Liu Yun Qiao 刘云樵

## Martial arts

### Main styles

Bajiquan, Piguazhang, Liuhe Tanglangquan, Baguazhang, Taizu Changquan, Mizongquan

### Teachers 師傅

Li Shu-Wen, Ding Zi-Cheng, Gong Bao-Tian, Zhang Yao-Ting

## Teaching

### Website(s)

http://www.wutan.tw/

Liu Yunqiao is the founder of Wu Tan and was a disciple of Li Shuwen. He is most known for his involvement in the spread of Bajiquan and Chinese Martial arts around the globe.

*This article is being edited. There is a lot of good info here but it's not organised/translated yet so please bear with us or help Bajipedia by editing it!*

## Biography

### Early Life

Liu was born on February 12th of the lunar calendar in 1909 in Beitou Village of the Cangzhou County, in the Hebei Province (now in Nanpi County) in the government office of his grandfather in Xi'an. Liu came from an influential family of scholars which had moved from Jimo in Shandong to Cangzhou at the end of the Ming Dynasty and boasted over 20 scholars in the family.

#### Training

He is known to have been of very poor health as a child and so, due to his condition, from the age of five years old he was taught Tai Zu Changquan (Emperor's Longfist) and laterMizong Quan by his family's bodyguard Zhang Yao-Ting, another CangZhou native) at his father's request. This was to strengthen his body and improve his blood circulation. He practiced running alongside his martial arts practice, and was given massage treatments by his master until, after a few years, his illness was cured and he became fit and healthy. It was during this time that he developed his love for martial arts.

He attended a private school for two years before enrolling in Cangzhou High School. When he was about seven or eight years old, his father, Liu Baoyi, requested Li Shu-Wen, a well-known Bajiquan master, to teach him other martial arts. Li Shuwen was prominent in the Beijing-Tianjin area at the time, but he was able to hire him because he had served as an instructor in Liu Baoyi's army and knew Liu Baoyi well. Li was a stern and strict teacher, and as a result, Liu was hurt numerous times during training by being thrashed with a stick, to the point where Liu's parents urged Li to be gentler. It is alleged that Li would strike Liu unexpectedly and smack him during training; Liu was sometimes so terrified that he would sneak out early in the morning and hide from his teacher. For over a year, Li only taught his student the essentials. This practice, however, laid the groundwork for him later to receive Li's Baji Quan and PiGua Zhang.

### Travels with Li ShuWen

When Liu Yunqiao was 20 years old, his father wanted him to study in the Law Department of Chaoyang University, but Liu Yunqiao took the discipleship and followed his teacher, Li Shuwen around the country instead.

Later, in 1931, Li Shuwen was invited by Li Jinglin to serve as the chief instructor at the Shandong Guoshu Museum, accompanied by Liu Yunqiao. At that time, Zhang Xiangwu, another disciple of Liu Yunqiao, was in charge of maintaining law and order, eliminating tobacco, drugs, and bandits in Huangxian County, Shandong Province. Li Shuwen took Liu Yunqiao to visit. At this time, Liu Yunqiao began to show his prowess, defeating several warriors who came to challenge, and won the title of "Little Overlord".

When Li Shuwen lived in Huangxian County, Zhang Xiangwu once performed Kunwu swordsmanship. Li Shuwen asked Li Shuwen to correct him and compiled the Kunwu sword two-way repertoire. Liu Yunqiao followed Zhang Xiangwu and learned Wudang swordsmanship, Qingping swordsmanship and Kunwu swordsmanship. At the end of 1931, when Li Jinglin passed away, Li Shuwen asked Liu Yunqiao to follow Zhang Xiangwu and continue wandering by himself. Liu Yunqiao spent more than two years with Zhang Xiangwu. During this period, he learned Liuhe Tanglangquan from the local famous mantis boxing master Ding Zicheng. When he was a guest at Gongbaotian, he learned Baguazhang from Gongbaotian for eight months, but he did not formally apprentice him. .

### Military Service

According to Liu Yun-Qiao’s children, Li Shu-Wen was poisoned and killed in Weixian, Shandong on his way back to Tianjin. But in fact, Li Shuwen died of life after living in Li Efang's (Possibly Li E-Tang) house in Tianjin Xiaozhan for two years. In any case, after Li Shuwen's death, Liu Yunqiao returned to his hometown. In 1936, he defeated the Kwantung Army Kendo teacher Fan Ota Tokusaburo in Tianjin, drawing the attention of the Kuomintang intelligence unit who recruited him as an intelligence officer responsible for assassination.

In the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937), Liu Yunqiao applied for the seventh branch of the Huangpu Military Academy in Fengxiang, Shaanxi (the fifteenth period), and formally served in the army to serve the country. In the 28th year of the Republic of China (1939), he officially graduated. While waiting for the distribution, he was arrested and imprisoned for accidentally injuring the principal of the military academy due to hunting. After being questioned by General Hu Zongnan, the Northwest Chief, Liu Yunqiao replied: "The country is in a crisis, and I am willing to go to the front line to die on the battlefield." He was rewarded, and he was not guilty. He was awarded the rank of second lieutenant and fought against the Japanese in Taihang Mountains. He was injured this time and was promoted to the company, battalion, and regimental leader due to his merits.

In the 29th year of the Republic of China (1940), he was wounded and taken prisoner and locked up in a prisoner of war camp in Yuncheng, Shanxi. Liu Yunqiao used his wit and martial arts to escape, swim across the Yellow River, and fled back to the rear. And because of this, he was seriously ill and recuperated in Xi'an. After that, he joined the intelligence unit and went deep behind enemy lines to carry out assassinations. There were rumors that he was the legendary "Tianzi No. 1" and "Yangtze No. 1", but Liu Yunqiao has not confirmed it.

In the 38th year of the Republic of China (1949), he retreated to Taiwan with the Kuomintang government and served in the Ministry of National Defense Personnel Office, Joint Logistics Command and other departments.

### Retirement

After the expiration of his service, Liu Yunqiao retired from the military and spent two or three years at Jingmei's home in Taipei. In the 56th year of the Republic of China (1967), the guard room of the Presidential Palace was ready to be reorganized. After being recommended by his military school classmate, General Kong Lingsheng, and summoned by Chiang Kai-shek, he served as a security consultant in the guard room of the Presidential Palace and taught Bajiquan as a guard. After that, he served as a coach in the "Joint Finger Boxing Teacher Training Class" organized by Jiang Jingguo and trained four trainees, including the Seven Seas Guards of the Presidential Guard of Jiang Jingguo.

### Wu Tan

Liu Yunqiao's Bajiquan Six Opens

Ba Ji Liu Yunqiao Famous Author: HUI (flat note: HUI is a professor at Chinese University, Guangzhou, Jinan University)

  Going abroad and spreading to the world is an important achievement in the development of contemporary Bajiquan. In this regard, several Baji boxers of Cangzhou origin who lived in Taiwan have made important contributions. Among them, Liu Yunqiao and

Li Yuan-Zhi have made outstanding contributions, which is admirable. Li Yuanzhi is a familiar figure. He is a high-achieving student in the first-stage professor class of the Central Guoshu Museum and the son-in-law of Mr. Tong Zhongyi, a contemporary martial arts giant. Yuan Zhi has served as a teacher of the National Sports Center for a long time, and has also served as the Deputy Director of the Academic Affairs Office and a National Sports Teacher. His Baji was taught by my second uncle, Mr. Ma Yingtu himself. He wrote the book "An Illustrated Bajiquan", which is rigorous in content and faithfully describes the teaching of the Baji by Mr. Ma Yingtu. Regarding Mr. Li Yuanzhi, I will describe in another article. In this short article, I want to briefly introduce the life deeds of the famous Baji master Liu Yunqiao to the readers, especially the Baji fans at home and abroad, especially his comments on Baji. Great contribution.

  When Yunqiao was 20 years old, he traveled to Shandong from Mr. Li and lived for a period of time with General Zhang Xiangwu who was stationed in Huangxian County. At that time, Shandong’s Guoshu Museum was the best in the country, and Huangxian Guoshu Hall was very impressive and became a gathering place for northern martial artists. General Zhang Xiangwu was a well-known martial arts advocate during the Republic of China. He was also proficient in a variety of boxing techniques. He used to practice Luhe Big Spear under Li Shuwen. Yun Qiao Shi

The apprentice has been in Huangxian County for more than two years. Yunqiao learned Taijiquan and Kunwu sword successively from General Zhang Xiangwu, and learned gossip from Gong Bao-Tian, a famous gossip master from Yantai. In addition, he formally studied under Huangxian Dingzi as his teacher, and learned Ding Zicheng's Qixing Mantis and Liuhequan. From the 1920s to the early 1930s, the martial arts style was prosperous throughout North China, and there were many famous artists, and the martial arts community was mellow. In addition, Li Shu-Wen was well-known and well-connected. Yun Qiao followed his teacher and was knowledgeable and had a profound impact on his life. Later, Baji, Bagua, and Praying Mantis became his martial arts masters. After all, Baji taught the highest among the three disciplines, which was the fundamental art of his life.

  Yunqiao studied at a private school when he was young, and later studied at Cangzhou High School. After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, he resolutely applied for a career in the military, and applied to the Seventh Branch of the Huangpu Military Academy in Fengxiang, Shaanxi (the fifteenth period), and since then embarked on a military career. After graduating in 1939, he entered the army as a second lieutenant. He once fought against the Japanese in the Taihang Mountains, killed the enemy bravely, was injured many times, and served successively as company, battalion, and regiment commander. In 1940, he was wounded and taken prisoner in the war against Japan, and was taken to a prisoner of war camp in Yuncheng, Shanxi. With a strong will and superb martial arts, he went through all the difficulties and escaped successfully. Finally, he swam across the Yellow River and returned to Shaanxi. Later, because of his good overall quality, especially because of his high martial arts, he was repeatedly ordered to sneak into the Japanese and puppet ruled areas to engage in intelligence work. He secretly entered Beijing under Japanese occupation and cut off the traitor Tang, and he became famous. Because of these experiences, he was later nicknamed the legendary "Tianzi No. 1" and "Yangtze No. 1".

In 1949, he withdrew to Taiwan with the Kuomintang. He once served in the Ministry of National Defense’s personnel office, the Joint Logistics Command and other departments. By the end of the 1960s, he formally retired from the military ranks.

  In his later years, Liu Yunqiao devoted all his energy to the promotion of Chinese martial arts, especially for the spread of Baji. He has served as the honorary chairman of the Taiwan Taijiquan Association, the director of the training committee of the Chinese Martial Arts Association and other social positions, and he is enthusiastic about martial arts public welfare undertakings. He founded the "Wu Tan Chinese Martial Arts Promotion Center" in Taipei, recruiting students, spreading Baji and other martial arts and a variety of traditional fitness methods, and also founded the "Wu Tan" magazine, which was distributed domestically and overseas. The promotion center teaches martial arts without tuition fees, and the "Wu Tan" magazine is mainly published by him, and he has to post all his pension funds. Through his unremitting efforts, the promotion center has developed more than ten disciplinary forums at home and abroad, and the disciples have accumulated nearly 10,000. In 1968, he traveled to Southeast Asian countries to preach the rich cultural connotation of Chinese martial arts in the overseas Chinese community and encourage people to practice martial arts to strengthen their bodies, which was well received.

  Yun Qiao has always focused on both civil and martial arts. In addition to reading and martial arts, his other hobby is to study calligraphy. Decades of staying in the pond have given him a profound and unique understanding of calligraphy, and he often feels at ease in "waving a piece of paper like a cloud of smoke", not knowing how old is coming. His handwriting is best in running script, and he also likes to write large characters with a scratching pen. The two characters "Dragon and Tiger" are the most written. The character momentum is strong and handsome, flying vertically and horizontally, revealing the unique temperament and interest of a martial artist. At the same time, most of the content he writes are words related to martial arts, especially his interpretation of Bajiquan theory and his years of exploration and research. His calligraphy works have enriched the cultural connotation of Bajiquan and added color to Baji.

  Yunqiao's profound martial arts was once favored by Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo. In the early 1970s, at the recommendation of Huangpu classmate Kong Lingsheng, he applied for the martial arts coach of Chiang Kai-shek's "Presidential Palace" guard organization, and was received by Chiang Kai-shek. Later, he was hired as a coach in the "Joint Finger Boxing Teacher Training Class" organized by Chiang Ching-kuo and trained four trainees, including the "Seven Seas Guard Group" who served as Chiang Ching-kuo's "Presidential Guard." In 1989, at the age of eighty, Liu Yunqiao participated in the compilation of Taiwan's national martial arts teaching materials at the trust of the Taiwan Chinese Martial Arts Association. He devoted his last effort to the "Chinese traditional spirit of combining civil and martial arts" that he followed throughout his life.

  Liu Yunqiao lives in Taiwan, but he has always longed for the mainland, especially his hometown in Cangzhou. After the reform and opening up, the isolation between the two sides of the strait was gradually broken, and all kinds of news were coming in, which made him full of emotions, day and night looking forward to the development and changes of the motherland. He has always been concerned about the situation in his hometown, the status and trend of the development of martial arts in the mainland, and the inheritance of the mainland Bajiquan and the masters of the Baji. At the end of September 1991, he returned to the mainland of his motherland for travel. It is said that due to physical reasons, he temporarily cancelled his trip to Cangzhou, only to meet with his family members who had been separated for decades in Beijing, and then hurried back to Taiwan. Soon thereafter, I learned that Mr. Liu wanted to invite me and Brother Xianda to meet him. The location and time were to be determined. No, soon there was news of his sudden death, his trip to Cangzhou turned out to be an eternal sigh! I have had a little acquaintance with Mr. Liu, and regretted that I lost the opportunity to discuss Baji and Luhe Daqiang with the only direct disciple of Li Shuwen today. Later, his brother Xu Shurun ​​(Yuchen) in Cangzhou wrote a letter that when the International Martial Arts Festival was held in Cangzhou in October 1993, Mrs. Liu, Ms. Zhu Jianxia, ​​personally led a Taiwanese martial arts team mainly composed of Liumen’s Baji disciples to attend the conference and participated in the performance. Return to Beitou Village, Nanpiji, to pay homage to the former residence of the Liu family and to pay homage to the tomb of the ancestors. Ms. Zhu finally took the place of Mr. Yunqiao but made her last wish. She is really emotional.

  After the death of Mr. Yunqiao, all walks of life in Taiwan held a grand public sacrifice ceremony for him on February 21, 1992, in the name of "Master of Wutan." The Taiwan authorities issued the "Wu Xue Yi Zheng" banquet, and the martial arts community generally sent the banquet ban ban, and various media have detailed reports on the scene. In Taiwan, as a martial artist, Mr. Liu's public sacrifice standard is unique, and the social response and evaluation are also rare.

【two】

  In the contemporary history of Bajiquan, Liu Yunqiao undoubtedly occupies an important position and is worthy of commendation and research. Regrettably, due to the strait barrier, we have no relationship after all. Although I have long admired Mr. Liu's martial arts training and demeanor, especially the advanced knowledge of Bajiquan, I finally did not get the opportunity to ask for help in person. Some of my current knowledge mainly comes from his posthumous works, as well as various commemorative articles and the narrations of the disciples and reposted disciples of the "Martial Arts Center." Although what I have seen and heard is not too small, for me who is accustomed to digging into the roots, I can't help but feel like a mirror flower mist. Obviously, making a comprehensive evaluation of Mr. Yunqiao is not something that I can cover in this "quick and quick" essay. Based on my superficial knowledge, I think that as a contemporary Bajiquan master, Liu Yunqiao has many things worth noting and learning. Due to space limitations, I will first have a little rudimentary opinion on two aspects for your reference.

1. Strictly abide by the "family law" and magnificent teacher education

  First of all, I need to explain that the term "family law" is a term I borrowed from the Han dynasty scholars. The original meaning refers to the inheritance and teaching of teachers. For a long time, folk martial arts have been spread mainly in the form of mentor and disciple, and precepts and deeds. Therefore, strict adherence to the "family law" has become a customary rule, a moral code that martial arts practitioners must abide by. The reason is very clear. Only by strictly observing the "family law" can the good things be passed on intact and protected from tampering and decay. In modern times, like many ancient traditional cultures, martial arts have also withstood various impacts. First, it was criticized. This is the most typical of the articles that criticized the "Confucian and Mencius in the martial arts world" during the "Cultural Revolution". Later, it was impacted by the commercialization trend of martial arts under the tide of market economy. Driven by interests, the martial arts world has appeared unusually messy and complicated, which can be described as all kinds of things. I don’t need to repeat this one by one. I think martial arts enthusiasts at home and abroad will be able to understand everything.

  Under contemporary conditions, on the one hand, martial arts does have a problem of how to adapt to the new situation and establish new concepts, which can be said to be a transitional problem in essence; on the other hand, I think that some excellent traditions should be adhered to and should be followed. Only by adhering to the excellent traditions In order to withstand the impact and erosion of popular customs, martial arts will not be too far away from the inherent cultural standard, and will not lose too much. I think that "strictly observing the family law" should be adhered to. I have said that some of the formulas and rules of traditional culture are mostly formed under a specific historical and cultural background. In the long-term evolution process, they have condensed the wisdom and experience of many sages and accumulated a wealth of content. In the end, certain concepts and technical regulations are formed. For this, the descendants should first cherish it, followed by in-depth study and digestion, and strive to master its essence completely and accurately. It is not allowed to change at will, and it is not allowed to explain and play indiscriminately. It does not mean that the traditional is always right, and it is even more inadequate to hold on to the incompleteness, but a cautious attitude is undoubtedly necessary and correct. I always think that necessary changes must be undertaken by well-learned martial arts people, and the changes must be reasonable, convincing, and worthy of the ancestors. Shallow scholars, out of their little talent and self-intellect, rely on certain forces to make random changes. That is "disrupting family law" and corrupting tradition. As we all know, this kind of indiscriminate and superfluous phenomenon is no longer uncommon in the martial arts world.

  Li Shuwen is a prestigious master in the history of Bajiquan in one hundred years, and is the most famous martial arts figure of his father's life. As a disciple of Li Shuwen, Liu Yunqiao's Baji, both in theory and technology, can strictly abide by Mr. Li's teaching, maintain the basic content and characteristics of Li Shuwen's biography, have his own understanding and certain interpretations, but never There are things that are free to play and add to the leaves. I carefully studied Mr. Liu’s 1983 Hong Kong version of "Bajiquan Illustrated" and 1985 Japanese version of "Bajiquan" (translated by Masaru Oyanagi). I also read the practice of Baji by Mr. Liu’s disciple Wang Zhi-Cai. From the content point of view, the Bajiquan taught by Mr. Liu is mainly composed of three parts. The first is the small Baji, which is what we call the small frame of the Baji; the second is the Da BaJi, which is what we call the Baji single exercise. It is a collective term for docking (also known as "dual splitting"); the third is the six major openings. When Mr. Liu talked about the relationship and position of the three in Bajiquan, he said: "It lays its foundation with the small Baji, the Big Baji has its own skills, and the Six Dakai is extremely artistic." This content structure and teaching method are basically the same as ours. That is to say, it is roughly the same as the content of the biography of the father and the second uncle (including the eight poles of Li Yuanzhi from Taiwan and He Fusheng from Yunnan). After further investigation, I found that it is also similar to the Baji (generally the third or fourth biography of Mr. Li Shuwen) from the Northeast Huo family, such as Qi Dezhao and Mr. Tan Jitang, and the Shandong Li Zanchen (a court member of Han Hua). There is not much difference. "Great Harmony" means that the basic content is the same, and there is no difference in quantity. "Small difference" means that there is a difference in strength, or in the name of certain partial structures and certain actions. This is naturally normal. In terms of basic content, Mr. Liu adheres to the "simple and easy-to-learn" characteristics of Octopus. In this regard, he has a very wonderful commentary:

  "In addition to being not fancy boxing, it also has extremely simple moves. It takes no effort to learn. You only need to practice hard and you will be able to achieve it. The focus is on how much effort you put in practice, never The intricate and intricate, or the unpredictable surface, comes to embarrass and confuse scholars."

  I show off with "complexity and mystery" to confuse beginners. It is not only a phenomenon in the spread of contemporary BaJi, but also a common phenomenon in the martial arts world. It is causing harm to Chinese martial arts and resisting this abuse. One of the ways is to strictly observe the teacher's education like Mr. Liu, and stick to the traditional integrity.

  Most importantly, Mr. Liu Yunqiao still kept the two major teaching characteristics of the combination of the octopole and the chopping spear, and the combination of the octopole and the Liuhe spear.

  Regarding the combination of Baji and Chopsticks, Mr. Liu has a special chapter to explain it, and he has written a playful "Baji, Chopsticks Gesture", which vividly and thoroughly clarifies the similarities and differences between the two. The relationship of complementarity and perfection, I once quoted in the article "Bajiquan Ancient and Modern Talks No. 4". I think this is the most important work in the contemporary Baji and Chop-Hanging literature. It is a manifestation of Mr. Liu's literary and martial arts, and it is definitely not something that can be achieved by some superficial and vain contemporary works.

  Mr. Liu did not leave a manual for the LiuHe DaQiang. I believe that this is because he sticks to the principle of teaching the "infield art industry" with big spear and refuses to resort to words lightly. As far as I know, he not only practiced sprear, but also taught his disciples how to analyze spears at the "Martial Arts Center" in his later years. It is of course inconceivable to pass on the eight poles without studying the big spears. This is also the fundamental difference between the true traditional eight poles and the popular eight poles! It is understood that Mr. Liu’s high-footed disciple Guo Xiao-Bo is doing important experiments on the combination of boxing and gun. In faraway Canada, under his promotion, the big gun competition became one of the eight pole competition projects, and he has gained certain experience and is loved by North American martial arts enthusiasts.

2. Rigorous and simple style of martial arts

  Martial arts is a special knowledge in its own field. It has its own academic origins and its own set of academic norms that have been followed for a long time. However, in the recent past, the style of martial arts studies has been declining, and there have been a lot of unhealthy trends. The degree of immersion is not clearly stated here, so I won't talk about it for the time being. I just want to say that a large number of martial arts works have appeared in the past two decades, and a considerable part of them should be shoddy and shoddy. Some of them are simply silly works by "Transcripts." To be honest, the contrast between the quantity and quality of martial arts books is too great. I think this is an important sign of what I have repeatedly called the shallowness of contemporary martial arts. Compared with many vulgar martial arts books, especially compared to the various Bajiquan books, I think Mr. Liu Yunqiao’s "Baji Quanshu" and its Japanese version (hereinafter referred to as "Pictures" And "Bajiquan"), is a rigorous and substantial martial arts work, showing a martial arts scholar should have a scholarly attitude, full of a rigorous and simple style of martial arts.

  The octopole source flow is a complicated issue. "Illustration" made full use of the martial arts materials of the Republic of China "Cang County Chronicles" on this issue, especially the Baji materials, but it was not blindly followed, let alone talked about by others, but was written very late (1933). There are many local chronicles that have been missed by historical events, and a lot of meticulous research has been done, and even the source of some misrepresentations has been analyzed. It cannot be said that all of the author's examinations are correct, and mistakes and omissions are inevitable, but most of the examinations are reasonable, which is of great help in clarifying some problems in the history of Bajiquan's dissemination. This end alone is something that has not been done by all the octupole readings at present, and its academic value goes without saying.

  As for technical issues, I mentioned earlier that the biggest feature of "Pictures" is simplicity and truthfulness, without any fancy and cryptic things, some demonstrations of the law of strength, and analysis of certain moves, all of which are straightforward and concise. , Directly to Chen'ao. In my first opinion as an explorer of ancient martial arts books, this is exactly the style that has been used in Chinese classical martial arts books for a long time, and it is the most cherished thing in the so-called "style of martial arts." However, there have been many "complex and mysterious" works in recent times. How many can really maintain this style?

  In the mid-1980s, there was a literal dispute between Mr. Liu and I. More than ten years have passed, but I still feel regretful.

  The source part of "Pictures" specifically talks about the late father Zhong Kun, in which there is a cloud:

  "The three brothers Ma Fengtu, Yingtu, and Changtu used to learn the art of chopping, and followed their first teacher to learn the Baji art. Fengtu once served as the county magistrate. Yingtu once taught at the Central Guoshu Museum. Changtu was originally a soldier and was a warlord during the Civil War. Killed in action. Mr. Li Yuanzhi, who died shortly before in Taiwan a year ago, was able to teach Bajiquan by Ma Yingtu, Han Huachen, and Zhao Shude in the Central Guoshu Museum, and was able to develop it. It was first designated as a compulsory subject in the museum and popularized by the army In the middle, it's the merit."

## Personal Life

Liu Yun-Qiao had a partner in his hometown, and they had a son and two daughters after marriage. During the Anti-Japanese War in 1941, he married Zhu Jian-Xia in Baoji County who followed him to Taiwan. His children did not follow him in teaching martial arts.

After the start of the Anti-Japanese war, Liu met with his father and his second uncle in Xi'an or Lanzhou, but otherwise didn't have much contact. However, Mr. Liu is familiar with the basic situation of his late father and brother, especially when he mentioned Ma Changtu, who is not known to the martial arts world, despite the mistakes he has recorded (Sanshu died in Tianjin in the mid-1970s). Mr. Liu used his father and second uncle as Li Shuwen's school. This is what I felt unacceptable and needed to be corrected after seeing the "Pictures", because the Japanese friend Matsuda Takachi's "Pictures of Chinese Martial Arts History" also took this as the source. It should be "Illustrated." For this reason, I argued against Mr. Liu in an article that I used to make use of a reporter's interview. At that time, I was young, and there was a certain barrier between the two sides of the strait, so my writing was blunt. Later, I heard that someone who had something good sent the text to Mr. Liu. Mr. Liu had read it carefully. Soon after, I read the Japanese version of "Bajiquan" again, and saw that the relevant text has been revised. The sentence "Follow the master to learn the art of Baji" and changed it to "After exchanges with the master of Bajiquan" , And added more text about the deeds of my father’s martial arts. At the same time, at the end of the book is attached "The Status Quo of Bajiquan" written by Takachi Matsuda, focusing on the achievements of Bajiquan of Ma's first class. The Japanese version has been viewed by Mr. Liu himself, and the relevant changes and additions were obviously approved by Mr. Liu. This matter touched me a lot! From this subtle point, I saw the style and demeanor of a martial artist, and saw the rigorous and candid style of study of a martial arts scholar, which benefited me a lot, and I felt a lot of emotion.

Liu's grandfather, Liu Zi-Jing, was the prefect of Hanzhong in Shaanxi during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic era. Liu's father, Liu Zhiyi, was born in Baode county, during the late Qing Dynasty and graduated from the fourth term of Baoding Military Academy and studied the army. His uncle Liu Zhijie, the word Yuxin, a talent in the late Qing Dynasty, Yuan Shikai's first-term honors student in the new army, stayed in school as a teacher, served as Wu Peifu's teacher, and retired to Cangzhou County for leisure. Liu Zhijie has a lot of experience, is indifferent to fame, good at reading, and good at calligraphy. Liu Zhiyi once served as battalion commander and regimental commander under Wu Peifu's subordinate. He is famous for his brave warfare and is a major general. Later, he was also disarmed and returned to the fields and devoted himself to supporting his parents. Both of the Liu family's Zhongkun are famous for their military service, and Cangzhou people respectfully call the Liu family "General Liu's Mansion."

Liu's name is Xiao Chen however he has been known by several other nicknames and epithets throughout his life including "Xiǎo bàwáng" (小霸王, Eng. "little overlord") due to his small stature but immense skill. Liu is rumoured to have used the codename "Yangzi River 001" and "Tianzi River 001" while undercover.

## Principles Of Bajiquan

Bajiquan pays attention to close-knitting, hard attack and direct attack, without mercy. Its moves are centered on "six big moves" and "eight moves". There are eight or sixty-four moves. Here, eight attack methods are selected. To make an introduction, to offer fellow students.

One, pick the top

"Ding" is the first of the six openings of Bajiquan. Its moves are simple and practical, strong offensive, and are highly valued. The Bajiquan methods include topping, yin top, needle top, anti-thunder top, warm heart top, and top lift. Techniques such as, waist top, etc., here is an introduction with the top pick as an example.

Actual combat instructions: confronting the enemy and me, I took the first step to take the right step; at the same time, my right hand slammed against the enemy's door, and then my feet rushed forward. At the same time, my right arm bends the elbow and uses the tip of the elbow to attack the enemy's heart or jaw ( Figure 1. The one with the sleeves is our side).

Action essentials: When stepping up, you must step in the middle door and enter. The so-called "step on the middle door to gain status is difficult for gods and ghosts to escape", that is, step up between the enemy's legs, and the right punching face and elbow must be quick and sudden. Rigid and violent, attacking sideways, the step type is "four or six steps", that is, the front legs are quarter-strength and the hind legs are quarter-strength.

Actual combat changes: When I hit the face with my right hand, if the enemy is too late to defend, it is a real move. If the enemy has changed, it is a false move. If the enemy moves past the top of the elbow, I can hit the door with a right back fist, and I can use my right foot at the same time. Kick his tibia or kick his knee joint.

Second, mention

"Li" also occupies a prominent position in the six major openings. "Lift" is a downward-to-upward force movement. Qi lifting is also a lifting. The lifting methods in Bajiquan include: flipping and lifting hands (referring to upper limb movements) ), kick-lift, reverse kick-lift, trip-lift, buckle-lift, follow-up, black tiger-lift (referring to lower limb movements).

Actual combat instructions: The enemy and ourselves are confronting, taking advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, I will be able to cover my ears with thunder, with fists and feet, punching the enemy's jaw, heart or face with fists, and at the same time kicking the enemy's tibia or knee joints with the soles of my feet (Figure 2).

Action essentials: The upper hand can be used as a false hand or a real hand. If the enemy has defense, it is virtual, if the enemy is too late to defend, it is real. The upper hand is a bright fist, and the lower is a dark leg. It is impossible to defend against, and there is also a saying in the Octopus boxing spectrum: "Walking an inch is not enough for the knee", that is to say, in the actual combat, the kick must be below the knee joint, and must not be raised high, otherwise there is a fear of raising the leg halfway. , So that the enemy can take advantage of the defeat.

Actual combat changes: If you succeed, you can change and hit the enemy. If the enemy opens the door and breaks in, I will quickly jump backwards and use my strength to use techniques such as shrinking, holding, and pulling sheep.

Three, circle

In the Bajiquan, "body" and "hip" are connected, which is one of the "six openings". It mainly refers to the horizontal force, most of which are wrestling. In the Bajiquan, there are inner circle and outer circle. , Slammed, collapsed and so on. When using the "carrying" method, use the combined force of up and down. Here is an introduction to the inner circle.

Actual combat instructions: The enemy and I are confronted, and when the enemy is unprepared, I quickly shake the enemy’s face with my left hand, and the enemy will flash back or parry, and then I will use my left hand to grab his arm and squeeze the belt down, and at the same time, I step on the body and eat with my left foot Hold the enemy's front foot, and at the same time hit his upper body with his right shoulder and right arm from the outside to the inside, and the combined force of the up and down will knock the enemy down (Figure 3).

Action essentials: Bajiquan is exquisite in actual combat: "Strike the clouds up with a little lift, hit the bladder to squeeze solidly, hit the roots and bury the roots and throw them down". When using the slung method, the lower limbs should eat roots and bury the roots, that is Use the legs to lock the front legs, the upper body must be close to each other, and squeeze against the bladder. Only in this way can the power of the Bajiquan close close hitting be exerted. In the use of the inner circle, two relative horizontal forces must be formed up and down. That is, the leverage force usually mentioned in physics, knocks the enemy to the ground.

Actual combat changes: If the enemy’s front leg is pulled out, I will continue to sweep his hind leg with my right leg; at the same time, my left hand hits his upper body from the outside to the inside, and my right hand grasps the enemy’s lap and pulls it downward to form a three-set force. Open the door and play an offense. I can turn right, and at the same time, my feet slide backward, and my left shoulder leaning forward to close the elbow to resolve the situation.

Four, cannon hammer

The hammer is actually the single in the "six big open" of Octopus Boxing. The so-called single, that is, the single is not double, and the horizontal, vertical, rising, falling or the exchange of both hands are all single. In the Bajiquan skill, Shishishuan is used, and the hammer is mostly used in series. Here is one of the "three-handed" techniques: the three-gun hammer.

Actual combat instructions: confronting the enemy and me, I take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, and slap my right hand at the face of the enemy, and instantly hit the face of the enemy with my left and right fists (Figure 4).

Action essentials: The first punch can be a virtual hand or a real hand strike. The three punches are like a dash, leaving no chance for the enemy to breathe.

Actual combat changes: Three punch combos can hit three sets of upper, middle and lower hits. When punching with boxing, it can be used with forward jumping and sliding steps, and it can also be used with legs.

Five, black tiger mention

Heihuti is a typical technique among the "six-opening" methods. Because of its fierceness, don't use this trick if you don't encounter bad guys.

Actual combat instructions: When confronting the enemy and me, I first shake the enemy's face with my right palm, and then it will flash or parry. I will use both hands to grab its hair or hug its back with both hands and press against the middle and lower sides of the arms in a fierce tiger rush. Lift the right knee and hit its face, heart socket, or crotch (Figure 5).

Action essentials: When the right fist is swaying the enemy’s face, if it is too late to parry, it can be hit with a real hand. When attacking, you must also pay attention to your own protection to prevent the enemy from hitting. Thunder.

Actual combat changes: When I lift my knee and bump, if it breaks free and retreats, it can be kicked or kicked back, and it can also be thrown in close proximity.

6. Top of the head (bell hitting)

In actual combat, the Bajiquan method focuses on the use of all parts of the body. "Head, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees, feet, and hips" can all be used as weapons of attack. The top of the head is one of the eight methods of hitting. , Is a typical action of "top".

Actual combat description: When the enemy is facing off, I suddenly lean over and make progress, hitting his heart or face with my head (Picture 6).

Action essentials: When using this technique, you must have a good grasp of it. It must be quick and sudden, with full strength. When you move, your arms should be bent and lifted to protect the portal, so as to avoid the enemy's attack and helplessness.

Actual combat changes: You can then hit his crotch and abdomen with his knees.

Seven, hip hit (the fairy sits in a big way)

Butt hitting mainly includes back bumping, sitting down, etc. It can also be used ingeniously to incur an enemy. Here is an introduction to the fairy sitting method.

Actual combat instructions: Set the enemy close behind me, and I will take advantage of the moment when I want to attack, I will preemptively, bend and retreat so that the enemy’s front legs are exposed between my legs, and then I grab his ankles with both hands or The corners of the trousers moved upwards; at the same time, I moved my weight down and hit the thighs or knee joints with my hips, forming a combined force of up and down, and violently dropped the enemy to the ground (Picture 7).

Action essentials: retreat quickly, move up and sit down suddenly and violently.

Actual combat changes: If the enemy notices that he cannot perform this technique, he can kick his crotch with my heels. If the enemy hugs my upper body from behind, I can use my two elbows to hit his ribs back, and I can also hit the front door or the front door with my head back. Stom on the surface of his feet with his feet.

Eight, carry on

The crotch is the middle section of the human body and occupies an extremely important position in actual combat combat. Therefore, shoulder-to-crotch fighting is more common in Bajiquan, and it is one of the "six open" crotch techniques.

Actual combat instructions: When the enemy and I are facing each other, I first shake the enemy's face with my left hand. After he reacts, I quickly step up to the right and hit his thigh with the left hip, protecting the front of the body with both hands, so that the enemy loses his balance (Figure 8) ).

Action essentials: When the hip is collapsed, the reaction force of the right foot must be used to push the ground, and the two sounds of "hum" and "ha" can be used to help the fist.

Actual combat changes: If the hip collapse works and the enemy has lost the center of gravity, I will lock the front leg with my left leg; at the same time, my left shoulder and left arm hit his upper body from the inside to the outside to make it fall. If the enemy retreats, you can use the left back Fist the door or step forward and kick the knee joint of the front leg with the left foot

Committed to making people aware of Chinese martial arts , advocating the inheritance of traditional martial arts , carrying forward the inherent national quintessence of Chinese culture, and enhancing the spirit of Chinese martial arts. In 1968, he was invited to Malaysia to hold the "Chinese Martial Arts Performance Conference", and later founded Wushu in Taiwan. In order to promote Bajiquan, and publish "Wu Tan Magazine".

### Death

Liu Yun-qiao died at the Cathay General Hospital in Taipei City, Taiwan on January 24, 1992, at the age of 84.

## Martial Arts Career

For over 10 years, Liu was personally trained by Li Shu Wen every day to perfect Li Shu Wen's system of bajiquan, pigua zhang, and liuhe da qiang (six harmony big spear). This ensures that Liu was given a good foundation in the martial arts, which remained with him throughout his life.

Most of his praying mantis besides six harmony was taught to his disciples by Su Yu Chang who served more or less as a screen. Long fist, miao dao, and san cai jian came from Adam Hsu who learned from Han Ching-Tang.

## Legacy

### Lineage

#### Bajiquan

Lai / Pi -> Wu Zhong -> Wu Ying -> Zhang KeMing -> Huang SiHai -> Li ShuWen > **Liu Yun Qiao**

### Notable Students

Liu is famed for being one of the most significant players in the spread of Bajiquan during the 1900s, though his Wu Tan Martial Arts organisation. His most famous students are listed below in alphabetical order.

* Adam Hsu
* Alex Shen
* (Charles) Chen Chang Lin
* Dai SheTze
* James Guo - Specialises in the LiuHe DaQiang and rose to prominence though his promotion of combat DaQiang as a sport via the iDaqiang organisation.
* Jason Tsou
* Jin Li
* John Hurri
* Liang Ji
* Ng ChoonFah
* Marlon Ma (Ma Long)
* Su Yu Chang
* Tony Yang (Yang Xiao Dong)
* Wang MenLiu
* Willy Rivero
* Zhou Ming

## Media

Liu Yun Qiao wrote many books in his efforts to help document and proliferate Chinese martial arts. Some are listed below.

## Quotes

1. GM Liu Yun Qiao, once said, "Gathering styles is like gathering twigs, no matter how many twigs you have, it will never form a tree." Spend the time on one art and learn everything about it. Instead of wasting time gathering systems.
2. "Styles of Northern Chinese Martial Arts are all sons of the same mother."
3. GM Liu did not believe in mixing southern and northern systems, although may do and seem to do it successfully.
4. Baji boxing and Pigua, spirits and ghosts all fear. Pigua boxing and Baji, all heroes only sigh for they cannot reach the invincible level.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.wutangcenter.com/wt/photos/LiuFuneral/grandmaster.htm
2. ↑ http://www.taipinginstitute.com/courses/northern-central-plains/bajiquan