Jiang Style Baguazhang - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Introduction

Jiang Style Baguazhang (姜氏八卦掌) is the style of Baguazhang

Baguazhang

Bāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice...

(八卦掌) taught by Jiang Rong Qiao

Jiang Rong Qiao

Jiang Rong Qiao 姜容樵, 1891-1974 was a famous martial artist from Hebei. His specialized focus in the internal arts led him to develop his own system of Bagua which became recognized and known as Jiang Style Baguazhang.-Biography:...

(姜容樵) 1890-1974. Jiang Rong Qiao

Jiang Rong Qiao

(also anglicized as Chiang Jung Ch’iao) was a student of both Zhang Zhaodong and Cheng Tinghua

Cheng Tinghua

Cheng Tinghua was a renowned master of Chinese Neijia martial art Bagua Zhang.-Biography:Born in the Cheng family village, Shen County, Hebei , he was the third of four brothers....

, both of whom were formal students of Baguazhang founder Dong Haichuan

Dong Haichuan

Dong Haichuan was born on the 13th of October 1797 in Zhu village, Ju Jia Wu Township, Wen'an County, Hebei Province, China and died on the 25th of October 1882 in Beijing. He is regarded as a skillful martial artist and is widely credited to be the founder of Baguazhang...

(董海川). Jiang Rong Qiao

Jiang Rong Qiao

's Neijia

Neijia

Nèijiā is a term in Chinese martial arts, grouping those styles that practice nèijìng , usually translated as internal martial arts, occupied with spiritual, mental or qi-related aspects, as opposed to an "external" approach focused on physiological aspects...

kung fu is one of the most widely practiced combined styles of Baguazhang and Xingyiquan

Xingyiquan

Xingyiquan is one of the major "internal" or Wudang styles of Chinese martial arts. The word translates approximately to "Form/Intention Boxing", or "Shape/Will Boxing", and is characterized by aggressive, seemingly linear movements and explosive power...

in the world today. Jiang's Bauguazhang is distinguished by emphasizing efficiency of movement and an ambidextrous approach.

Influences

Zhang Zhaodong appears to have been the dominant influence on this style, but Jiang Rong Qiao

Jiang Rong Qiao

had many other influences. Jiang Rong Qiao

Jiang Rong Qiao

started his training as a student of the Shaolin Kung Fu

Shaolin kung fu

Shaolin Kung Fu refers to a collection of Chinese martial arts that claim affiliation with the Shaolin Monastery.Of the multitude styles of kung fu and wushu, only some are actually related to Shaolin...

art of Mizongquan with his father, Jiang Fatai. Jiang Rong Qiao

Jiang Rong Qiao

later studied more formally with his uncle, Chen Yushan. Jiang also studied Chen style Taijiquan. Eventually, Jiang Rong Qiao

Jiang Rong Qiao

became a formal student of Zhang Zhaodong, who had studied with both Dong Haiquan and Liu Qilan. Jiang Rong Qiao

Jiang Rong Qiao

also studied with Li Cunyi, a close associate of Zhang Zhaodong. Li Cunyi (also known as Single Saber Li) was also a student of Dong Haiquan and Liu Qilan. While Jiang Rong Qiao

Jiang Rong Qiao

did not become a formal disciple of Li, Li Cunyi was clearly a significant influence on Jiang. Also, Jiang Rong Qiao

Jiang Rong Qiao

studied Liuhebafa with Wu Yi Hui

Wu Yi Hui

Wu Yihui 吳翼翬 was a Chinese martial artist and scholar. He was the first person to open teachings and spread the style of liuhebafa in public, and was a prominent fighter and instructor who influenced many of the masters of his generation.- Biography :Wu Yihui was originally from Tieling in...

during his stay in Nanjing. Later when he became friends with Wu's disciple Chen Yi Ren

Chan Yik Yan

Chan Yik Yan 陳亦人 1909-1982 was a disciple of Liuhebafa Master Wu Yi Hui. Although Wu Yi Hui taught many students, it's only Chan Yik Yan who is known to have completed the entire Liuhebafa system....

, he further studied Liuhebafa in exchange for teaching his system to Chen. He personally wrote about his Liuhebafa study in Chen Yi Ren

Chan Yik Yan

's 1969 published book entitled Liuhebafa Chuan.

System

Jiang's system of Bagua was kept simple. His concept was to focus developing the essence of Bagua and not over complicating it with more forms and movements. His version went through a drastic change though sometime during his life, which most say occurred perhaps when he lost his eyesight. His original system that he taught was simply called Lao Bagua, meaning "old or traditional bagua". Later on Jiang changed his concept and revised his whole system to what is generally seen today as Xin Bagua, meaning "new bagua". The material he taught included:

Bagua Yi Lu 八卦一路 (1st form):
- Lao Ba Zhang 老八掌 (Old 8 Palms - taught to earlier students)
- Xin Ba Zhang 新八掌 (New 8 Palms - a revised version of the former taught to later students)
Bagua Er Lu 八卦二路　(2nd form): Bagua Tui 八卦腿 (Bagua Leg)
- Lao Bagua Tui 老八卦腿 (Old Bagua Leg - taught to earlier students)
- Xin Bagua Tui 新八卦腿 (New Bagua Leg - a revised version of the former taught to later students)
Zuan Jian 鑽劍 (Drilling Sword)
Lian Huan Jian 連環劍 (Continuous Sword)
Spear

etc.

Jiang Style Bagua Literature

Jiang was a prolific writer of martial arts manuals during his time. Though most often the writings were of other styles he did write a manual on his own art entitled "Baguazhang Lianxifa (Bagua Palms Practice Method)".

External links

Joseph Crandall's Smiling Tiger website with many English translations of Jiang Rong Qiao's books http://www.smilingtiger.net/
Gerald Sharp's on-line biography page for Jiang Rong Qiao http://www.chiflow.com/html/bio_JiangRongQiao.htm and a sample application http://www.chiflow.com/html/bgzRemoveHelmetCJF.html
Andrea Falk's translations of several of Jiang Rong Qiao's books are available at www.thewushucentre.net http://www.thewushucentre.net/service_pages/sales_page/bagua_books_and_videos/
Jiang Family Internal Arts Research Institute (Japan) - Master Iiyoku Daigo, successor/godson of Zou Shu Xian

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