Fu Zhong Wen 1903 - 1994

Fu Zhong was born in the year of the Rabbit,  in Yong Nian  Hebei ,  the birthplace of Tai Chi. As a kid he would watch people practise Tai Chi and imitate their moves, before beginning his training with Master Yang Cheng Fu at a young age of 9. Zhong Wen’s personal diligence and  and application in learning Tai Chi Chuan saw him  advance rapidly in the knowledge and expertise of Wu shu. 

 In 1918 at the age of 15  Fu Zhong Wen left for Shanghai in search of work and found one in a cotton company.  But he did not forget his training and in 1929 Yang Cheng Fu moved to Shanghai and Fu Zhong Wen was of course ecstatic and arrange for Yang Cheng Fu to stay with him. Yang Cheng Fu began perfecting his Tai Chi skill by passing down his full Tai Chi and push hands knowledge to him. Yang Cheng Fu's expectations of Fu Zhong Wen was very high and under his watchful eye he mastered the Yang style Tai Chi.

As Zhong Wen mature, he would accompanied Cheng Fu in his travels around China from Wu Han  to  Guangzhou demonstrating Tai Chi and helping to teach along the way. Yang Cheng Fu would teach and  Zhong Wen  would demonstrate. Fu Zhong Wen would often accept challenges from other Martial Artist, and not once failing to uphold his master's  honour. 

 Fu Zhong Wen was often called upon by his master to represent him in push hands competitions and he earned the reputation of being an undefeatable opponent.  So highly regarded was he by his peers, that Cheng Fu's  first disciple  Chen Wei Ming wrote a letter to him after Cheng fu's death, acknowledging the excellence of Zhong Wen's Wu shu and the accuracy with which he reflected their master’s art.  In his death in 1936, Cheng fu passed leadership of Yang Shi Tai Chi Chuan to his tuti (disciple) Fu Zhong Wen and for him to pass on the family art of Tai Chi to the world.   

 In 1944, Fu Zhong Wen founded the Yong Nian Tai chi association in order to carry on the work of his master in spreading Tai Chi Chuan to all people.  When he founded the Yong Nian Association, he selected  diligence, perseverance, respect and sincerity as their Motto. Fu Zhong Wen lived his life according to the above motto.  The reason he chose Yong Nian as  the name was because: 

1. Tai Chi originated from Yong Nian.
2. Yong Nian in Chinese means Longevity and the main purpose of establishing the association  was to teach Tai Chi and allowing the people to benefit from practicing Tai  Chi to live longer.

In 1959 The PRC feature Fu Zhong Wen ’s Tai Chi Dao (Sabre) in it's international sports  publication. The PRC also published his book, entitled, Yang Family Tai Chi Chuan in 1963. 

In 1972 the Tongji University in Shanghai carried out a scientific research on the therapeutic value of Tai Chi on patients with Fu Zhong Wen and Fu Sheng Yuan as instructors. After 3 months  the results achieved with some medical conditions  including heart diseases, spleen dysfunction, arthritis and insomnia, propel the ministry of sport to give an official recognition to the therapeutic value of Tai Chi.

Fu Zhong Wen was the type of man who was willing to teach Tai Chi to whom ever wanted to learn for free and the only benefit to him was the knowledge that people was doing Tai Chi and gaining health from it.

Fu Zhong Wen had dedicated his live to practising and teaching Tai Chi. He was voted as one of the One Hundred living treasures of China and was a great lost to the martial Arts world and a greater lost to his Family, Fu Zhong Wen passed away in Shanghai on September 25th !994 age 92.