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
Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo's Birthday
On August 6, 2023, we commemorated the birthday of Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo (1926 - 2020). Students and disciples all around the world performed the 49 Form that he created. Video clips from around the world were put together in a beautiful commemorative video as a tribute to the Grandmaster for his lifelong dedication to tai chi chuan and his contribution to the development of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan worldwide. Thank you to everyone who participated.
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.
Ranking Exam Schedule
The Yang Family Tai Chi website publishes a list of upcoming ranking events around the world. We encourage members to visit our ranking events page on our website under the heading "Events" for more information, including links to study material for the written exams.
Master Yang Jun's Seminar Schedule
San Ciprián, 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.
Seminar in Rome, Italy
On May 31, in Rome, the Department of Sport and Health at the University of Foro Italico presented a conference "Tai Chi Chuan: Culture, movement and health". Many representatives from the university, schools, the Italian Health System, sports promotion organizations, and the area of tai chi chuan (including Master Yang Jun) participated.
Master Yang explained the philosophical roots of tai chi chuan and how they can be found and realized in the practice of this ancient martial art, helping to improve balance, flexibility, and stability of both body and mind. Many other speeches were given at the conference, including YFTC instructors Anna Siniscalco (national representative for Tai Chi Chuan AICS and disciple of Master Yang Jun) and Teresa Zuniga (MD specializing in traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture).
After the conference, from June 1-4, Master Yang Jun taught Traditional Form and Sword Form seminars in Rome. The seminars were organized by the YFTC School "Dinamica Tai Chi Chuan e Arti Associate asd" (Director: Anna Siniscalco).
Seminar in Mexico and 20th Anniversary Celebration
In June, Master Yang Jun traveled to Mexico City to teach Saber and Essential Form seminars. People traveled from Mexico, Colombia, and Panama to attend. During Master Yang's visit, a celebration of 20 years of Yang Family Tai Chi in Mexico was held. The celebration included a tai chi exhibition featuring children from age 10 to older adults in their 80's. YFTC members from all over the country participated. It was attended by representatives of the Chinese Embassy in Mexico and the Wushu Association of Mexico City.
At the end of the exhibition, Master Yang Jun awarded 16 new Yang Family Tai Chi ranking certificates to those participants who passed their ranking exams. Daniel Corona, Director of the YFTC Center (Mexico) presented Master Yang with a plaque in gratitude for his 20 years of dedication and effort in spreading the practice of tai chi chuan. Martine Salane and Pam Boyde were also acknowledged as teachers who have always helped develop Yang Family Tai Chi in Mexico.
Seminar in Danbury, CT, USA
On June 23-27, 2023 a Teacher Training Method (TTM) seminar with Master Yang Jun was held at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT, USA. It was organized by Tai Chi Chuan Teacher Academy USA.
Master Yang focused on how to teach tai chi techniques and methods through the hand form. During the seminar, academic classes were presented by Teacher Academy faculty Dr. Patricia Huston and Holly Sweeney-Hillmann on “Tai Chi and the Knee”. In the evenings, Teacher Academy faculty Bill Walsh, with the assistance of Audi Peal, conducted push hands practice in preparation for the two-day push hands seminar with Master Yang which followed the TTM seminar.
We thank Master Yang for the excellent seminar and for bringing us together on this tai chi journey. We thank our faculty for their outstanding contribution. Thank you, all participants, for the enthusiasm and the tai chi spirit!
Mari Lewis (Yang Yaju)
Head Director Tai Chi Chuan Teacher Academy USA
Summer Seminars in China
Master Yang Jun was able to begin teaching his summer seminars in China again after a long break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. His last full summer of teaching in China was back in 2019. Students were happy and grateful to have the opportunity to study with Master Yang again in person!
Taiyuan, Shanxi
July 7 - 9: 2nd Hand Form Intense Training, Part 1
Kunming, Yunnan
July 13 - 17: Master Yang's disciple and pre-disciple training
Master Yang held his 8th disciple ceremony on July 16, in Kunming, Yunnan, China. He accepted 48 new disciples.
Kunming, Yunnan
July 21 - 25: 5th Instructor Training, Part 1
Kunming, Yunnan
July 29 - August 2: 4th Instructor Training, Part 2
Taiyuan, Shanxi
August 8 - 14: Hand Form Intense Training, Part 2
Wenxi, Shanxi
August 18 - 20: Hand Form
Shanghai
August 22: Master Yang Jun gave a presentation "Understanding Tai Chi Chuan" for the Shanghai Newspaper Group.
Taiyuan, Shanxi
August 25 - 27: Special Training for 5th generation of YFTCC
Qijiang, Chongqing
September 15 - 17: Hand Form
International Gold Medal Winner
Congratulations to Daniel Corona for winning gold medals at the 4th Pan American Kungfu and Taijiquan Championships August 3-7 in Unionville, Ontario, Canada! This tournament had 800 competitors from 12 countries. Daniel is the new Pan American champion of Traditional Tai Chi (Men ages 40-59) and Kung Fu Long Weapons (Men ages 40-59). He is the first Pan American champion from Mexico to win performing Master Yang Jun's Essential Form.
We have been following Daniel's journey from state to national to international levels of competition in the past two issues of this newsletter and congratulate him on his great dedication to training and this extraordinary achievement. His next international competition will be at the 9th World Kungfu Championships August 23-28 in Emeishan, Sichuan, China. Daniel is a certified Yang Family Tai Chi Instructor and Director of the YFTC Center (Mexico City) and Mexico Shaolin Temple.
Seminar in San Jose, CA, USA
Master Wang, Han Hoong (Director of the Michigan YFTC Center) taught an authorized seminar in San Jose, California from May 26 - 29. Twenty Yang Family Tai Chi practitioners from the USA, Canada and Mexico participated in this 15-hour event.
Master Wang taught the 67-style sword very patiently and in great detail. She corrected the movements of each student, and pointed out the common problems in the class combined with the basic skills of Yang Family Tai Chi. Students happily reported that they had gained a lot of knowledge that will greatly help their tai chi skills. After the seminar, Master Wang presided over the ranking test.
Training at Sozopol, Bulgaria
Summer is a time for rest, but also movement and health! In July, an intensive 3-day tai chi workshop was held at the National Sports Base in Sozopol, Bulgaria. The workshop focused on the Traditional 103 Form and push hands. The hand form training was led by Hafaliana Rariwo (multiple national champion in Yang Style tai chi) with the help of instructor Dimitar Tonchev. Stanislav Bagalev, (Certified Instructor, Yang Family Tai Chi) led the push hands training. People from Plovdiv and Sofia participated and trained every day with great focus and attention to detail.
Practicing at a camp by the sea, with friends, and with beach and evening parties was a beautiful time of relaxation and development!
Michigan YFTC Center
Members of the Michigan Tai Chi Center (USA) participated in a variety of community events this summer.
Tai Chi Performance and Children's Class (May)
In May, they performed at the International Food and Fun Festival at Keller Elementary in Royal Oak, Michigan. They demonstrated the Yang Family Essential Form and saber, short staff, and also had a class with the students. The children were introduced to tai chi and had fun practicing slow and fast movements; they especially liked jumping, kicking, and punching!
International Women's Tea Party Day (August)
Michigan Cultural Diversity Festival (August)
Workshop in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
Fernando de Lazzari, Director of the YFTC Center in Ribeirão Preto, held a workshop at his school EQUILIBRIUS, on July 15 and 16. Participants practiced hand form, push hands, and studied tai chi theory.
2023 Summer Seminar in Dordogne, France
In August, the Yang Family Tai Chi Centers of Paris and Toulouse, along with the affiliated school in Lyon, held their annual summer seminar in Périgord, France. Participants enjoyed tai chi chuan, qigong, meditation, canoeing, and traditional Chinese painting. The best part was the friendship, sharing wonderful moments, and creating new memories!
YFTC School Lyon, France
Members of Bamboo Balance (YFTC School, Lyon) enjoyed a 5-day summer camp at St. Antoine l'Abbaye at the start of July. The school has held this event every year for the past 12 years. This year they practiced tai chi chuan, sword, qigong, and ink painting.
School Director: Edyta Piatkowska-Wu
On July 2, members of the school participated in the Festival between the Rhône and Saône rivers in Lyon. Visitors to the festival watched tai chi demonstrations and tried learning some tai chi movements. There were also demonstrations of traditional Chinese painting, including a painting demonstration by Jhycheng Wu. (Video)
Journal Gem
"From Relaxation to Hardness", by David Garritano. Issue 44 (2019), pages 10-13.
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.
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.
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
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 December 2023. Please send any announcements to me at carolyn@yangfamilytaichi.com by November 15, 2023.
Carolyn Fung,
Editor
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