Thinking back on his youth, Yang says he was simply "hyperactive." He always talked in class and couldn't concentrate. He was often beaten by the teachers. He changed junior high schools several times, and only graduated from the night school division after six years.
十年磨劍回顧年少，楊茂林說自己簡直是個「過動兒」，上課愛講話、不專心，常被老師「毒打」，初中換了不少學校，讀了 6 年才從夜間部畢業。