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The Zhao Family

The Zhao Family are direct blood relatives of the 3rd generation Yang Family

The Zhao Family

Zhao Bin 

Zhao Bin was not only Zhao Shutang’s only son, but also the Yang family’s precious first grandson. Although his grandfather Yang Zhaoyuan had passed away, his great-uncles Yang Shaohou and Yang Chengfu treated him as if he were their own grandson. Zhao spent much of his early years playing at his grandmother’s house, and from the age of 6 or 7 would deliver roast chicken, donkey meat and crispy pancakes (you su bing) to the Yangs. His great-uncles also taught him to practice taiji from an early age. Even Zhao’s original name ‘Zhao Wu’, carried the meaning of inheriting the Yang family’s martial traditions. Zhao’s primary school teacher was none other than the famous Wu (Hao) style master Hao Weizhen, who taught taiji as a one of the school subjects. Zhao was intelligent, had a good memory and liked to fight…At that time, there were a dozen or so male cousins in the Zhao family, and Zhao Bin would be the one leading the fights…

Speaking of group fights, my father mentioned enthusiastically that back then it was mainly the Zhao family kids fighting against the Li family (the grandchildren of the taiji master Li Yiyu). In these fights, Zhao Bin would lead the Zhao family, while the Lis were led by Li Huaiyin (Li Yiyu’s grandson, who would also later go on to become a master of his family’s taiji). Of course, these fights weren’t serious, and neither side held grudges. When Zhao Bin met Li Huaiyin many years later in Nanjing, they had great fun reminiscing over their childhood escapades and decided there and then to become sworn brothers. Unfortunately they never met again. In the early 90s, the chief editor of ‘China Taiji’ magazine, Li Guangfan, wrote to Zhao requesting him to submit an article. My father casually asked Li if he knew of Li Huaiyin’s whereabouts, and was stunned to be told that he was Li Guangfan’s father! Upon hearing that Li Huaiyin had already passed away, Zhao began corresponding with Li Guangfan and the two became good friends.”

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Zhao Youbin

Zhao Youbin, whose ancestral home was Guangfu Town in Yongnian County of Hebei Province, was born in 1950 in Xi'an, into a family that had practiced Yang Family Tai Chi Quan for generations. At the age of 7, he began learning Taiji Quan from his father Zhao Bin (1906-1999), who was the grandson of the Grand Master Yang Chengfu (1883-1936) from the mother’s side, the fourth generation of blood tie inheritors of Yang Family Tai Chi Quan, and a grand master of Taiji Quan. 

Zhao Youbin began teaching Taiji Quan at the age of 16 both at home and abroad. On his overseas teaching tours, he visited the US, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Russia, Belarus, Australia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc. He is a renowned spreader of Yang Family Tai Chi Quan throughout the world with his prominent contributions to the cause of Taiji Quan, having a large number of students and disciples at home and abroad. In the list of ten families of Taiji Quan recognized on the web of World Taiji Quan (http://tjqworld.com ), he is the standard-bearer of the Zhang Bin family, the bearer of the Eighth band of Chinese Wu Shu, the inheritor of the intangible culture heritage of Taiji Quan.

He helped found the Xi'an Yongnian Yang Family Tai Chi Quan Association in 1984, and in 2014, he registered the Zhao Youbin Yang Family Tai Chi Quan Promotion Co., Ltd as a limited company. Throughout the year, he organizes and hosts various types of Taiji Quan competitions and cultural exchanges, provides short-term trainings and long-term academic teachings of form series and internal exercises, and gives frequent online lectures and teachings. These trainings and teachings have benefited thousands of people, and many have even become experts in Taiji Quan. The profound mastery of Wu Shu he possesses, the pure and correct style of Taiji Quan he practices, and his insightful understanding of Wu Shu theories have made him a great influence at home and abroad. He was hired by Chinese Wu Shu Association in July 2008 to serve as the primary editor and demonstrator for the first and second editions of the book "The Serial Tutorials of Chinese Wu Shu Bands: Yang Family Tai Chi Quan". He has been appointed many times to teach the training class for domestic and overseas Wu Shu band instructors, and he has also served as the supervisor for the Chinese National Wu Shu Band examination, and as a result, he was named one of the "Hundred Excellent Supervisors in the Country" in 2013. In 2021, he was chosen as one of the 100 "Sport Talents" of Supporting Xi'an Citizen Sports. As requested by the Shaanxi Wu Shu Central Administration and Shaanxi Wu Shu Association, he organized a team of 300 members to perform Taiji Quan at the opening ceremony of the 14th National Games on September 15th, 2021. It was a great success to demonstrate the features and charms of Tai Ji to the national leaders and the audience of the whole world.

Mr. Zhao Youbin has published a series of books and DVDs that teach Tai Ji, including The Authentic Transmission of Yang Family Tai Chi Quan, Lectures of Yang Family Tai Chi Quan, The 28, 37 Forms of Yang Family Tai Chi Quan, The 13 Forms of YangFamily Tai Ji Dao (Broad Sword) and 51 Forms of YangFamily Tai Ji Sword, etc. He has also written dozens of articles on Taiji Quan for journals such as Chinese Wu Shu, Wu Dang, Tai Ji, etc., and is a columnist for "Lectures from Masters" on Chinese Wu Shu. His name has been entered in the Encyclopedia of Chinese Wu Shu Masters and the World Celebrities.

He currently holds the following titles:

Member of the Chinese Wu Shu Association and of the Professional Committee

Member of the Chinese Gymnastic Science Committee's Wu Shu Branch

Member of the Lectures' Team of the Chinese Senior People Gymnastics Association's Taiji Quan Special Committee

Vice Dean of Shaaxi Taiji Quan Committee

Dean of Shaaxi Yongnian Yang Family Tai Chi Quan Promotion Center

Vice Chairman of Xi’an Wu Shu Association

Chairman of Xi’an Taiji Quan Federation

Chairperson of the Xi'an Yongnian Yang Family Tai Chi Quan Association

Visiting Professor at Handan College

Visiting Professor at Henan University

Visiting Professor at Yunnan Normal University

Lifetime Honorary Chairman of Hongkong Zhao Youbin Yang Family Tai Chi Quan Federation

Recipient of the Thailand Taiji Quan Federation's Life-Long Achievement Award

Awardee of Certificate of Honor of the U.S. House of Representatives 

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Zhao Liang

started to learn Taiji  at age 6 and has inherited Taiji systematically and comprehensively for over 30 years. With a solid foundation passed down form his father and  Grandfather he has been able to obtain several gold medals in National competitions. In 2013 he obtained the 7th dual in the Duanwei system of Chinese Wushu, by winning first place in yang style single routine being the youngest person to achieve this. Zhao Liang has been teaching in China and overseas from a young age.Since 2007, taking Shenzehen as his base, he started to spread Yang Taijiquan in the surrounding areas, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau and foreign countries as well.

 He has been invited to lecture in a variety of forums on Chinese Wushu. Besides having published articles in important Wushu journals, he has also participated in writing teaching material for Yang Style Taiji, such as 37- forms, 28-formsTaijiquan and 51-form sword as well. During his father's preparation of the Yang Style Taijiquan Duane Systems course, he actively assisted his father in discussion and demonstration.The basic 8-form Yang style Taijiquan created by him is warmly accepted by taijiquan practitioners. Zhao Liang has also also been selected into "Yongian Taijiquan Records" and the "Chines Taijiquan Encyclopaedia" . In 2016 He obtained the award of  outstanding contribution to Inheritance in Chinese Taiji by the first World Taiji Cultural Festival. In 2019, he won the international WushuInheritance Golden Tripod Award.

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