YCF's death

[patriot]

post from Yarek's site:

Here's a new twist to the mystery of the early demise of YCF, as 'revealed' by an eye-witness, a former student of the martial arts school headed by YCF: http://www.zjonline.com.cn/gb/node2/node2352/node2362/userobject15ai1031866.html

According to the student, YCF, a late riser, was annoyed with the noises caused by a class conducted by a well known Southern style instructor. He discredited the external style and challenged the instructor to punch him 3 times. YCF grimaced after the 1st punch, blood seems to appear in his mouth in the 2nd punch. He clinched to his stomach for the 3rd punch and immediately did a palm strike with his left hand to the chest of the instructor. The instructor was thrown 2 meters away spilling blood.

The instructor died 2 years later and YCF 5. Apparently both of them never fully recovered from the injuries.

[RAF]

A little more to add to the soup:


http://www.geocities.com/meiyingsheng/

Taijiquan and Longevity

By Mei Ying Sheng, MD

Translated by Ted W. Knecht

. . . . "Even though the lives of the Taijquan masters described above have had a very hard life, seven of them have lived into their nineties and eight have lived into their eighties. This is much higher than most average Chinese citizen.

There have been many legends (rumors) with regards to the death of late grandmaster Yang Chengfu who passed away at the age of 53 in 1936. Because the author has a great interest in the health benefits of Taijiquan and a medical background, he has questioned the death of Yang Chengfu for many years. While being taught by late Master Fu Zhongwen in Shanghai in 1983, the author asked Master Fu about Yang Chengfu's death. Master Fu stated, "After my teacher (Yang Chengfu) arrived in southern China, he was afflicted with diarrhea and vomiting due to the sanitation of the water and environment. He was hooked up to an I.V. for not very long before he passed away". The capabilities and technology of western medicine was very poor in the 1930's throughout China, therefore the treatment of illness (however so minor) was a tremendous problem in many areas in China."

[GLW]

I would tend to believe the illness story. Then again, I find few reasons to want to believe a lot of the 'this master injured that one' approaches on a lot of things.

From a Doctor friend, one of the things that would go a long long way towards reducing epidemics, reducing mortality of just about everyone, and improving the health of the world in general is better sanitation.

Given this and the way things were in China in the 1930's, I find it totally believable that a famous martial artist like YCF could go into an area and succumb from a sanitation related disease at a young age.

A lot of people downplay the dangers of things like diarrhea and vomiting but the first thing that happens is loss of fluids. This in itself is not a good thing. Then you have an imbalance of electrolytes (sodium and potassium) that comes from it and can cause convulsions.

Then you have things like infections from unsterile needles for IV's at that time (autoclaves were not available and neither were disposable needles). So, all in all, someone that is very robust succumbing to a sanitation based disease...highly plausible.

[RAF]

GLW:

I always wondered if the weight gain was at least partially attributable to some sort of liver disease like hepatitis. Friends of mine who are MDs in Beijing told me that this has been at epidemic levels in China for a long, long time.

Chen Fake supposedly died of liver cancer which, often times, is associated with hepatitis (C?).

I also believe that Deng Sheng Chang died of liver cancer.

[Laughing Cow]

Apparently sickness due to travel between region was quiet common in China.

Sun Lu Tang history also speaks of him studying TJQ after he nursed a master back to health that fell sick after trying to visit a friend.

Granted a bit before YCF.

[Kevin Wallbridge]

Sickness resulring from travel to the south of China is still common. Look at SARS. Its basically a cold virus, but imagine how many people would have died if it had begin in the 1930's. The is epidemiological evidence to suggest that this was also the breeding ground for the 1919 influenza pandemic.

I agree with the idea of other people likely to have had hepatitis. Its endemic now in the Beijing area, and since hygiene has improved I can't imagine it being at lower levels in the early 20th century.

[jun_erh]

trading blows to the stomach was a very common way of two masters testing each other. They built the stomach up w quigong quite a bit for those occasions. Especially where the guy weighed 300 pounds, it's hard to beleive the guy would have a punch that would kill him, when normally it wouldn't even hurt.

[Muppet]

That was definitely the case with Wang Shu Jin, though it would've been interesting to see if he could take a punch from guys like Rocky Marciano.

Great thread, by the way. I always wondered what the story was w/ Yang Cheng Fu's early demise--I had assumed something like a heart-attack.

[GLW]

On the wiehgt gain thing for YCF, I have always assumed that it was sort of like the drinking thing for Cheng Manqing (he often would not take money but WOULD take wine...and drank it)

As YCF became better known, it was common for him to be treated to good food and drink. Such things added to teaching more....and many people tend to DO less when they teach more...well, you have more food and are no longer exercising at the same level...and over time, you just seem to get bigger...:)

Of course, problems from illnesses causing weight gain are also a possiblity.

I imagine that one of the reasons that there is not too much written about the death of YCF is that it is simply not a noble end to a pivotal man.

After all, how good is it to say that the man who formalized the most widely practised form of Taijiquan in the world died of diarrhea.

[Crimson Phoenix]

I believe it's Kyokushinkai's Yan Kallenbach who literally sprained his wrist after testing Wang Shu Jin's belly...it might not be Marciano, but I wouldn't dare saying kyokushinkai guys (and specially Kallenbach) can't punch decently...

[Muppet]

That one's new.

The main one I heard about is some Aikido guy trying his hand against Wang Shun Jin (and getting thrashed in the process).

[Crimson Phoenix]

Kallenbach's story has been told in R. Smith's books, and I have heard it from other sources. I think I even saw a vid of it once, but it was a long time ago and I cannot say if it was really Kallenbach...

The Aikido guy, yeah, I remember that story, although the aikido version doesn't emphasize any thrashing at all!! hhehehehehehe

[BAI HE]

It wasn't Kallenbach, it was Jon Bluming.

[Crimson Phoenix]

BAI HE: YYYEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS exactly!!

I knew the name was not right!! For some reason, when I think of this story, the name Kallenbach always comes in my head (although I do believe Kallenbach met Wang??).

Thanks for the correction anyway!!

*repeats Blumming in his head so he won't forget again next time*

[jun_erh]

Kenneth Keith Kallenbach?

[Crimson Phoenix]

no no, Ian (also spelled Yan) K. from Holland, who then became a student of Kenichi Sawai's after his adventures in kyokushinkai

[jun_erh]

oh. so he wasn't on the Howard Stern radio show trying to blow smoke out of his eyes.

[Ma_Xu_Zha]

I believe the fu zhong wen story since he traveled with yang throughout china. Fu told me before he died in 1994 that Yang chen fu had gotten sick and that his skin turned a yellow color like food or water poisoning from dirty southern china.

[patriot]

I called up Fu last night and he didn't remember you. I also sent an email to YCF but he was too busy to reply.

[Ma_Xu_Zha]

its hard to remember mear mortals when your in taiji paradise with such great masters like chang san fang, lao tzu, and yang lu chan.