Opinions on Yang Family Association?

[Scott Larson]

Hello,

I would like to know what experieces that anyone has had with the International Yang family tai chi chuan association. Specifically the quality control of the instructors, and the level of competition of their tournaments.

Thank you

[yeniseri]

Hello,

I would like to know what experieces that anyone has had with the International Yang family tai chi chuan association. Specifically the quality control of the instructors, and the level of competition of their tournaments.

Thank you

1. If you are looking for competition excellence for tournaments then any school will do if you have determined that is their business model.
2. What do you mean by quality control? Is that vested in the level of status if it is associated with a known individual or famous name?

The best strategy is for you to visit your local Tai Chi school and personally inquire/inspect/observe, etc based on level of understanding. If that is not enough then go to the International Yang Tai Chi Association, find their quality control instructor list and if an instructor is in your area,and your instruction has begun. Better yet, see if they have seminars or workshops and partake of their quality control certified classes. That cannot be beat as they say!

[Fubo]

Decide what it is you want to learn… Tai Chi for health? As a martial art (i.e. gaining ability to become better at fighting)? As a cultural expression, movement art? A combination of all of the above? Then go to the class and see if the instructor AND students are displaying the skills you specifically want to learn. Being a beginner, it maybe difficult to judge the level of skill of the instructor, or even the quality of what he's teaching, but you should at least be able to get a sense of 1) if the range of activities are the ones you want to train, and 2) if the students are effectively learning what the teaching is showing (granted they've been with the instructor for a decent amount of time).

If you want to learn a "martial art" as a way to gain fight ability, but the class is made up of little old ladies, or you don't see any sparring and applications training going on, then you're probably not going to be learning a "martial art" there.

[Scott Larson]

Its not for the purpose of me training there, and I'm not a beginner. I don't want to make trouble by visiting the class, as I am from another tai chi school. I was just hoping to get a clearer picture of how the organization operates. I appreciate the help, but I see this isn't the way to go about it. Thank you.

[yeniseri]

What better way to test it yourself by participating in a seminar / workshop (short term) and making your own assessment. There is no better way than this.
Despite being a legend in my own mind on my limited skill, I make it a point to visit other teachers, talk to them and see with mine own eyes how they teach as a way to assess my own incompetence and learn from those who are far more skillful than myself. That modus operandi can't be beat.

[Steve James]

Have you gone to their discussion board? It might not tell you much about the organization. I dunno. Perhaps they have steady schools nowadays. Ten or more years ago, most of the "Yang family" traditions were organized around workshops and seminars.

But, I agree that it's good --if not best-- to meet as many tcc teachers as possible. It will all come down to what you (the student) wants to learn.

[Fubo]

Its not for the purpose of me training there, and I'm not a beginner. I don't want to make trouble by visiting the class, as I am from another tai chi school. I was just hoping to get a clearer picture of how the organization operates. I appreciate the help, but I see this isn't the way to go about it. Thank you.

"how the organization operates" could mean a lot of things. If you're interested in the way they structure their curriculum, and the type of material they're teaching, you don't really need to visit a school, but as suggested, you could go to their discussion board and ask them. If you're interested in the specific quality of a specific instructor, I don't see why you couldn't go and sit in on a class. Most schools will let you do that, even if you're from another school visiting out of interest, and I doubt they'll see it as "making trouble", unless you actually challenge or diss them. Being that you are not a beginner, you should be able to make an informed decision as to the quality and type of material being presented. If you're really interested, visiting is the only way to go IMO.

[charles]

I was just hoping to get a clearer picture of how the organization operates.

I think it is pretty straight-forward how the organization operates and for what purpose. Their webpages make that pretty clear, starting here: http://www.yangfamilytaichi.com/association/.

It states, in plain language the following:

The purpose for the Association is to enable everyone to work closely together to promote Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan worldwide. The main work of the Association will include:

developing new Yang Chengfu Tai Chi Chuan Centers;
increasing interaction with other martial arts organizations;
accepting individual Association members;
holding seminars and competitions;
evaluating Tai Chi practitioners' levels of skill;
organizing teams of judges trained in Traditional Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan;
providing International Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan Association products

It also states who runs the organization and what is the role of each of those persons. Each, at least on paper, has a specific role: develop standards, curriculum, forms, judges, competition rules... all related to the material, the art, they teach: Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan. Don't confuse generic "Yang Taijiquan" with "Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan": Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan is something very specific and is as the heads of the organization define it to be.

Like many other such martial arts organizations they exist to promote their particular style, standardize it, increase the numbers of its practitioners/members and sponsor promotional events for its members. Are they good at doing that? Sure. Their numbers continue to increase worldwide.

As Fubo alluded to, the question isn't really about are they good at promoting, standardizing, etc. The question is are you interested in the art as they are teaching and practicing it? Are you interested in the newsletters, T-shirts, sharing with like practitioners, becoming certified...? Or is your focus simply on studying with someone who has traditional skills and who's primary focus is passing on that knowledge and skills? I suppose one could do both, but it seems they are usually mutually exclusive.

In the early days of the organization in North America, I spent a week with Yang Zhenduo and Yang Jun. Had fun, got the T-shirt, got my picture taken with the masters, met some very interesting "characters", but never felt the need to return. They simply weren't teaching the aspects of the art that I was interested in. That doesn't make it "bad", just not what I wanted from my practice.

[taiwandeutscher]

Yeah, had a few days with Yang Zhenduo and his top disciples (Yang Jun was not here) in the early 2000s, was a real disappointment, the ZMQ guys put the disciples countlessly onto walls and sofas, the Master refused to cross hands with a ZMQ indoor.
In the meantime I prefer Wang Zihe's or Xiong Yanghe's version of Yang, without any connection to the family association.

[neijia_boxer]

Basically if you have learned Yang elsewhere, then you have to learn from a ranked level instructor in their system. Basically learn new details and start from the bottom of ranking. I have done tests at other kung fu schhols including demo push hands, apps, do sparring and sport fighting for black sash. With Yang family i have to start from low level and work my way up.
Rank 3 now.

It is more of a business move for me and following their protocols. For real fighting, i will continue with people who throwdown at the boxing gym. Not much of that and competitive push hands at the yang center i go to. However Yang Jun is good and has done apps on me. I like the organization and testing is always a challenge.

[SCMT]

My opinion of the Yang family taijiquan association is not good.