Yang
Family, Yang Family Tai Chi
Centers, Schools Germany
Dr. Stephan Langhoff (Tai Chi Zentrum Hamburg e. V.): "Claims of transmission, tradition,
trust, openess etc played an eminent role for Yang
family members of former generations. But today this
outdated notion should be critically reviewed and
realistically adapted to the needs of modern society.
Unfortunately the opposite is the case. Rough and tumble
politics are still widespread: Outdated esoteric
mindsets and uncorrected misconceptions sadly continue to
be the name of the game. This seems odd and it is no
wonder that instructors, students and organisations seek
for broader perspectives. The bottomline is simple:
Everyone be proactive: Call fictions fictions and look
for facts!"
"International Yang-Family Tai Chi Association" AKA "International
Yang-Style Tai Chi Association"
As more videos on "traditional Yang Taijiquan"
surface, the "International Yang-Family Tai Chi
Association" AKA "International Yang-Style Tai Chi
Association" obviously is not very much amused. More and
more fact based research - often gleaned from the
internet - undermines long held beliefs regarding
history, martial arts internals and masters´competence.
Yang Family Taijiquan - "... and the Earth is flat"
My
conclusion: individuality is a key stone: Every
practitioner should have the courage to develope their own
convictions and stand by it publicly! I believe it was
Magellan who said, "The church says the earth is flat;
but I have seen its shadow on the moon, and I have more
confidence even in a shadow than in the church." I as a
born researcher would like to encourage more instructors
to be disobedient in the sense of traditional Chinese
"Wu-De" - submission and loyalty can quickly prove to be
an impasse.
Yang Family research and Tai Chi Classics
Multimedia/ Videos:
Factchecking has become much easier compared to the past
because of multimedia supply.
Yang Family Tai Chi, Esoteric beliefs and Standards in
Germany
Indepth comparison of
Eastern and Western teaching methodologies reveals what
is wrong and should be revised. Here are some important
points concerning both teaching principles and internals
of Chinese martial arts in Germany. Taiji masters´
efforts of bringing together their traditionally
esoteric mindsets and contemporary Western ideas of
ideology free quality standards have proven to be an
impasse - it just does not work. No wonder that their
"strategy" of tabooing obvious fallacies and
deficiencies has clearly failed! Yet a number of German
teachers of Yang Family Taijiquan cling to this futile
obstacle thus hindering a sound development and
necessary adaption of Yang Style to modern health
promotion and health prevention (cf Affiliated Schools,
Centers, Instructors of International Yang Style
Taijiquan Association).
Yang Family Tai Chi Teachers/ Instructors Germany
Following the train of thought of Yang family
taijiquan proponents, there is only ONE internal martial
art and only ONE family. Odd postulates like these
abound and to prove them wrong is a nobrainer given the
vast amount of information available today. This parole
is even part of ranking exams. This is elaborated here:
FAQ
Yang Jun. Teachers/
instructors should do their homework instead of
continuing to play the emperor has got no clothes.
Morals and Commandments of Yang Chengfu
A constant bone of contention among German taiji
teachers and students are Yang Chengfu´s "Wu-De-Morals"
including loyalty, obedience and submission.
They are non-negotiable for some Family members as Yang
Zhenduo and Yang Jun. All disciples have to sign these
commandments
personally. List see below. "Wu-De" Claims:
Yang Chengfu
Tai Chi Center Berlin and
Yang Chengfu Tai Chi Center Köln.
Yang
Family Tai Chi - Hours Picture by Dr. Stephan Langhoff
When I started learning Yang Family Taijiquan it held
an outstanding reputation. But recent research proves
more and more assumptions to be false and belonging to
esoteric myth rather than being established facts. Yang family
clans have never really been a "landmark of openess".
Instead they are only conjuring up harmony! The
salient point for me and many other practitioners is that Yang family
teaching, instruction and curriculum are based on an
outdated doctrin of the socalled "Taiji Classics" wich
is by no means ideology-free! Disliked by many is
furthermore the mixture of "taiji-masquerade",
commercial interests and "keep it up attitude" which
could be "admired" at its best at the Tai Chi Symposium
in 2014. My impression: Many issues of Yang Family just
beg the question!
Yang Family and "Tai Chi Classics"
All generations have been quite adament in following
the traditional guidelines set out in the canon of taiji
classics. These transmissions are known for their
esoteric mindset and dismissal of any "foreign" i e.
Shaolin and buddhist influences on "wudang" leading to
severe errors and many a faulty statement. The family´s
doctrin to cling to this "bible" of classic essentials
poses quite a number of problems to open minded
students. Continue reading hours picture "Yang Family
Taichi Classics", "Yang Family 40 Chapters", "Yang
Family secret transmissions" and "Salt Shop Manuals".
Yang Family - ONE Family ?
There is no "one Yang family" - the terminology is
highly misleading. Several family branches Members hold opposing views -
quite early they had reached an impasse and no longer
share a common platform. They even disagree on
underlying principles and even on lineage.
Yang Family - Traditional Yang Family Taijiquan?
Again the terminology is at best "highly misleading": Yang Chengfu
form is a modern form watered down. An older form is
preserved by the Yang Zhenming branch in Hongkong.
Yang Family and Martial Arts Stereotypes
Some Yang Family members reinforce false negative
stereotypes. It can be easily proven that Yang Family´s
claims of uniquenes are wrong - many other martial arts
use "soft methods" and "connectedness" - Aikido, Judo
and Wado-Ryu-Karate originating
from Shindo Yoshin Ryu Jujutsu. An excellent opportunity
for comparison will be the upcoming seminar "Unified
Strength/ Connected Body" in Hamburg. It is hosted by
Dr. Stephan Langhoff. Topics will include structure,
posture, spiral energy and the role of proprioception.
Yang Family Implications, Outlook and Solutions
But what should be done about this unsatisfying
problematic situation? First we should replace the term "Yang Family
Taichi" by the less corrupted "Yang Taichi" so as to
make clear we conduct our research based on evidence
rather than esoteric beliefs. Further progress can only
be made if instructors could be motivated to abandon
their traditional mindsets in favor of transparency and
openness.