Xing Yi: History

Xingyi Quan has over three hundred years of history. This internal marital art has been widely taught and many famous martial artists emerged from this style.

 The Origin of Xingyi Quan and Founder

Concerning the origin of Xingyi Quan. Two legends have been more influential.

1) The first states that it was the patriotic Song General Yue Fei who created it. When Yue Fei was a child, he learned his craft from his teacher who called it YiQuan or Intention Fist. It was mysterious and unfathomable, and was unlike any other martial art in the past. The boxing manual of Yue Fei is the earliest material concerning the origins of Xingyi Quan. As Yue Fei has been a revered folk hero the legend has been widely accepted.

 2) The other legend says that Xingyi Quan was created by the Indian Monk Bodhidharma who came to China to teach during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). Two books, Sun Lu Tang’s “Study of Xingyi Quan” and Ling Kui Ching’s “Diagramatic Explanations of Xing Yi Five Element Fist”, state it: “Bodhidharma came from the West without a word, everything depended on working with the heart - intention”.

 From very early days the Shaolin Temple had been teaching a “Xinyi Boxing”, which was also known as “The Handle of Heart Intention (Xin Yi Ba)”.

 Ji Lung Feng, who studied at Shaolin temple, should be the creator of XinYi Six Harmonies Boxing. Seeing a rooster and chicken fight he had a revelation and converted a spear form into a boxing form.

 Xingyi Quan is a new form of boxing derived from Xinyi Six Harmonies boxing. Its founder was Li Luo Neng (Ji Ji Ke). The master was very skilled in the art of the spear, and using the spear he developed a boxing technique, and spread it widely around China. Mr. Li arrived at the Dai family around 1840-1850 to study martial arts, approximately one hundred years later Dai Lung Bang wrote his preface.

Each generation of the Hebei Xingyi Quan produced masters of strength and renown, and served as a model of later generations. Li Cun Yi took part in the Boxer Rebellion, using his broadsword to repel invaders, resisting the Eight Nations Alliance, leading the enemy to respect his courage. People called him “Single Knife Li”.

Sun Lu Tang was widely known for defeating the Russian strongman Peter Loff and was feted by Peking for using the half step breaking fist to defeat the follower of Bushido Sakagaki Kazuo who had been awarded by the Emperor of Japan himself.

In 1900, Gen Ji Wu set up the “Beijing Simin Martial Arts Research Institute” in the Xicheng area near the Huoshen Temple in Dianmen. He invited renown martial artists from each style to teach Xingyi, Ba Gua, Taiji and different weapons forms. Later Guo Yun Feng and his disciple Wu Zi Zhen took over the school. The school lasted about seventy years.

In 1900, Sun Lu Tang set up the Puyang Spring Society in Beiwan County in Hebei to transmit the art and educate the masses, and to promote traditional Chinese Martial Arts.

In 1911, Ye Yun Biao – a Legislative Yuan member, Ma Feng Tu, Li Cun Yi and others set up “Chinese Marital Artists’ Association” in Santiaoshi in Tianjin. They sent the Xingyi Quan master Hao En Guang to Japan to set up a branch association to promote martial arts abroad.

In 1928, Li Cun Yi’s next generation - Tang Feng Ting and Tang Feng Tai taught at the Huoshen Temple in Congwen Area and later moved to the Huoshen Temple at the Flower Market and set up the “Peking Ta Shing, No. 1 Kuoshu Training Hall”, teaching many students. Amongst them the famous ones were Chen Qing You, Ma Feng Ming, Ai Yu Shan and Tian Rong Fu and the grandson Tang Zhen Rong.

In 1949, Hao En Guang’s senior disciple Luo Shing Wu, set up the “Shing Wu Kuoshu Research Institute” in Xuanwu District, Yanshou Temple Street No. 100 to teach Ba Gua, Xing Yi, and taught many students.

Under the collective effort of so many martial arts and recipients of the art, Xing Yi Quan experienced a great development. Its students spread to each and every province as well as abroad, and its influence has never slackened. Xingyi Quan, in terms of theory and application, continues to be perfected daily, making this folk treasure increasingly famous and respected.

The motherland of Song Xingyi

The Song mansion is located in Taigu City. The Song family is now led by Song Guang Hua. Master Song is now 78 years old, and is still energetic, with a sharp mind.

His son, Song Bao Gui, is now living in Yu Ci City and still teaching at the Song Mansion. The second brother teaches in Tai Yuan City.

This Siheyuan (Courtyard House) has over a hundred years of history and still retains a simple rustic feeling. According to the legend, the Song family records go back for four hundred years, with their ancestors living in Nanjing, moving to Beijing during the Ming Dyasty and it was Song Rong Lu who moved to Taigu at the end of the Qing Dynasty.

Song Shi Rong (1949-1921) courtesy name Yue Zhai, is a native of Daxing in Beijing. In 1865 he followed Sung Rong Lu to go to Taigu to set up a business of repairing clocks and watches.

Later Li Luo Neng, from Shen Zhou came to Taigu to become a bodyguard for the house and the father of the Song family and the Li family exchanged martial arts. Song taught Li how to repaid watches, Li taught Song Xingyiquan and Song Shi Rong took Li as his teacher.

He received the transmission of the “The Four classics of Neigong” and began the study of the “Tendon Changing Classic” and the “Marrow Washing Classic” and also mastered Tai Chi, Baguazhang, these created the “Basin Root Secret technique” and the 16 Drill as well as his own style of Deer Antler knife and other weapons. He taught his technique to Song Hu Chen, his nephew Song Tie Lu, students as Ren Yi Qi, Jia Wen Gao, Wang Yu Chang, Zhao Shou Quan.

 Song Hu Chen did not marry for his whole life, Song Shi De had 4 children. His son, Song Tie Lu taught Song Guang Hua born in 1932, second son Song Guang Jie, third son Song Guang Yao.

 Song Shi De (1857-1921), courtesy name Fu Ren, also known as Yun Chue, also trained under Li Luo Neng. He was solitary and of few words, of simple character, he went wandering in his 40s and returning to Taigu in his later years, he retired to the Puci Monastery to seek nivarna. He taught his technique to his son, Song Tie Lu.

Li Luo Neng Brings Xingyiquan to Taigu

Li Luo Neng, (1807 – 1888) also called Fei Yu, courtesy name Nengran and also known as the Old Farmer. His nickname was “Spirit Fist Li” due to his punch being fast and heavy with many changes. He was born on the farm, with a simple and honest personality, he learned his art from the Dai family in the neighbouring county, he was very honest and however much the Dai family taught him he practiced only what was taught, and was not greedy to learn more, thus he learned everything in a very thorough manner. His power was great and heavy, hard hitting and hard entering, without avoiding or blocking, and did not often just emptily chat about principles, he was able to kill/ knock out with one punch, he was happy. The Dai family were a family of scholars and lived in a large mansion, all the family members were very cultured, and were very creative, and made great use of the principles of the book of changes.

There is a story of how Li, having studied for a long time, having only learned 5 fists, was taking part in the new years banquet, all the participants showed off their skills. Mrs. Dai, seeing his steps were solid and heroic, and his punching was powerful but kept demonstrating the same 5 fists. So she asked Dai out of curiosity, Dai replied that he was not one of the members of the family, so he did not teach him. She scolded him saying this boy’s bones and tendons are very strong and his character was honest, he should transmit the principles to him. So Dai began to teach him to enter and retreat, the linked set and the Forms. According to the legend Li only remembered simple movements, and the Forms were all simple single movements and were only one half the movements of the 10 forms.

At that time one of the rich men of Taigu – Meng Fu Ru was looking for security guards for his property and had heard of Spirit Fist Li’s reputation and invited him to Taigu. Thus Li left his teacher and came to Taigu to work, and in his spare time he taught martial arts. The mansion where he came to serve as a guard, still exists and although the doorway is not large, the courtyards are large and spacious. And it is one of the earliest historical relics of the Xingyiquan being transmitted from the Dai family into Shanxi.

 Che Yong Hung, honorific She Zhai, (1833-1914 ) a member of Bao Village of the Jia Family in Taigu. He was second in the family and was also known as Che Er. In 1848 he came as to Taigu as a driver for the businessman Wu Bo Nian, and after that he followed one of the nephews of the family, a disciple of Shaolin fist, Wu Hung Fu to stay at Shaolin for a number of years. In 1856 Wu introduced Che Er to become a disciple of Old Farmer Li to learn Xingyi’s Five Elements and Six Forms. They both became famous at that time Che and Li.

In 1863 Li changed profession to work as a professional bodyguard for transporting goods, and introduced Che to his old teacher Dai Wen Hung for further study and completion.

 The Legends of Li Cun Yi

Li Luo Neng, when living in Taigu, taught Che She Zhai and Song Shi Rong. When he left Taigu introduced the security guard job to Che She Zhai. He also introduced Che to his teacher, the Dai Family for further study. Thus he learned a number of strong and rhythmic techniques. He re-organised and created a lot of single and paired practice series, and the same time Song Shi Rong combined the boxing principles of both families of Bagua Zhang into Xingyi, combining hard and soft and included walking the circle and [pan gen] as well as his own creation – the deer antler knives. This became the Song Style.

After Li Luo Neng returned to Hebei, he taught many students who were to become famous and important exponents of the art. “Half Step Breaking Fist” - Guo Yun Shen, Liu Qi Lan, Li Tai He, Liu Zhi Chun, Li Zhan Yuan, Zhang Shu De, Bai Xi Yuan and others.

Li Cun Yi (1847 -1921) was also known as Single Sabre Li, He came from Shen Zhou and was only taught the Five fists and Six Forms by Old farmer Li, so in 1898 he went to Tai Gu to seek the origin of the art. He earnestly pleaded with his Shibo Che She Zhai to teach them the 12 forms and as the single and paired practice forms so he could complete their understanding of the art. They then brought it back to Tianjin and started teaching a complete form of Xingyiquan.

Li Cun Yi was famous for his fighting skills, he had the nickname of lighting fist single saber Li, and he taught many students. In 1900, due to the failure of the Boxer rebellion, he slipped away to Taigu to take refuge in Che She Zhai’s home. Later he went to Song Shi Rong’s house to hide, and chose a warehouse with several exits to live in, which was convenient for escape should there be any incidents. At this time he also received his Shibo’s special teaching, and was practicing night and day in the Song Family’s house and thus became a strong fighter who had received teachings from two teachers.

Li Cun Yi was very famous and he had many students, and they created written teaching materials on his behalf. Today we came with Song Bao Gui to their ancestral home, and looking at the warehouse where he lived, we reminisced about old times, and suddenly Li Cun Yi seemed to appear before our eyes, performing his art, with a overflowing emotions, we solemnly paid our respects to that place.

In 1903 Guo Yun Shen went to Taigu and along with Che She Zhai, set out the 12 forms supplementary matters.

Martial arts system of Song’s Xingyi Quan

1. Theoretical part: Classics as: "The Liuhe classic","Nine thesis","7 fists and 14 parts - usage methods", "Neigong Si Jing", "Xi Sui Jing", "Yi Jin Jing", "Quanshu Yun Yi" etc.

2. Basic techniques: Santishi standing, divieded into "Yin" and "Yang" forces, High, middle and low stances, single and double center stances, 5 fists and their different training methods, 12 animals and different training methods, Pan Gen method etc.

3. Basic forms: XYQ Tan Tui, 5 elements form, Linking, 4 seizes, 8 characters, 17 forms, Mixed forms etc.

4. 2 men forms: Sanhuapao, Wuhuapao, Wuxingpao, Anshenpao, 16 seizes etc.

5. Weapons forms: Spear, stick, saber, sword etc.

6. Weapons 2 men forms: Different forms of saber, spear, stick, sword etc.