History and Lineage
Yang Lu Chan (1799 - 1872) was a master of T’ai Chi Ch’aun and one of the greatest martial artists of his time. He is the founder of the Yang style of T’ai Chi Ch’aun and was an essential figure in the popularization of this martial art.
Yang Cheng Fu (1883-1936) was the grandson to Yang Luchan the founder of the Yang-style T’ai Chi Ch’uan. It was Cheng-Fu who finalized this style into the present-day form that is so popular all over the world. Learning T’ai Chi Ch’uan from his father since early childhood, Yang Cheng-Fu showed great talent and learned very quickly, especially the "middle frame" of Yang style passed on by his grandfather to his father and uncle Yang Ban-Hou
Professor Cheng Man-Ch’ing (1900 – 1975) learned T’ai Chi Ch’uan in the tradition of the classical Yang style from Yang Cheng Fu in Shanghai. There he was close friends with Ma Yueliang, the representative figure of the new Wu style. After the death of his teacher Yang Cheng Fu in 1936, and with the permission of Chen Weiming, a student of Yang Cheng-Fu, and his father Yang Jianhou, Cheng Man Ch’ing developed the so-called “short form”, in which 37 positions are counted, from the the well-known long form with 85 or 108 positions, depending on how they are counted.
Dr. Wang, disciple of Prof. Cheng Man-Ch’ing. started teaching his teacher’s Yang Style 37 T’ai Chi Ch’uan Short form in the Fresno/Clovis area in 1975. In 1977 Dr. Wang moved to Los Angeles to be with his family and continue his practice as a well respected Chinese Doctor.
Charles Ettner was appointed senior instructor by Dr. Wang in 1977. When Charles left to continue his PhD. studies he certified his three senior students as teachers and left the school in their hands. Those senior students, Richard Parker, Chris Marie Brown, and Ellie Orrin.
The Tai Chi Center of Fresno was incorporated in 1989 as a nonprofit educational organization by the senior students appointed as teachers by Charles Ettner.
Today, the Tai Chi Center of Fresno is still teaching the traditional Yang Style 37 posture short form first brought to Fresno County in 1975 by Dr. Wang.