MysticMag has the opportunity to chat with Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming (楊俊敏), a renowned martial artist, author, and teacher, recognized for bridging traditional Chinese martial arts and qigong with modern scientific understanding. With expertise in White Crane Kung Fu, Long Fist Kung Fu, Yang-style Tai Chi, and Qin Na, he has authored numerous influential books and founded Yang’s Martial Arts Association (YMAA) in 1982. His teachings have reached a global audience through seminars, training camps, and an international network of schools.
You have dedicated decades to preserving and teaching traditional Chinese martial arts, particularly White Crane and Taijiquan. What do you see as the biggest challenges in keeping these ancient arts relevant in the modern world?
Lifestyles today are not the same as ancient times, when most people were farmers. Farmers only needed a couple of hours per day to maintain the farm. The rest of the day was free for them, to feel and enjoy life. Naturally, a lot of arts—including martial arts—that took a lot of time and patience to practice were created during this time. Generally speaking, farmers developed more patience and tolerance because of the hard labor they had to endure daily.
However, it is not the same in today’s industrial society, where most people are required to work 8 hours or more each day in order to survive. Under this situation, we have gradually become money slaves. In addition, there is a large variety of entertainment, media, and other attractions that keep us busy and numb. Over time, we slowly lost our connection to that deep inner feeling for life and instead became robots. Honestly, finding students who have the time and patience to excel in the ancient arts is so rare nowadays. Material satisfaction is in more demand than spiritual development.
Under these circumstances, it has become increasingly difficult to preserve any art requiring a high level of patience and practice, including classical music, sculpture, painting, writing, and of course, martial arts. I have taught Chinese martial arts since I was 24 years old in Taiwan. After I came to America in 1974, I was confident I could pass down this art to the western world and preserve it. Unfortunately, after more than 40 years of teaching and traveling around the world, I realized that in order to have a better chance of preserving the arts at the level of ancient standards, I needed to create an environment similar to that of the ancient world. As a result, I accepted and trained a group of students on a mountain for 10 years, isolated from modern society. The project was completed in 2018. My sincerest hope is that some of the graduates will go on to develop and preserve the arts to a higher standard, without losing the essence and origins of the practice.
Your teachings emphasize the deep connection between martial arts, Qigong, and Chinese medicine. How do you integrate these elements into your training, and why do you believe this holistic approach is essential for practitioners?
Actually, nearly 100% of traditional martial arts include Qigong. In Chinese martial arts societies, there is a proverb: “Externally train tendons, bones, and skin. Internally train a mouthful of Qi.” (外練筋骨皮，內練一口氣。) Internal training of Qi that is related to breathing is Qigong. This has marked the main difference between Chinese martial arts and western martial arts. Since the 5th century, Chinese martial artists realized that in order to have stronger strength, power, and endurance, they had to train Qigong. Abundant Qi and smooth Qi circulation are the crucial keys to achieving these goals. Furthermore, Qigong enables a martial artist to reach higher levels of focus, awareness, and alertness—which are all also keys of spiritual cultivation. When I trained White Crane and Taijiquan in Taiwan, Qigong training was required and necessary in all practice.
In ancient China, many masters or martial monks lived in temples far away from laymen society where there were no doctors, such as in the Song (嵩山), Wudang (武當), and Emei (峨嵋) mountains. This is why almost all traditional martial artists also knew how to treat injuries and sicknesses. The basic theory of Chinese medicine, including acupuncture and massage, all utilize Qigong theory and concepts.
You spent ten years leading an intensive training program in California, immersing a select group of students in traditional martial arts. What were the key lessons from this experience, and how do you believe it shaped the future of your teachings?
In any learning, in order to reach a high level of understanding and skill, a student must know what, why, and how. Without knowing these, anything learned will be shallow. It is the same in martial arts. Knowing what will give you a goal, direction, and content. Knowing why gives you the reasons and the theories behind the learning. Theory is like a map that leads you to the right path and goal. Finally, knowing how will provide the methods that allow students to reach the final goal with a high standard of skill. If a student is able to comprehend the why and how in every movement, as well as practice hard until all techniques have become natural reflexes, then a deep feeling of the art can be achieved. Feeling is the foundation of creation and preservation of the art. Deep feeling creates deep arts. Only with feeling can the deep arts be developed and created continuously.
Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle to fulfill was finding committed students. In addition, the self-discipline of students now is just not the same as it was in ancient times. My only hope is that I have planted a few seeds that will help grow and develop a strong foundation for the future of traditional martial arts.
With your extensive experience in martial arts education, what are the most common misconceptions Western students have about traditional Chinese martial arts, and how do you address them?
When I came to America, I realized that many of the oriental martial arts, including some Chinese, were created from imitating movies. Unfortunately, most of the new arts back then were created by teachers who did not have much traditional training or experience. Many of the movements were fancy and beautiful, but unrealistic and not practical.
In order to preserve traditional martial arts and hopefully keep it on the correct path, I became a teacher and author. I have been a teacher for most of my life, always trying to do the best that I can with what I am able to offer. I have also written about 60 books and produced nearly 80 videos. Hopefully, my teachings can serve as a guide to lead interested martial artists and Qigong practitioners away from such misconceptions and on a more authentic path.
Through your books and instructional videos, you have made complex martial arts and Qigong concepts accessible to a global audience. How do you approach balancing depth and accessibility in your teaching materials?
Almost all of my books and videos were designed for self-instruction. Through these products, a beginner should be able to develop a good foundation for any future training. But to complement my books and videos, I have been teaching classes and seminars for over 40 years. Many concepts and teachings are difficult to grasp without firsthand experience and interaction. In my career, I have traveled to nearly 40 countries to teach, beginning in 1986. I am fortunate that I was able to combine my career and passion, such that I could support my family and at the same time share my knowledge with people from all around the world. When I was not traveling, students also came to visit me in Boston, sometimes for just a few days and sometimes for several months. Now, YMAA International consists of about 50 schools in 15 countries. I believe some of them have truly reached a profound level, and I am happy to see them continue to openly teach and share what they know.
I am still continuing to offer seminars in Boston and California every year. For those who are committed to learning and searching for a deeper level in the arts, you can visit my website for more details (www.yangjwingming.com).
