Yang Zhenduo (1926 – 7 November 2020), a native of Yongnian, Hebei, was born in Beijing, China, into the famous Yang family of martial artists. A son of Yang Chengfu and a great-grandson of Yang Luchan (the creator of the Yang style of tai chi), Yang Zhenduo was a fourth-generation descendant of the Yang Family of tai chi, and the fourth lineage-holder of the style.
Biography
Yang Zhenduo began studying the soft stylemartial art of tai chi at age 6 with his father, and continued studying with his elder brothers Yang Shouzhong, Yang Zhenji, and his younger brother Yang Zhenguo after his father died. Studious, patient, modest and unassuming like his father, he possessed a consummate martial arts skill. He had the deep admiration and esteem of tai chi enthusiasts worldwide. Yang Zhenduo dedicated his life to promoting and popularizing the tai chi style not only to carry forward the aspirations of his ancestors but also to expand the ties of friendship between the citizens of China and the rest of the world.
He lived in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China, since 1960, teaching the large frame of the Yang-style tai chi, and was invited many times to teach and hold seminars in many countries around the world.
He served as vice-president of the ShanxiWushu Association since 1980. In 1982 he founded and served as president of the Shanxi Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association, and was its honorary lifetime president. This association has now grown to over 30,000 members throughout the Province and is the largest martial arts organization of its kind in China. In October 1998 Yang Zhenduo founded the International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association, serving as its chairman of the board. Under his leadership, the association has now grown to 28 centers in 12 countries with more than 2000 members worldwide.[2]
In 1996 the Chinese Wushu Academy recognized Yang Zhenduo as one of the Top 100 Wushu Masters in China
.[3] That same year he received the honor of being proclaimed Honorary Resident by the mayor of San Antonio, Texas,[4] and in 1997 he received the Golden Key to the City of Troy, Michigan from its mayor.[5]
Yang Zhenduo appeared several times on the covers of T'ai Chi Magazine[6][7][8][9][10] and other martial arts publications. He has authored many articles and written books[11][12] on the study of tai chi, as well as produced 3 complete sets of teaching videos of the art.
While retaining his position as chairman of the International Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan Association until his death, Yang Zhenduo retired from his regular teaching activities, his position as president of the association, and appointed his student Yang Jun, his grandson, as its new president to continue his work.
In July 2009, at the First International Tai Chi Chuan Symposium,[13] Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo announced that Master Yang Jun is the fifth lineage-holder of the Traditional Yang-style tai chi.
Disciples
Grandmaster Yang Zhenduo acknowledged the following people as his Disciples. These individuals have studied and promoted the Yang-style tai chi for many years.
