Yang Zhenduo (1926 – 7 November 2020), a native of

Yongnian Yongnian is an urban district of the city of Handan, Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of o ...

Hebei Hebei is a Provinces of China, province in North China. It is China's List of Chinese administrative divisions by population, sixth-most populous province, with a population of over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. It bor ...

, was born in

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

, into the famous Yang family of martial artists. A son of

Yang Chengfu Yang Chengfu (1883–1936) was one of the best known teachers of Yang-style tai chi Chinese martial art. He helped develop the art into its modern form. His students would go on to found successful martial arts schools of their own and helped s ...

and a great-grandson of

Yang Luchan Yang Luchan ( zh, c=杨露禅, w=Yang Lu-ch'an, p=Yáng Lùchán), also known as Yang Fukui (1799–1872), was an influential Chinese practitioner and teacher of the internal style tai chi martial art. He is known as the founder of Yang-styl ...

(the creator of the Yang style of tai chi), Yang Zhenduo was a fourth-generation descendant of the Yang Family of

tai chi is a Chinese martial art. Initially developed for combat and self-defense, for most practitioners it has evolved into a sport and form of exercise. As an exercise, tai chi is performed as gentle, low-impact movement in which practitioners ...

, and the fourth lineage-holder of the style.

Biography

Yang Zhenduo began studying the soft style

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...

at age 6 with his father, and continued studying with his elder brothers Yang Shouzhong, Yang Zhenji, and his younger brother Yang Zhenguo after his father died. Studious, patient, modest and unassuming like his father, he possessed a consummate martial arts skill. He had the deep admiration and esteem of tai chi enthusiasts worldwide. Yang Zhenduo dedicated his life to promoting and popularizing the tai chi style not only to carry forward the aspirations of his ancestors but also to expand the ties of friendship between the citizens of China and the rest of the world. He lived in

Taiyuan Taiyuan; Mandarin pronunciation: (Jin Chinese, Taiyuan Jin: /tʰai˦˥ ye˩˩/) is the capital of Shanxi, China. Taiyuan is the political, economic, cultural and international exchange center of Shanxi Province. It is an industrial base foc ...

Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...

Province,

, since 1960, teaching the large frame of the

Yang-style tai chi Yang-style tai chi ( zh, s=楊氏太极拳, p=Yángshì tàijíquán) is one of the five primary families of tai chi. Including its variations, it is the most popular and widely practised style of tai chi in the world today. It is second in term ...

, and was invited many times to teach and hold seminars in many countries around the world. He served as vice-president of the

Wushu Wushu may refer to: Martial arts * Chinese martial arts, the various martial arts of China * Wushu (sport) Wushu () (), or kung fu, is a competitive Chinese martial art. It integrates concepts and forms from various traditional and modern ...

Association since 1980. In 1982 he founded and served as president of the

Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association, and was its ''honorary lifetime president''. This association has now grown to over 30,000 members throughout the Province and is the largest martial arts organization of its kind in China. In October 1998 Yang Zhenduo founded the

International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association The International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the teaching, promotion and propagation of the Traditional Yang-style tai chi. It was founded on October 29, 1998 by Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo and hi ...

, serving as its chairman of the board. Under his leadership, the association has now grown to 28 centers in 12 countries with more than 2000 members worldwide. In 1996 the Chinese Wushu Academy recognized Yang Zhenduo as one of the ''Top 100 Wushu Masters in China''. That same year he received the honor of being proclaimed ''Honorary Resident'' by the mayor of

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

, and in 1997 he received the ''Golden Key to the City'' of

Troy, Michigan Troy is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northern suburb of Metro Detroit, Detroit, Troy is located about north of downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 87,294, ...

from its mayor. Yang Zhenduo appeared several times on the covers of ''T'ai Chi Magazine'' and other martial arts publications. He has authored many articles and written books on the study of tai chi, as well as produced 3 complete sets of teaching videos of the art. While retaining his position as

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

of the

until his death, Yang Zhenduo retired from his regular teaching activities, his position as president of the association, and appointed his student Yang Jun, his grandson, as its new president to continue his work. In July 2009, at the First International Tai Chi Chuan Symposium, Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo announced that Master Yang Jun is the fifth lineage-holder of the Traditional Yang-style tai chi.

Disciples

Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo acknowledged the following people as his

Disciples A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to: Religion * Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ * Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples * Seventy disciples in t ...

. These individuals have studied and promoted the

for many years. * Hu Buyun, 胡步云 * Yang Yongfen, 杨永芬 * Guo Jiansheng, 郭建生 * Ge Jingang, 戈金刚 * Xie Wende, 谢文德 * Wang Dexing, 王德星 * Gao Junsheng, 高俊生 * Zhang Suzhen, 张素珍 * Yang Liru, 杨礼儒 * Miao Guangzhao, 苗光照 * Li Chunhou, 李存厚 * Sun Gangchen, 孙刚臣 * Cheng Xiangyun, 程相云 * Yang Chunru, 杨春如 * Zhou Yazhen, 周亚珍 * Lin Qiuya (Malaysia), 林秋雅（马来西亚） * Wang Wen, 王文 * Zhang Guiying, 张桂英 * Hua Xiaolong, 滑小龙 * Mei Mei Teo (Sweden), 张美美（瑞典） * Duan Yinglian, 段英莲 * Li Shoutang, 李寿堂 * Li Xiuying, 李秀英 * Han Hoong Wang (USA), 王涵蓉（美国） * Yan Fengxiang, 阎凤祥 * Jia Chengping, 贾承平 * Li Qimei, 李七梅 * Qiao Rongjian, 乔荣建 * Tian Xianwen, 田宪文 * Song Bin, 宋斌 * Geng Ying, 耿英 * Yang Wenshen, 杨文升 * Luo Haiping, 罗海平 * Yao Junfang, 药俊芳 * Wang Baixuan, 王白玄 * Jian Guiyan, 简桂妍 * Liang Xiufang, 梁秀芳 * Niu Xinzhong, 牛新中 * Li Tiancai, 李天才 * Andy Lee * Bill Walsh * Dave Barrett * Frank Grothstruck * Jean-Marc Geering * Andre Leray

References

External links

International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yang, Zhenduo Chinese tai chi practitioners Martial artists from Hebei 1926 births 2020 deaths

Biography

Disciples

See also

References

External links