The Chuan Cheng Academy of Taijiquan and Internal Arts, founded by Liang Dehua, is dedicated to promoting authentic Yang-style Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan). Our goal is to preserve, promote, and spread the art passed down from one of China’s most authentic lineages and complete systems of Taijiquan, benefitting those who are interested in studying both the health and martial aspects of this profound art.
Our Yang style Taijiquan teaching syllabus derives from the official lineage of Grandmaster Gu Lisheng, which was passed down from Gu Lisheng’s last indoor student, Master Chi Qingsheng. Grandmaster Gu Lisheng (Gu Luping) was a student of both Yang Shaohou and Yang Chengfu, Liang Dehua is a certified 6th generation indoor student of this lineage.
Alongside the teachings passed down from Grandmaster Gu Lisheng, our curriculum will also include essential knowledge from Liang Dehua’s former instructors of Taijiquan.
Wen Wu Academy Yang style Taijiquan curriculum:
- Taiji Yang-style 46 movements short form
This one is the form that was created by one of Gu Lisheng’s students. It still preserves all the movements from the traditional form without repetition. This form is suitable for people who are focusing on the health benefit of Taijiquan or those who have never practiced Taijiquan previously.
- Taiji Yang-style traditional big frame 88 movements
This is the form that was taught to the public by several masters of the Yang family and became the Yang family standard form by Yang Chengfu. It is also called the “six sections big frame” (Da Jia Liu Lu) in Gu Lisheng lineage. This form is the standard basic form we teach to the public.
- Taiji old frame 108 movements
This is the slow frame that was taught by Yang Shaohou to Gu Lisheng, and later, Gu Lisheng taught it to a select few of his indoor students. Recently, master Chi Qingsheng also registered this form as the “Old Yang family big frame 13 movements” for China’s national cultural treasure to protect this form too.
- Taiji small frame 78 movements
This is the Yang small frame or Xiao Jia that was taught by Yang Shaohou to Gu Lisheng, also called Yong Jia or usage frame. In 1947 Gu Lisheng was in Gui Yang, there was a martial arts competition event by The Central Guoshu Institute of Gui Yang, and Gu Lisheng was a judge at the exhibition. He demonstrated this small frame in the event and received great praise.
- Taiji Chang Quan or Yang-style Taiji Long fist 72 movements
This is the fast form that was created by Yang Chengfu and taught to some of his indoor students only. It was also called “Cang Quan” or the concealed boxing. The name of this form indicates that it is a secret form that should not be taught publicly.
- 36 forms of Taiji pushing hands
The 36 forms of Taiji pushing hands, including fix-step pushing hands, moving-step pushing hands, several active-step pushing hands, and Da Lu. The whole name’s list is available here.
- Taiji Nei Gong exercises
There are many Nei Gong exercises in Yang-style Taiji system, including the Yang-style Taiji Ba Duan Jin, the Eight methods of internal exercise, or Lian Gong Ba Fa of Gu Lisheng’s lineage, and other various other practices such as Shi Jin Jing or the Ten tendons exercises, etc.
- Weapon forms
- Yang style Taiji sword form 62 movements
- Yang style Taiji 13 saber form
- Yang style Taiji spear form 49 movements
- Yang style Taiji 13 long spear form
- Yang style sticky spear training
All of the exercises mentioned above should be considered as one syllabus. Meaning that as you progress through the system, each new exercise you learn will assist in developing your understanding of an earlier practice, enabling you to advance in your training. They are not duplicate forms or training methods collected from different systems or lineages.
Yang Lu Chan (1799 – 1872)
1ST GENERATION
Also known as Yang Fukui, Yang Lu Chan was born in Guangping Prefecture, Yongnian County. He is known as the founder of Yang-family Taijiquan, the most popular and widely practiced style of Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) in the world today. Yang Lu Chan’s martial skill reached an extremely high level, earning him the name “Yang Wudi” (Yang the Invincible).
YANG BAN-HOU (1837-1892)
2ND GENERATION
Also known as Yang Yu, Yang Ban-Hou was the Second son of Yang Lu Chan and begun training Taijiquan from a young age. Yang Ban-Hou achieved a very high level of skill and was also known as the 2nd generation of Invincible Yang (Yang Wu Di).
YANG JIAN-HOU (1839-1917)
2ND GENERATION
Also known as Jing Hu, Yang Jian Hou was the third son of Yang Lu Chan. His Taijiquan was a harmonious blend of both hard and soft, with a profound knowledge of the Tai Chi straight sword, saber, and spear. Yang Jian-Hou had three sons, Yang Shao-Hou, Yang Zhao-Yuan, and Yang Cheng-Fu.
YANG SHAO-HOU (1862-1930)
3RD GENERATION
Yang Shao-Hou was born as Yang Zhao Xiong, also known as Yang Meng Xiang. He was the eldest son of Yang Jian-Hou and the older brother of Yang Cheng-Fu. At the age of 7, he started training under Yang Lu Chan, Yang Jian-Hou, and Yang Ban-Hou. He received the authentic transmission from his uncle Yang Ban-Hou, and his Taijiquan was sudden and furious.
YANG CHENG-FU (1883-1937)
3RD GENERATION
Also known as Yang Zhao Qing, Yang Cheng-Fu was the third son of Yang Jian Hou and the younger brother of Yang Shao-Hou. He was exceptionally talented at issuing internal power (Fa-Jin.) Yang Cheng-Fu was the one who began accepting students publicly and taught in public. It is fair to say that the majority of Yang-style Taijiquan practiced today originates from Yang Cheng-Fu’s teaching.
Gu Li-Sheng (1903-1978) and Chi Qing-Sheng (1948- )
4TH GENERATION & 5TH GENERATION
Gu Li-Sheng, also known as Gu Lu Ping, was born in Qing dynasty 30th of Guangxi reign in An Hui province. When he was five, he followed his uncle, a practitioner of Chinese medicine in Nan Jing, to study Chinese medicine and earn a living from treating people. During the 1920s, he studied Taiji Quan from the 3rd generation of the Yang-family Taijiquan, Yang Shao-Hou. After Yang Shao-Hou passed away in 1930, by recommendation of his friend Gu Jing Zhang, Gu Li Sheng also studied under Yang Cheng-Fu for several years.
Chi Qing Sheng was born in 1948 in Gui Yang. He was the last indoor student of Gu Li Sheng. He was taught the complete system of Taijiquan from Gu Li Sheng, including the Taiji big frame, Taiji old frame, Taiji long boxing, Taiji small frame, Taiji push hands, Taiji sword, Taiji saber, Taiji spear, Taiji long pole, etc.
Liang De Hua (197x – )
6TH GENERATION
Liang Dehua was born in Hong Kong and presently resides in Thailand. Over the past 20 years, he has studied several martial arts from numerous masters, with a strong focus on Yang-style Taijiquan and Qi Gong. Liang Dehua later became an indoor student of Master Chi Qing Sheng and was established as a 6th generation of the lineage and a representative of the school outside of China. Since 2017, Liang Dehua has continued sharing his knowledge worldwide, conducting workshops in Asia, Europe, and South America. He also began accepting several overseas students to assist him in spreading his expertise worldwide.
Gu Li Sheng, also called Gu Lu Ping, was born in Qing dynasty 30th of Guangxi reign (1903). When he was five years old, he followed his uncle, who was a Chinese medicine practitioner in Nan Jing, to study Chinese medicine and began training Shaolin Kungfu from the famous local teacher Gao Cai Xiang. At the beginning of the 1920s, he worked as a clerk in a house owned by a post officer named Wang. During that time, the grandson of the renowned Yang-style Taiji teacher (Yang Lu Chan), named Yang Shao Hou, was teaching at the Nan Jing Guo Shu Guan (National Martial Art Institute of Nan Jing.) At that same period, Yang Shou Hou was the martial art teacher of Mr.Wang. Consequently, Gu Li Sheng also had a chance to study with Yang Shao Hou too. Following several significant events, Yang Shao Hou accepted Gu Li Sheng as his student. From the teaching of Yang Shao Hou and remarkable effort, Gu Li Sheng received authentic Yang-style Taiji Gongfu.
After Yang Shao Hou passed away in 1930, Gu Li Sheng began studying under Yang Cheng Fu for several years through the recommendation of Gu Jing Zhang. In 1937, after Yang Cheng Fu passed away, Gu Li Sheng relocated with the post office to Gui Yang city in Gui Zhou province (to avoid the war) and taught Taiji there.
Gu Li Sheng was called “Three Gu of the Southwest” or “Xi Nan San Gu” along with the famous Shaolin boxing masters, Gu Ru Zhang, and Gu Jing Jang.
In 1947, there was a martial art competition in Gui Yang to promote martial art followed by government policy. Gu Li Sheng was a judge and also the co-organizer with several other famous martial art teachers, such as Gu Ru Zhang, Gu Jing Zhang, Yang Shen, etc. Gu Li Sheng also demonstrated some Taijiquan push hands and Yang Shao Hou small frame Taijiquan at the event. In 1978, Gu Li Sheng passed away during the cultural revolution.
