Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan
Encyclopedia
Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan, which has become known as the “lost” Yang-style tai chi chuan form, combines all the positive aspects of Yang Style with qualities that added strength and versatility. Guang Ping's stances are lower and wider than Yang Style but not as pronounced as Chen style. A stronger, more balanced foundation gives the student more power and greater flexibility. Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan also combines Xingyiquan
and Baguazhang
, which can be seen in Guang Ping's spiral force energy and projecting force energy theories.
Kuo Lien Ying
is credited with bringing Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Ch’uan to the United States.
There appears to be controversy on whether this is a “notable and even distinct” style of t'ai chi ch'uan, and its adherents have battled this mis-perception for many years. Thanks to the efforts of Grandmaster Henry Look, the first president of the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association, Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan has been acknowledged and listed as a separate t'ai chi ch'uan category in many competitions and tournaments across the country, such as the Kuosho International Martial Arts Tournaments and the UC Berkeley Chinese Wushu Tournaments.
in approximately 1270 AD. Legend has it that Zhang Sanfeng
was inspired by watching combat between a snake and a crane, observing the grace and flow of these creatures. When the snake would strike, the crane would gracefully retreat. When the crane attacked, the snake would recoil. In this contest the principles of yin and yang, where the soft overcomes the hard, became evident.
The forms and postures as they were originally performed are no longer seen today, but the 'operating principles' were codified in the writing of Zhang Sanfeng
and are enacted today in modern forms.
The form of t'ai chi ch'uan is based on the ideas from Taoism
, a philosophy or world view derived from the I Ching
(Book of Changes) and from the writings of Laozi
. The I Ching
, which embodies the idea of yin and yang
and their opposition, alternation and interaction, originated and was developed in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, BCE. Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching
in the 5th century, BCE. One of the most common images in this book is water, which is soft and yielding but which can overcome the hardest of substances. So, too, is t'ai chi ch'uan, seemingly soft and yielding, but holding the capacity for great power.
(Dao), the framework within which Yin and Yang
manifest in nature. Tao
is the Path or the Way. Yin and Yang represent opposite aspects of the universe. One cannot exist without the other, one contains the seeds of the other, and each is opposite in relation to the other. Examples of Yin and Yang
are day and night, light and dark, empty and full, masculine and feminine, receptive and active.
T'ai chi ch'uan therefore indicates that the art contains within itself (in the movements, shapes and patterns of breathing) all that is necessary for these dynamic forces to interact and be reconciled. The character Ch'uan refers to a school or method of boxing or combat. T'ai chi ch'uan, as it was originally conceived, is a sophisticated method of self-defense based on the reconciliation of dynamically interacting forces. The T'ai chi ch'uan practitioner seeks to neutralize the opponent's use of force before applying a countering force. In this give and take, this interplay of energies, T'ai chi ch'uan finds its highest expression as a form of self-defense.
Yang Luchan taught his son, Yang Pan-hou
, the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan.Yang Pan-hou
was reportedly the official teacher for the Imperial court of the Manchus. The indigenous Chinese, known as the Han, had been subjugated by the Manchus and therefore Yang Pan-hou
did not want to pass down the family's true art to them. Also, the Manchurians were aristocrats and were not inclined to the more strenuous exercises, so Yang Pan-Hou adapted his father’s Guang Ping form to be more subtle and taught them a very elegant, middle-to-small frame form. This is the Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan style that has come to be known as the Beijing Yang-style. Yang Pan-hou
secretly taught his father’s form (the Guang Ping style) only to select students who were not his family, who then taught it to only a few of their students and the art was subsequently lost to the Yang family.
Yang Pan-hou
's lineage-holding disciple was Wang Jiao-Yu, a Han (native Chinese) and a stableman for the Imperial family. As the legend goes, one day Yang Pan-hou
heard a noise over the fence and looked to see Wang Jiao-Yu practicing the Guang Ping form. He confronted Wang Jiao-Yu and demanded an explanation. Wang Jaio-Yu told him he had been secretly watching Yang Pan-hou
practicing the Guang Ping form during the magic hours of 3:00 to 5:00 a.m. Yang Pan-hou
told Wang Jiao-Yu that if he could put his chin to his toe in the chin-to-toe exercise within 100 days, he would teach Wang Jiao-Yu. And succeed Jiao-Yu did. Since Wang Jiao-Yu was a Han, Yang Pan-hou
took Wang Jiao-yu as his student and trained him in the secret Guang Ping style, and made him promise not to teach this art as long as the dynasty was in power.
Wang Jiao-Yu kept this promise, and only began teaching the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan much later in his life.
Kuo Lien Ying
learned the form from Wang Jiao-Yu. Wang Jiao-Yu, purportedly 112 years of age at the time, accepted Kuo as one of very few disciples. From Wang's teaching, it is said that Kuo learned all the true skill and essence of Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan.
Kuo Lien Ying
moved to San Francisco in the early 1960s and opened one of the first t'ai chi ch'uan studios in America with the help of Sifu David Chin. Sifu Chin first practiced with Kuo on the rooftop of the Sam Wong Hotel in Chinatown. Sifu Chin is the only living student of Kuo's to learn a second set of what he asserts Sifu Kuo called 'the Original Yang t'ai chi,' and that this 'Application Set' is crucial for the development of the boxing art that Kuo passed on.
and in commemoration of his unselfish sharing of his many skills. The mission of the Association is to promote, perpetuate, develop interest in, and preserve the quality of Guang Ping Yang style Tai Chi Chuan throughout the world, and to provide support for research and education in Guang Ping Yang T'ai Chi Ch'uan.
Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association Honorary Chairmen:
Y.C. Chiang, Henry Look
Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association Past Presidents:
Henry Look, Donald Rubbo, Nick D’Antoni, Dominick Ruggieri
Current President, Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association:
Randy Elia
Keep the mind focused; if the mind wanders, gently bring it back to its focus.
Be natural and at peace, release any tension.
The head should be as though it were suspended on a string from above, relaxed and lifted.
The body should not lean to any direction, and the spine should be lifted.
There must be a clear distinction between the empty (non-weighted) and full (weighted) feet (alternation of yin and yang).
Breathing must be long, even, and natural; do not hold or constrict the breath.
In even the slightest movement the whole body must move; do not let any part stop separately. When one part moves, all parts move; when one part stops, all parts stop.
From Kuo Lien Ying
's book Tai-Chi Chuan in Theory and Practice
Xingyiquan
Xingyiquan is one of the major "internal" or Wudang styles of Chinese martial arts. The word translates approximately to "Form/Intention Boxing", or "Shape/Will Boxing", and is characterized by aggressive, seemingly linear movements and explosive power...
and Baguazhang
Baguazhang
Bāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice...
, which can be seen in Guang Ping's spiral force energy and projecting force energy theories.
Kuo Lien Ying
Kuo Lien Ying
Kuo Lien Ying, born in Inner Mongolia, China, in 1895, was one of the most distinguished and revered martial artists of the twentieth century. He is credited with bringing the rare and powerful Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan to the United States.-Early years:...
is credited with bringing Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Ch’uan to the United States.
There appears to be controversy on whether this is a “notable and even distinct” style of t'ai chi ch'uan, and its adherents have battled this mis-perception for many years. Thanks to the efforts of Grandmaster Henry Look, the first president of the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association, Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan has been acknowledged and listed as a separate t'ai chi ch'uan category in many competitions and tournaments across the country, such as the Kuosho International Martial Arts Tournaments and the UC Berkeley Chinese Wushu Tournaments.
History of T'ai chi ch'uan
Based on unsubstantiated legends, the fighting system of T'ai chi ch'uan was created by Zhang SanfengZhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng was a semi-legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.Zhang's legend is that of...
in approximately 1270 AD. Legend has it that Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng was a semi-legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.Zhang's legend is that of...
was inspired by watching combat between a snake and a crane, observing the grace and flow of these creatures. When the snake would strike, the crane would gracefully retreat. When the crane attacked, the snake would recoil. In this contest the principles of yin and yang, where the soft overcomes the hard, became evident.
The forms and postures as they were originally performed are no longer seen today, but the 'operating principles' were codified in the writing of Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng was a semi-legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.Zhang's legend is that of...
and are enacted today in modern forms.
The form of t'ai chi ch'uan is based on the ideas from Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
, a philosophy or world view derived from the I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
(Book of Changes) and from the writings of Laozi
Laozi
Laozi was a mystic philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching . His association with the Tao Te Ching has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of Taoism...
. The I Ching
I Ching
The I Ching or "Yì Jīng" , also known as the Classic of Changes, Book of Changes and Zhouyi, is one of the oldest of the Chinese classic texts...
, which embodies the idea of yin and yang
Yin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
and their opposition, alternation and interaction, originated and was developed in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, BCE. Lao Tzu wrote the Tao Te Ching
Tao Te Ching
The Tao Te Ching, Dao De Jing, or Daodejing , also simply referred to as the Laozi, whose authorship has been attributed to Laozi, is a Chinese classic text...
in the 5th century, BCE. One of the most common images in this book is water, which is soft and yielding but which can overcome the hardest of substances. So, too, is t'ai chi ch'uan, seemingly soft and yielding, but holding the capacity for great power.
T'ai chi ch'uan translates as “Supreme Ultimate Boxing”
The Supreme Ultimate refers to the TaoTao
Dao or Tao is a Chinese word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle'...
(Dao), the framework within which Yin and Yang
Yin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
manifest in nature. Tao
Tao
Dao or Tao is a Chinese word meaning 'way', 'path', 'route', or sometimes more loosely, 'doctrine' or 'principle'...
is the Path or the Way. Yin and Yang represent opposite aspects of the universe. One cannot exist without the other, one contains the seeds of the other, and each is opposite in relation to the other. Examples of Yin and Yang
Yin and yang
In Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
are day and night, light and dark, empty and full, masculine and feminine, receptive and active.
T'ai chi ch'uan therefore indicates that the art contains within itself (in the movements, shapes and patterns of breathing) all that is necessary for these dynamic forces to interact and be reconciled. The character Ch'uan refers to a school or method of boxing or combat. T'ai chi ch'uan, as it was originally conceived, is a sophisticated method of self-defense based on the reconciliation of dynamically interacting forces. The T'ai chi ch'uan practitioner seeks to neutralize the opponent's use of force before applying a countering force. In this give and take, this interplay of energies, T'ai chi ch'uan finds its highest expression as a form of self-defense.
History of Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi
The Guang Ping form is traced back to the great t'ai chi Master Yang Luchan (1799–1872), who had been adopted by the Chen family and had learned the Chen-style t'ai chi ch'uan from them. Yang Luchan moved his family from the Chen village to the town of Guang Ping, and developed Yang-style tai chi chuan. The stances of this modified form were not as low as the Chen-style t'ai chi ch'uan form, with a combination of hard and soft styles, long and small circles and incorporated double jump kicks, and other wide sweeping kicks. The movements were long and deep, more energetic, with more apparent martial combat character. This Yang-style tai chi chuan became known as Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan.Yang Luchan taught his son, Yang Pan-hou
Yang Pan-hou
Yang Banhou was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in Ch'ing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.-Biography:...
, the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan.Yang Pan-hou
Yang Pan-hou
Yang Banhou was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in Ch'ing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.-Biography:...
was reportedly the official teacher for the Imperial court of the Manchus. The indigenous Chinese, known as the Han, had been subjugated by the Manchus and therefore Yang Pan-hou
Yang Pan-hou
Yang Banhou was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in Ch'ing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.-Biography:...
did not want to pass down the family's true art to them. Also, the Manchurians were aristocrats and were not inclined to the more strenuous exercises, so Yang Pan-Hou adapted his father’s Guang Ping form to be more subtle and taught them a very elegant, middle-to-small frame form. This is the Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan style that has come to be known as the Beijing Yang-style. Yang Pan-hou
Yang Pan-hou
Yang Banhou was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in Ch'ing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.-Biography:...
secretly taught his father’s form (the Guang Ping style) only to select students who were not his family, who then taught it to only a few of their students and the art was subsequently lost to the Yang family.
Yang Pan-hou
Yang Pan-hou
Yang Banhou was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in Ch'ing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.-Biography:...
's lineage-holding disciple was Wang Jiao-Yu, a Han (native Chinese) and a stableman for the Imperial family. As the legend goes, one day Yang Pan-hou
Yang Pan-hou
Yang Banhou was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in Ch'ing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.-Biography:...
heard a noise over the fence and looked to see Wang Jiao-Yu practicing the Guang Ping form. He confronted Wang Jiao-Yu and demanded an explanation. Wang Jaio-Yu told him he had been secretly watching Yang Pan-hou
Yang Pan-hou
Yang Banhou was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in Ch'ing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.-Biography:...
practicing the Guang Ping form during the magic hours of 3:00 to 5:00 a.m. Yang Pan-hou
Yang Pan-hou
Yang Banhou was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in Ch'ing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.-Biography:...
told Wang Jiao-Yu that if he could put his chin to his toe in the chin-to-toe exercise within 100 days, he would teach Wang Jiao-Yu. And succeed Jiao-Yu did. Since Wang Jiao-Yu was a Han, Yang Pan-hou
Yang Pan-hou
Yang Banhou was an influential teacher of t'ai chi ch'uan in Ch'ing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.-Biography:...
took Wang Jiao-yu as his student and trained him in the secret Guang Ping style, and made him promise not to teach this art as long as the dynasty was in power.
Wang Jiao-Yu kept this promise, and only began teaching the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan much later in his life.
Kuo Lien Ying
Kuo Lien Ying
Kuo Lien Ying, born in Inner Mongolia, China, in 1895, was one of the most distinguished and revered martial artists of the twentieth century. He is credited with bringing the rare and powerful Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan to the United States.-Early years:...
learned the form from Wang Jiao-Yu. Wang Jiao-Yu, purportedly 112 years of age at the time, accepted Kuo as one of very few disciples. From Wang's teaching, it is said that Kuo learned all the true skill and essence of Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan.
Kuo Lien Ying
Kuo Lien Ying
Kuo Lien Ying, born in Inner Mongolia, China, in 1895, was one of the most distinguished and revered martial artists of the twentieth century. He is credited with bringing the rare and powerful Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan to the United States.-Early years:...
moved to San Francisco in the early 1960s and opened one of the first t'ai chi ch'uan studios in America with the help of Sifu David Chin. Sifu Chin first practiced with Kuo on the rooftop of the Sam Wong Hotel in Chinatown. Sifu Chin is the only living student of Kuo's to learn a second set of what he asserts Sifu Kuo called 'the Original Yang t'ai chi,' and that this 'Application Set' is crucial for the development of the boxing art that Kuo passed on.
Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association
The Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association was formed In 1997 to honor the memory of Sifu Kuo Lien YingKuo Lien Ying
Kuo Lien Ying, born in Inner Mongolia, China, in 1895, was one of the most distinguished and revered martial artists of the twentieth century. He is credited with bringing the rare and powerful Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan to the United States.-Early years:...
and in commemoration of his unselfish sharing of his many skills. The mission of the Association is to promote, perpetuate, develop interest in, and preserve the quality of Guang Ping Yang style Tai Chi Chuan throughout the world, and to provide support for research and education in Guang Ping Yang T'ai Chi Ch'uan.
Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association Honorary Chairmen:
Y.C. Chiang, Henry Look
Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association Past Presidents:
Henry Look, Donald Rubbo, Nick D’Antoni, Dominick Ruggieri
Current President, Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association:
Randy Elia
Basic T'ai chi Principles
The whole body is relaxed; do not use force. Relaxation does not mean slack, the body is full of potential yet empty. The term in Chinese for this is "sung".Keep the mind focused; if the mind wanders, gently bring it back to its focus.
Be natural and at peace, release any tension.
The head should be as though it were suspended on a string from above, relaxed and lifted.
The body should not lean to any direction, and the spine should be lifted.
There must be a clear distinction between the empty (non-weighted) and full (weighted) feet (alternation of yin and yang).
Breathing must be long, even, and natural; do not hold or constrict the breath.
In even the slightest movement the whole body must move; do not let any part stop separately. When one part moves, all parts move; when one part stops, all parts stop.
A Mnemonic of Thirteen T'ai chi ch'uan Movements
Kuo Lien Ying
Kuo Lien Ying, born in Inner Mongolia, China, in 1895, was one of the most distinguished and revered martial artists of the twentieth century. He is credited with bringing the rare and powerful Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Chuan to the United States.-Early years:...
's book Tai-Chi Chuan in Theory and Practice