1799 - Yang Lu-ch'an

Yang Lu-ch’an, a Chinese martial arts master and founder of the Yang style tai chi chuan, was born.

Yang Lu-ch'an or Yang Luchan (1799-1872), also known as Yang Fu-k'ui (Yáng Fúkuí), was born in Kuang-p'ing (Guangping).  He was an influential teacher of the soft style martial art tai chi chuan in China during the second half of the 19th century. He is known as the founder of Yang style tai chi chuan.

Yang Lu Chan’s family was a poor farming/worker class family from Hebei Province, Guangping Prefecture, Yongnian County. Yang would follow his father in planting the fields and, as a teenager, held temporary jobs. One period of temporary work was spent doing odd jobs at the Tai He Tang Chinese pharmacy located in the western part of Yongnian City, opened by Chen De Hu of the Chen Village in Henan Province, Huaiqing Prefecture, Wenxian County. As a child, Yang liked martial arts and studied Chang Chuan, gaining a certain level of skill.

One day Yang reportedly witnessed one of the partners of the pharmacy utilizing a style of martial art that he had never seen before to easily subdue a group of would-be thieves. Because of this, Yang requested to study with the pharmacy's owner, Chen De Hu. Chen referred Yang to the Chen Village to seek out his own teacher—the 14th generation of the Chen Family, Ch'en Chang-hsing.

After mastering the martial art, Yang Lu Chan was subsequently given permission by his teacher to go to Beijing and teach his own students, including Wu Yu-hsiang and his brothers, who were officials in the Imperial Qing dynasty bureaucracy.  In 1850, Yang was hired by the Imperial family to teach Taijiquan to them and several of their élite Manchu Imperial Guards Brigade units in Beijing's Forbidden City. Among this group was Yang's best known non-family student, Wu Ch'uan-yü. This was the beginning of the spread of Taijiquan from the family art of a small village in central China to an international phenomenon. Due to his influence and the number of teachers he trained, including his own descendants, Yang is directly acknowledged by 4 of the 5 Taijiquan families as having transmitted the art to them.

After emerging from Chenjiagou, Yang became famous for never losing a match and never seriously injuring his opponents. Having refined his martial skill to an extremely high level, Yang Lu Chan came to be known as Yang Wu Di (Yang the Invincible). In time, many legends sprang up around Yang's martial prowess. These legends would serve as the basis for various biographical books and movies.

When Yang Lu Chan first taught in Yung Nien, his art was referred to as Mien Quan (Cotton Fist) or Hua Quan (Neutralising Fist). Whilst teaching at the Imperial Court, Yang met many challenges, some friendly some not. But he invariably won and in so convincingly using his soft techniques that he gained a great reputation.

Many who frequented the imperial households would come to view his matches. At one such gathering in which Yang had won against several reputable opponents, the scholar Ong Tong He was present. Inspired by the way Yang moved and executed his techniques, Ong felt that Yang's movements and techniques expressed the physical manifestation of the principles of Taiji (the philosophy).  Thereafter, Yang’s art was referred to as Taijiquan and the styles that sprang from his teaching and by association with him was called Taijiquan.