Cheng Yougong – Huo Diange Bajiquan
Cheng Ting Hua is Cheng Yougong’s uncle- Cheng Yougong trained and worked as a shop assistant in Cheng Tinghua’s eyeglasses shop. Contrary to popular belief, many of the Cheng family served as elite instructors to the military (not qigong practice), including Cheng Youlong and Cheng Yougong. Cheng Yougong was the Baguazhang instructor of Zhang Xueliang (son of Zhang Zhuolin who Gong Baotian defended) and many Bajiquan fighters in the early 20th century. Hou Diange, the chief bodyguard of Emperor Puyi has a strong bond with the Cheng family. Cheng Yougong met Huo Diange during service in the late 1920s and frequently exchanged Baguazhang /Bajiquan knowledge. Cheng Qingxun learned Bajiquan from Huo (Yougong’s nephew) and still called Huo Diange “Huo Shishu” (Hou Uncle), well into the late 20th century.
Drunken Master II – Yin Style Baguazhang Connection
Andy Lau’s character in Drunken Master II is Zhang Xueliang, the son of Zhang Zhuolin. Zhang Xueliang is regarded as a patriotic hero in the early 20th century. Gong Baotian, Yin Fu’s disciple is the Chief Bodyguard of Zhang Zhuolin, the supreme ruler of Manchuria in the 1920s.
Baguazhang Ground Game? – Feudal Arm Bar
Grappling and throws, groundwork has strong roots in Ming Dynasty China- in the era of heavy armor and knights. Most soldiers in feudal China served as peacekeepers, subduing an opponent on the ground for capture is a necessity in certain applications. Generally, ground fighting is limited if possible during melee situations against multiple armed opponents- however necessary for security purposes or last resort from injury on the battlefield. The feudal Shaolin Arm Bar is labeled as “Straddling a Horse” technique. Liu Jin Sheng in the pic is a Shaolin officer in the Shanghai days of William E. Fairbairn. It is a modern myth Baguazhang contains minimal knowledge of ground fundamentals.
Yin Style Baguazhang Pudao – Yin Yuzhang Saber Method
Yin Yuzhang, the son of Yin Fu is remembered for his cleaving Saber methods, utilizing an instrument less than half the length of the iconic Giant Baguazhang saber often instructed in contemporary times. Many Chinese scholars link the cleaving saber to the Pudao in feudal era. The Silky Pudao dates back to the Song Dynasty and remained its emphasis throughout the Qing Dynasty. China is an agricultural continent- the pudao is a rare instrument important to both civil and military airbenders for cultivating qi or vegetables. In feudal times, not everyone had clearance to carry long weapons in certain districts- due to government restrictions at that time. The pudao wielders modified the big knife into a short knife (separating the blade from the pole) and attached the blade to the staff during battle. Yin Fu’s methods undoubtedly emphasize the importance of this long weapon, concealed within the Interlinking Body methods. Live Training Available.
The Golden Ratio – Martial Geometry
The golden ratio is a proportional relationship of numbers- dividing a line into two parts. The ratio of the long line to the short part is equal to the ratio of the whole line to the long section. The numerical ratio is 1.618 : 1 or 1: 0.618, which definition is that the square of the long segment is equal to the product of the full length and the short segment. As early as the sixth century BC, the Greek mathematician Pythagoras revealed there was a harmonious beauty in this segmentation state. Refined strategy in Baguazhang training is governed by the principle of the circle and square. Feudal structures developed during the formation of new movement patterns- enhance martial geometry according to the most perfect proportions of human body mechanics.
Dong Jun – Dong Haichuan’s Ancestor
Dong Jun (1186—1233) is a famous ancestor of Dong Haichuan. The Dong family is renown for the ancient battlefield kungfu- which Baguazhang earned its reputation in feudal times. The real Dong Haichuan descended from elite military commanders who are also real people- serving the empire with great contributions to Mongolia and Beijing. Dong Jun is the first deputy marshal and Army General of the Yuan Dynasty, in the era of Kublai Khan. In 1232 he participated in the siege of the Battle of Beijing and died during airbending in 1233. Feudal Baguazhang masters deserve honor for their kungfu with accurate context– the modern Baguazhang sports promotions have shifted considerably from the origin systems.
The Last Emperor – Yin Style Baguazhang/ Bajiquan
Yin Style Baguazhang and Bajiquan are guardian systems of the last Emperor Pu Yi. Gong Baotian and Huo Diange were instructors to Pu Yi and bodyguards in the early 20th century.