Yang Shaohou was a Chinese martial arts master who, along with Yang Chengfu, represents the third generation of Yang-style tai chi.
16 Facts About Yang Shaohou
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Yang Shaohou can be translated as "young noble", and makes use of the "hou" character from his father's and uncle's names in a reflection of respect for his lineage and his status as grandmaster of his generation.
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Yang Shaohou had a very forceful nature, and like his uncle Banhou he was a demanding teacher, only interested in students that could stand their tough training regimes.
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Yang Shaohou taught at the Beiping Sports Research Institute as well as an associated institute and club, but preferred to give private lessons to disciples and other serious students in small groups or individual sessions.
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Yang Shaohou briefly travelled to teach in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Nanjing, but preferred Beijing.
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Yang Shaohou practiced traditional Chinese medicine, treating patients with a combination of Yang family herbal formulas and a prescription of regular tai chi practice.
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Second generation master Yang Shaohou Jianhou developed his "middle frame" form with a focus on bringing all the benefits of tai chi to more people, while his older brother and the grandmaster of that generation, Yang Shaohou Banhou, concentrated on a more demanding range of training that appealed to few students.
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Wu Gongyi and Wu Kung-tsao trained with Yang Shaohou, based on a tradition that required they be taught by teachers of the same lineage generation as their grandfather, Wu-style cofounder Wu Quanyou, who died while they were infants.
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In martial arts circles, Yang Shaohou regarded only Xu Yusheng and Chen Weiming as friends and confidants.
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Wu Tunan was Yang Shaohou's last living direct disciple.
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Yang Shaohou found himself living in increasingly strained circumstances in Beiping after the government moved south to Nanjing in 1927.
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In 1928 his younger brother Yang Shaohou Chengfu led a group of disciples south to establish training classes across the region, and found success.
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Yang Shaohou eventually accepted an invitation to teach in Nanjing arranged by a patron, the minister of transportation.
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Yang Shaohou returned to Beiping, but by that winter had traveled back to Nanjing after being unable to arrange new work.
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Yang Shaohou reportedly stated he was committing suicide to protect the Yang family reputation.
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Yang Shaohou's patron brought him to a hospital but was unable to save him, then raised funds to assist the family, now led by Yang Chengfu, with the funeral arrangements.