Yang Zhao Taiji Association Incorperated
The Zhao family and Yang Taijiquan
It is not often realised that, of the commonly listed disciples of Yang Chengfu, 3 were actually relatives of his, namely Zhao Bin ,Fu Zhongwen, and Zhang Qinglin. Both Fu and Zhang are fairly well known in the West through the efforts of their students and grandstudents, but Zhao (perhaps unfairly) is much less well known.
Zhao YouBin
Master Zhao Youbin, whose ancestors came from Yongnian County, Heibei Province, was born in 1950. Now he is the committee member of the Shanxi Wushu Association and Xi’an Wushu Association, president of Xi’an Yongnian Yang’s Taichiquan Association as well.
Yang’s Taichi, founded by Great Master Yang Luchan of Yongnian County, Hebei Province, was perfected and finalized by Grand Master Yang Chengfu, grandson of Luchan, on the basis of study and practice by the three Yang’sgenerations. Yang’s Taichi has long been renowned not only for its unique skills of offence and defence, but also for its miraculous effects on the improvement of health, owing to the movements “smooth and easy, soft and slow circular and continuous, good for both the old and young”. Therefore it has become one of the most popular traditional chinese martial arts in the world.
Master Zhao Youbin’s father, Grand Master Zhao Bin(1906-1999) is the fourth generation of the Yang’s Taichi. His maternal grandfather Yang Chengfu, who is the shaper of Yang’s Taichi, had taught and passed on the essentials of Taichi to him since his childhood. Zhao Bin graduated from the Famous Huangpu Military School as a student of the 6th training period. He had taught Taichi since 1950s in Xi’an and founded the Xi’an Youngnian Yang’s Taichi Association. His students are now all over the country. Zhao Bin is a well- acknowledged super master of Taichi in China.
Master Zhao Youbin set out to study various Taichi techniques from his father when he was seven, and therefore has an overall command of a series of traditional skills and tricks of the Yang’s Taichiquan, Taichi sword, Taichi Broadsword, Taichi spear, and Taichi sparring,. More than 40 years of continuous study and practice has enabled him to be very much accomplished in Yang’s Taichi. Master Zhao Youbin began to teach Taichi at the age of 16. He teaches all over the country and overseas in Xi’an, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Thailand etc. He has a great number of students and makes great success. He is one of the best representatives of Yang’s Taichi. He also devotes himself to research and writing books in the field of Taichi theory. He has published many books, including The Course of Yang’s Taichi,, Yang’sTaichi 37 forms, Yang’s Taichi 28 forms, Yang’s Taichi Sword 51forms and the teaching VCDs as well. His articles, The theory of 18 “Zai and How to practice Taichi, have been published in the many professional magazines. which are famous across the country and overseas.
Master Zhao Youbin is the coach of the Xi’an Wushu Association. He is also the honorary president or consultant of Xi’an Jiaotong Untiversity, Xi’an Construction Science and technology University, Tianjing Nankai University, Hong Kong Chinese University, Shenzhe Taichi Researching Association and many other taichi associations in quite a few provinces and cities. Meanwhile, he is also entitled as the deputy secretary general of China Yongnian International Taichi Sodality Council, consultant of China Wudangquan Research Associantion, and honorary president and coach of Taichi organizatins in countries such as Thailand, Singapore and Japan.