Wang Xiangzhai

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Wang Xiangzhai 王薌齋 (1885-1963), also known as Nibao, Zhenghe, Yuseng, was a Chinese xingyiquan master, responsible for founding the martial art of Yiquan.

[edit] Biography

He was born in 1885, the 24th of November in the Hebei province. As he was a very weak child, his parents decided to send him to the famous Xingyiquan master Guo yunshen to improve his health.

The Wang family had always had connections with the Guo familly, horse breeders in the average. Master Guo Yunshen taught him zhanzhuang gong (post standing postures) that the young xiangzhai had to keep standing for hours.

During his young adult life, Wang xiangzhai became a soldier in Beijing and at the age of 33, he went all around China, studying martial arts with many famous masters including monk Heng Lin, xinyiquan master Xie Tiefu, southern white crane style masters Fang Yizhuang and Jin Shaofeng.

After 7 years of research and study, Wang did established himself in Beijing and penetrated the circle of famous masters in this city as well as in Tianjin and Shanghai. At this period of his life, he met up with the respected Liuhebafa Chuan master Wu Yi Hui and became friend with the Baguazhang master Zhang zhaodong.

He started to teach many influential martial artists including Hong lianshun, Zhao daoxin, the Han brothers (xingqiao and xingyuan), Yao Zongxun, Wang Shujin (who studied zhanzhuang for one year), and others.

He first named his teaching Yiquan, in reference of the xingyiquan and xinyiquan styles. Later, in the 40's, one of his disciple who was journalist did publicly call it Dachengquan, which means "great achievement boxing".

He received the visit of many Japanese experts during the war. One, Kenichi Sawai became his student and created his own school back to Japan: the Taikiken.

At the end of his life he made many research about the healing aspect of zhanzhuang and worked with different hospitals.

He died in 1963 in Tianjin, from a disease.

He was one of the first Chinese teachers to publicly teach the practice of Zhan zhuang, or 'standing like a tree' methods.