Yang Banhou (Yang Pan-hou; 1837–1890) was an influential teacher of tai chi in Qing dynasty China, known for his bellicose temperament.

Biography

He was the eldest son of Yang Luchan to survive to adulthood. Like his father, he was retained as a martial arts instructor by the Manchu imperial family. His disciple Wu Quanyou, a Manchu banner cavalry officer of the Palace Battalion, and Wu Quanyou's son Wu Jianquan, also a banner officer, became co-founders of Wu-style tai chi. Yang Banhou's younger brother Yang Jianhou was a well known teacher of Yang-style tai chi as well. Banhou adopted Jianhou's eldest son, Yang Shaohou, and put him through rigorous training. Yang Banhou's son Yang Shaopeng (1875–1938) was also a tai chi teacher. Yang Banhou taught Wang Jiaoyu his father's Guang Ping Yang tai chi form, and Wang taught Kuo Lien-ying this original Yang style form.

Tai chi lineage tree with Yang-style focus