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: Cyntia S. Levy, Rubén Coirini, Daniela Famulari, Gennaro Ripa, Françoise Desagnat, Jean-Claude Miremont, Thilo Krienke, Huang Gang, Zhao Ruiyuan, and Yao Tiebin. 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 our international association. 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,
Grandmaster Yang Jun
President
Our Official Name and Logo
Since our international association was formed, it has been known as the "International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association". However, when we went to expand into China, we were not able to use this business name. In China we will operate as "Yang Family Tai Chi". To keep names consistent, we will also now be referring to ourselves as "Yang Family Tai Chi" worldwide. Outside of China, the business entity of "International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association" will still exist in the background, and "Yang Family Tai Chi" will become a brand of this business and the official name we use.
We have a new banner for our Connections newsletter with our new name and logo. Thank you to Marco Gagnon for his help in redesigning our banner. He is a talented artist. Great work, Marco!
In summary, we will now be referred to as "Yang Family Tai Chi" and will be using this new logo worldwide instead of our old logos.
Renaming of Centers and Affiliated Schools
As part of our new branding, we will also be renaming our centers and affiliated schools. Yang Chengfu Tai Chi Chuan Centers will be called Yang Family Tai Chi Centers. Affiliated schools will be called Yang Family Tai Chi Schools.
Symposium
The Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Foundation will host a tai chi chuan symposium May 25-29, 2019 in Selvino, Italy. Selvino is located about 60 km northeast of Milan. Grandmaster Yang Jun recently met with Selvino's mayor, Diego Bertochhi (see photo) who offered his support for the symposium.
Essential Form
The demo video Grandmaster Yang Jun made of the new Essential Form is now available for public viewing in addition to our member area of our website.
Disciple Ceremony
A disciple ceremony was held March 10 in Datong, China. Grandmaster Yang Jun accepted 45 new disciples in his 5th disciple ceremony. Congratulations to all the new disciples!
Disciple List
Meet the new disciples in the following video.
Shanxi Province Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Research Institute
In January, 2018, Grandmaster Yang Jun helped to create the Shanxi Province Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Research Institute, a non-profit organization that will partner with Shanxi Province to promote Yang Family Tai Chi in that province. Below: Photos from the first meeting on March 21.
Documentary: The Way of Tai Chi
In early April 2018, Chinese television aired the documentary "The Way of Tai Chi". Grandmasters Yang Zhenduo and Yang Jun appeared in this documentary along with other tai chi masters and some of our association members. WATCH VIDEO
Healthy China Challenge
In March, Grandmaster Yang Jun gave an educational lecture and tai chi practice session for the general public in Datong. This was a volunteer activity as part of his grandfather's healthy China challenge. In September 2017, his grandfather, Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo stated that the health of China will come with the development of tai chi. He encouraged all Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners and instructors in China to volunteer some of their time to teach the general public. He proposed a friendly tai chi teaching challenge to encourage people to go out and teach more and see who teaches the most after one year.
Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Culture Festival - May 2018
Practitioners of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan gathered in Handan, China from May 27-29 to celebrate at the 2nd Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Culture Festival. An ancestor worship ceremony took place at Yang Lu Chan's tomb.
U.S. Teacher Academy
The United States Teacher Academy September seminar date has been changed to September 1-3, 2018. Grandmaster Yang Jun will offer a two and a half day seminar on Yang Family Tai Chi Essentials. In the evening, there will be academic courses: Pedagogy, Anatomy and Bio Mechanics, Introduction to Push Hands. For registration and program please contact Mari Lewis mari@yangfamilytaichi.com
Grandmaster Yang Jun's Seminar Schedule
Disciple Training
A pre-disciple and disciple training seminar took place March 9-13 in Datong, China.
Seminar in Shanghai, China
Grandmaster Yang Jun taught a hand form seminar March 16-18, 2018 in Shanghai, China. The seminar was hosted by Xin Wen.
Seminar in Paris, France
Grandmaster Yang Jun taught hand form, push hands, and saber seminars April 13-18, hosted by the Yang Family Tai Chi Center in Paris. Center Directors: Duc Nguyen Minh and Carole Nguyen.
Seminar in Mexico
Over 100 people attended Grandmaster Yang Jun's seminar May 11-13 in Mexico. They traveled from across Mexico and also from Panama, Colombia, France, and the United States to attend. Teachings included the Essential Form, saber, and tai chi philosophy. This event was hosted by the Yang Family Tai Chi Center in Mexico City. Center Director: Daniel Corona
Students gave Grandmaster Yang Jun an official T-shirt of Mexico's football (soccer) team. He promised to wear it during Mexico's games in the World Cup!
Seminar in Cologne, Germany
Grandmaster Yang Jun taught hand form and push hands seminars in Cologne, Germany from May 24-27. The event was hosted by the Yang Family Tai Chi Center in Cologne. Center Director: Frank Grothstueck
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Seminar in Milan, Italy
Grandmaster Yang Jun taught hand form, push hands, and sword seminars in Milan, May 30 - June 6. The seminar was hosted by the Yang Family Tai Chi Center in Milan. Center Director: Giuseppe Turturo
Fang Laoshi Seminar in São Paulo, Brazil
Fang Laoshi, wife of Grandmaster Yang Jun taught a seminar on the new Essential Form, June 2-3 in São Paulo. The seminar was hosted by the Yang Family Tai Chi Center in São Paulo. Center Directors: Angela Soci and Roque Severino
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Yang Family Tai Chi in Mexican Hospitals
At the end of 2017, Grandmaster Yang Jun sent a letter to the Secretary of Health in Mexico informing him about the official Yang Family Tai Chi Center in Mexico City and the health benefits of practicing tai chi chuan. An enthusiastic response to this letter was received at the beginning of 2018. For the past 3 months, a team of advanced students from the Yang Family Tai Chi Center in Mexico have spent their weekends training personnel from the main hospitals in Mexico City in Yang Family Tai Chi and some qigong exercises so the personnel can then teach hospital patients. The project will be able to cover all sub-secretaries of health inside the hospitals of the city for this year. This is a volunteer project and any expenses have been covered by the Yang Family Tai Chi Center's students themselves. The students have been enthusiastic and happy to contribute to this project. The Secretary of Health gave two certificates. One to Shaolin Temple of Mexico (Yang Family Tai Chi Center) and the other to our association.
Seattle/Redmond Center News
In March, the Seattle/Redmond Yang Family Tai Chi Center held a ranking event. Congratulations to (from left to right): Haiquan "Chuck" Zhao (Rank 3), Stephen Dilworth (Rank 3), Ed Wan (Rank 3), Kelly Hong-Williams (Rank 3), Fanny Wan (Rank 2), Meiling Fuller (Rank 1), Judy Stone-Goldman (Rank 2), Jeff Fuller (Rank 1), Jenny Pastore (Rank 2), Alain Roy (Rank 1).
In April, instructors at the center took a one-day class where they were trained in CPR, first aid, and use of AEDs. Everyone felt much more confident in their ability to handle potential medical emergencies.
Instructor Course, Rio de Janeiro
Davi Garritano (www.wulong.com.br), disciple of Grandmaster Yang Jun, taught a 6 month course for instructors on the new Essential Form. The course took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and finished in May. Ten new instructors are now able to teach this new form.
Upcoming Seminar with Edward Moore - Eugene, Oregon, USA
Edward Moore, disciple of Grandmaster Yang Jun, will be teaching a push hands seminar June 30, sponsored by the Eugene Yang Family Tai Chi Center. For more information contact Greg Moore at gmooremd@mac.com.
Upcoming Seminar with Rubén Coirini - Argentina
Rubén Coirini, disciple of Grandmaster Yang Jun and director of Wu De School of Tai Chi Chuan in Rosario will teach a seminar on the Essential Form in Bernal (Buenos Aires) October 6-7. Please see contact information below if you are interested.
World Tai Chi and Qigong Day
World Tai Chi and Qigong Day is held each year on the last Saturday in April. People in hundreds of cities in over 80 countries practice tai chi or qigong between 10 - 11 a.m. local time to help contribute to creating a healthier and calmer world and to educate people about the benefits of practicing these arts. This year World Tai Chi and Qigong Day took place on April 28. Many of our association's centers and schools participated. Some of them shared their photos:
Toulouse, France
Tai chi practitioners of the Yang Family Tai Chi Center in Toulouse practiced by the Garonne River and Saint Pierre Bridge.
Seattle/Redmond, USA
Tai chi practitioners of the Seattle/Redmond Yang Family Tai Chi Center practiced at their school.
Rome, Italy
Tai chi practitioners from Roma Tai Chi Village (affiliated school) practiced at the Villaggio Olimpico.
Rosario, Argentina
Tai chi practitioners from the Wu De School of Tai Chi Chuan practiced near Rosario's Flag Monument, along the Paraná River.
Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
Tai chi practitioners from the Ribeirão Preto Yang Family Center celebrated at their school.
Vicenza, Italy
Tai chi practitioners from the affiliated school in Vicenza practiced at an event in a beautiful park in their town. They also performed a flashmob in their town square, Piazza dei Signori.
Whitehorse, Canada
Despite a brief early morning snowfall, about 25 people came out to practice by the Yukon River on the plaza of the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada.
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Stanislav Bagalev's affiliate school in Plovdiv, Bulgaria did a tai chi presentation in the Central Garden in Plovdiv. They also did a presentation in the city of Sofia in the Borisova Garden.
Sofia, Bulgaria
Florence, Italy
Tai chi practitioners from the Yang Family Tai Chi Center in Florence celebrated by practicing at Parco delle Cascine, a historical park.
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
The affiliated school in the Dominican Republic practiced in Parque Duarte, a historical park in the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Union, New Jersey, USA
Students at Kean University, Union, NJ celebrated with Professor Holly Sweeney-Hillman.
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Daniela Borrás, an Associate Instructor, practiced in a gym with students from her school, Space Wu Ji.
Algiers, Algeria
Sid Ali Louani, an association member living in Algeria, practiced with his students in the city of Algiers. He was also interviewed by tv station CGTN Africa as part of their coverage of World Tai Chi and Qigong Day.
Bernal (Buenos Aires), Argentina
Fabiana Silvano, Associate Instructor, practiced with her students of the School of Tai Chi Ren Yi in Bernal (Buenos Aires).
Royal Oak, Michigan, USA
Students from the Michigan Yang Family Tai Chi Center performed a variety of tai chi demonstrations at a local elementary school. The instructors also held a session where the public could participate in silk reeling and the Essential Form.
Happy Birthday!
On May 19, the Wu De School in Rosario, Argentina celebrated Luis Benedetto's 80th birthday. Luis is one of their oldest students and has been practicing with school director Ruben Coirini for 11 years. Luis's perseverance, kind manners, and consistent attendance in tai chi classes make him a highly respected student at the school. Someone once asked him how he stays in such good health. He recommended tai chi and said he used to practice yoga but his body ached. The aches ended when he began to practice tai chi. Happy Birthday Luis!
Journal Gem
Journal Gem
The Sword Form: Flying Through Myth and Legend (By Audi Peal). Volume 15, Winter 2005, pages 16-19.
READ ARTICLE
Previous Connections Issue
Did you miss the last issue of Connections? You can read it here.
Next Connections Issue
Carolyn Fung, Editor
Connections is published in March, June, September, and December. We publish association news and school news (upcoming events, recent past events, awards, other news, etc.) but not general school advertisements.
The next issue of Connections will be published in September 2018. Please send any announcements to me at carolyn@yangfamilytaichi.com by August 15, 2018.
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