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I Chuan
Wang Xiangzhai (1886-1963), also known as Nibao, Zhenghe or Yuseng (Monk of Universe) was one of the best students of Guo Yunshen (Kuo Yun Shen), famous master of xingyiquan (hsing-i ch'uan). Probably only Wang Xiangzhai learned all the secrets of Guo Yunshen's zhan zhuang exercises, which exercises became later the most characteristic element of yiquan.
In 1907 Wang left home, and looking after job, finally joined army. At the beginning he was just a helper in kitchen. But when one of officers discovered how skilled he was in combat, he was appointed as martial art instructor. In 1913 he became famous for defeating Li Ruidong, founder of Li style taijiquan, who was instructor of president's guards. In the same year Wang became chief of Department of Unarmed Combat of Land Forces. He appointed as other instructors such famous masters from xingyi/bagua circle as: Sun Lutang (master of xingyiquan and baguazhang, founder of Sun style taijiquan), Shang Yunxiang (founder of Shang style xingyiquan), Liu Wenhua (son of Liu Qilan, who together with Guo Yunshen was student of Li Luoneng).
In 1915 Wang defeated Zhou Ziyan, master of praying mantis style, who then became Wang's student.
In 1918, because of political changes, Department of Unarmed Combat of Land Army suspended working. Wang went to the South to search after greatest masters of martial arts. First he went to Shaolin Temple, where he learned xinyiba (a system related to xingyiquan) from monk Henglin (also known as Changlin or Xianglin - later Doshin So, founder of Shorinji Kempo, learned from the same monk). In Hubei province Wang learned from excentric master Jie Tiefu. In Fujian province he was again appointed as martial art instructor in this province's army. At that time he met masters of southern white crane style - Fang Qiazhuang and Jin Shaofeng. Coming back north he met famous master of xinyi - Huang Muqiao, from whom he learned "health dance". In Xi'an he met famous for his quick kicks master Liu Peixian. He learned also baguazhang from Liu Fengchun and met taijiquan masters Yang Shaohou and Yang Chengfu. Those are only some of the masters from whom Wang learned or with whom he exchanged experiences.
About 1925, while teaching xingyiquan, Wang noticed that his students were putting too much attention to outer form, determined set of techniques, and too little to mental aspect. So he started using more widely zhan zhuang exercises and other training methods similiar to those presently used in yiquan/dachengquan, and less stress putting on practice of forms. He changed name of the system to yiquan, discarding the element xing (form). History of the new system started from this point. First student of yiquan in Beijing was Qi Zhidu. In Tianjin joined: Zhao Enqing (Zhao Daoxin - winner of free fighting tournament at Third All China Sports Competition; also famous for defeating Norway boxer Andersen, having uncomfortable slippers on his feet; founder of xinhuizhang version, based greatly on baguazhang), Gu Xiaochi, Ma Qichang, Deng Zhisong, Miao Chunyu, Zhang Zonghui, Zhang Entong (later, in 1950s he defeated Chinese heavy weight wrestling champion Zhang Kuiyuan, who after this started studying yiquan), Qiu Zhihe, Zhao Fengyao, Zhao Zuoyao.
In 1928, together with his student Zhao Enqing and xingyiquan master from Tianjin - Zhang Zhankui Wang went to Hangzhou, where he was referee at free fighting tournament at Third All China Sports Competition and also demonstrated training methods of yiquan. His student Zhao Enqing (later known as Zhao Daoxin) won the tournament. Then Wang was invited to Shanghai, where he founded Yiquan Society. After Wang's fight with boxing world champion, Hungarian Inge (later relation of this fight was published in London "Times") yiquan became quite well known. Those who became Wang's students in this period were: You Pengxi (founder of kong jin version; at older age emigrated to USA, where he taught in California and died in 1983), Gao Zhendong, Zhu Guolu, Zhu Guozhen, Bu Enfu (Chinese champion of boxing and shuai-jiao wrestling), Zhang Changxin (winner of boxing tournament in Shanghai), Zhang Changyi, brothers Han Xingqiao and Han Xingyuan, Wang Shuhe, Ma Jianzhao, Ning Dachun.
Han Xingqiao, Zhao Daoxin, Zhang Changxin and Gao Zhendong became famous in Shanghai as "four diamond warriors". Wang wrote first yiquan treatise: "Correct path of yiquan". At that time Wang Xiangzhai's yiquan was already quite different from what was taught by other xingyiquan masters. Wang in his work criticizes some concepts popular in xingyiquan circles, but many of his ideas were still based on traditional concepts, which he gave up in later years. In some xingyiquan sources term "natural school" of xingyiquan is used regarding Wang's teachings of Shanghai period.
One of Shangai bankers proposed that Wang organized a team which would go for a world tournee to demonstrate power of chinese martial art. But soon political perturbances caused some problems and the banker gave up this idea. During stay in Shanghai Wang met Wu Yihui - master of liuhebafa, whom he described as one of the three greatest masters he met during his travels all over China (two other were Jie Tiefu and Fang Qiazhuang, mentioned already above).
In 1935 Wang Xiangzhai, together with his students Bu Enfu, Zhang Entong, Zhang Changxin and Han Xingqiao moved to Wang's home prefecture Shen. There they concentrated on training and studies on martial art theory. Most training methods used presently in yiquan were developed and perfected at that time. It was proved that with these methods students were making much faster progress.
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