Yang Style Tai Chi: The Most Popular Style
Yang style Tai Chi is the most widely practiced form worldwide, characterized by its graceful, flowing movements and emphasis on health benefits. The style originated in the 19th century and has evolved significantly over generations.
Development of the Yang Style
The Yang style was founded by Yang Lu-chan (1799-1872), who learned from the Chen family and then developed his own approach. Yang learned the “Old Form” from the Chen family and created his style with movements that are “slow, gentle, even and big.” The style was further refined by his descendants, particularly his grandson Yang Cheng-fu (1883-1936).
Yang Cheng-fu standardized the Yang family style, making it more accessible to the general public. Yang Cheng-Fu is considered “the most influential teacher of the 20th century” and developed ten important points as a guide to correct training, including principles like “hold the head straight with ease,” “sink the chest and raise the back,” and “use the mind and not brute force.” These principles helped codify the Yang style approach that emphasizes internal development over external displays of force.
Characteristics of Yang Style
Yang style’s distinguishing features include:
- Large, expansive movements
- Slow, even tempo throughout the form
- Standing more upright with higher stances than Chen style
- Emphasis on relaxation (song) and proper body alignment
- A balanced approach to weight distribution, typically 60/40 between legs
- Absence of the explosive movements (fa jin) found in Chen style
- Gentle, flowing transitions between postures
This approach made the style more accessible to people of various ages and physical conditions, contributing significantly to its widespread popularity.
Cheng Man Ching and His Contribution to Tai Chi
Cheng Man Ching (1901-1975) was a pivotal figure in Tai Chi’s global expansion, particularly in bringing the art to the Western world. His shortened form of Yang style Tai Chi revolutionized the practice and made it more accessible to modern practitioners.
Cheng Man Ching’s Background
Cheng Man-Ch’ing is known as master of the “Five Excellences”: painting, poetry, calligraphy, medicine, and Tai Chi Chuan. As a physician, he had the opportunity to cure Yang Cheng-fu’s wife of a serious illness, and as a result, Yang accepted Cheng into his inner circle. This connection to Yang Cheng-fu is significant, as it gave Cheng direct access to authentic Yang style teachings.
According to historical accounts, Cheng fell ill with tuberculosis and withdrew from the art community to study medicine and practice Tai Chi. He studied under Yang Cheng-fu for 6-7 years until Yang’s death in 1936. This period of intensive study formed the foundation for Cheng’s later innovations.
The Creation of the Simplified Form
In the 1930s, Cheng Man Ch’ing saw that his nation needed the health benefits of Tai Chi, so to make it accessible to everyone, he shortened the Tai Chi form. By 1946, he had developed a significantly abbreviated 37-move version of Yang’s traditional form. This became known as the “Yang Style Short Form” or “Cheng Man Ching’s 37 Postures.”
The key modifications Cheng made to the Yang style include:
- It takes around ten minutes to practice instead of the twenty to thirty minutes of the Yang long form
- The hand and wrist are held open, yet relaxed, in what Cheng called the “Fair Lady’s Hand” formation (as opposed to the straighter “Chinese tile” formation of the Yang style)
- The form postures are not as expansive as Yang Chengfu’s form
- Cheng postures are performed in “middle frame” style, which changes the movement of the feet from the Yang version
- Cheng’s concept of “swing and return” in which the momentum from one movement initiates the next
These changes made the practice more accessible and efficient while preserving the core principles of Yang style.
Bringing Tai Chi to the West
When Cheng Man-ch’ing moved to New York, he broke with tradition by teaching his style of Tai Chi to Westerners. Much to the horror of the traditional Chinese community, he turned no one away. This open approach to teaching was revolutionary at the time and contributed significantly to Tai Chi’s spread in Western countries.
This new form, taught extensively to Westerners in New York during the early 1970s, marked Tai Chi’s journey west, attracting students like Maggie Newman and Ken Van Sickle. These students would go on to become influential teachers themselves, further spreading Cheng’s approach.
Legacy and Controversy
Cheng’s modifications to the Yang style have been both celebrated and criticized. Cheng’s changes to the Yang-style form were not officially recognized by the Yang family, and his style is still a source of controversy among some Tai Chi practitioners. Some traditionalists argue that his simplifications lost essential elements of the original form.
However, his impact is undeniable. While Cheng Man Ching was a Tai Chi pioneer in the west, he is generally unknown in mainland China. Yet outside China, particularly in the United States and Europe, his influence has been profound and enduring.
Cheng’s approach emphasized the health and meditative aspects of Tai Chi while maintaining its martial foundations. From watching videos of his form and push hands, his deep rooting in his legs and ability to transfer the ground force into his opponents looks impressive. This balance between health benefits and martial applications characterizes his teaching philosophy.
Conclusion
Yang style Tai Chi, particularly as transmitted through Cheng Man Ching’s lineage, has become one of the most practiced forms of Tai Chi in the world. Cheng’s willingness to adapt the traditional form for modern practitioners and to teach openly to non-Chinese students helped transform Tai Chi from a closely guarded Chinese martial art to a global practice for health, meditation, and self-defense.
The evolution from Chen to Yang to Cheng Man Ching’s form demonstrates how Tai Chi has adapted throughout its history while maintaining its core principles. Today, practitioners can choose from the traditional Yang long form or Cheng’s shortened version, depending on their interests, needs, and preferences, with both approaches offering valuable paths to developing the art’s benefits.
