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 Eight top disciples of Dong Haiquan: Yin
Fu (1842–1909) |
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Yin
Fu was also known as Te An
Shou P'eng and "Shou Yin" ("Little Yin") because of his size. He was
born in Zhang Huai Village, Qi district, Jixian county, Hebei province.
His father, Yin Lao Shan was a farmer. When he was young, he might have
studied the following styles: Mei Hua Quan (Plum Flower Boxing), Lian
Huan Tui (Chain Kicking) and / or She Xin Quan (Snake Tongue Boxing). A
series of natural disasters (drought followed by floods) drove him out
of his home village and he moved to Beijing. He eventually moved to
Beijing and worked as an apprentice in a cutlery (scissors) shop. A
short time later he gave up the scissor business and began selling
pancakes and "fried-dough twists." In his early years in Beijing he
picked up the nick name "Fried Dough Twist" Yin. Since he was tall and
slim, people also called him 'Thin" Yin.
There are several
versions of the story concerning Yin Fu's introduction to Dong Hai
Chuan. In the first version, Yin Fu did not know any martial arts. Yang
Kun, a third generation Yin style practioner, tells how Yin was
extremely diligent about his job. He would arrive very early at the
baker's, pick up the first batch of baked and fried goods and then
quickly run out to sell them, thus getting a jump on his competition.
It is said that Dong took an early morning walk every day and
frequently witnessed the young man frantically making his morning
rounds near Prince Su's palace. On one morning Yin Fu was robbed while
making his rounds. Determined that he would not let this happen again,
Yin began to practice martial arts on his own in the woods. Tung saw
him practicing one day and was highly impressed with Yin's
determination and drive. He approached Yin and asked if Yin would like
to study martial arts.
Yet another version of the story, as told
by Xie Pei Qi, states when Yin Fu came to Beijing he was already
skilled at "Snake's Tongue" Boxing (She Xin Quan), which he had
practiced since childhood. Shortly after he arrived in Beijing he heard
of Tung Hai Chuan's reputation and went to the palace to challenge him.
When Yin met Tung and initiated the challenge, Tung was holding a
tobacco pouch in his left hand. Tung stretched out his right hand with
the palm facing up (yang palm) and said, "You start first." Yin squared
off with Tung and extended his hand in attack. As soon as Yin's hand
met Tung's arm, Tung turned his palm over and pressed on Yin's arm. Yin
Fu moved to block up and when he did Tung speared straight in and
struck him in the mouth with his fingertips, knocking out his two front
teeth. Tung never dropped the tobacco pouch. Realizing that he had been
outclassed, Yin knelt and asked Tung to be his teacher. Tung refused.
Yin said, "If you do not take me as your student, I will kneel here and
die in front of you." Prince Su was passing by and observed what was
happening. He noticed that Yin was very thin and had a "unique look."
The prince told Tung to please accept this young man as his disciple.
He said, "I will be the one to make the introduction between teacher
and student." At this, Tung accepted as his disciple.
The last
version, often found in Chinese marital art books, tells that Yin was
experienced in the arts of Mei Hua Quan and Lian Huan Tui before
meeting Tung. When he came to Beijing, Yin heard about the great
teacher Tung Hai Chuan and was determined to meet him. In an effort to
be noticed by Tung, Yin purposely chose his business route near the
palace of Prince Su. Yin constantly asked people who worked and lived
near the palace about Tung Hai Chuan. Tung received word of this
persistent young man and eventually agreed to teach him.
Yin
started studying with Dong in the mid 1860’s. Dong first taught Yin Fu
Luo Han Quan because this was the style being taught at the palace
before training in Bagua. He spent twenty years with Dong. For ten
years, he was collecting taxes for the Court in Inner Mongolia. History
records that the teacher and student practiced morning, noon, and
night, and it was during that time that Yin learned the entire system.
He popularized the Tornado Palm and Ox Tongue Palm techniques of the
Bagua system. He was Dong’s first and by far his longest serving
student.
When Yin Fu became proficient in Bagua, he started a
protection and bodyguard agency. His students worked for him, guarding
the homes and bodies of the well-to-do and the elite of Beijing. The
success of the agency was due to the fact that each and every guard was
backed by the reputation of Yin Fu. Each of these guard/students
learned Lohan Shaolin, Pao Chui and Kung Li before learning Pa Kua
Chang, making each of them effective fighters in their own right. As he
became wealthy from his two businesses, Yin Fu began to send food and
clothing back to his home village every month.
In 1900,
during the evacuation of the capital due to the Boxer's Rebellion, he
was appointed the head bodyguard of the Empress Dowager and the Guang
Xu emperor. After government returned to Beijing, Yin continued in the
employ as head of the royal guard. When he retired, he was succeeded in
his position by Gong Baotian, one of his more accomplished disciples.
He died when he was 70 years old. His two sons later moved to Shandong
province.
The style and flavour of Bagua that Yin Fu began to teach became known
as Yin Style Bagua.
Students
Cao Zhongsheng, Cui Zhendong,Geng Jishan, Gao Wencheng, Gong Baotian,
He Jinkui, Jiu
Qingyuan, Li Yong
Qing, Liu Yinliang, Lu Zijian, Ma Gui, Men Baozhen (1870-1957), Rong
Shi, Wan Tongli,
Yang Junfeng,Yin
Yuzhang (his son), Zeng Zengqi, Zhang Shouheng .
Two of his
students, Yin Yu-Zhang and Gong Bao-Tian, both wrote books entitled
Baguazhang. These books, which were published in 1932, are valuable
contributions to our under¬standing of the art. One of Gong
Bao-Tian's students, Liu Yun-Qiao (1909-1992 A.D.), had
taught Baguazhang in Taiwan until 1991. In addition, another student of
Yin Yu-Zhang, Pei Xi-Rong, contributed great effort in
developing Baguazhang in southern China. Yin Yu-Zhang has a student,
Jiang Hao-Quan, currently teaching in the United States.
1.
Yin Fu
2. Cheng
Ting Hua
3. Zhang
Chan Kuei
4. Ma Gui
5. Ma Wei Qi
6. Liu Feng
Chun
7. Liu De Kuan
8. Song Chang
Rong
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