Michuan translates as hidden tradition,

Hidden Tradition
By Scott M. Rodell
Originally published in Inside Kung-Fu magazine and republished in the Ultimate Guide to T'ai Chi, 2000

Master Wang executes ji (press)
circa 1965 Yang Lu Chan is undoubtedly the most well known Chinese martial artist in the world. The story of his obtaining the secret art of taijiquan in the remote village of ChenJiaGou and his fame as "Yang the Unbeatable" (Yang Wudi) are common stories amongst taiji players the world over. Yang Lu Chan's reknown comes as little surprise when we consider that the art he created - Yang Style TaijiQuan - is the most popular form in the world today and is practiced all around the globe. What is more surprising is that he made a little known Chinese family art into a common exercise practice in America in less than one hundred years.

The familiar story of Yang Lu Chan being challenged by the Emperor's Head Guard presented him with the opportunity for lasting fame overnight. It also offered ruin as quickly if he lost. Yet to prevail would not mean peace, for the Imperial Guard would have lost face and could never have let the Yang family rest. The Master reasoned the only way out, preserving his reputation as "Unbeatable" yet avoiding retribution, was to fight to a stalemate. To do this Yang felt a fighter's skill must be three time greater than his opponents. History records that the bout did indeed end with a draw.

That major obstacle over come, another fell in Yang Lu Chan's path. The Imperial family decided Yang would teach them his art. Today it is difficult to see how this created a problem for the Master. But China's rulers at the time were Manchu's from the North. The Chinese thought of them as invaders and outsiders. Patriotism in mind, Yang did not want to give his art to outsiders. Yet an Emperor's wish is dangerous to deny. So Yang Lu Chan created a New Yang Style, similar in posture to the Chen family's style, but leaving out many parts of his personal style. This was the beginning of what we now know as the Yang Jia (Yang Family) Mi Chuan (Hidden Tradition) or Lao (Old) and Xin (New) Yang styles. One style kept within the family and the other open to the public.


Master Wang executes zou (elbow) Later when Yang Lu Chan's sons , Chien-ho and Ban-ho, and Grandson, Chen-fu began to teach all Chinese they secretly continued this two form tradition out of necessity. For if the aristocracy learned of Yang Lu Chan's earlier deception, trouble would soon arrive. Many martial artists (particularly non-Yang stylist) claim that the New Yang Style is useless martially, and that Yang Lu Chan purposely made it so. This claim is completely without basis as even a quick review of Chinese martial history and contemporary masters shows. Yang Lu Chan's grandson, Yang Chen-fu never studied the older MiChuan form, yet was well known as a boxer. Many of Chen-fu's students, notably Chen Wei-ming and Cheng Man-Ch'ing, are taiji legends today. And America's most well known exponent of taijiquan's martial component, William CC Chen, studied the New Yang Style form exclusively.

Yet what then remains of the Yang tradition and what does the MiChuan form hold that the New form lacks? Amazingly the Mi Chuan part of the Yang style was within one teacher of extinction. The story of its preservation is typical of the twists and turns of Chinese martial history.

Yang Lu Chan had long been dead when his son Chien-ho decided to pass the secret art outside the family for the first time. In that era reputations were made through challenges not workshops. Yang Chien-ho once had a bout with a master from the ZiRanMen (Natural Style School), Du Xing-wu *, which had been a draw and remained unsettled. A student of Du's decided to re-challenge the Yang family for his teacher. This student's name, Wan Xing-wu, was fast becoming known in China as he traveled making and winning challenges.


Master Wang executes
ban (twist) When Wan arrived at the Yang family training center, the students inside were all concerned that they would be called upon to go out and face this challenger. As they stood in the court yard looking at each other one spoke up, Zhang Qin-lin. "Okay, I'll go see what Wan wants," said Zhang and he went out the gate.

To everyone's amazement he returned in a few minutes unhurt and Wan was gone. Zhang told them Wan had "asked for a lesson so he could learn of the Yang style" (the polite way of issuing a challenge). To which Zhang agreed. Knowing that the ZiRanMen fighters were particularly good with their feet, Zhang was on his guard when Du began with a right kick. Zhang swept it to the side and threw his punch into the opening. Wan at the same time also threw a strike and their hands collided. Wan immediately stopped and bowing shouted "Gao Ming (great)!" Zhang assumed Du's wrist had been so hurt that he could not continue.


Master Wang practices
dalu with student Zhang at that time had been studying the New Yang Style with Yang Chen-fu. Chien-ho, having seen Zhang's loyalty and love of his teacher called him into his personal quarters to look him over. Chien-ho noticed that Zhang truly had the body of a martial artist. He was short and heavy with hands and feet that were twice as big as normal. He had ventured to the Yang family's home at the age of fourteen after his parents death to pursue his love of martial art. Chien-ho seeing this decided to secretly teach Zhang the MiChuan form never before seen outside the Yang family.

Zhang Qin-lin was later to become famous by winning the All China Fighting Championships in 1929 in the unarmed division. T.T. Liang (Cheng Man-ch'ing's senior student) described Zhang as having amazing abilities. During the Second World War, Cheng ran into Zhang in Nanjing. They had both studied under Yang Chen-fu and the younger Cheng must have wanted to test himself and challenged Zhang to push hands. Liang described the encounter with a wave of his hand, "Zhang just pushed him down." The story goes that Cheng bowed to Zhang and studied push hands with him for nine months. In the end, Cheng challenged Zhang to a fight and was knocked out.


Master Wang performing a
movement from the
Yangjia Michuan Taiji Sword form
Taipei, Taiwan, 1971 What made Zhang so strong? Liang said "He learned something in the mountains from a Taoist." It was Zhang's Taoist lifestyle which lead him to choose a quiet life instead of one teaching martial arts. In all Zhang only taught seven students (Cheng Man-ch'ing, Wang Shan-zhi and Li Yun-long of Hebei, Hu Yao-zhen, Liu Zhi-liang, Su Qi-geng and Wang Yen-nien of Shanxi) . Of these seven only one remains alive; Wang Yen-nien living in Taiwan teaches the MiChuan Taijiquan.

Wang was able to study with Zhang only after he received an introduction from his father who was studying Taoist Mediation at the same Dao Guan (Taoist study center) as Zhang. Today at 86 Wang is the last and youngest of Zhang's students. No one knows what ultimately became of Zhang Qin lin.

Du Xing-wu later became Sun Yet-sen's personal body guard.
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Yangjia Michuan from Yang Luchan to Wang Yen-nien
(Part 2)

Taiji was developed and refined for centuries by the Chen Family of Chen village, where many masters were produced. In the early 19th century, a young man named Yang Luchan, entered the Chen village and attained, through hard study and secretive methods, the essential teachings of what had been, until then, a Chen village art form. There are a number of versions of who Yang Luchan was and how this attainment of knowledge came about (see, for instance, "Yang Family Secret Transmissions" by Douglas Wile) and the Yangjia Michuan heritage has its own. What is clear, though, is that Yang Luchan left the Chen Village and went on to create the Yang Family Taiji Tradition. He did this by combining his deep knowledge of the Chen tradition with the ancient teachings of, among others, Zhang Sanfeng. But Yang Luchan's martial instincts and physical qualities were also of the highest caliber - soon be became known as "Yang the Invincible." He traveled across China to demonstrate his skills and met great success wherever he went.

It is with this great success, and the attention that it brought Yang Luchan, that the story of Yangjia Michuan Taijiquan, or "the Hidden Tradition", begins. The Manchu Emperors, who ruled China at this time, heard of Yang's exceptional ability and determined that he would teach his skills to the Manchu warriors. But Yang Luchan did not teach them the form that he developed and used to such great success. He taught them a modified form and, to ensure the safety of his own family, taught them the modified form as well. There are many takes on the veracity of this event, and on the rationale. This is the story that Zhang Qinlin, who learned Michuan Taijiquan from Yang Jianhou, who learned it from his father Yang Luchan, told to Wang Yen-nien as he taught the form and all of it's essential elements to him.

The fact that Yang Luchan taught a "public form" and only taught his original form to a few people does not mean that one form is better than another. It simply means that there is an older form that was almost lost to the Martial Arts world but is now being taught by many schools and teachers.

When Yang Luchan looked at his family for a disciple to pass the Yangjia Michuan form to he chose his son Yang Jianhou, who had the temperament and dedication he felt necessary to learn this system and to preserve it. It was many years before Yang Jianhou found the right student. Zhang Qinlin was a student of Yang Chengfu and demonstrated both outstanding dedication and great Martial capabilities. Jianhou tested him and, finding him up to his standards, taught him in secret between midnight and sunrise. Zhang Qinlin became a great Martial Arts master and demonstrated his skills widely in China during the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's. With the help of his Taoist teacher, Zhang Maolin, Wang Yen-nien, a Colonel in the Nationalist army and an accomplished martial artist, met Zhang Qinlin in 1945 and, after being accepted as his vowed student, received the full transmission of Yangjia Michuan Taijiquan in four years of day and night practice with Zhang Qinlin.

Wang Yen-nien has taught this form, as Zhang Qinlin's only surviving student to have learned it, since 1950. Teaching at the Grand Hotel in Taipeii, he has helped to found numerous associations for the development of taijiquan. These include the National T'ai Chi Ch'uan Association, the Taipei City Taijiquan Association, The European College for Yangjia Michuan Taijiquan Teachers, and The AMICALE (a confederation of associations teaching the Yang Family Hidden Tradition of Taijiquan). He served as President of the National T'ai Chi Ch'uan Association and, when he stepped down in 1989 was named Honorary Chief Instructor and President for Life.

This vigorous and complete martial arts system, which includes basic exercises, the 13 postures (an introductory form), a one hour long form (127 postures), push hands, push hand exercises, and numerous weapons forms, as well as a deep foundation in neigong breathing practice, is taught world wide.

Within this Web Site you will find more detailed information about the history of Yangjia Michuan, the practice of it, and listings of teachers and organizations that teach it. I will be posting information and articles as I receive them and will continue to expand the site with the help of AYMTA members and practitioners. We look forward to interaction with the great world wide taiji community and to do what we can to help it grow and flourish.

May your taiji journey be long and your life be fruitful and exciting.

Thomas W. Campbell
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