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, Davi Garritano, 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 1926 - 2020
Obituary
The generational grandmaster of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, the third son of the grandmaster Yang Chengfu, Chinese Wushu 9th Duan, Wu Lin Baijie, member of the first expert committee of the Wushu Academy of the State Sports General Administration, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association, President of the Founding Association of Shanxi Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association, the honorary president of the Yang Family Taijiquan Research Association of Shanxi Wushu Association, and the fourth-generation descendant of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, Mr. Yang Zhenduo, passed away in the early morning of November 7, 2020, Beijing time, at the age of 95.
Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo was born in Beijing in 1926 and his ancestral home is Yanmenzhai, Yongnian County, Hebei. Since childhood, he inherited the family tradition under the guidance of his father and brothers from his young age. After the death of his father, he returned to Yongnian with his mother and worked hard for decades. His tai chi chuan style was chic and graceful, with vigorous strength and steadiness.
The master graduated from the seventh branch of the Huangpu Military Academy in his early years, and was transferred to the Shanxi Provincial Government in the 1960s to be responsible for the provincial leadership of fitness and health care. Since 1971, he continually taught tai chi chuan free of charge in front of the Buddhist scripture building in Yingze Park of Taiyuan every Sunday for more than 40 years. Consequently, the Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan that was based in Taiyuan City, has spread across the province, and extended overseas. It became a highlight for Shanxi martial arts. In April 1982, the Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Research Association of Shanxi Province was established (later renamed as the Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association of Shanxi Province), and he was the founding president. In 1998, he supported his elder grandson Yang Jun to establish the International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association and served as the chairman of the board of directors.
Since 1985, the master traveled to dozens of countries and regions around the world to promote tai chi. In recognition of his contribution, he was awarded the honorary mayor of San Antonio, Texas in 1996. The mayor of Troy awarded him the city’s golden key in 1999, and the governor of Michigan issued a certificate of commendation in 1999. The Grandmaster was the first person in the Yang family to go abroad and bring Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan to the world.
The grandmaster was sincere and humble, open-minded, and indifferent to fame and fortune. He respected the elders and loved the young at home, taught others patiently and tirelessly. He advocated that “Tai Chi in the world is one family” and dedicated his life, energy, and enthusiasm to spreading Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan, and hoped that tai chi will contribute more to human health. He has made an indelible contribution to the spread of tai chi culture in the world.
Grandmaster lives forever!
Sons: Yang Daofang and Yang Defang
Daughter-in-law: Wu Sumei
Grandson: Yang Jun, Yang Bin, and Yang Yong
Granddaughter-in-law: Fang Hong, Song Li, and Zhang Juan
Granddaughter: Yang Xueqin
Grandson-in-law: Sun Hongwei
Great-grandson: Yang Yajie, Yang Yahao
Great-granddaughter: Yang Yaning, Yang Yaxian
Great-grandson-in-law: Zhou Xingzhang
Great-grandnephew: Sun Tiancheng
All the disciples of the grand master and their disciples in linage.
November 7, 2020
Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo was laid to rest at Taiyuan Longshan Cemetery. A video was created of his ceremony and worldwide farewell, featuring people all around the world.
Letter from Master Yang Jun
Photo by Jean-Robert Haefeli
Dear Members,
When my grandfather passed away, many people sent me and my family kind words of sympathy or shared their vigil photos with us. Thank you so much for your kindness. You helped to comfort us very much during that difficult time. We are very grateful for everyone’s love and support.
I’d like to share what I think are some of my grandfather’s major contributions to tai chi chuan and to me, personally. First, my grandfather was dedicated to studying tai chi chuan so that he was able to continue the art from his father, Yang Chengfu. He did this successfully despite having to face many challenges. He began learning tai chi chuan with his father when he was 5 years old. Around age 10, his father passed away, and he continued training with his older brothers. War also began with Japan and then World War II. That was followed by China’s civil war. War was part of his life from age 10 to his early 20’s and that made life difficult. When the Japanese invaded Hebei, he moved to the city of Xi’an in Shaanxi province. In his early career, my grandfather joined the military academy, became a soldier, and then an officer in the army. After the war was over, he dedicated himself to the practice of tai chi chuan and continued to develop his skill. Eventually he moved to Taiyuan in Shanxi province and got a job with the provincial government where he led a program for the health and wellness of government officials and taught tai chi to them. So one of his main achievements was he was able to continue the art from his father instead of giving up because of the challenges he faced.
His second main contribution was to pass the art to the next generation. Not only did he pass the art to me and many disciples, he spread the art across the world. Among his brothers, my grandfather was the one who really spread the art the most widely. In the 1970s, he started teaching in public in Yingze Park in Taiyuan in front of the Cáng jīng lóu (藏经楼). He volunteered his time teaching there for over 40 years. From this location, he spread tai chi chuan across Taiyuan, then the whole province of Shanxi, then many areas in China, and then he taught overseas. He was the first Yang family member to teach overseas into Europe, North America and South America.
My grandfather had a central role throughout my life. From childhood, I was raised by my grandparents and I am deeply thankful for everything they did. My grandfather taught me tai chi chuan, passing the art to the next generation. Also, he was the one that led me in the direction of a career teaching tai chi chuan. When I was in my teens or 20’s, I wasn’t sure if I wanted a career teaching tai chi chuan. It was because of my grandfather continually leading me in this direction that I had this opportunity and today I am very grateful. Now I can continue my family’s legacy, continuing the work of previous generations. Without my grandfather’s influence, my life might have gone in a different direction. He is the one who changed my life.
I admired my grandfather’s open heart and saw him as a role model for how to live life. He was passionate and gentle and had a smile that made people feel comfortable around him. He was caring and honest and had a high moral standard. He focused on what he could give to others, not what he could gain personally. I think it was his kind, warm personality and love for people that made people love and respect him and be loyal to him. Some people followed him for more than 50 years. I am grateful he lived such a long life.
My grandfather was very successful in his life. He continued practicing tai chi chuan despite many challenges so he could carry on the art. He passed the art to me and my brother. He also spread the art worldwide. He completed his mission. Now we can look to the future and our mission. My grandfather’s passing marks the end of the 4th generation of the Yang family. He was the last living child of Yang Chengfu and also Yang Chengfu’s last living disciple. There are no more 4th generation members. Now the current living generations are called to continue the legacy. Let’s use his life as a model to create a successful future for the art of tai chi chuan in the world and for Yang Family Tai Chi.
Yang Jun
Outside of Yang Luchan's house (2017)
Tribute to Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo
Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo lived a very long life of 95 years. There are many parts of his life that could be written about in this tribute. He helped create the International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association and served as its Chairman until his death. But he was so much more than just our Founder and Chairman. Since Connections is the association's newsletter, it feels appropriate to write about the various ways he was involved in our international association. For older members, it may bring back many warm memories. For newer members who never met him, it may help them understand the kind of person he was, the important role he played in our association, and some of our association's history.
Traveling the World
Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo began teaching internationally around 1985 in Europe. In 1990, Pat Rice (now Director of the Yang Family Tai Chi Center in Winchester, VA) invited Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo and Master Yang Jun to Winchester, USA to give a seminar at A Taste of China's summer event. It was Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo's first trip to North America. The event helped introduce him to a larger international tai chi chuan community. For Master Yang Jun, this was his first trip outside of China. The trip helped him see tai chi as something very valuable and special, rather than a very common activity that had always been part of his life.
The seminar was a success and Tai Chi Magazine covered the event. During their trip, Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo and Master Yang Jun visited some landmarks in Washington, DC and tried various new American food.
After the success of the 1990 seminar, Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo began teaching more seminars in the United States, while continuing to teach in Europe and eventually began teaching in South America. In 1995, he decided to form Yang Chengfu Tai Chi Chuan Centers in the US and three were created in Texas, Michigan, and New York. The New Jersey center was created in 1996. In 1998, he and Master Yang Jun formed the International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association to bring together Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners and new centers that had formed. In the summer of 1999, Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo and Master Yang Jun made their first trip to Seattle. An exhibition was held to promote the new association and support the new Seattle center which would open soon. Master Yang Jun and his wife Fang Hong moved to Seattle to run the new Seattle center and the international association.
By the end of 2000, just two years after it formed, the international association had 22 centers in 11 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Below are some photos from some of the seminars before and after our international association was formed. (Note: This is not a complete list of every seminar given.)
New York, USA 1995
New York, USA 1996 & 1999
Maryland, USA 1993 & 1995
Stockholm, Sweden 1996
Troy, Michigan, USA 1997
Stockholm, Sweden 1995 & 1998
Montreal, Canada 1998
Alviano (near Rome), Italy 1998
Milan, Italy 1999
London, UK 1999
São Paulo, Brazil, 1999 (First seminar in Brazil)
San Antonio, Texas, USA 2000
Paris, France 2001
 Photo by Jean-Robert Haefeli
São Paulo, Brazil, 2001
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2001 (Photos by Paulo Camarão)
Troy, Michigan, USA 2001
Portland, Oregon, USA 2001
Seattle, WA, USA 2002
Buffalo, NY, USA 2002
Trip to Niagara Falls during Buffalo, NY 2002 seminar
The last year that Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo taught seminars in the US was 2002.
The summer of 2004 was the last summer he taught seminars in Europe. Seminars were held in Stockholm, Sweden and Paris, France. Below are some photos from the Paris event.
Paris, France 2004
Photos by Jean-Robert Haefeli
 Photo by Jean-Robert Haefeli
Students loved studying with Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo. He was a superb teacher who instinctively knew how to develop students. He gave his attention to all students, regardless of their level. He was patient, humble, and kind. He brought enthusiasm and energy to his seminars. Students remember his smile, sense of humor, and his deep, strong, resonant voice that could fill an entire room as he called the hand form movements.
He also earned the respect of many local officials and was honored in China and internationally on many occasions. Some of these honors include receiving the golden key to the city of Troy, Michigan from the Mayor of Troy, a certificate of commendation from the Governor of Michigan, and the title of Honorary Resident from the Mayor of San Antonio, Texas. In 1999, the Mayor of Pau, France invited him to a ceremony of over 200 people and awarded him the gold medal of the town of Pau.
Photos below: With the Mayor of Pau (left); with the Mayor of Troy (right)
In 2009, at the age of 84, Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo made his final trip to the United States (with his wife) for the 2009 International Tai Chi Chuan Symposium in Nashville, Tennessee. The symposium invited grandmasters of five traditional schools of tai chi chuan (Chen, Yang, Wu Hao, Wu and Sun) from China to the United States to teach seminars and exchange ideas with scientists and all participants. The grandmasters were Chen Zhenglei (Chen style), Yang Zhenduo (Yang style), Wu Wenhan (Wu Hao style), Ma Hailong (Wu style), and Sun Yongtian (Sun style). This was the first time all five grandmasters appeared together in the United States. The symposium helped tai chi practitioners understand and appreciate the common elements and different flavors of the various styles of tai chi chuan.
During the symposium, a private disciple ceremony was held and Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo accepted Master Yang Jun and his brother Master Yang Bin as 5th generation inner disciples. He also formally named Master Yang Jun as the 5th generation lineage holder (Zhang Men Ren) of Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan.
Our association's YouTube channel has videos of the ceremony and also the public announcement to the symposium's participants.
International Students Travel to China
As Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo aged, he gradually retired from traveling for international seminars. Around this time, the international association began organizing trips to China for its members. He spent earlier years building relationships with international students. Now, hundreds of international students traveled across the world to be with him.
Tai chi tournaments were often part of these trips and Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo was delighted to see the international students come together with the Chinese students from the Shanxi Province Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association which he created in 1982. He always hoped that tai chi chuan could be used to bring people of different cultures together. Despite different nationalities and languages, people at the tournaments were like one big tai chi family, making new friendships because of their common love of tai chi chuan.
Taiyuan, China 2002
Taiyuan, China 2005 & 2012
Taiyuan, China 2012
In 2002, Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo accepted his first group of disciples. Among them were three disciples from outside of China (from left to right: Huan Qiuya (Malaysia), Mei Mei Teo (Director of Sweden YFTC Center), and Han Hoong Wang (Director of Michigan, USA YFTC Center).
In 2005, he accepted another group of disciples, including the first six non-Chinese disciples. These six people were directors at various Yang Chengfu Tai Chi Chuan Centers (now called Yang Family Tai Chi Centers) in our international association. From left to right: Andy Lee (East Brunswick, New Jersey, USA Center); Bill Walsh (New York City, USA Center); Dave Barrett (Portland, Oregon, USA Center), Frank Grothstück (Köln, Germany Center), Jean-Marc Geering (Lausanne, Switzerland Center), and Andre Leray (Pau, France Center).
When Master Yang Jun began accepting disciples in 2012, Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo participated in the disciple ceremony and some of the other disciple ceremonies through the years.
Taiyuan, China 2012
Taiyuan, China 2015
Kunming, China 2017
Our association began organizing trips to China and Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo always participated in some way. He enjoyed meeting people and was very friendly to local or international guests at events or in his home.
Wuxi, China 2002
Morning practice, Hangzhou, China 2002
An unforgettable highlight of the 2005 trip was when he personally taught a seminar over three mornings, three hours each morning. He had been gradually retiring from teaching since 2002 and at this time did not normally teach fully, only providing some tips and assistance to participants on the side. But he was greatly touched when he saw many friends from both China and overseas, who came to celebrate his 80th birthday with him, so at Wutai Mountain he decided to teach while Master Yang Jun translated. Everyone felt very moved and honored by this experience.
"We were speechless with gratitude that he had traveled with us, taught us one more time and was now heading back into retirement. To get this opportunity to study with him, to hear the vitality in his voice and feel the deep commitment he has to his art was the high point of the journey. All the scenery, ancient sites, indeed all the tea in China could not compare to the grace and wisdom of our gifted teacher entering his 80th year." - Dave Barrett
Seminar at Wutai Mountain, China 2005
Stone Forest, Yunnan Province, China 2007
A highlight of many trips to China was celebrating Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo's birthday.
80th Birthday Celebration (2005)
Over 500 guests attended Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo's 80th birthday banquet, including representatives from various schools and the media. CCTV came and recorded a special piece for the occasion which was then broadcast nationally. Many foreigners traveled to China for the party, and he felt very moved and excited about the international flavor of his birthday party. He had spent years traveling the world to spread tai chi chuan and having so many foreigners involved with tai chi and coming to China felt like an affirmation of his earlier international work.
87th Birthday Celebration (2012)
90th Birthday Celebration (2015)
The celebration of Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo's last birthday, his 95th, was a much smaller, simpler family gathering. The global coronavirus pandemic brought restrictions on international travel and large social gatherings.
Yang Family Tai Chi Centers in China
Our association had many centers and affiliated schools around the world, but none in China. In 2017, three centers opened in Kunming, Beijing, and Taiyuan. Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo and his wife, Hu Ruidi, traveled to all the opening ceremonies and centers. Even at the age of 92, he still assisted our association when he could. Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo was proud of the association's work. In the beginning, he actually never imagined our international association could go this far. He never imagined we could involve so many countries. He was very happy to live long enough to see Yang Family Tai Chi Centers in China. Now schools and Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan practitioners in China could become more unified.
In March 2017, the Kunming Center opened. It was the first Yang Family Tai Chi Center in China, and also serves as the Asia-Pacific Affairs Office and the training base for Southwest China. Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo created a calligraphy painting that read "Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Training Base". This painting is a symbol for our international association and will be used as a model to make copies carved into wood to hang in each training base we establish. A total of ten VIP guests (witnesses) completed the painting by adding their seals in red ink. They include from left to right: Wen Qunbin, Zhao Youbin, Yu Gongbao, Liu Hongqi, Kang Gewu, Yang Zhenduo, Yang Zhifang, Sha Junjie, Yang Jun, and Fu Qingquan.
Kunming, March 2017
The Beijing Yang Family Tai Chi Center opened in May 2017. It also serves as the association's China Headquarters and the training base for Northern China.
Beijing, May 2017
The Shanxi Yang Family Tai Chi Center opened in December 2017 in Taiyuan. At the Grand Opening Ceremony, Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo was the first person to walk through its doors. More photos and also video can be viewed at the following Chinese website:
VIDEO
Taiyuan, December 2017
He was naturally talented at Chinese calligraphy and also contributed to our association by painting the calligraphy for its new logo in 2017. The logo is seen in the photo below in the Shanxi YFTC Center, and on all items belonging to Yang Family Tai Chi, including the banner at the top of this newsletter.
Beloved Teacher
Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo was so much more to the association and its members than Founder and Chairman. He was a beloved teacher who taught us how to practice and teach tai chi chuan, how to treat others with kindness and respect, how someone with a high moral standard behaves, and what duty and commitment look like. He taught us by his own example. He had a powerful, loving presence that came straight from his heart and shone through his smile, his sparkling eyes, and his laugh. He made people feel loved and respected and they loved being around someone with such a beautiful spirit.
Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo believed that while tai chi chuan has its root in China, it belongs to the world. He generously shared his family art, contributing to the health and wellness of thousands of people around the world. He will be greatly missed and always loved.
Simply Begin
The photo below is the Cáng jīng lóu (藏经楼) (Buddhist scripture building) in Yingze Park. This is the place where Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo 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. But when he began, he didn't know that his life would enfold like this. He just wanted to share his art with people and thought the Cáng jīng lóu would be a good place to begin. He didn't imagine his life would become the incredible journey you have seen in all these photos.
There can be power in simplicity. Sometimes when we simply begin to share our talent with others and help them, life thanks us by taking us on a wonderful journey far better than we could have ever imagined. We can begin from a simple place. The important thing is that we choose to begin.
Photo by Jean-Robert Haefeli
Editor's Note of Thanks
I could not have created this tribute to Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo without the help of others. I would like to thank the following people for answering my emails promptly, giving me information that helped me know what to write, sending me photos, or giving me permission to use their photos I found online:
Master Yang Jun, Fang Hong, Han Hoong Wang, Terese Mei Mei Teo, Pat Rice, Bill Walsh, Sergio Arione, Giuseppe Turturo, Angela Soci, James Fox, Duc Nguyen Minh, Carole Nguyen, Márcio Lacerda, Stanislav Bagalev, Edyta Piatkowska-Wu, Mihai Serban, Ana Horta, Marco Gagnon, Mike Lucero, Gene Egen, Jean-Robert Haefeli, and those who contributed photos to Yang Family Tai Chi's China Adventure archives.
I am also very grateful to Dave Barrett, our previous journal editor for documenting the association's history so thoroughly and passionately, especially during early years. I have been an association member since 2010 so I was not around when Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo was still traveling and teaching seminars. I wish I could have met him personally. Dave's work made my research easier.
Carolyn Fung
Editor, Connections newsletter
TTM Online - January 2021
The Teacher Academy USA will offer a virtual TTM academic program beginning in January 2021. Please join us!! It's a great opportunity for all tai chi students to take advantage of these online courses offered by our excellent faculty. The registration form and the program is now available on the association's website. If you have any questions regarding the program please contact Mari Lewis: mari@yangfamilytaichi.com
Master Yang Jun's Seminar Schedule
From November to December, Master Yang Jun taught a 15 class seminar in English on the Senior Form. Students were delighted to be able to have a way to work with him and joined the class from all over the world. This excellent seminar covered not only the Senior Form sequence, but tai chi theory, training exercises, and martial applications of the hand form movements. Students were also able to ask Master Yang questions.
Due to Covid-19, Master Yang Jun's in-person seminars are canceled until further notice. He will be giving live-stream seminars and his 2021 seminar schedule will be available soon on our website.
Virtual Classroom
Upcoming Seminar:
Join Davi Garritano for his upcoming seminar "How to Improve Your Skills: Methods and Techniques on Section 1." This is a 17-class seminar in English from 02/02/2021 - 03/30/2021. This is not a form class, but uses section 1 of the hand form to explore ways to develop tai chi skill. More information
Membership Department
Stefanie Russell
In September 2020, Stefanie Russell became the new Head of Membership Department for our association. Stefanie has been a member of our association since 2004, is an Academy Instructor, Director of a YFTC School in Seattle, and is a disciple of Master Yang Jun. We are very grateful to have her assistance and welcome her to this position.
"Andy's work with our membership department was commendable. I hope to follow in her footsteps. It is an honor to assist with the work of the YFTCC Association". - Stefanie Russell
Andy Lee
The position was previously held by Andy Lee who served as Head of Membership Department since 2014. Andy is a Senior Instructor, the Director of the New Jersey Yang Family Tai Chi Center, and an inner disciple of Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo. She is a long-time member of our association, and her continual support from our early days to the present has been invaluable in the association's success. Thank you, Andy, for all your years of dedicated service. We greatly appreciate your contribution. We wish you all the best in the future.
"I've been with the YFTCC Association from its beginning. It's been an incredible 30 years and the most unexpected gift of my life. I'm grateful for that and for the lifelong friendships made. It has been an honor to help Yang Zhenduo, Yang Jun, Fang Hong and the International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association. These years and this headship position will always have a special place in my memories and heart. I applaud Stefanie Yashi Russell on accepting the responsibilities for the Membership Department, and I am confident that she will provide continuity to its work, as well as bring her own flair, energy, dedication and kindness." - Andy Lee
Results of YFTC International Junzheng Online Cup
The Yang Family Tai Chi International Junzheng Online Cup was an online event presented by Yang Family Tai Chi in collaboration with the “Junzheng Cup” Global Tai Chi Online Competition. The purpose of this event was to promote the special role tai chi chuan has in improving health, particularly during these challenging times of the COVID 19 pandemic, and to raise the spirit of the world. Videos submitted by participants were reviewed by a panel of judges and finalists were determined. Over 340 submissions were received from 25 countries.
We would like to thank all the participants for their part in making this special event such a success! The results are posted on our website including linking to videos of the performances which are posted on YouTube. (View results)
Ruu Chang
Ruu Chang
April 9, 1923 - September 30, 2020
Recently, we lost our good friend Ruu Chang. Ruu taught tai chi with his wife Ginger in Topeka, Kansas. They met 47 years ago when Ruu took over the tai chi classes that Ginger was teaching. They were married for 27 years.
Ruu was one of the oldest members in the IYFTCC Association. He attended early workshops that Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo taught before our international association even existed. He grew up in the same area of China as our grandmaster and therefore understood the nuances of his dialect. He often served as a translator for Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo. Ruu was humble, respectful and showed a high moral standard. Master Yang Jun remembers at seminars being impressed with Ruu's ability to walk in his later years and seeing him salute when he walked in, and stand up to salute at the end of the seminar, even if he felt tired.
Ruu was very kind and considerate and developed the skills of a superb teacher. In his previous career, he taught mathematics at three different universities and finished his working career as a computer analyst.
Ruu was 97 when he passed away and showed us the grace and skill of a lifelong practitioner. He will be greatly missed. Ginger will continue to teach their classes and will continue her studies and looks forward to seeing you in future seminars. Ruu had a special love of birds and said he would like to come back as a seabird. So, when you see a big, beautiful bird roaming the waters, think of Ruu.
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Journal Gem
"My Grandfather Guided Me on my Journey to a Life of Taiji", by Yang Jun. Issue 17 (2005), pages 8-10.
This article can be found in our Members-Only Area on our website.
Contribute to Our Journal
Previous Issue
Did you miss the last issue of Connections? You can read it here.
Next Issue of Connections
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) but not general school advertisements.
The next issue of Connections will be published in March 2021. Please send any announcements to me at carolyn@yangfamilytaichi.com February 16, 2020.
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