Translations (译文)
Connections is available in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, French, German, and Chinese. We are very grateful for our translators who volunteered to translate: Rubén Coirini, Daniela Famulari, Gennaro Ripa, Françoise Desagnat, Jean-Claude Miremont, Thilo Krienke, Milena Locci de Oliveira de Lazzari, and Li Mingyang. Thank you very much! Here are the links to the other languages:
Welcome to Our New Members
I would like to welcome all new members who have recently joined Yang Family Tai Chi. Thank you for joining us and welcome to our tai chi family! I am happy you have chosen to join us and hope that you feel welcome and receive great value from your membership.
I hope that all members will have a long and fulfilling relationship with our association. For those members who have been with us through the years, I appreciate that you have chosen to stay with us as we continue to spread tai chi chuan worldwide to help humankind.
Sincerely,
Yang Jun
President
Remembering Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo
PLEASE MARK THESE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR
Celebration of Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo's birthday:
This year it will be on August 6. To commemorate his birthday, our members and students around the world will perform the 49 Form that he created. Start practicing the 49 Form for the event! There are no other formal plans for this event yet, so if you have any ideas on a new creative way to mark this occasion, please send them to pamboyde@yangfamilytaichi.com.
3rd anniversary of the Grandmaster's passing:
By Chinese tradition, this date will mark the end of the formal mourning period (filial mourning). Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo passed away on November 7, 2020. More information about this event will be available closer to the date.
Instructor Certification Renewal
All instructors must keep their certification current and must renew it every 2 years for Certified and Associate Instructors, every 4 years for Academy Instructors, and every 5 years for Senior and Master Instructors. There is no fee for renewal but a renewal form must be submitted, along with required documents showing continuing education information.
Please contact our department at ts-dept@yangfamilytaichi.com for questions you may have or any documents you may need.
New Instructors
Congratulations to new instructors! Christel Weiler (Associate) is in Germany and Maurizio Curia (Certified) is in Italy.
Authorized Instructor Seminars
Authorized Instructor Seminars are seminars taught by Academy, Senior or Master Instructors and that once approved, are eligible for seminar credits to be used for:
1) Certification of Associate Instructors
2) Certification renewal for Certified and Associate Instructors
3) Teacher Academy credit for academy students, if the instructor is Teacher Academy faculty.
All association-authorized seminars, including Teacher Academy seminars, must be approved by the Training Standards (TS) Department. Requests should be submitted two months prior to the start of the seminar. The TS Department issues certificates of attendance for all association-authorized seminars.
Our website has a page under the "Events" menu titled Authorized Instructor Seminars where you can find a list of approved seminars. Teacher Academy seminars are listed on the page Teacher Academy Classes, which can also be found under the "Events" menu.
How to Access the Member Area of Our Website
Do you know how to access the MEMBER AREA of our website (www.yangfamilytaichi.com)? When you became a member of Yang Family Tai Chi, you were sent a letter that included your username and a system-generated password. They are used to log into the member area. You can access the member area in two ways:
Access member area page with button:
On a desktop or cell phone, click on the "MEMBER AREA" button shown in the photo. You will be taken to the MEMBER AREA page and will have two choices: Members Only Area (for journals and our member guide "YFTCC Essentials") or Membership Management (where you can update your membership information or view past issues of Connections Newsletter). When you click on either choice, you will be asked for your username and password to enter the member area.
Access member area page with menu:
Desktop: You will find "Association" in the toolbar on the homepage. Under its drop-down menu, click on "MEMBER AREA". You will be taken to the MEMBER AREA page where you can select Members Only Area or Membership Management and enter your username and password.
Cell phone: You will see three dark lines on the homepage (see photo). Click on them to access the menu system described above.
Shopping Area: When you want to make a purchase of merchandise or online classes, you must log in by clicking on "My Shop Account" found on the upper right corner of our website's homepage. This area requires you to create a shopping account with a different username and password than what you use for the membership area. Your membership username and password will not work in the shopping area.
If you have any questions, please contact Stefanie Russell in the Membership Department. She is happy to help you.
Contact Stefanie: members@yangfamilytaichi.com
Past Issues of Connections Newsletter
Many people ask if they can read past issues of Connections Newsletter. You can find all issues in the Member Area. To access past issues:
1) Go to the "Member Area" page by either clicking on the "Member Area" button in the top right-hand corner of our website or using the drop-down menu under Association in the toolbar. (This is described earlier in this newsletter.) Or you may just click on this link.
2) You will see two choices on the Member Area page: Members Only Area and Membership Management. Choose Membership Management and enter your username and password.
3) Under "Member Menu", choose "Communication", then select "Newsletters" from the drop-down menu. You will be taken to a page that has all the past issues.
Questions? Please email the newsletter editor: carolyn@yangfamilytaichi.com
Directors and Instructors Handbook
During the first week of March, the most recent edition of our Directors and Instructors Handbook was emailed to our directors and instructors. This 5th Edition of the Directors and Instructors Handbook was updated in 2023. The email that was sent also contained the main changes since the last edition was published. This handbook explains how our international association is governed, organized, and administered. It also provides guidelines for operating centers, schools, and offices.
We encourage all directors and instructors to read this important handbook.
Master Yang Jun's Seminar Schedule
Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
April 22 - 23: Senior Form
April 24: Push Hands
Paris, France
April 29 - May 1: Traditional Hand Form
May 2: Push Hands
May 3: Saber Form
Lausanne, Switzerland
May 27 - 29: Traditional Hand Form
Rome, Italy
June 1 - 2: Traditional Hand Form
June 3 - 4: Sword Form
Mexico City, Mexico
June 17 - 18 Essential Form
June 19: Saber Form
Danbury, CT, USA
June 23 - 25 Traditional Hand Form
June 26 - 27 Push Hands
Budapest, Hungary
September 22 - 24: Traditional Hand Form
September 25 - 26: Push Hands
Spain
September 30 - October 1: Traditional Hand Form
Rome, Italy
October 21 - 23: Instructor Seminar
Toulouse, France
October 27: Theory
October 28 - 30: Traditional Hand Form
October 31: Push Hands
Please visit our association's website for more information as it becomes available.
Kunming, China
Master Yang Jun taught a seminar in Kunming, China April 6-15 for pre-disciples.
Michigan YFTC Center Tai Chi Performance
On January 28, the Michigan Yang Family Tai Chi Center joined Dragon Eagle TV for the Detroit Pistons pregame Chinese New Year celebration. They presented Yang Family Tai Chi's Essential Form, alongside other traditional Chinese dragon and wushu groups. Afterward, they watched the Pistons basketball game together. The cheerful energy gave them a break from the freezing weather.
Wishing good luck in the Year of the Rabbit to everyone in our tai chi family and to the world!
Chinese New Year Celebration - Yukon, Canada
Tai Chi Yukon joined the Chinese Canadian Association of Yukon at their gala celebration of the new year with a performance of the Essential Form. The next day, Chief Instructor Pam Boyde led an excellent all-day seminar with an in-depth study of Section 2 of the Traditional Form.
Happy Year of the Rabbit from all of us in northern Canada!
Seminar in Florence, Italy
In February, three Yang Family Tai Chi Schools in Italy worked together to organize their first seminar in Florence, Italy. Instructors Roberto Carchio (Roma Tai Chi Village School in Rome), Jack Cornell (A.S.D. Harmony in Motion School in Vicenza), and Maurizio Curia (Firenze Tai Chi Chuan) taught both tai chi theory and practical training to a very dedicated group of about 50 practitioners. Thank you to the instructors and students for making this seminar a success!
State Tournament in Mexico City
In 2019, the International Wushu Federation released a new rules book for all "Traditional Chinese Martial Arts" that participate in China's official Wushu tournaments. This includes traditional tai chi. After receiving this news, the Mexico Yang Family Tai Chi Center started preparing a team to participate first at the state event, then national and international events of this kind.
In January 2023, Director Daniel Corona went for an interview with CONADA (national sports commission) to start organizing at the state level. A team of 20 people was created (10 for tai chi and 10 for kungfu) to take all examinations and courses to become official judges of the International Wushu Federation, representing Mexico. The people on this team are now official judges for the state level. They will continue to train to later become national and international judges.
The state tournament was held on February 25th in Mexico City. The Mexico YFTC Center had two members participating as judges. Eight members won medals in tai chi and will be on the official state team that will participate in March at the national tournament. A national team representing Mexico will be chosen at that tournament to represent Mexico in international tournaments in China and the USA.
AGE: 40 - 60
Traditional Tai Chi with Short Weapons (Men)
1st Place - Gold - Daniel Corona (YFTC Sword Form)
2nd Place - Silver - Juan Manuel Ruiz Hurtado (YFTC Sword Form)
Traditional Tai Chi Hand Forms (Women)
1st Place - Gold - María Antonia López Pérez (YFTC Essential Form)
2nd Place - Silver - Xochitl Carolina Barrientos Lopez (YFTC Essential Form)
AGE: Over 60
Traditional Tai Chi Hand Forms (Men)
1st Place - Gold - Francisco Javier Chibras (YFTC Essential Form)
2nd Place - Silver - Helios Serrano (YFTC Essential Form)
Traditional Tai Chi with Short Weapons (Men)
2nd Place - Silver - Francisco Javier Chibras (YFTC Sword Form)
Traditional Tai Chi Hand Forms (Women)
3rd Place - Bronze - Virginia Aguilar Delgado (YFTC Essential Form)
3rd Place - Bronze - Maria del Rocio Trejo Corona (YFTC Essential Form)
Judges for Traditional Tai Chi
Daniel Corona Aguilar
Evelyn Cedillo
Journal Gem
"Principles in Practice: Discovering the Form Through Empty and Full" by Edward Moore. Issue #28 (2011), pages 28-29.
This article can be found in our Members-Only Area on our website.
Contribute to Our Journal
Volunteer Opportunities
Yang Family Tai Chi depends on volunteers who donate their time and talent to make our association a success. We currently need more volunteers to help our association as we move forward into the future. We have an immediate need for people with skills such as website updating and management, writing, translating, video editing, social media, and assisting our department heads and executive with various tasks. We also welcome volunteers in other areas.
Do you have any skills or knowledge you would like to share? If you would like to volunteer but aren't sure how you can help, please just send an email telling us you would like to help in some way and we will suggest some ways you could volunteer.
We are very grateful to all our volunteers who have helped make our association and its events successful. Building a strong group of new volunteers will help us improve our service to our members and also reach more people around the world! Please contact Pam Boyde (pamboyde@yangfamilytaichi.com) if you would like to volunteer.
Posting to Yang Family Tai Chi's Social Media Pages
Want to post news on Yang Family Tai Chi's social media pages? Yang Family Tai Chi would like to keep its social media pages updated with current information from the association, centers, and schools. Ana Horta is managing Yang Family Tai Chi's social media pages on Facebook and Instagram. If you would like to share news on Yang Family Tai Chi's social media pages, please send an email to Ana at anamaghorta@gmail.com.
VISIT YANG FAMILY TAI CHI'S SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES
Join Our Association
Become a member of Yang Family Tai Chi! For more information about membership benefits and how to apply, please visit our membership page on our website.
Previous Issue
Did you miss the last issue of Connections? You can read it here.
Next Issue of Connections
Connections is published in March, June, September, and December. We publish association news and school news (upcoming events, recent past events, awards, other news) but not general school advertisements.
The next issue of Connections will be published in June 2023. Please send any announcements to me at carolyn@yangfamilytaichi.com by May 20, 2023.
Carolyn Fung,
Editor
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