training, and had his father's personal instruction for many years.
Master Yang reminisced to his disciples, that he was trained hard when he was young, and because of the family rules, the eldest son had to inherit the family begging bowl. "Each morning, I had to run through the set 12 times, and if it was not this number, I was not allowed to eat. Even when it was in the depths of winter I had to perform the set outside without any additional clothing, so as to prevent me from tarrying or slacking off". Under many years of this kind of tutelage, he attained 功架畢嫻，深中繩墨. In addition, Yang Shou Chung possessed a keen intellect for Taiji that let him decipher the boxing classic and catch a glimpse of the profundity of Taijiquan.
From his birth until 1927, he never left his father's side, learning both through oral and physical instruction, he was immersed in the art, this was the foundational period of Yang Shou Chung's art.
In 1928, the 19 year old was hired to Anhui to teach boxing, and this was the first time that he went out to teach alone, and this was the beginning of his journey to teach Taiji to the world. He first went to 蕪湖 to teach and one year later was transferred to the Audit Section of the Transport Department in Nanjing to teach.
The Second Stage: Learning Through Teaching (1928-1936)
In this stage he started his life as a professional instructor, as a great part of this time was spent teaching alongside his father, he taught and studied at the same time. As he learned his father's kungfu, he also studied his father's style of teaching, especially the traditional way of teaching Taijiquan. This influenced his later style of teaching, whether it was content, or process, each was based on a strong foundation, and was imprinted with the Yang style.
In the preface to his book 《雙人圖解太極拳用法及變化》, he summarized these two periods of his life in a simple, yet authoritative way, "I started to study the arts at 8 years, I understood the principles of the boxing classic at 14, and was proficient in the broadsword, sword spear and other arts, and was an assistant to my late father. I went to Anhui at 19, drawn by the electric lights of Fu Hu, and taught for year or more, and was transferred to Nanjing to the department of transport, and followed my Father to Jiansu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong teaching to both groups and privately."
It is important to note that the teaching in Guangdong was due to letters of invitation from Chen Ji Tang and Li Zong Ren 陳濟棠、李宗仁. In 1932 as Yang Chen Pu was invited to the south to teach, he moved there with his whole family, with Yang Zhen Ming and his other sons helping him to teach. At this time Yang Zhen Ming had already married, and lived in a two storey house in Dongshan, where the family lived above with a large living room downstairs. There was also a backyard for practicing martial arts and teaching. This was the one place on the mainland where Yang Zhen Ming taught for a longer period of time and where the opportunity lay for him to move to Hong Kong.
The Third Stage : Keeping watch alone (1935-1949)
In 1935 Yang Chen Pu went to Shanghai to treat his disease and died in 1936. From the time that YCP left Guangzhou, Yang Zhen Ming began the period where he taught alone. After his death, Hou Zu Qing took the three brothers and Yang Zhen Ming's daughter back to Yongnian in Hebei, while Yang Zhen Ming remained in Guangzhou to teach. As Yang Zhen Ming was much older and his younger brothers were much younger, he took on the responsibility of instructing his younger brothers and helping them. He was even more dedicated when his father passed away. After being separated for long time, Yang Zhen Ji was brought to Guangzhou by his brother and were reunited. When Yang Zhen Ji arrived in Guangzhou, he continued to teach his brother and also arranged for him to participate in some teaching activities. Yang Zhen Ji recollects that, "when my father passed away, I was still young, so much of what I learned, I learned from my brother".
At that time Yang Shou Chung had a son and a daughter. When the Japanese invaded, the daughter followed the grandmother back to Yongnian, while his son and wife escaped to the countryside. On the way the car overturned and were both killed. After that Yang Shou Chung married 梁幗義 and had three daughters.
The Fourth Stage: Simplicity is best (1949-1953)
This was a period where he was a hermit in Yuen Long.
From 1949 Yang Shou Chung escaped to Hong Kong and first set up in Yuen Long. At that time this was considered to be the countryside and was very quiet and the economy was not very developed. Yang Zhen Ming decided to make his residence in Yuen Long, was partially because he had relatives there, and also because the cost of living was relatively low, and was stable. He began teaching in Hong Kong here. Using the fees from teaching Taiji to defray his cost of living, he was able to raise his family, even one could not consider this to be a full time profession. However this time was quite special for Yang Zhen Ming. There are still people today who refer to him as "Yang Shou Chung of Yuen Long" In 2004, the International Conference for Exchange of Yang Style was held in Yuen Long, to commemorate Yang Shou Chung starting to teach Taiji in Hong Kong.
One can say that when Yang Zhen Ming was following his father to teach across the country, this was a glittering period, following in the family profession, it was tough but happy. When he taught in Guangzhou, much of the proceeds went towards his family, this was a period of ups and downs. Comparatively speaking, this was a peaceful period.
This was his first stop in Hong Kong and he lived here for 3 years or so, and gradually grew accustomed to the life in Hong Kong, after the horrors of war, his mind was at peace and started to change from an attitude of survival to making a living.
The Fifth Stage: Boxing famous throughout the Fragrant Harbor (1953-1985)
In 1953, with help from his disciples, Yang Shou Chung moved to Hong Kong island to a permanent home. He lived on No. 315 Lockhart Road, on the fourth floor. This was the main place where he taught boxing in Hong Kong. Until his death he did not move from this place, and his students came from all over the world.
From this period on his life was very stable, and he had time to contemplate how to better teach Yang Style Taichi, to use the power of the body, and when raising his disciples he was more strict and systematic. This was the period which laid the foundation for his own lineage of Yang Taiji.
During this period, in 1962, based on Yang Chen Pu's book 《太極拳使用法》 he published 《雙人圖解太極拳用法及變化》, and this is his only extant work. The book used the 37 pictures of Yang Chen Pu practicing applications with his nephew Zhang Qing Lin 張慶麟 and carefully annotated and explained the 37 applications and variations. This book also included 8 pictures of Yang Shou Chung and 張世賢 Zhang Shi Xian, and were used on the section describing the applications for the four sides and four corners “四正四隅用法”. Both Yang Shou Chung and Zhang Shi Xian also added prefaces to the book. The book also included the revised version of 《太極拳體用表解》 which divided the system into two parts - that of principle and that of usage. This was a very important resource for the study of Taijiquan. In 1976 an English version of this book was published in Boston, as the Practical Use of Tai Chi Chuan. The book also had pictures of him pushing hands with his wife.
The story is that Yang Zhen Ming died because of an accident. In 1985, on the 16th of the first month of the Chinese calendar, he went to the kitchen alone, and because the floor was wet, he fell over, and hit his head on a hard object. After his family found him he could not be revived and he died on March 7th.
Yang Zhen Ming style of Taiji came into its own in Hong Kong and his is symbolized by fact that he arranged his own classes with his own style, method and system. And also his main successors were from the time that he was teaching in Hong Kong (this is not to say that there were not good students of his in China, but in terms of scale of students and maturity of his system).
During his 36 years in Hong Kong, he taught many successors, and these included his family members,梁幗義、 女楊帝兒（AMY YEUNG ），楊瑪利（ MARY YEUNG ），楊伊利（AGNES YEUNG ）. His other famous students included : 黎学荀、张世贤、叶大德、宋耀文、邓煜坤、伍宝钊、徐滔、马伟焕、罗琼、马容根、朱振舜、朱景雄、陆锦松、徐标志、邓昌成 (my sifu).
In summary, Yang Zhen Ming was such a man:
He was a Taijichuan Family Lineage holder.
A family lineage holder in China, has a very strict definition, which has been debased in recent years with many claiming to be lineage holders. A lineage holder has several requisites - the first is that lineage is traceable, and a clarity of transmission. Second - there is a certain attitude - a respect for tradition; Third is demonstrated in one's actions - his traditional kung fu is strong and deep. In this respect Yang Zhen Ming was a lineage holder.
He was a professional teacher - this was his only profession throughout his life, and he used all his attention and energy and wisdom and dedicated it to taijiquan. Especially during those tumultuos times, using Hong Kong as a base, he promoted Yang Taiji overseas.
He is a successor - and as a successor he had a mystical sense of duty and obligation. Otherwise he would not call himself a successor. There are many now who teach but who do not have this sense of the sacred, and only think of profit, and this is the main difference between them and Yang Zhen Ming. They are only passerbys on the road of Taiji and their names cannot be inscribed in the book of Taiji. Yang Zhen Ming experienced the vicissitudes of life, with his ups and downs, yet was unshaken, following on from his father, he also left us with a famous work written by himself.
The Second Stage: Learning Through Teaching (1928-1936)
In this stage he started his life as a professional instructor, as a great part of this time was spent teaching alongside his father, he taught and studied at the same time. As he learned his father's kungfu, he also studied his father's style of teaching, especially the traditional way of teaching Taijiquan. This influenced his later style of teaching, whether it was content, or process, each was based on a strong foundation, and was imprinted with the Yang style.
In the preface to his book 《雙人圖解太極拳用法及變化》, he summarized these two periods of his life in a simple, yet authoritative way, "I started to study the arts at 8 years, I understood the principles of the boxing classic at 14, and was proficient in the broadsword, sword spear and other arts, and was an assistant to my late father. I went to Anhui at 19, drawn by the electric lights of Fu Hu, and taught for year or more, and was transferred to Nanjing to the department of transport, and followed my Father to Jiansu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Guangdong teaching to both groups and privately."
It is important to note that the teaching in Guangdong was due to letters of invitation from Chen Ji Tang and Li Zong Ren 陳濟棠、李宗仁. In 1932 as Yang Chen Pu was invited to the south to teach, he moved there with his whole family, with Yang Zhen Ming and his other sons helping him to teach. At this time Yang Zhen Ming had already married, and lived in a two storey house in Dongshan, where the family lived above with a large living room downstairs. There was also a backyard for practicing martial arts and teaching. This was the one place on the mainland where Yang Zhen Ming taught for a longer period of time and where the opportunity lay for him to move to Hong Kong.
The Third Stage : Keeping watch alone (1935-1949)
In 1935 Yang Chen Pu went to Shanghai to treat his disease and died in 1936. From the time that YCP left Guangzhou, Yang Zhen Ming began the period where he taught alone. After his death, Hou Zu Qing took the three brothers and Yang Zhen Ming's daughter back to Yongnian in Hebei, while Yang Zhen Ming remained in Guangzhou to teach. As Yang Zhen Ming was much older and his younger brothers were much younger, he took on the responsibility of instructing his younger brothers and helping them. He was even more dedicated when his father passed away. After being separated for long time, Yang Zhen Ji was brought to Guangzhou by his brother and were reunited. When Yang Zhen Ji arrived in Guangzhou, he continued to teach his brother and also arranged for him to participate in some teaching activities. Yang Zhen Ji recollects that, "when my father passed away, I was still young, so much of what I learned, I learned from my brother".
At that time Yang Shou Chung had a son and a daughter. When the Japanese invaded, the daughter followed the grandmother back to Yongnian, while his son and wife escaped to the countryside. On the way the car overturned and were both killed. After that Yang Shou Chung married 梁幗義 and had three daughters.
The Fourth Stage: Simplicity is best (1949-1953)
This was a period where he was a hermit in Yuen Long.
From 1949 Yang Shou Chung escaped to Hong Kong and first set up in Yuen Long. At that time this was considered to be the countryside and was very quiet and the economy was not very developed. Yang Zhen Ming decided to make his residence in Yuen Long, was partially because he had relatives there, and also because the cost of living was relatively low, and was stable. He began teaching in Hong Kong here. Using the fees from teaching Taiji to defray his cost of living, he was able to raise his family, even one could not consider this to be a full time profession. However this time was quite special for Yang Zhen Ming. There are still people today who refer to him as "Yang Shou Chung of Yuen Long" In 2004, the International Conference for Exchange of Yang Style was held in Yuen Long, to commemorate Yang Shou Chung starting to teach Taiji in Hong Kong.
One can say that when Yang Zhen Ming was following his father to teach across the country, this was a glittering period, following in the family profession, it was tough but happy. When he taught in Guangzhou, much of the proceeds went towards his family, this was a period of ups and downs. Comparatively speaking, this was a peaceful period.
This was his first stop in Hong Kong and he lived here for 3 years or so, and gradually grew accustomed to the life in Hong Kong, after the horrors of war, his mind was at peace and started to change from an attitude of survival to making a living.
The Fifth Stage: Boxing famous throughout the Fragrant Harbor (1953-1985)
In 1953, with help from his disciples, Yang Shou Chung moved to Hong Kong island to a permanent home. He lived on No. 315 Lockhart Road, on the fourth floor. This was the main place where he taught boxing in Hong Kong. Until his death he did not move from this place, and his students came from all over the world.
From this period on his life was very stable, and he had time to contemplate how to better teach Yang Style Taichi, to use the power of the body, and when raising his disciples he was more strict and systematic. This was the period which laid the foundation for his own lineage of Yang Taiji.
During this period, in 1962, based on Yang Chen Pu's book 《太極拳使用法》 he published 《雙人圖解太極拳用法及變化》, and this is his only extant work. The book used the 37 pictures of Yang Chen Pu practicing applications with his nephew Zhang Qing Lin 張慶麟 and carefully annotated and explained the 37 applications and variations. This book also included 8 pictures of Yang Shou Chung and 張世賢 Zhang Shi Xian, and were used on the section describing the applications for the four sides and four corners “四正四隅用法”. Both Yang Shou Chung and Zhang Shi Xian also added prefaces to the book. The book also included the revised version of 《太極拳體用表解》 which divided the system into two parts - that of principle and that of usage. This was a very important resource for the study of Taijiquan. In 1976 an English version of this book was published in Boston, as the Practical Use of Tai Chi Chuan. The book also had pictures of him pushing hands with his wife.
The story is that Yang Zhen Ming died because of an accident. In 1985, on the 16th of the first month of the Chinese calendar, he went to the kitchen alone, and because the floor was wet, he fell over, and hit his head on a hard object. After his family found him he could not be revived and he died on March 7th.
Yang Zhen Ming style of Taiji came into its own in Hong Kong and his is symbolized by fact that he arranged his own classes with his own style, method and system. And also his main successors were from the time that he was teaching in Hong Kong (this is not to say that there were not good students of his in China, but in terms of scale of students and maturity of his system).
During his 36 years in Hong Kong, he taught many successors, and these included his family members,梁幗義、 女楊帝兒（AMY YEUNG ），楊瑪利（ MARY YEUNG ），楊伊利（AGNES YEUNG ）. His other famous students included : 黎学荀、张世贤、叶大德、宋耀文、邓煜坤、伍宝钊、徐滔、马伟焕、罗琼、马容根、朱振舜、朱景雄、陆锦松、徐标志、邓昌成 (my sifu).
In summary, Yang Zhen Ming was such a man:
He was a Taijichuan Family Lineage holder.
A family lineage holder in China, has a very strict definition, which has been debased in recent years with many claiming to be lineage holders. A lineage holder has several requisites - the first is that lineage is traceable, and a clarity of transmission. Second - there is a certain attitude - a respect for tradition; Third is demonstrated in one's actions - his traditional kung fu is strong and deep. In this respect Yang Zhen Ming was a lineage holder.
He was a professional teacher - this was his only profession throughout his life, and he used all his attention and energy and wisdom and dedicated it to taijiquan. Especially during those tumultuos times, using Hong Kong as a base, he promoted Yang Taiji overseas.
He is a successor - and as a successor he had a mystical sense of duty and obligation. Otherwise he would not call himself a successor. There are many now who teach but who do not have this sense of the sacred, and only think of profit, and this is the main difference between them and Yang Zhen Ming. They are only passerbys on the road of Taiji and their names cannot be inscribed in the book of Taiji. Yang Zhen Ming experienced the vicissitudes of life, with his ups and downs, yet was unshaken, following on from his father, he also left us with a famous work written by himself.
[End of Part 1]
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