Liang Zhenpu (梁振蒲) (1863–1932) was a Chinese martial artist.

Biography

Liang Zhenpu was born in Beihaojia Village in Ji County in

Hebei Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...

province on May 20, 1863 during the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

under the reign of the

Tongzhi Emperor The Tongzhi Emperor (27 April 1856 – 12 January 1875), born Zaichun of the Aisin Gioro clan, was the ninth Emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign, from 1861 to 1875, which effectively laste ...

. He trained in

Tan Tui Tan Tui () may refer to a particular style of Chinese Martial Arts (commonly called Kung Fu or Gung Fu (), but more accurately called Wushu () bearing the name Tantui, a form(s), set(s) or routine(s) – popularly known by the Japanese term Kat ...

and Biaozhang during his early childhood.Jilin Province Wushu Association Baguazhang Branch website
At the age of 13, he moved to

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

to become an apprentice at his father's second-hand clothing store. At this time he had the nickname "Second Hand Clothing Liang". During this period, in 1877, he became a direct disciple of

Baguazhang Baguazhang or Pakua chang () is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being T'ai chi and Xing Yi Quan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice (or neijia quan). ''Bāguà zhǎng'' literally m ...

creator

Dong Haichuan Dong Haichuan (13 October 1797 or 1813 – 25 October 1882) is regarded as a skillful martial artist and is widely credited to be the founder of Baguazhang. Most, if not all, existing schools of Baguazhang place Dong Haichuan at the beginning ...

. He studied with Dong for about five years, also learning from Dong's other students including

Cheng Tinghua Cheng Tinghua (also known as Cheng Yingfang) () (1848–1900) was a renowned master of Chinese Neijia (internal) martial art Bagua Zhang. Biography Born in the Cheng family village, Shen County, Hebei (now in Shandong), he was the third of fou ...

Yin Fu Yin Fu () ( Chanhuaicun (), Jixian (), China, 1840 – China, June, 1909) was a Baguazhang (a martial art) disciple of Dong Haichuan responsible for the creation of the Yin Style Baguazhang. Yin Fu was Dong's earliest disciple in Prince ...

, Shi Jidong, and Liu Fengchun. After the death of both his parents at age 20, he opened a martial arts

kwoon A kwoon () is a training hall for Chinese martial arts. According to ''A Chinese-English Dictionary (Revised Edition) 1978'', from Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press ( PRC), the word ''guǎn'' can also mean 1) Accommodation for gues ...

to make a living. :zh:梁振蒲 In Ji County he defeated the four "Batian" gangs. In 1899, he saw many injustices being committed by local gangs in the Beijing suburb of

Majiapu Majiapu () is a station on Line 4 of the Beijing Subway. Station Layout The station has an underground island platform An island platform (also center platform, centre platform) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is ...

(马家堡）and single-handedly fought over 200 gang members armed only with a seven-section

chain whip The chain whip, also known as the soft whip, is a weapon used in some Chinese martial arts, particularly traditional Chinese disciplines, in addition to modern and traditional wushu. It consists of several metal rods, which are joined end-to-e ...

, killing 20 and wounding over 50.http://www.hudong.com/wiki/%E6%A2%81%E6%8C%AF%E8%92%B2 He was subsequently imprisoned and sentenced to death. When the

Eight-Nation Alliance The Eight-Nation Alliance was a multinational military coalition that invaded northern China in 1900 with the stated aim of relieving the foreign legations in Beijing, then besieged by the popular Boxer militia, who were determined to remove fo ...

army invaded

to crush the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...

, his prison was heavily damaged and he managed to escape. Liang Zhenpu died on August 13, 1932, at the age of 69. He is the only student of

to be buried next to his tomb.

Baguazhang style

As the youngest disciple of Dong, he trained not only with Dong but also with both

and

, and as a result his style of

has some characteristics of both styles. Examples include the Ox Tongue Palm from Yin Style and wrestling movements from Cheng Style. His

forms are taught in a circle with the exception of Liu Dekuan's 64 Linear Palms, unlike versions from earlier students (for example,

Yin Style Baguazhang Yin Style Baguazhang is a style of Baguazhang. History Yin Fu had multiple students, but is said to have taught his complete baguazhang system to only a few. Of these students, Men Baozhen (門寶珍) taught Xie Peiqi. Inan interview with Xie ...

) which have many linear segments. One of Liang's most famous students was

Li Ziming Li Ziming (李子鳴) (June 25, 1902 – January 23, 1993) was a martial arts expert and third generation descendant of the creator of Baguazhang, Dong Haichuan, under the lineage of Liang Zhenpu - progenitor of Liang Style Baguazhang. Life an ...

(1903–1993) who eventually became head of the

Research Association and spread Liang's style around the world. Liang Zhenpu style

is known to include the following elements: # Ji Ben Gong (Basic Techniques) # Zhuang Fa (Standing Methods) # Bu Fa (Footwork) # Dan Cao Ba Shi (Eight Single Techniques) # Dui Lian Ba Shi (Partnered Exercises/Matched Eight Techniques) # Ding Shi Ba Zhang (Eight Mother Palms) # Ba Da Zhang aka Lao Ba Zhang (Old Eight Palms) # Zhi Tang 64 Zhang (64 Linear Palms) # Ba Mian Zhang (Eight Directions Palms) ## Big Broadsword ## Straight Sword ## Spear ## Rooster Knives ## Chicken Claw Knives ## Mandarin Duck Knives ## Crescent Moon Knives (aka Deer Horn Knives) ## Kun Lun Fan ## Yin Yang Pen Brush ## Steel "Yo-Yo" Meteors ## Seven Star Rod ## Wind and Fire Rings # Lian Huan Zhang (Swimming Body Chain Linking Form) # Long Xing Zhang (Dragon Form Palm) # Qishier Qinna (72 grasps and seizes, grappling technique) # Long and Short Weapons

References

* Li Gongcheng李功成, ''Dong Haichuan Bagua Zhuanzhang Jiji Shu 董海川八卦转掌技击术'', Beijing Tiyu Chubanshe 北京体育大学出版社 (Beijing Physical Education University Press), Beijing, 1994.
Jilin Province Wushu Association Baguazhang Branch website
* Wikipedia Chinese
Hudong.com Interactive Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Liang Zhenpu 1863 births 1932 deaths Chinese baguazhang practitioners Qing dynasty Taoists Republic of China Taoists I Ching Sportspeople from Tianjin