The originator of Yang-style Taiji Quan was Yang Luchan (1800-1873), born in Yongnian County, Hebei Province. Brought up in a poor family, Yang Luchanwas sold to Chen Dehu in Cehnjiagou village as a child servant. While looking after Taiji Quan Master Chen Changxing, Yang Luchan learned martial arts from him. He returned to his native village as an adult and began to teach Taiji Quan to others. People in Yongnian County described his art as "silky boxing" and "soft boxing." Later, he went to Beijing and taught many members of the nobility in the Qing Dynasty.

To meet the needs of the general public, he dropped the difficult movements, such as jumps, foot stamping and force producing exercises. Yang's son revised this form into the Middle Frame. His grandson, Yang Chengfu, revised it once more and finalized it as the Big Frame. Simple and easy to learn, the Big Frame has become the most popular Yang-style Taiji Quan today. The Yangs enjoyed great fame on Beijing. After1923, Yang Chenfu visited Nanjing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Hankou, where he taught and made popular the Yang-style Taiji Quan.

The Yang Style is characterized by its fully extended, simple, smooth, light, easy and natural movements. Practitioners should begin with relaxed effort and soft movements, accumulate softness into hardness, then make hard or soft movements properly in order to produce a display of grace and beauty. There are also high, middle and low frames, The beginners can adjust their physical power in practice depending on their age, sex and stamina. It can be used for curing illnesses, preserving health and improving the physique and boxing skills.