Lineage

Yang, Lu-Chan (1799-1872) also know as Yang Fu Kui was born in Nan Guan of Yong Nian County in Hebei province. He was from a farming family and worked in the local grocery store during his break after harvesting. In his youth he had learned Shaolin Kung Fu and was always interested in martial arts and when an opportunity arose for him to learn martial art from a master in the Chen Jia Gou village call Chen Chang Xing, (who had learned Tai Chi from Jiang Fa) he proceeded to seek the master out. After years of training, Yang Lu Chan was accepted as a disciple and given the full transmission of the system. Yang Lu Chan spent 18 years to finish his study of this soft style of martial art from Chen Chang Xing.

After leaving the Chen Jia Gou village, Yang Lu Chan went to Beijing and began to perfect his Tai Chi Chuan skills. After years of continuous training and self-research, he achieved a high level of martial art skill that he defeated all challenges from masters of other kung fu styles through out China and be known as Yang Wu Di (Yang the Invincible).

Yang Lu Chan had two sons, Pan Hou and Jian Hou. Eventually his sons helped him to train his grandson Yang Cheng Fu to be the greatest Tai Chi Chuan teacher in China.

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Yang, Pan-Hou (1834-1902) was the second son of Yang, Lu-chan. The first son died young. Pan-hou was small of stature, agile and quick tempered by nature. Both he and his younger brother, Yang, Chien-hou, were forced to train in Tai Chi Chuan by their father.

They were not very happy about the hard work and Chien-hou is said to have run away at one point. It is also said that both brothers thought of joining a Buddhist Monastery to get away from home. The training was hard and constant. Yang, Lu-chan was known to have been a demanding father and teacher.

Of the two brothers, Pan-hou's Tai Chi was said to have been the best. As a teacher he was not very popular with his students. He demanded a great deal from them and was quite violent in his training methods. Very few students were able to stick with him. He met Wang, Jiao-yu while training guards and courtiers of the Imperial court in Beijing.

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Wang, Jiao-Yu (1836-1939) was a stable hand and carriage driver for one of the Manchu princes. It was a position held by his father. Pan-hou met and took a liking to Wang Jiao-yu. This was the beginning of their relationship. Pan-hou taught Jiao yu the Tai Chi we now call Yang Kuang P'ing.

As we already know, the set taught to Wang, Jiao-yu was different from the one taught in the Imperial court. Training was conducted in secret. Secrecy was not unusual in any of the boxing arts during this time. Wang Jiao-yu did not reveal his art until the turn of the century. He lived at the Lu-Tsu temple in the Ho-Ping-Men (Door Of Peace) sector of Beijing. It is said that he accepted only five students. Kuo Lien-ying was among the five.

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Kuo, Lien-Ying (1897-1984) had an interesting and long life. He was northern Chinese and said to have grown up in Hu Ho Hao Te, Inner Mongolia. He took up Shaolin boxing and the classical fighting weapons as a youth and was a bodyguard in his early years. While in his 20s, he heard of Wang, Jiao-yu in Beijing and sought him out. He was refused entrance as a student for 6 months and accepted after repeatedly asking to be taught. Many years of intense practice are required to master an internal martial art and teachers tested a students' resolve to learn before being accepted.

It was from Wang, Jiao-yu that Kuo, Lien-ying learned the art and method of Tai Chi chuan. He went on to master Ba-gua and Shing-yi and became one of China's most noted practitioners of the internal arts. He was, also, a congressman in the National Assembly of China during the Republic of China. He was given a state funeral by the Peoples Republic of China when he died in 1984. He had a number of Chinese and non-Chinese students. Chiang Yun-Chun (below) was Kuo's student in Taiwan during the 50s and early 60s and both Chiang, Yun-Chun and Look, Moon Hung studied with Kuo in the U.S.

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Chiang, Yun-Chun teaches and lives in El Cerrito, California. He is a noted Painter, Internal Martial Artist, Calligrapher, and Oriental Medical Doctor. He is the former Chairman of the California State Board of Examiners of Oriental Medicine. He is Master of the Wen Wu school of traditional Chinese arts in El Cerrito. Master Chiang was a student of Kuo Lien Ying and Wang Ji-chen, both of whom were students of Wang Jiao-yu.

Master Chiang is considered a master of the five excellencies of Chinese culture. He has mastered internal healing and boxing arts. They are: Tai Chi Chuan, Ba-gua, Shing-yi, Shaolin (and it's off shoot styles), Fukien White (RYU HE CHUAN) Crane, and various Chi-gung styles, Chinese classical weapons, strategy, and philosophy. Additionally, he has mastered and teaches traditional Chinese painting, calligraphy, and seal carving. Some of his paintings and calligraphy reside in museums in the West and East. His paintings were presented to U.S. Presidents Eisenhower and Carter during their administrations. He recently was given a retrospective art showing at the Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall in Taipei, R.O.C..

As a result of the revolution in the early 1900s, Sun Yat-sin's resolve to create an open and healthy China inspired the masters of various arts to open their studies to the general public. Yang, Chen-fu taught the Beijing style of Yang Tai Chi at the Republic's school for martial arts. His intention was to help Chinese people gain strength and good health from the practice. Sun's principle of openness was also practiced by Master Kuo. Master Chiang follows in this same tradition.

War disrupted the development of the Republic and most students of Chinese history are familiar with the Communist's and the Kuomintong's prolonged war during the Japanese occupation of China. Due to the Communist take over in China, Master Kuo and Master Chiang made their way to Taiwan. Master Kuo went to San Francisco in the middle 1960s followed by Master Chiang in the late 60s. Master Chiang is from Da Ming city in Heipei Province, China.

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Look, Moon Hung (Henry Look) is one of the few true lineage holders of Chinese internal martial arts in America. He has studied Taiji, Xingyi, Bagua and Qigong for over 30 years. Since 1970, he has had the good fortune to train with Grandmaster Kuo Lien Ying, Grandmaster Han Hsing-Yuen and Professor and Madame Yu Peng-Shi, outstanding masters all who trace their lineage directly to the great Xingyi master Kuo Yun Shen, reputed to be the greatest xingyi fighter of his generation.

Master Look is the founder and director of TIMA (Tri Internal Martial Arts), as well as
the founder and honorary chairman of the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association. He
also serves as the official advisor to the U.S. Chinese Kuoshu Federation, Director of Xingyiquan, Hall of Fame committee member and national martial arts judge. In the past few years, Grandmaster Look has been named Inside Kungfu Magazine’s “1997 Hall of Fame Instructor Of The Year,” and was included in their “100 Best, Greatest and Most Influenctial Martial Artists of the Twentieth Century.” He also was just recently named
as Inside Kungfu’s “2004 Man of The Year.” He was furthermore inducted into the USA Wushu Kung Fu Federation’s Hall of Fame, winning their Lifetime Achievement Award.

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Bo Dah-Wai (David Bernhardt) has been training in the Martial Arts for over 35 years. He holds Instructor Certification from the Guang Ping Yang Tai Chi Association and from Grand Master Look, Moon Hung. He is a Gold Medal Champion in Guang Ping Tai Chi from the U.S. Chinese Koushu Federation, at San Francisco’s International Martial Arts Competition. He is also certified as an Internal Martial Arts judge by Grand Master Look, Moon Hung.

A teacher since 1976, Master Bernhardt has taught on both coasts of the United States as well as internationally. He has also achieved black belts in five styles. His accomplishments include 3 first degree black belts, a 3rd degree black belt and a fourth degree black belt. His studies have included Wing Chun, Jeet Kune do, Tae Kwon Do, Ying Jow Pai, Kune Mu Kwon, 5 Animal Gung Fu, Choi Lai Fut, Kajukenbo, Kenpo, Iaido, Hsing-I, Guang Ping Tai Chi and Guang Ping Tai Chi weapons, Chi Gung and Zazen. Master Bernhardt has been fortunate to have both Grand Master Chiang, Yun-Chun and Grand Master Look, Moon Hung as his teachers.

A heartfelt thanks is also given to Claudio Navarro, Eric Estrada, Richard Molina and Eddie Peterson, all extraordinary martial artists for their influences in the early days, as well as an extra special thank you to Eddie Peterson for his mentoring in the ways of street awareness, street fighting technique and deep friendship.

Additional influential and notable teachers:

Master Mikio Nishiuchi, stayed in Okinawa and learned Kobudo from Master Shimpo Matayoshi and Kinjo Takashi kaicho (both these masters are from Naha, Okinawa). Shihan Mikio Nishiuchi is training for 45 years. He was born and lived in Kochi city, Japan and came to USA when he was 30 years old. He officially formed International Okinawa Kobudo Association (IOKA) in 1990.

Kyoshi Dave Kovar, the head instructor of Kovar's Karate Center, Inc., has been teaching karate since he was 15 years old. He is a 7th degree Black Belt and has the rank of Black Belt in 8 different styles. With over 2,500 active students, Kovar's is not just one of the oldest and most established Martial Arts schools, but is ranked as one of the top schools in the nation.

Master Min Pai, Professer Barbara Bones, Professor Coleen Gragen, Sifu Stacy Jolles, Master Leung Shum, Grand Master Duk Sung Son, Master Eddie Chong.