Complete Collection of Xing Yi Quan Martial Arts

Author: Shanxi People
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-04-01
Features: [Preface] Tai Gu County in Shanxi Province is renowned as the "Hometown of Xing Yi Quan." In the 29th year of the Daoguang reign (1849), the divine fist Li Laonong (name Feiyu, style name Nengran) was invited by the local gentry Meng Bozhi to come to Tai Gu County to protect the city and serve as bodyguards. He first introduced the Dai family's Xing Yi Quan into the region. The "Monumentary Inscription for Che Junyi's Study" records, "Our county flourished with this art during the Xian and Tong periods," and praises the local martial arts masters, stating, "If it comes to martial arts, I deeply envy Laonong." Since the Xian and Tong period, the ancient city of Tai Gu has been a gathering place for Xing Yi masters, with renowned masters passing down the tradition from generation to generation. The master Che Yizhao defeated a Japanese martial artist, intimidating the Tianjin area. Che Yizhao, He Yunheng, Li Guangheng, Song Shireng, and Song Shide, the "Five Stars," gathered in Tai Gu, elevating the fame of Xing Yi Quan. Gu Yunshen, Liu Qilan, and Li Cunyi, among other masters, traveled from Hebei to Shanxi to "visit Xing Yi compatriots," marking the beginning of historical exchanges between Xing Yi Quan in Shanxi and Hebei. Afterward, Xing Yi Quan spread even more widely. After the founding of New China, Xing Yi Quan practitioners achieved outstanding results in national martial arts competitions. This martial arts flower, Xing Yi Quan, has blossomed brilliantly in the garden of Chinese martial arts, shining with even greater brilliance on the land of Tai Gu. As local chronicle workers in the Xing Yi Quan homeland, it is our bounden duty to comprehensively and systematically excavate, organize, inherit, and promote this precious martial arts legacy. However, discussing the historical origins and key successors of Xing Yi Quan, clarifying the establishment of its name and the theory of its techniques, and introducing the specific training methods and combat principles of its numerous routines are not easy tasks. In old China, poverty and backwardness were rampant, and many martial arts masters were illiterate. Teaching and learning martial arts largely relied on oral and physical instruction, compounded by regional dialect differences, making some misinterpretations understandable. Moreover, many ancient martial arts texts were copied by literati on behalf of masters, and those unfamiliar with martial arts could hardly avoid errors. Historical records and published works on Xing (Xin) Yi Quan often varied, some even being vastly different, as clear evidence. As local chronicle workers, our duty is to correct the record and restore order. For this purpose, our colleagues have spent years searching through complex historical archives, enduring harsh weather, traveling long distances, conducting investigations, and collecting valuable Xing (Xin) Yi Quan texts and anecdotes. The Xing Yi Quan practiced today, widely known both domestically and internationally, gradually developed and matured in Tai Gu County, Shanxi Province, from the late Qing Dynasty to the Guangxu period, based on the Dai family's Xing Yi Quan. Li Feiyu, a divine fist master from Qixian County, Shanxi, learned "Xin Yi" from the Dai family and first introduced it to Tai Gu, calling it "Xin Yi Quan." During the dozen years he guarded the estate and served as bodyguards in Tai Gu, he and his disciples Che Yizhao, He Yunheng, and Li Guangheng, through repeated practice and deep study, decided to rename their practiced martial art "Xing Yi Quan." From then on, the name "Xing Yi Quan" became known to the world. Afterward, Li Feiyu and his disciples spread the art in Shanxi and Hebei, all using the name "Xing Yi Quan." During the Tongzhi period, Li Feiyu and his disciple Che Yizhao created a sparring routine called the "Five Elements Generating and Overcoming Routine," later renamed "Five Elements Cannon." This marked a major leap in the development of Xing Yi Quan. From the Tongzhi to Guangxu period, Che Yizhao and others created nine more sparring routines, such as the "Five Flowers Cannon," and continuously improved and enriched the theory and techniques of Xing Yi Quan. The Xing Yi Quan established by Li Feiyu and his disciples became increasingly mature and spread more widely. From the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China, Xing Yi Quan practitioners made positive contributions to strengthening the physical and mental resilience of the Chinese people in resisting foreign aggression. To comprehensively and systematically introduce traditional Xing Yi Quan to future scholars, we have invited Wu Dianke, a disciple of the Xing Yi master Che Yizhao and advisor to the Shanxi Xing Yi Quan Research Association, as well as the author of A Concise History of Shanxi Xing Yi Quan, to serve as the chief editor of this book. Wu Dianke was born in the third year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1911). From a young age, he was inspired by his older brother Wu Yaoke to learn Xing Yi Quan. In 1922, he entered Tai Gu's Higher Primary School, where he studied under Che Yizhao's disciple Bu Xuekuan, gaining great benefit. Four years later, he entered the business world and received guidance from masters such as Li Guangheng (who was then doing business in Tai Gu at the Zhongxing Zheng Commercial House), Che Yizhao's disciple Li Fuzhen, and Che Yizhao's second son Che Zhaojun, deepening his understanding of the essence of Xing Yi Quan. In 1933, he formally joined Che Yizhao's disciple and martial arts master Liu Jian, specializing in Xing Yi Quan techniques and theoretical research. Over the decades, in addition to learning all the Xing Yi techniques passed down by the Che family, he also collected and copied numerous valuable manuscripts left by his ancestors, such as Ji Jike's Autobiography, The Theory of Fist, A Summary of Ten Methods, and The Preface to the Six Unities Fist, among others. In 1955, he was entrusted by Liu Jian to co-author The Xing Yi Quan Manual with his older brother. After completing the draft, he sought feedback from fellow disciples and received strong support from senior masters. However, due to various historical reasons, the manuscript was never published. Since the 1980s, Wu Dianke has actively responded to the state sports commission's call to further excavate and organize martial arts heritage, compiling and publishing his long-preserved materials, earning recognition as an advanced worker in martial arts research. He has written important works such as The History of Tai Gu Xing Yi Quan and A Concise History of Shanxi Xing Yi Quan, published numerous Xing Yi Quan articles and essays in newspapers and magazines such as Sports News, Chinese Martial Arts, Wulin, and Fighting, and co-edited the draft of Che Family Xing Yi Quan with his brother Wu Lianfu, which was printed and submitted to county, regional, provincial, and national sports commissions. Over the years, he has written more than 300,000 words for The Tai Gu County Chronicle, some of which were selected for the internal publication Selected Materials from Tai Gu Historical Records, while others were included in the county chronicle. In 1991, he was entrusted to write The Complete Manual of Xing Yi Quan, which underwent multiple revisions and was completed in August 1992. The Complete Manual of Xing Yi Quan discusses the various legends surrounding Ji Jike of Yongji County, Shanxi, who founded the Six Unities Fist, based on the of numerous historical documents and supported by substantial evidence. It explains the social and historical context behind the old tradition of "using divine names to elevate the prestige of the fist," clarifying many misinterpretations and restoring the true nature of history. The book presents clear arguments backed by solid historical evidence. The discussions on theory and techniques are logical, well-supported, easy to understand, and blend inheritance with innovation. What stands out is that the book comprehensively and systematically introduces the traditional Xing Yipunch—Twelve-Round Xing Yi Spring Leg, the Xing Yi basic stance—Three-Body Posture, the Xing Yi basic punches—Five Elements and Twelve Forms, six solo Xing Yi routines, ten sparring routines, and the practical application methods of Xing Yi Quan techniques—Fifteen Striking Methods and Seventy-Two Techniques. It can be considered a comprehensive masterpiece of Xing Yi Quan. This book embodies the heart and sweat of the older generation of Xing Yi Quan masters. The practical techniques illustrated in the book are all proven effective through thousands of practices by masters such as Che Yizhao, Song Shireng, Gu Yunshen, Liu Qilan, Li Guangheng, He Yunheng, Li Fuzhen, Li Cunyi, Bu Xuekuan, Liu Jian, and Song Tielin. Techniques such as Face-Blocking Fist, Heart-Piercing Fist, Back-Facing Fist, Holding-Hand Cannon, Twisting-Hand Cannon, Rolling-Hand Cannon, Pulling-Hand Cannon, Horse-Neck Struggle, Yin-Yang Grip, and Evasive Step are indeed unique in sparring. Li Fuzhen and Li Cunyi, disciples of Li Feiyu, remained undefeated in dozens of matches with numerous martial arts masters over the decades precisely because they fully mastered and applied the techniques of Xing Yi Quan. For fellow disciples of Xing Yi Quan, inheriting and promoting this precious martial arts legacy for international exchanges will yield significant social and economic benefits. If used to strengthen the body and mind, it will contribute to human health and longevity. This book is the volume of the Xing Yi Quan Series. In the future, it will be compiled in ten volumes to comprehensively organize Xing Yi Quan culture. Completing this historically significant and grand project is a great challenge for us. We sincerely hope that leaders, society at large, and especially martial arts enthusiasts will provide support to help us fulfill this important duty.