Li Guichang
Master Li Guichang, was born in 1914 in Shanxi Province. He died at the age of 86. Master Li began his study of martial arts at a young age learning Chang Quan, and Yue Style Eight Overturning Hands and weapons. When he was 13, he started to study Xing Yi Quan and Shaolin Five Elements Soft Art with Dong Xiusheng.
Dong Xiusheng was a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, and spent most of his life traveling in Northern China studying martial arts, and treating patients. He was a Xing Yi student of Liu Wen Hua, the son of Liu Qi Lan. Liu Qi Lan was one of the most famous disciples of Li Neng Ran, the creator of Xing Yi Quan. Dong also studied Ba Gua with Sun Lu Tang and Geng Ji Shan, who were themselves students of Chen Ting Hua. Dong Xiu Sheng was a well-known and influential practitioner of Xing Yi and authored several books on the subject.
Li Guichang characterized his teacher’s expression of Xing Yi Quan as “overcoming firmness with gentleness, rather than relying on firm strength.” Master Li felt that Xing Yi Quan could have different expressions, firmness within softness or softness within firmness, and that these stylistic differences were based on an individual’s previous martial arts background, temperament, and physical build. Because Li Guichang and Dong Xiusheng were both small men, they learned to apply their art with less firmness, more gentleness, and subtlety. Dong Xuisheng had in many ways an almost unique experience of Xing Yi and was able to combine concepts and training from both the Hebei and Shanxi traditions, and his expression of Xing Yi was much softer, suppler than what many people traditionally associate with Xing Yi.
Master Li studied Xing Yi and Ba Gua with Dong from 1927 until 1936. Dong Xuisheng died in 1938 at the age of 58 due to ill health brought on by several factors, including opium addiction.
Later, Master Li also studied Yang style Taiji Quan with Liu Dong Han. Master Li was a trinity fist, although he was most famous for his Xing Yi, during his lifetime, he held the position of vice president of the Shanxi Xing Yi Quan Association and president of the Taiyuan Taiji Push Hands Association. Master Li felt that Taiji and Xing Yi share many of the same principles and advocated training in both arts. His Fa Li (Shocking Power was very refined, and his mastery of Push Hands (Tui Shou) was profound. One of his students described his ability in Tui Shou as follows: “In pushing hands he seldom issued power. He utilized the whole body skills of sticking, adhering, connecting, and following. When Mr. Li pushed hands with people, he seized the opponent’s power path. He would stick as the enemy retreated; expanding and contracting, coming and going. He followed everywhere. Sometimes sticking, sometimes walking, sometimes hard, and sometimes soft. He was never stuck nor obstructed. Sticking and yielding whenever appropriate, one could not see the actions of his hands.”
Master Li's Xing Yi is primarily in the tradition of Liu Qilan, although certain aspects are derived from the Song style through Song Huchen. This is because Master Li's teacher, Dong Xuisheng studied both traditions. The training given in Master Li's Xing Yi can vary from disciple to disciple. For example some of them teach the Shaolin soft art he also learned from Dong Xuisheng, as well as the stick form Master Li created.
Dong Xiusheng was a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, and spent most of his life traveling in Northern China studying martial arts, and treating patients. He was a Xing Yi student of Liu Wen Hua, the son of Liu Qi Lan. Liu Qi Lan was one of the most famous disciples of Li Neng Ran, the creator of Xing Yi Quan. Dong also studied Ba Gua with Sun Lu Tang and Geng Ji Shan, who were themselves students of Chen Ting Hua. Dong Xiu Sheng was a well-known and influential practitioner of Xing Yi and authored several books on the subject.
Li Guichang characterized his teacher’s expression of Xing Yi Quan as “overcoming firmness with gentleness, rather than relying on firm strength.” Master Li felt that Xing Yi Quan could have different expressions, firmness within softness or softness within firmness, and that these stylistic differences were based on an individual’s previous martial arts background, temperament, and physical build. Because Li Guichang and Dong Xiusheng were both small men, they learned to apply their art with less firmness, more gentleness, and subtlety. Dong Xuisheng had in many ways an almost unique experience of Xing Yi and was able to combine concepts and training from both the Hebei and Shanxi traditions, and his expression of Xing Yi was much softer, suppler than what many people traditionally associate with Xing Yi.
Master Li studied Xing Yi and Ba Gua with Dong from 1927 until 1936. Dong Xuisheng died in 1938 at the age of 58 due to ill health brought on by several factors, including opium addiction.
Later, Master Li also studied Yang style Taiji Quan with Liu Dong Han. Master Li was a trinity fist, although he was most famous for his Xing Yi, during his lifetime, he held the position of vice president of the Shanxi Xing Yi Quan Association and president of the Taiyuan Taiji Push Hands Association. Master Li felt that Taiji and Xing Yi share many of the same principles and advocated training in both arts. His Fa Li (Shocking Power was very refined, and his mastery of Push Hands (Tui Shou) was profound. One of his students described his ability in Tui Shou as follows: “In pushing hands he seldom issued power. He utilized the whole body skills of sticking, adhering, connecting, and following. When Mr. Li pushed hands with people, he seized the opponent’s power path. He would stick as the enemy retreated; expanding and contracting, coming and going. He followed everywhere. Sometimes sticking, sometimes walking, sometimes hard, and sometimes soft. He was never stuck nor obstructed. Sticking and yielding whenever appropriate, one could not see the actions of his hands.”
Master Li's Xing Yi is primarily in the tradition of Liu Qilan, although certain aspects are derived from the Song style through Song Huchen. This is because Master Li's teacher, Dong Xuisheng studied both traditions. The training given in Master Li's Xing Yi can vary from disciple to disciple. For example some of them teach the Shaolin soft art he also learned from Dong Xuisheng, as well as the stick form Master Li created.