Li Jinglin

Li Jing-Lin was a reknowned martial artist famed for his sword skills, career as a deputy instructor-general during the Warlord Era, tenure as a Headmaster of WuDang Dan Pai and for establishing Guoshu institutes in Hebei and Shandong.

“If I were to be knocked down, I should respect my opponent’s gongfu: we should recognise that ‘he who can knock me down has gongfu'”

- Li Jing-Lin, Hangzhou Leitai Tournament 1929

## Biography

### Family

Jiang Xinshan, a student of Cheng Tinghua’s son Cheng Haiting, was Li's cousin.

Li had a wife who also was capable with the sword and even performed a two-person TaiJi sword routine with him during the 1929 Hangzhou Leitai Tournament Martial Arts Gala.

### Battle of LangFang (1924)

In 1924, the militias of Feng Yuxiang and Li Jinglin fought the battle of Langfang during the second Zhili-Fengtian war. Ma, on the instructions of Zhang Zhijiang, who was the Commander in Chief of Feng’s militia, led a ‘kamikaze corps’ [gan si dui] mostly composed of young men from Cang county which, armed with sabres and handguns, was responsible for clearing the way for the rest of the army to attack Tianjin. He later received a commendation from Feng for his efforts.

In the 1930s, Li Jinglin, alongside Xu Lan-Zhou established Guoshu institutes in Hebei and Shandong.

## Martial Arts

### Lineage

Li was proficient in a number of martial arts and is credited as being the Founder and 1st Generation lineage holder of WuDang Free-Step TaiJi Quan.

#### **BajiQuan (6th Gen)**

Wu Zhong > Wu Ying > Zhang Ke-Ming > Huang SiHai > Li Shu-Wen -> **Li Jing-Lin**

It is not clear whether or not Li Shu-Wen and Li Jing-Lin had a teacher-student relationship nor whether they formally learned from one another or simply exchanged techniques.

#### **Wudang BaGua Zhang (3rd Generation)**

Bi Zheng-Xia -> Song Wei-Yi -> **Li Jing-Lin**

#### **Wu Dang Dan Pai Sword (10th Generation)**

Zhang Song-Xi -> Zhao Tai-Bin -> Wang Jiu-Cheng -> Yan Xi-Sheng -> Lu Shi-Niang -> Li Danian -> Chen Yin-Chang -> Zhang Ye-He -> Song Wei-Yi -> **Li Jing-Lin**

#### **Yang Taiji Quan (3rd Generation)**

Chen Chang-Xing -> Yang Lu-Chan -> Yang Jian-Hou -> **Li Jing-Lin**

## Legacy

### Notable Students

* Yang Kui-Shan
* Meng Xiao-Feng

### Comparisons between different styles of Bajiquan

*The following section has been copied unedited and is in dire need of formatting. Please help out by editing and attributing sources!*

**Li Jinglin**, **李景林** also known as **Li Fangchen** (1885–1931) was a deputy inspector-general and later army general for the Fengtian clique during the Chinese warlord era. He hailed from Zaoqiang County, Hebei province, China. After his military career was over he settled in Nanjing, and in 1927 moved to Shanghai. A renowned swordsman, he was known as "China's First Sword."

### Thoughts of the other generals and their styles by Li Jinglin

Whilst serving alongside Li ShuWen, Jinglin noted the differences between the various branches of Bajiquan, The old style of Bajiquan, ancient Shaolinquan is obvious.

The current Bajiquan of various branches has retained the old living fossil ancient Shaolinquan; some developed in the direction of current competitive performances; some developed in the direction of ancient Changquan; some developed in the direction of violence and vigor; Come and make trouble, it's nothing more than talking about their authentic original!

The truth is open, everyone has a mirror in their hearts. These eight poles have been passed down to now and have been practiced, but they all have the name of eight poles and recognize a ancestor Wu Zhong.

The more detailed ones are the Mengcun style and the Luotuan style. Even if they are like Luotuan, the Li family and the Zhang family are different. Why? The roads of inheritance are quite different, separated from the generations of Huang Shihai and Li GuiZhang. Both of them have some family backgrounds. Master Huang followed his teacher on the road of selling goods to the emperor's house, and Master Gui Zhang went on the road of safaris. Naturally, the fists of the two families were also different. The main reason is that the strength of the boxing is different. If it is true that the original classics have not changed, the Baji of Luo Tuan Li's family is the first choice.

As for Mengcun, many people say that Wu Xiufeng’s seniors changed their boxing and made up boxing. If I say, that’s not the case. This deaf master has created a lot of boxing techniques, but his boxing power has not changed. The boxing strength, and the small frame of the deaf master also retains the original frame. Carefully compare the frame with strong pass, the strength and frame are very close. Therefore, the inheritance of the deaf master is also authentic.

Talking about a bunch of things is still a conclusion. Luo Tuan has changed the most, of which Luo Tuan and Zhang Keming have changed more, starting from the generation of Jing Xingye and Li RuiDong to exchange fists, to Li Shuwen Gong and Han Huiqing Gong The strength of the eight poles in this year is completely different from that passed down by Wu Zhongzu.

Then someone will ask, what is Wu Zhongzu's fist? Haha? I haven't seen it, but I can get a glimpse of the traces from the eight poles of Wang Lianfeng's biography. Youku has a video, and I can see the influence of some Shaolin boxing, especially some movements during the docking and the martial arts movements on the Shaolin murals. It is similar, and those who are good can search for comparison.

What did Luo Tuan change from Wu ZhongYuan? Is it the frame type or the strength? After

comparing the architecture of each branch, the architecture is basically the same. Luo Tuan is mainly to increase the vigorous strength of Bajiquan and the sublimation of strength! (Mengcun old frame---soft frame, soft frame; Luotuan hard frame, brittle frame; it is the improvement of strength)

Luo Tuan's small frame was developed by Zhang Keming, Huang Sihai, and Li Shuwen for generations. They decided to open the door elbow, hit the tiger, dig the eye with the gun, turn around and lick the wrist, creating a more scientific new traditional small frame—hard frame

change The original cross route has become a triangle route, and several tricks have been determined to be more affordable. Luo Tuan's Bajiquan was practiced from the mating upper hand, topping the elbow and running to the middle hall. The original Bajiquan was practiced from the lower hand holding the elbow. Luo Tuan's Bajiquan is more affordable and powerful.

Not only the boxing technique, but a careful study of the octopole guns objectively also shows signs of improvement. Obviously, the Octopus gun has a great relationship with the gun recorded by General Qi Jiguang. In history, Qi finally defended the border in the northwest and brought his martial arts to the northwest.

It is not a coincidence that Cha Cha Luo Tuan learned from Wu Zhongzhi's spear to Lai Kuiyuan in the northwest. Today, the Liuhe big spear of Northwest Red Boxing, especially the Liuhe paired spear, is highly similar to Baji. This has some origins. However, Baji’s guns have been refined and examined by three generations, including Li Dazhong, Zhang Keming, Zhang Jingxing, Huang Sihai, Li Shuwen, and Han Huiqing, which are quite different from traditional guns. His fist is also affected by the strength of the gun, and he uses the spear to fist. The fist is the final skill, and the spear is the art!

At least so far, Li Shuwen Gong has not passed the traditional Piyao sword (little lance, circle sword), but thirteen swords in the night battle, which is more concise and practical.

Baji fist, at least Luo Tuan's lineage is really little inherited, and it's a small fight.

There are a lot of skills, and most of the techniques of Huo Chuan Baji have been made public. Only the details and requirements of the exercise were not revealed.

To talk about the simplicity and original classics closer to Master Wu Zhongzu, it is the Bajiquan taught by Wang Lianfeng.

The frame is very distinctive, the simple and elegant style, combined with the soft practice frame of Zilai Tunqiang and the old frame of Mengcun, can still see the gradual evolution of Bajiquan under the influence of Shaolinquan in the early stage.

The evolution of Bajiquan, especially the small frame, each branch has obvious characteristics of ancient traditions, no one is authentic, all are authentic. Many people say that in the routine created by Mr. Wu Xiufeng, the core of the eight-pole old frame has not changed, and it combines the techniques of Yanqing, Xingyi, Phihang, and Tongbei. The descendants of the older generation of Bajiquan will have some fist techniques handed down in Cangzhou, such as Luohanquan, Yanqingquan, Feihuquan, and slippery kick. It's normal to all influence each other in one place!

In fact, it is the dismantling of the small frame. My teacher Yongwen once said: Everyone has different inheritance, and everyone understands the dismantling of different small frames.

Fortunately, the ever-changing changes have not departed from their ancestry, and the strength and mind methods of each branch have largely remained the same, and they have merged with each other.

Speaking of Luo Tuan Baji, his boxing is similar to Wu Zhongzu’s basic structure. The change is in boxing strength. Affected by the big gun, the gun strength from Zhang Keming to Li Shuwen gradually merged into the boxing method. The original Bajiu is different, but compared with the remote transmission, there is no difference between the high and low.

Shenyan Li Jinlin

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1929 Hangzhou Leitai Tournament - Masters of the IMA
2. ↑ Lin, Jing-Lin 李景林 - WuDang Dan Pai