Yang Cheng Fu, Yang Sao Chung

[al.]

Having practised Tai Chi for only a few years but also benefitting a great deal from it, I've looked further into my lineage, and come to abit of a quandry. Yang Cheng Fu and his first son Yang Shou Chung, both undisputed masters of this art, have both lived relatively short lives. does anyone have any info regarding reasons for this?

[TzuJanLi]

Greetings..

 

Death?

 

Be well..

[Baguakid]

Environment, diet, lifestyle, etc all affect longevity. They, living at that time, may have had other influences which determined their relatively early passings.

 

When I was living in China I couldn't believe how many Masters liked to choke down cigarettes and drink. It was fun to watch some Chen Stylists take a break from their practice to have a smoke.

 

So, there could be a lot of factors going on there.

[Dainin]

Fu Zhongwen, who probably studied with Yang Chen Fu longer than anyone (and was his son-in-law), lived into his nineties. Yang Chen Fu's grandson, Yang Zhen Duo, is 84 and still teaching. So the early deaths of the individuals you mention are most likely not due to the practice of tai chi, but to other factors.

[SFJane]

 

When I was living in China I couldn't believe how many Masters liked to choke down cigarettes and drink. It was fun to watch some Chen Stylists take a break from their practice to have a smoke.

 

So, there could be a lot of factors going on there.

 

From what I hear, China is going through a real renaissance of smoking. I've read somewhere that it is apparently considered 'manly'. In the book 'The Way of the Warrior' by Reid and Croucher is a section on the 'Soft arts of China' and on page 100 in that section is a B&W image of Bagua master Hung Hsien-Mien smoking a cigarette.

 

 

I wonder what this Californian anti smoking ad would look like with Chinese characters.

Edited March 23, 2010 by SFJane

[gendao]

From what I hear, China is going through a real renaissance of smoking. I've read somewhere that it is apparently considered 'manly'. In the book 'The Way of the Warrior' by Reid and Croucher is a section on the 'Soft arts of China' and on page 100 in that section is a B&W image of Bagua master Hung Hsien-Mien smoking a cigarette.

I agree, they've fallen prey to the same ad campaign that started here a century ago...BIG TIME. It's so ridiculous - as if it takes a man to suck on a burning stick. A 2-yo could do that...

 

In fact, there is a 2-yo in China that DOES!!!

A two-year-old Chinese boy is thought to be the world’s youngest smoker.

 

Tong Liangliang was taught how to light up by his father, who believed the habit would alleviate pain caused by a hernia.

 

The toddler now smokes a pack of cigarettes a day and throws a tantrum if he can’t get his fix.

 

‘The father wasn’t aware of how serious the toddler’s habit became until the child began to increase the number of cigarettes he smoked per day’, China Radio International reported.

 

Tong received his first cigarette at the age of 18 months in a bid to reduce the discomfort caused by his hernia. The boy’s tender age meant he was too young to have an operation.

Well, I think there is going to be a wave of lung cancers in the coming decades there. It will be like the Opium War, part deux. But the government probably likes that cuz it would thin their population down.

 

As far as IMA masters with short lifespans...there's already been several threads about it. It's a good question, but with so many factors involved...hard to pinpoint what the actual causes are?

 

I mean, say a Taijiquan master lives until 50. What if he would have otherwise only lived to 40 and Taijiquan actually extended his life 10 years? Or what if it did the opposite, who knows??

Edited March 23, 2010 by vortex

[al.]

I agree, they've fallen prey to the same ad campaign that started here a century ago...BIG TIME. It's so ridiculous - as if it takes a man to suck on a burning stick. A 2-yo could do that...

 

In fact, there is a 2-yo in China that DOES!!!

Well, I think there is going to be a wave of lung cancers in the coming decades there. It will be like the Opium War, part deux. But the government probably likes that cuz it would thin their population down.

 

As far as IMA masters with short lifespans...there's already been several threads about it. It's a good question, but with so many factors involved...hard to pinpoint what the actual causes are?

 

I mean, say a Taijiquan master lives until 50. What if he would have otherwise only lived to 40 and Taijiquan actually extended his life 10 years? Or what if it did the opposite, who knows??

 

HAAAAAAA! that poor kid will suffer, thats really quite bad!

thanks for the link, clears some things up for sure.

A

[三江源]

Having practised Tai Chi for only a few years but also benefitting a great deal from it, I've looked further into my lineage, and come to abit of a quandry. Yang Cheng Fu and his first son Yang Shou Chung, both undisputed masters of this art, have both lived relatively short lives. does anyone have any info regarding reasons for this?

 

They may have also done other practices which are very Yang and burned them up.

[tumoessence]

My Yang style teacher said that Yang Chang Fu was a big partyer.

[Martial Development]

My Yang style teacher said that Yang Chang Fu was a big partyer.

 

His reputation at the time, was probably a little closer than Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell than most would like to admit today.

[SFJane]

I agree, they've fallen prey to the same ad campaign that started here a century ago...BIG TIME.

 

As far as IMA masters with short lifespans...there's already been several threads about it. It's a good question, but with so many factors involved...hard to pinpoint what the actual causes are?

 

I mean, say a Taijiquan master lives until 50. What if he would have otherwise only lived to 40 and Taijiquan actually extended his life 10 years? Or what if it did the opposite, who knows??

 

Wang Shu Jin lived to be what..77? Before he died of complications of adult onset diabetes due to being overweight. Seventy-seven is not a bad run. My grandmother died when she was 77 and she was a smoker who had emphysema and her primary exercise was tending roses during warm weather. Still, we imagine that someone like Wan Shu Jin, who Kumar described as being 'like an oven' with his chi would have somehow made it into his 80s or 90s.

 

Speaking of Kumar, as much I love the man's teachings I worry about him. He's getting pretty big too and I hope his heart and other organs remain strong and that he doesn't have weight problems effecting his health so he can continue to teach us until he is 200.

 

And there was Bruce's other teacher who lived to be 89? That's also a good run but maybe it could have been longer. I think Bruce told us once that Liu did not eat a lot of food and I don't have any stats in front of me but perhaps Liu had survived various food shortages in China which, had they not happened, could have led to Liu living to see 100.

 

It not just these internal guys that die young either. Jim Fixx died of a heart attack and there was a praying mantis guy that died of cancer not too long ago but his name eludes my poor memory atm. There is just no guarantee that because you cultivate chi or practice exercise systems that they are going to prolong your life. Caveat and all that.

Edited March 24, 2010 by SFJane