Yang Style
The Yang style of Tai Chi Chuan is the most popular practised today. Its slow graceful movements can be seen being performed in parks and open spaces in China and all over the world. It is the form of Tai Chi that most people associate with the art.
The history of the Yang style begins with Yang Lu Chan (1799 - 1872). As a young man Yang followed his father around, searching out temporary jobs, tilling fields, working in stores and such like. One such placement had him working at a pharmacy in Yongnian city where he witnessed a violent incident. The attack was so gracefully subdued by one of the pharmacy's owners that it sparked Yang's interest. The young Yang was already a fan of the martial arts and had been training in Chang Chuan but he had seen an unknown style of martial art that day and begged to be taught it. The store owner turned out to be a member of the Chen family and, impressed with the young man's burgeoning martial arts skill and dedication, he sent him to be taught Chen style Tai Chi by the current head of the family, Chen Chan Xing in Chen village.
Yang Lu Chan went on to modify Tai Chi, creating his own new style and family dynasty. He greatly popularised his art, teaching it to an elite faction of the Chinese Imperial family Guardsmen. Yang style focuses much more on the health benefits of Tai Chi than as a martial art for self defence. As such, Yang style Tai Chi is excellent for health maintenance and remedying postural, muscular and even emotional problems that have come about through the course of everyday life.
The Yang style of Tai Chi Chuan did not originally have weapons forms. These were later introduced to extend the curriculum. In Yang style, Tai Chi weapons are separated into two classes - long handed weapons and short handed weapons. Short handed weapons include the jian (sword) and the dao (broadsword). Historically, the Yang style used to teach quiang (spear) forms but this was later removed for safety reasons and changed to gun (staff). The gun is used to train the transmission of chi energy (fa jing).
The Yang style's popularity saw the creation of more offshoots in modern times and the three remaining styles owe their influence directly to the Yang family.