I am not sure how true this story is, but it is certainly plausible that it did happen. Two of my Taijiquan heroes are said to have met in real life and had a minor showdown during the early 20th century. I found this story on a Chinese website and have translated it as best I can. Some of the Chinese is in classical form [especially the verse at the end] and I don't profess to be an expert, so I just picked up the general meaning and ran with it.
The two masters in question are Song Shuming [宋書銘] and Yang Shaohou [楊少侯].
Song Shuming practiced an ancient Daoist martial art said to have been passed down through his family and learnt from Xu Xuanping during the Tang Dynasty. Song Shuming was an enigma in the Taiji world at that time, and reputed to have considerable martial ability, making him a formidable opponent.
Yang Shaohou, as we all know, mainly learnt from his uncle Yang Banhou [楊班侯], and had an equally important status in the Beijing martial arts world at that time. He represented the 3rd generation of the Yang family tradition, perhaps the last generation that really deserved to carry the torch.
Because of his reputation many famous martial artists went to visit Song Shuming to try out their skills, but most were politely refused and sent away. But, when Yang Shaohou paid a visit accompanied by Wu Tunan and others, Song Shuming, aware of Yang Shaohou's reputation, immediately invited him into his house.
After exchanging greetings and chatting for a while, Yang Shaohou indicated the reason he was there was to "compare notes" on martial practice. Understanding the meaning, and knowing of Yang Shaohou's fame, and because he had made a special effort to pay a visit, Song Shuming felt both honoured and obliged to participate.
They both stepped outside; Song and Shaohou made contact and instantly it was as if nothing would happen, it seemed that each had met their match!
Shaohou sensed there was no stiffness to exploit throughout the whole of Song's body. The two were almost still, almost no perceptible movement. It seemed that Shaohou was practicing his Qigong, head erect, body straight, Qi deep and body relaxed; on the other hand Song started to move, raising his Qi up, daring not to lose concentration. Suddenly, Shaohou raised his hand and with a pull and a push Song Shuming flew away, as if blown by the wind, tumbling more than ten steps away before slowly coming to a halt.
After a while, Song stood up and kept repeating "What amazing Ling Kong Jin [凌空勁], teach me, teach me!!"
Inspired, he recited this verse:-
Formless shapeless
Complete body just void
Transcending all that is natural.
[Listen]
Far in the Western hills the stone chimes
The tigers roar and the apes howl
Where springs are clear and rivers are still.
Just as the river returns to the sea
One can return to the source of all creation.
5 comments:
According to Wu Tu Nan's own writings, Yang Shaohou was not part of the group of famous exponents, incl Wu Jianquan and other non-tai chi exponents, who visited Song, so where did this story of Yang Shaohou visiting WITH Wu Tunan come from?
Wu's writings suggested a very high regard for Song's skills, and it doesn't make sense for him to hold Song in such high regard if his own teacher Yang Shaohou could beat Song so easily. In fact, if you were to read Wu's writings carefully, there is that suggestion (tho admittedly not explicitly stated)that Song himself was capable of ling kong jin. Wu Jianquan and the other exponents all fell easily before Song, suggesting a very high level of skill, and most of them in fact, if we believe the writings published by these exponents themselves, stayed on to learn from Song.
It makes no sense that those exponents themselves lied in their writngs in the early 20th C, and why should they? Recent publications in Chinese magazines had quite a few things to say abt Song, but none of them abt a Song / Yang meeting, suggesting that it never happened.
And, there is evidence to suggest that Wu Jianquan did learn from Song, and changed his art after that. Look at the Wu Jianquan Style before and after the supposed meeting with Song. They are very, very different.
Not to put down anyone, but I think there's a little too much worshipping of the Yang family. Seems like we like to attribute a lot of greatness to the Yang members for the simple reason because they're Yang. Tai chi is not all abt the Yangs, in fact, the Yang family today have no gongfu. The Yang's gongfu has been lost to non-Yangs.
Thank you.
In fact I agree with pretty much all you say, but it is impossible now to be sure of the detail. I'm sure that Yang Shaohou was the last of the Yang family that trained to a high enough level to call himself a master of the art. I would not learn from any other Yang lineage. Ling Kong Jin is at a very high level of ability, I'm not sure that he was really able, but it's open to debate of course.
The important thing for me is that there is no one that can teach me the Song Shuming style [if there was I would certainly search him out], unless you mean that the Wu style is partly his style, in which case I don't believe the modern Wu style can produce someone of the Song Shuming level of skill.
But, I have found a teacher of the Yang Shaohou style, who can teach me some pretty interesting stuff that was unavailable in my previous style.
The story appeared on a Chinese chat room http://taichiforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=1009&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30&sid=8b670ffd28051cd1511ad4e54695b919
I am not sure of its authenticity, but it makes an interesting read, and that is why I translated it.
I call them my heroes, because Yang Shaohou for me is the last member of the family that didn't "sell out", and Song Shuming is a minor legend in the Taijiquan world and also the "fly in the ointment" for the "Chen family created everything" theorists.
Personally I do NOT worship the Yangs, in fact I do NOT worship anyone [except perhaps my wife, but that's another story ;-)]
I choose a potential master on merit only, not on family name.
Glad to meet a fellow Song Shuming fan, please don't be anonymous in the future!
By the way I don't think that link is going to work in the above message, if you are interested in taking a look send me an e-mail and I'll send you the full link.
Cheers
Ralph
"And, there is evidence to suggest that Wu Jianquan did learn from Song, and changed his art after that. Look at the Wu Jianquan Style before and after the supposed meeting with Song. They are very, very different."
What is the evidence that Wu Jianquan learned from Song ?
There is no true evidence of course that Wu learned from Song and as a consequence created his own style, but it's perfectly plausible of course.
We certainly know that Wu Jianquan created his own style, and we're pretty certain that he associated with Song Shuming, right?
Could that association have been the catalyst of the North South divide in the Wu camp, who knows?
Maybe this thread will be interesting for you to read...
http://emptyflower.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1091
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