Master Yao Chengguang - The 3rd Generation YiQuan Inheritor

"If you don't want to study YiQuan, you don't have to. But if you want, you must be the best because you are Yao Zongxun's son"



Translated by Kalisz, revised by Yves L.P.

Yao Chengguang started learning YiQuan not because he liked Wushu, but because he had  poor health, so his father told him to practice zhan zhuang. Who could imagine that this zhan zhuang standing will initiate an uninterrupted intense period of  40 years of training. Yao can still remember, that as a child, everyday coming back from school, his father telling him to put down his school bag and to start to practice zhan zhuang.

Yao Zongxun was teaching martial arts to earn his life. But during cultural revolution he was not authorized to, then his family lost their major source of income. They used to sweep roads, deliver coal briquettes and pick some vegetable leaves. But even during this time his father insisted that his two  sons continue practicing.

In 1969 his whole family had to move to Changping to join a People's community, where they worked as farm workers and horse herds. These difficulties didn't take away Yao Zongun's passion for YiQuan. He kept telling his sons that in time of poverty they must develop their will. In summer as in winter, regardless how much and how hard they had to work, they had to wake up at 4 a.m. and practice. In the  evening, after a whole day of hard work, they had to practice again. This hard training lasted after  10 years. Actually those years gave the strong basis of Master Yao Chengguang's skills.

After the cultural revolution, in 1979 the Yao family came back to Beijing. At that time the authorities of Physical Education already recognize the value of YiQuan. This inspired Yao Zongxun and  gave him a new energy to pursue his works.
"One day my father asked me to come to his room and said to me: " Time is running, I don't want YiQuan to disappear after me. Beginning from tomorrow you and your brother will start to increase your training. You will become great experts. But remember: if you don't want to study YiQuan, you don't have to, but if you want, you must be the best, because you are Yao Zongxun's son. So you must tell me whether you are able to take this big burden, or you are stopping YiQuan? - I didn't sleep this night... In the morning I gave him my decision: "Yes, I want".

Soon Yao Chengguang learned what this decision meant...

"60 kilos in the morning, 56 kilos in the evening"
To turn out high level inheritors, in 1979 Yao Zongxun started a special enhancing training for his top students. They were: Yao Chengguang, Yao Chengrong, Cui Ruibin, Wu Xiaonan, Liu Pulei. The 26 years old Yao Chengguang was working in trolleybus company at that time. To be able to practice at daytime, he started working in night shift. In the morning his weight was 60 kg. After a day of training, his weight decreased to 56 kg. After he had rest at evening, in the morning his weight was again 60 kg. He was always wearing canvas shoes, so he could practice at any time. In winter, although he was wearing only a very thin sweater, during practicing his body was sweating and his hair was wet. In summer, when he practiced punching sandbag, his palms were covered with calluses. He could hit the bag 880 times in 3 minutes. When he practiced tui shou and san shou half naked, his body was covered with hematomas. Yao Zongxun insisted that they should have feeling of reality during practice. So the sparring was tough. It was normal when they had black eyes, bleeding noses and injured lips. Because his lips were often injured, when at supper there was something salty, he couldn't eat, sometimes just some thin rice porridge.

He was coming to work at 10 p.m., first he was teaching YiQuan to some friends. After 11 he stayed alone. But he had to stay awake. Sometimes he was so tired, that he was half standing and half leaning against wall, and sleeping for a moment. His fellow workers used to say: "Yao Chengguang is a real master - he can sleep while standing". Next day, after returning back home, he could have some short rest, and soon as a lively tiger appeared at the training place. This period of special enhancing  training  lasted after 5 years. It cost a lot of sweat and blood. And it was decisive for his future life - working for the development of YiQuan.

"I chose a life full of commitment and sacrifice, but also full of glory. It cost me a lot, but I don't regret"
During these last 40 years Yao Chengguang has been constantly practicing YiQuan, respecting his commitment to his father but also because of his love for this art. YiQuan is in his body and in his mind. YiQuan is his life.
In July 1997 I came for the first time  to visit him in Beijing Mao'er hutong. When I saw those narrow lanes and small rooms, when I saw Yao in plain clothes, with gentle smile on his face, it was difficult to believe that Yao Chengguang lives in this place. Yao Chengguang - one of the greatest Wushu masters of our times.
"He thinks only YiQuan, nothing else. When we were young and when I was coming to see him, each time I saw him practicing. Now he is practicing and also teaching, doing theoretical studies, taking part in conferences and other activities, he is busy all the time. Once I took his bicycle and went to do shopping. When I just started riding, I noticed that the bike is almost falling apart. But he is so busy that he didn't have even the time to think about fixing it." - says Zhao Guoqing, Yao Chengguang's student and friend.
A neighbor confessed: "We live in neighborhood for so many years, but I wouldn't realize that Yao Chengguang is a man famous all over world, if I didn't see  foreigners keep on coming here all the time".
Yes, he is not interested in fame, he is not interested in profit. He is only interested in working for the development of YiQuan. This is Yao Chengguang.

In 1985 Yao Zongxun passed away. Then taking this hard task to assure the succession of his father in the various activities concerned by YiQuan, his agenda becomes more and more tight. Yao Chengguang uses to go different provinces such as Shanxi, Shandong, Henan, Guizhou, Sichuan but also many other places where he is  teaching YiQuan. In 1988 he spent 6 months in Honkong, invited by Hong Kong YiQuan Society. It helped to develop YiQuan in Hong Kong. In 1992, invited by Japanese Taiki-ken Association he went to Japan, demonstrating real kung-fu at the foot of Fuji-yama, he contributed in great extent to the development of Aikiken - Japanese branch of YiQuan. In 1992 there was a 4th Dan Korean Teakwondo who was traveling in China, he was keeping on saying that Chinese martial arts were not practical. Then there was this meeting with Yao Chenggguang: he was easily defeated, and he changed rapidly his opinion...In 1994 Yao established Zongxun Wuguan Institute. These last 10 years many people from China and abroad trained in this Institute. In 2001 invited by Maurizio Trotti and Vittorio Botazzi, Mr.Yao was teaching in Italy, opening a new chapter in popularizing YiQuan in the world. In Summer 2003 several students from US, UK, Italy and Poland participated to an intensive training course on YiQuan dedicated to Pushing Hands and San Shou.

"My dream is to turn out high level representatives of YiQuan. It doesn't matter whether my   students are Chinese or foreigners. What is important is if they are really interested in studying YiQuan".
"The prospects of our development are great. But there are also many difficulties. I will not able solve them alone. So I really hope that, all together, we will work for popularization and development of YiQuan"
"I had chosen life full of commitments and sacrifice, but also full of glory. It cost me a lot, but I don't regret."