chinafrominside.com presents... baguazhang - interview with mr
TRANSCRIPT
-
8/19/2019 ChinaFromInside.com Presents... BAGUAZHANG - Interview With Mr
1/3
19/3/2016 ChinaFromInside.com presents... BAGUAZHANG - Interview with Mr. Xie Peiqi, Yin style Baguazhang expert from Beijing
http://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/bagua/xiepeiqi.html 1/3
Interview with Mr. Xie Peiqi, Yin style Baguazhang expert from Beijing
by Jarek Szymanski
Photos - Jarek Szymanski and courtesy of Mr.Xie (1); © J.Szymanski 1999
Mr.Xie Peiqi (left) with his student and grand-disciple, He Jinbao
Mr.Xie Peiqi was born in 1923 in Beijing. He first learnt Tan Tuiat the age of 6. When 13, he started his Bagua studies underMen Baozhen (1870-1957), one of Yin Fu's disciples. Mr.Xiefollowed his teacher for more than 20 years and inherited not
only martial art system, but became proficient at traditionalChinese medicine. He is famous not only for fighting skills, butalso for massage (Tuina) and herbal prescriptions. Mr.Xie livesand teaches in Beijing, but is often invited to give seminarsabroad.
In the last days of September I went to Beijing in business with the intention of meeting some famous people
in martial arts circles there. However, since Beijing was getting ready for big celebration of 50th anniversary
of the proclamation People's Republic of China, once I had two days off, they closed half of the city for oneday because of the rehearsal and it was impossible to travel across Beijing. Hence, out of many planned
meetings, I only saw Mr.Xie Peiqi. This visit, although very short, was quite interesting, and I would like to
share what Mr.Xie told me:
BRANCHES OF BAGUAZHANG
Mr.Xie Peiqi: We should not talk about branches in Baguazhang, there is only one style and the variations we
know come from a different level of attainment of its practitioners. Yin Fu spent more than twenty years with
Dong Haichuan and learnt his complete system. Chen Tinghua spent only two years with Dong, while Liang
Zhenpu less than one. It is obvious that what they practice is different from Yin Fu's Bagua. It is like
attending a school - some are on the primary school level, some are university graduates.
DONG HAICHUAN'S BEST DISCIPLES
Yin Fu was Dong's best disciple - his skill was best among all Dong's students. Ma Weiqi was next, and Wei
Jixiang (from Gansu Province) was third.
http://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/otherstyles.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/news.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/store.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/community.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/email.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/email.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/community.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/store.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/news.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/otherstyles.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/xyxy.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/bagua.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/taiji.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/updates.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/aboutme.htmlhttp://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/index.html
-
8/19/2019 ChinaFromInside.com Presents... BAGUAZHANG - Interview With Mr
2/3
19/3/2016 ChinaFromInside.com presents... BAGUAZHANG - Interview with Mr. Xie Peiqi, Yin style Baguazhang expert from Beijing
http://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/bagua/xiepeiqi.html 2/3
YIN FU'S BEST DISCIPLES
The best one was "Wan Tong" Li. Not much is known about him, only that his work was stringing pearls
together. The second was Ma Gui (Yin's oldest disciple), then successively Men Baozhen (Mr.Xie's teacher),
"Ciqi" Yang ("Porcelain" Yang, Yang Junfeng), Ju Qingyuan, Gong Baotian and Rong Shi of Manchu nationality.
TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE AND BAGUAZHANG
Chinese say that medicine and martial arts come from the same root
(Yi Wu Tong Yuan). Although I learnt Baguazhang and some medicine
from my master Men Baozhen, most of my knowledge in medicine
comes from Wen Peiting, who was Yin Fu's kungfu brother and
imperial doctor (Yu Yi). I learnt mainly Tuina (Chinese traditional
massage) and some Zhenggu (Bone setting). My kungfu brother, LiuShoushan, professor at the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in
Beijing, learnt mainly Zhenggu.
Xie Peiqi demonstrating one of sittingmeditation postures
INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL STYLES
Internal styles develop Qi first and Li (physical strength) later, while external ones start with Li and only then
practice Qi. Internal styles reach the goal of full development of Jing (Vitality), Qi and Shen (Spirit) faster
then external styles. In internal styles each movement can by broken into parts and analyzed from the
applications point of view, which is not possible in external styles. External styles include some movements
practiced only for performance.
SPECIAL SKILLS IN BAGUAZHANG
I did not learn any skill of this kind (like Tieshazhang - Iron Sand Palm, Qinggong - Light Skill, etc.). When
Dong Haichuan was returning home from his stay in the South, he passed the method of Qinggong to hisstudents in Jiangsu and Henan Provinces, but I do not know if anybody practices it now.
PAI DA GONG (HARDENING EXERCISES)
My Bagua system includes this exercises as one of health preserving methods. (at this moment Mr.Xie
started to strike his body vigorously with open palms)
Xie Peiqi in Tuozhu Xianbao Shi (Supporting Pearl and Offering
Treasure Posture)
SECRETS IN BAGUAZHANG
There are no secrets in Baguazhang, your level depends only on how
diligent and how hard you practice and if you have a competent
teacher. Some tips that advanced practitioners can find useful and
apply to their practice will not be understood by beginners.
POWERS IN BAGUAZHANG
There are many powers which we develop in Baguazhang, but the
most devastating is Zhen Jin (Shocking Power ). This is the power that
does not leave any brushes on your skin but destroys your internal
organs (Mr.Xie told me to relax and pushed my chest with two palms;
although the push was relatively gentle, I felt some pain inside the
chest. The feeling of power was as if it came first in one wave to the
chest, then retreated and then came again penetrating the chest ).
POINT STRIKING
The points we use in massage and those we strike or grasp in Baguazhang are not necessarily the same. In
Tuina the goal is to heal the patient by using Qi applied to the points on his body. In Bagua we use points to
strike or get rid of a grasp. Practitioner should know how to use them. (Mr.Xie asked me to clench my fist as
tight as possible and then pressed on a point between ligaments on the back of the fist; it was quite painful.
Then, he pressed Hegu point when my palm was opened and it hurt too; however, once he told me to clench
the fist, the pain disappeared although he did not release his pressure ). For the safety reasons I prefer to
-
8/19/2019 ChinaFromInside.com Presents... BAGUAZHANG - Interview With Mr
3/3
19/3/2016 ChinaFromInside.com presents... BAGUAZHANG - Interview with Mr. Xie Peiqi, Yin style Baguazhang expert from Beijing
http://www.chinafrominside.com/ma/bagua/xiepeiqi.html 3/3
teach Qinna instead of striking.
PUSHING HANDS OF BAGUAZHANG
There is Pushing Hands (Tui Shou) practice in my system of Baguazhang. We first practice Tui Shou with one
hand, then with two hands. They are similar to Taiji Tushou, but harder.
MR.XIE PEIQI'S BAGUAZHANG SYSTEM
In my system beginners first learn Zhan Zhuang (Standing
Exercises). They are most basic and most important.
Then they learn Zuo Gong (Sitting Methods), Xing Gong (Moving
Methods) and Wo Gong (Lying Methods). These methods develop
Qi and are crucial to efficient Tuina (Chinese Massage). You will
not be good at Tuina if you do not practice these basic exercises.
Many foreigners who learn Bagua from me do not practice these
exercises, they are more interested in fighting skills. However, I
have a foreign student who studies only traditional Chinese
medicine from me and he practices them very well.
Xie Peiqi demonstrating one of hisStanding Exercises
After learning the basics, one can proceed to circle walking (there are eight kinds of stepping), then routines
(Eight Shapes Eight Postures) and free fighting. Practitioners also learn eighteen straight line routines, 72
kicks, Qinna (Grappling Methods), Tuojie (Escaping from Seizes and Locks), self-defense. We also practice
many weapon routines (at this moment Mr.Xie pointed at extremely long and big Bagua broadsword hanging by
the side of a bookcase; I took it and it was rather heavy. As Mr.Xie said the broadsword's size was exactly the
same as the traditional ones used hundred years ago but was not as heavy ).
NOTES:
Since it was the day before Mr.Xie was leaving for the USA for three months' visit, I decided to make my visit
shorter so that he could spent these last hours before departure with his family. During our conversation
Mr.Xie showed ready to publish manuscript of his new book on Bagua. Besides, we were also watching videotapes showing his Baguazhang. His style seems to be very practical, fighting oriented, most of the movements
are driven with obvious power. It shows similarities to Yin Yuzhang's branch of Yin style Bagua, Shi Jidong's
and Liang Zhenpu's styles, but differs a lot from smooth and "swimming" movements of typical Cheng
Tinghua's exponents.
End of "Interview with Mr.Xie Peiqi, Yin style Baguazhang expert from Beijing"; © J.Szymanski 1999
Home ▪About me ▪Updates ▪Taiji ▪Bagua ▪Xinyi-Xingyi ▪Other Styles ▪News ▪Store ▪Community ▪Email
© Jarek Szymanski 1999-2002. All rights reserved
© ChinaFromInside.com 2002. All rights reserved