Fajing in Yang Style

[mhhar]

I practice Chen style and am not too familiar with Yang style. When applying Yang style techniques I can imagine that there must be fajing. Would the fajing training in Yang style be similar to Chen style?
I also heard there is a Yang fighting set with fajing. Does anybody know this form or can refer me to some sources. Thanks.

[Ky-Fi]

Mhhar,
I think different Yang schools have different training methods in regards to fajing. At the school where I study, we're taught our Yang long form practiced at a slow pace, and then later on it's also practiced faster, with fa-jing throughout. Although I haven't been taught the fast form in depth, the parts I have been shown are nearly identical to the slow form, just with fa-jing. We're encouraged to go very low on the slow form though, and I don't believe that's done with the fast form. We also do seperate fajing training with individual techniques from the form, and some candle punching training, where you do your technique a few inches from the candle, and the wind generated should put out the flame.
We also have a separate 88 move 2-man fighting set, and although this can be done with increasing speed as the practitioners advance, I don't believe it's ever done with full fa-jing (or at least I ain't gonna agree to that :))

The stuff I've been taught on this subject can be found in the books "Tai Chi Theory and Martial Power", and "Tai Chi Chuan Martial Applications", by YMAA publications.

[Sam Wiley]

In the old Yang style, there are hard fa-jing movements dotted throughout the form, and at advanced levels other movements are done as soft fa-jing as well. There are also other forms that are almost all or all fa-jing. In addition, there are san sau sets that teach fa-jing with/against another person.

Josephine Anderson is the WTBA Taiji representative for Canada, though I don't know where she is located, and I believe she practices the old Yang style, so you could look her up to see it. Her e-mail is sanderson@travel-net.com

*********
"I put forth my power and he was broken.
I withdrew my power and he was ground into fine dust."
-Aleister Crowley, The Vision and the Voice

[mhhar]

Thanks for your replies and sources.

I looked at Montaigue's website and noted that there is an old Yang style based on Yang Lu-Chan's teaching; and I looked at Dr. Yang's (YMAA) site, which mentioned also a traditional old Yang style. Would both systems have the same root and the same amount of moves?

[Ky-Fi]

As far as Dr. Yang's form, I believe he had a couple different Taiji masters--in his book, he lists his teachers as Kao Tao, Wilson Chen, and Li Mao Ching. Li Mao Ching learned from Han Ching Tan, who learned from Yang Cheng Fu. I don't know what the lineages are of Kao Tao or Wilson Chen. Also, I think Dr. Yang said that he's changed about 15-20% (don't quote me on that) of the form that he was taught, based on his understanding. So, I think Dr. Yang's style derives from Yang Cheng Fu, but I believe with the changes and modifications over the generations, that Dr. Yang's form is not considered the same as the large frame Yang Cheng Fu form. I'm really not familiar enough with the Yang Cheng Fu form to comment on the differences.