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
3rd Anniversary of Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo's Passing
Three years ago, on November 7, 2020, Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo passed away. By Chinese tradition, this marks the end of the formal mourning period, however, his legacy, his inspiration, and his spirit live on.
Yang Zhenduo (1926-2020), was the fourth-generation direct descendant of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. He held the ninth dan of Chinese Wushu, was an inaugural committee expert of the Wushu Research Institute of the General Administration of Sport of China, and one of the Hundred Masters of Chinese Wushu. He was also a contemporary tai chi chuan celebrity.
The Grandmaster is like a tall mountain towering in our hearts. As current and future generations make their way up the long mountainous path, he is like a beacon illuminating their way forward in tai chi. Although we miss this fine gentleman with his bright smiling face, we will be encouraged and guided by his spirit. Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo will live in our hearts forever. His spirit will endure forever.
On November 5, tai chi practitioners gathered at the Cáng jīng lóu (藏经楼) (Buddhist scripture building) in Yingze Park to remember Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo. This is the place where he began teaching publicly and continued to volunteer his time teaching for over 40 years. This is the place from which he began teaching locally in Taiyuan, then throughout the province of Shanxi, then many areas of China, and then internationally.
On November 7, Yang family disciples held a graveside ceremony to remember Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo.
Outside of China, students and disciples commemorated this occasion by symbolically sharing and spreading the Grandmaster’s spirit represented by a flame that they virtually passed to each other all over the world.
One of Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo's major contributions was spreading Yang Family Tai Chi in China and around the world. This video celebrates his contribution.
Events in Danbury, CT, USA
Our Tai Chi Chuan Teacher Academy USA held a push hands training event in Danbury CT, USA on November 4 & 5. The workshop was conducted by Bill Walsh and assisted by Audi Peal.
An association ranking event was held on November 5 in Danbury CT, USA. Thank you to all participants and judges for contributing to this successful event.
Judges in the back row from left to right: (Ron Weiss, Robb Wagg, Audi Peal, Michael Coulon, Bill Walsh, Holly Sweeney-Hillman, Sergio Aguirre)
Ranking candidates: (Middle row: Chris Wilson, Robert Martinez, Robert Kaczmarek, Curt Anthon; Front row: Nicola Briggs and Liz Joseph).
Message from the Membership Department
Please update your email address:
Members should know that they are missing out on messages, newsletters and renewal notices from the association when we do not have their current email addresses. Please update the association with your current email address. We want to keep in touch with you. Please send any updates to members@yangfamilytaichi.com or go to the Member Area of our website and select Membership Management where you can update your information.
Directors and Instructors, please help our membership department by announcing this information to your students.
Membership renewal:
For some of our members, it is time to renew your membership dues for the new year. If this is your renewal time, please check your email for renewal notices. An email was sent out at the end of November.
Master Yang Jun's Seminar Schedule
Bothell, Washington USA
February 2-6: Directors & Instructors Seminar
Paris, France
April 6-7: Senior Form
April 8: Push Hands
April 9-10: Sword Form
Antananarivo, Madagascar
April 14-15: 49 Hand Form
April 16: Saber
Royal Oak, Michigan USA
June 20: Push Hands
June 21-22: Essential Form
June 23: Saber Form
June 24: Push Hands
Danbury, CT USA
TTM (Teacher Training Methods)
July 12-13: Sword Form
July 14-15: Essential Form
July 16: Push Hands
Montreal, Canada
August 24-25: Traditional Hand Form
Mexico City, Mexico
September 6-8: Hand Form
San Francisco, CA USA
October 19-21: 103 Hand Form
Lyon, France
October 31-November 2: Traditional Form
November 3: Push Hands
Rome, Italy
November 8-10: Instructor Seminar
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
November 16-17: Traditional Form
Please visit our association's website for more information as it becomes available.
Seminar in Hungary
From September 22-26, Master Yang Jun taught in Szentendre, Hungary, a small, friendly town on the banks of the Danube River. The seminar was hosted by the YFTC Center (Budapest).
Participants came from several countries and learned and practiced enthusiastically at the 3-day Traditional Hand Form and 2-day push hand seminars. The seminar ended with beautiful and interesting social events and many good memories!
Seminar in Spain
Master Yang Jun visited Spain again and taught a Traditional Hand Form seminar from September 30 - October 1. The seminar took place in Galicia, a region in the Northwest of Spain. The attendees learned a lot, loved the seminar and are looking forward to the next seminar in 2024!
The seminar was organized by the National Kungfu Department and its National Director, Miguel Angel Rojo, as an official department activity. Likewise, an interview was conducted with Master Yang that will be published in Budoka magazine, which is the most important martial arts magazine in Spain. Teachers of Yang Family Tai Chi traveled from all Spanish regions to the seminar.
Instructor Seminar in Italy
I want to thank Master Yang Jun for the wonderful seminar for instructors that he held in Italy, at the 'Monastery of San Vincenzo' in Bassano Romano, in the province of Viterbo October 21-23. For many, it was the most beautiful seminar, for the completeness of the teaching methodologies presented in theory and in practice and for the incredible beauty and depth with which the 'Treatise on Tai Chi Chuan', Master Wang Zongyue (or Wang Tsung Yueh) classic, was presented and discussed.
The seminar was a wonderful opportunity for all teachers and students who follow the Teacher Academy to meet, share, study and practice together in a peaceful place surrounded by greenery that offers large spaces and opportunities for practice and sharing. Also, this year we had the pleasure of meeting participants not only from Italy but also from France, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Madagascar, Serbia, Greece and Malta, with whom we shared three beautiful days in a growing and joyful family spirit of gratitude for the important teachings received.
We were very sorry for all the people who could not come due to the general strike of all transport in Italy. We missed you!
Claudio Mingarini
Director of the IYFTCCA Teachers Academy in Italy
Seminar in Toulouse, France
The YFTC Center (Toulouse) had the pleasure of welcoming Master Yang Jun from October 27-31 for an exceptional tai chi chuan and push hands seminar. The seminar was attended by tai chi practitioners from Paris, Lyon, Marseille, and all over France. Practitioners also traveled from Russia, the USA, and Germany to attend.
The next seminar in France is scheduled for April 2024 in Paris.
Events in China
After a busy summer in China, Master Yang Jun continued his work there while also traveling internationally to teach seminars. His wife, Fang Hong Laoshi, also began teaching in China.
On October 2, Master Yang held a public lecture in Qingdao, Shandong province.
From October 11-12, Master Yang held public lectures in Pingdu and Qingdao, Shandong province.
On October 16, Fang Hong Laoshi taught an open class in Zhongshan, Guangdong province.
Fang Hong Laoshi taught her first Strong Base seminar in China from October 21-22. The seminar focuses on teaching students who already know the Traditional Hand Form how to improve their form by strengthening fundamentals such as proper footwork, body posture, and body position.
From November 9 -11, the Sichuan Wushu Association hosted an instructor training and certification seminar. Master Yang Jun was one of the teachers who trained the participants.
Tai Chi Yukon, Canada
Recently, Chief Instructor Pam Boyde of Tai Chi Yukon (YFTC School in Canada) presented six Jie One and two Jie Two ranking certificates to students. Congratulations to the six hard-working students for their accomplishments and to their instructors who ensure that we maintain a high standard of teaching and practice.
In October, Tai Chi Yukon members commemorated the life of our esteemed Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo with a candlelight ceremony.
Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
YFTC Center (Ribeirão Preto) held a ranking event for Eagle Ranks and Copper Tiger Rank (levels 1-4). Congratulations to all the participants and thank you to our judges and others who helped with the ranking event.
Círculo del Dragon School (YFTC School - Bogota, Columbia)
In Colombia, Alexander Gómez (Yang Ya Gen) organized a Yang Family Tai Chi retreat with participants from four cities of Colombia (Medellín, Villavicencio, Nariño and Bogota) and also from four countries (Italy, Mexico, Venezuela and Nicaragua). The event was held from October 20 to October 22 in the town of Chinauta.
On November 3rd, he and his instructors and students showed the benefits of the practice of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan in a demonstration at the 9th International Congress for Occupational Health and Safety organized by the Nueva Granada Militar University.
To commemorate the parting of Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo, students of Círculo del Dragon School met on September 30 to perform the Traditional Form and discuss the benefits of tai chi chuan. Additionally, Jose Luis Sanchez, one of its head instructors, paid homage to the Grandmaster by doing a tai chi demonstration in the city of Chiquinquirá with all of his students.
Standing Meditation Workshop in China
Meghdad AbdiI (Yang Yasheng) taught a workshop on Zhan Zhuang Standing Meditation based on Yang style tai chi chuan methods in Shanghai on October 15. The workshop was part of the 9th Annual Shanghai Healing Arts Festival. Thirty-one participants attended the workshop and learned and practiced Zhan Zhuang Gong.
Rockland, Maine Ranking Event
On June 3, the YFTC School in Rockland, Maine, USA held its first ranking event in Maine. The host and sponsor of the ranking event was Mike Shunney, the director of the YFTC school in Rockland. There were ten candidates: seven from Maine, one from New Hampshire, one from New Jersey, and one from Mexico. Congratulations to everyone who participated.
Copper Tiger: Tina Ochoa and Bas Debink
Gold Eagle: John Faggiano and Will Galloway
Silver Eagle: Dean Anderson, Anna Dembska, Mia Kanazawa, Bill Philbrick, and Mark Schoon.
Copper Eagle: Liz Joseph from the Rockland school achieved her rank at the event held in Danbury, CT in November)
Thank you to the judges for making this event a great success and a positive experience for all the ranking candidates.
Tai Chi Workshop - Lyon, France
In early December, Bambou Balance (YFTC School - Lyon) organized a weekend workshop taught by Daniel Shulz and Cyril Flament from the YFTC Center in Paris. The workshop focused on push hands and energy training in tai chi. Whatever our level of practice, we had great joy in being able to benefit from the valuable teaching of Daniel and Cyril!
Edyta Piatkowska-Wu
Director, Bambou Balance
Journal Gem
"Understanding the Importance of the Bubbling Well" by Holly Sweeney-Hillman. Issue #43 (2018), pages 24-27.
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 March 2024. Please send any announcements to me at carolyn@yangfamilytaichi.com by February 15, 2024.
Carolyn Fung,
Editor
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