History

Dong Haichuan (董海川) was born on the 13th of October 1797 (or 1813) 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 widely credited as the founder of Baguazhang and most, if not all, existing schools of Baguazhang place Dong Haichuan at the beginning of their lineage.

As a child and young man he trained the martial arts of his village intensely. The arts were probably Shaolin-based and may have included Ba Fan Quan, Hong Quan, Xing Men Quan, and Jin Gang Quan. These were the arts being taught in and around Dong’s village at this time according to Pa Kua Journal 3-1.

His family is thought to have been poor so at some point around 1853 Dong left Hebei Province to seek work elsewhere. In many accounts he is described as spending his youth travelling, penniless, and often getting in trouble. But he, even by his own claims, continued to study martial arts intensely during his travels. Where, by whom and what he was taught varies depending on the source. But it is generally accepted that, during this time, Dong studied Daoist training methods that included some kind of circle walking practice. He synthesized his previous experience with his village arts, what he had learned in his travels and his Daoist experiences to create a unique art originally called Zhuan Zhang (Turning Palms). Zhuan Zhang was Ba Gua Zhang in its formative years.

Around 1864 Dong arrived in Beijing and he got a service job at the residence of the prince of Su. Later Prince Su gave him the job of tax collector. Dong and his top student Yin Fu went to Mongolia to collect taxes for ten years. Upon his return he left the princes household and he began to teach publicly, giving up all other occupations to fully devote himself to developing and teaching Baguazhang. It is generally believed that among his later students he only accepted experienced martial artists. He consistently taught only the first three palms, Single Change Palm, Double Change Palm and the Smooth Body Palm and then he would vary the last five depending on the individuals’ previous martial arts experience. It was also in his public teaching period that the art was given the name Baguazhang (eight tri-gram palm).

In his later years he was poor and lived with Yin Fu's student Ma Gui. Ma owned a lumber yard and Dong lived on the premises. He died in 1882.

Baguazhang had become a well-known fighting style in Beijing and northern China by the late-1800s and Dong Haichuan and his students became famous.

Liang Zhenpu (梁振蒲) (1863 -1932) was born in Beihaojia Village in Ji County in Hebei province on May 20th, 1863 during the Qing Dynasty under the rule of Emperor Tongzhi, and died on August 13th at the age of 69 due to illness. He trained in Tan Tui and Biaozhang during his early childhood. At the age of 13, he moved to Beijing to apprentice at his father's second hand clothing store. At this time he had the nickname "Second Hand Clothing Liang." It was during this period in 1877 that he became a direct disciple of Baguazhang creator Dong Haichuan. He studied with Dong for about five years and was well liked by all of Dong's students. He had the fortune of not only learning from Dong Haichuan but also from Dong's other students including Cheng Tinghua, Yin Fu, Shi Jidong, and Liu Fengchun.

Throughout his life he always sought justice by aiding the oppressed and punishing the wicked. In Ji County he defeated the four "Batian" gangs. On April 20th in the 25th year of Emperor Guangxu (1899), he saw that there were many injustices being commited by local criminals and single handedly fought over 200 gangsters, killing and wounding over 70. He was subsequently imprisoned. When the Eight-Nation Alliance army invaded Beijing to crush the Boxer Rebellion his prison was heavily damaged and he managed to escape.

Since he had little martial arts training before meeting Dong, his Baguazhang was arguably the purest, with little influence from other styles. One example of this is the fact that his Baguazhang forms are the most circular in nature among the Baguazhang variants. Every one of his sets are taught in a circle, unlike versions from earlier students (for example, Yin Style Baguazhang) which have many linear segments.[5] Liang Zhen Pu style Baguazhang is known to include the following elements:

1. Wei Gong Ba Zhang (Fighting When Surrounded Eight Palm)
2. Lao Ba Zhang (Old Eight Palm)
3. Single Movement Practice
4. 64 Movement Linked Circle Walking
5. 64 Movement Straight Line Form
6. Bagua Chin Na (Grappling)
7. Yin and Yang Throwing Techniques
8. Two Man Sparring Forms
9. Long and Short Weapons
   1. Bagua Big Broadsword
   2. Chicken-Headed Hooks
   3. Deer Horn Knives
   4. Bagua Straight Sword
   5. Kun Lun Fan f.Yin Yang Pen Brush g.Steel "Yo-Yo" Meteors h.Wind and Fire Wheels
10. Dian Xue (Pressure Point Fighting)

One of Liang's most famous students was Li Ziming (1902-1993) who eventually became head of the Beijing Baguazhang Research Association and spread Liang's style around the world. Liang Zhen Pu is the only student of Dong Haichuan to be buried next to his tomb.

Li Ziming (李子鳴) (1903-1993) was a 3rd generation descendant of Baguazhang creator Dong Haichuan under the lineage of Liang Zhenpu - progenitor of Liang Style Baguazhang. He was born in Lijia Village, Ji County in Hebei province on June 25th, 1903 and died at on January, 23rd 1993 at the age of 91. He had a very cultured upbringing including the study of literature and martial arts, and was very talented at calligraphy and painting. In 1921, he became a disciple of 2nd generation Baguazhang master and friend of his father Liang Zhenpu and began intensive study of Baguazhang. Liang passed down the art of Baguazhang through the oral tradition. He practiced every day until he achieved a very deep understanding of the fighting secrets of Baguazhang.

After extensive training with Liang, Li entered the Hebei province Martial Arts Academy and trained in martial arts under famous masters Zhang Zhankui, Shang Yunxiang, and Ju Qingyuan. He later returned to Beijing where he often exchanged techniques and sparred with martial arts brothers Guo Gumin, Li Shaoan, and Zeng Xingsan as well as many other famous martial arts masters. Li reached a very high level of technical proficiency and attainment in all aspects of Baguazhang including forms, weapons, theory, fighting methods. He was especially skilled at the art of fighting and his hand-to-hand combat skills increased perceptibly over the years. Li dedicated his life to the preservation of Baguazhang forms, the research of Baguazhang theory, and the popularization of the art.

In 1979 in order to protect Dong Haichuan's tomb he suggested to move it to Wanan Public Cemetery from the old location; on August 2nd and 3rd, 1980 a group of over 100 Beijing Baguazhang practitioners under his leadership moved Dong's remains as well as accompanying stone tablets to the new location in Wanan Public Cemetery.

Li Ziming was conscientious and meticulous with all things relating to Baguazhang. He was not given to flattery, and followed a strong code of morals and righteousness. He was well known for always being very generous, kind, modest, amiable, charitable, and benevolent to others. He was very patient when teaching his students, while never holding anything back from them. He conducted extensive research about the applications of other styles of Baguazhang and took the best elements from each style. He inherited the complete Baguazhang system and fostered the development of many famous martial artists and masters.

In 1981, he helped establish the first single-style research association in China - The Beijing Baguazhang Research Association - and he was elected its first president, he held this title until his death in 1993. He also established a Baguazhang coaching station. He received many honors of distinction by both national and international martial arts associations. After he passed away, he was only the second person to be buried next to Dong Haichuan after Liang Zhenpu in Wanan Public Cemetery.

Li Ziming's more famous disciples include Ma Chuanxu (second president of the Beijing Baguazhang Research Assocation), Wang Shitong, Zhao Dayuan, Di Guoyong (current president of the Beijing Xingyiquan Research Association), Sui Yunjiang, Li Gongcheng, Wang Tong, Zhang Quanliang (who has released several VCDs and DVDs), Sun Hongyan, and Ma Ling.

Sui Yunjiang (隋云江) was born in Heilongjiang province on November 18, 1945. From an early age he studied martial arts with famous masters including Li Ziming, Han Qichang, Wang Zhizhong, and Zhao Shide. His specialties are Liang Style Baguazhang and Meihuazhuang. The famous third generation Baguazhang master Li Ziming and disciple of Liang Zhenpu once wrote words of praise for him: "Yun Jiang is one of my most outstanding apprentices in the fourth Baguazhang generation." After several years of training with Li, he suggested Sui supplement his Baguazhang training with Meihuazhuang and introduced him to his close friend and famous 17th generation Meihuazhuang master Han Qichang. He is now a 4th generation Baguazhang descendant under Li Ziming and 18th generation Meihuazhuang descendant under Han Qichang. For many years now, he has taught many students from both China and overseas including professional athletes and martial arts enthusiasts from the US, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Australia, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, and Singapore. Master Sui is a member of the Beijing Baguazhang Research Association and the Beijing Meihuazhuang Research Association.

In 1990 he was invited by the Soviet Central Athletics Bureau and Moscow Athletics Bureau to teach martial arts in the Former Soviet Union (Russian Federation). During his four-year stay in the Former Soviet Union, he participated in many martial arts conferences, and on the Soviet Central TV station introduced Chinese traditional culture on a show titled Chinese Traditional Martial Arts. He was invited by Dr. Ma Liangwen, a famous Soviet expert on Chinese studies, to participate in a Russian-organized international academic conference. In this conference, he reported on functions of the human body and modern science and was given favorable comments from many international experts. On the Russian International Radio Broadcasting Station he participated in an exchange of Chinese and Russian traditional cultures.

After he returned to China he participated in the Third International Wushu Exchange Tournament in Dalian, China and was selected as the vice chairman of the event. He also personally competed in the tournament and won a gold medal and his apprentices won silver and bronze medals. In 1997, the chairman of the Sino-Japanese Martial Arts Alliance, Mr. Zuo Teng Jin Bing Wei, hired him as a consultant for the Japanese Baguazhang Research Association. In that same year, the Japanese Baguazhang Research Association and the Japanese Gai Zhi Company came to Beijing in order to make a video series of Sui Yunjiang's Baguazhang for distribution in the Japanese market. There have been many articles about him and photographs published in Japan's Martial King Magazine, as well as periodicals in other nations such as Switzerland.

In recent years, he has been prominently featured in many well-known publications. In 1996, he was published in the China Modern Wushu Masters Dictionary. In 1998 was published in the American Who's Who Around The World, The Essence of China Encyclopedia, The Essence of Chinese Wushu List, and the Chinese Scientist article, "China Expert Resource Century Treasure." In early 1999 he was published in the Chinese Expert Name Dictionary and Chinese Figures of the Century. In the fall of 1999, he went to South Korea to teach martial arts. In July 2005, he traveled to Italy to teach Baguazhang and Meihuazhuang. He is currently instructing students again in Beijing. He is scheduled to travel to the United States for the first time in September 2007 to give seminars on Baguazhang and Meihuazhuang in New York City.

Keoni Ha'aheo Everington (Hua Wujie) was first exposed to martial arts at age 11 when he started studying the Hawaiian martial art of Kajukenbo. At age 16, he started study at Ahn's Tae Kwon Do, which he continued for four years. During college, after a brief experimentation with western boxing, he decided to go back to martial arts and join the Tai Chi/Kung Fu Club at Miami University. There he studied many styles of Kung Fu including Tian Shan Pai, Shaolin Crane, Hung Gar, Wing Chun, and Lee's Modified Yang Style Tai Chi. In 1992, Keoni participated in his first martial arts full-contact tournament, The Battle of Cincinnati. After a very close match, he lost to the eventual champion of his weight class. Later that year he became president of the Tai Chi/Kung Fu Club. At this point he recruited Sifu Eric Knight of the Black Tiger Fighting Society as head instructor. In the following two years Keoni participated in numerous martial arts performances,culminating in Asia Fest 1994. Later that year, as an English instructor for Renmin University in Beijing, he was fortunate to have first hand experience with Chinese martial arts in China. During his first year in Beijing he was given his Chinese name Hua Wujie by a Tai Chi instructor. He was able to study several compulsory Yang Tai Chi forms such as the 24 empty hand, and 32 Straight Sword. For a short time he trained with the Renmin University Wushu team, but chronic injuries convinced him that more traditional Kong Fu was better for his long-term health. Therefore, he started studying Chen and Wu style Tai Chi with Zhang Weiyi

The second year in Beijing, Keoni joined the English Department at Tsing Hua University. Early during his Tsing Hua tenure, he participated with the Tsing Hua Wushu Team in the Renmin University Beijing Wushu Tournament in Chen style and 32 sword. Although his skills were no match for some of the best China had to offer, he found the experience a good motivation for future pursuits. He continued his studies with Zhang Weiyi and added Wu Style Tai Chi to his repertoire.A few months later, he was first introduced to Bagua master Sui Yunjiang and soon started training in Dingshi Bazhang. In early 1995, he was inducted as Sui Yunjiang's tudi and paid homage to Li Ziming, Liang Zhenpu, and Dong Haichuan at Dong's tomb in the outskirts of Beijing. By the summer of 1996, he had completed Lao Bazhang. Since those two years in Beijing, Keoni has spent shorter stints in places such as Taipei in 1997 to further study Wing Chun. While in Taipei, he also studied Five Element Xingyiquan with the Wu Tan Association. In Shanghai, 1998, Keoni continued his Baguazhang training. Also, in 1998, while in Hawaii, he learned some traditional Tongan spear fighting. Picture coming soon

From 1999 - 2001 Keoni trained in Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Taijiquan, and Shaolinquan with the San Francisco Wushu Team under the tutelage of Sifu Bryant Fong. During his stay in the San Francisco Bay Area, he participated in a number of performances in Chinatown, Golden Gate Park, and The Night of the Rising Stars. He also took a couple trips to Shanghai in 1999 and 2000 in which he studied Bagua with Master Liu Xiaoling in the People's Park. In addition to his martial arts training, he also acted and provided choreography for a number of independent Kung Fu films including"The Gift", "Spare Some Change?", and "Bastard from Beijing." During the recession of 2001 and in the wake of the events of September 11th, Keoni decided to start helping to spread the knowledge of Chinese Martial Arts to others, and so began his training with Sifu Fong to become a certified instructor.

In January 2002, Keoni accepted a position at Winthrop University as a Technology Specialist having driven solo from San Jose, California to Rock Hill, South Carolina! In the spring of that year he participated in the 10th Annual UC Berkeley Chinese Martial Arts Tournament, and received a bronze medal in Xingyiquan. He then participated in the Charlotte Queen's Cup Martial Arts tournament in which he received a gold in Bagua Spear, silver in Bagua Broadsword, bronze in Bagua empty hand, and bronze in Bagua Deer Horn Knives. That summer he began teaching Tai Chi at the Charlotte Avenue YMCA where he would continue to teach very dedicated students for the next four years.

In the fall, he began teaching Taichi as a credit course in the Physical Education Department at Winthrop University.In the fall of 2003, he founded the Winthrop Chinese Martial Arts Association. Over the next four years he lead the group in many performances, organized cultural credit events, created the club website, and coached the students in many successful outings in Kung Fu Tournaments and talent shows. Over the years, he provided instruction in Shaolin (both traditional and contemporary), Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Taijiquan, Wing Chun, Snake, Praying Mantis, Hung Gar, and weapons. In the spring of 2004, Keoni and his father Richard Everington produced the independent Kung Fu film "The Dragon Must Sleep" www.thedragonmustsleep.com. Keoni both served as the main villain in the film, Dragon Eyes, and was the choreographer for all the action scenes. Part of the film was shot in Beijing including an appearance by Master Sui Yunjiang.

During his stay in Beijing, Keoni finally had a chance to train again with Master Sui after a six year hiatus, and he also acted in Christopher Parsons' film "The Teacher." Filming of "The Dragon Must Sleep" completed in the fall of 2005 and it soon premiered at Winthrop University. It was later shown at the Final Cut Festival in Wilmington, North Carolina in the fall of 2006. 2006 proved to be momentous year for Keoni. Keoni and Richard again collaborated in the making of "Kung Fu Woman" in April of 2006. In May of 2006, he lead five Winthrop students on a three credit study abroad trip to Beijing, China to study Baguazhang and Meihuazhuang with Master Sui. Highlights of the trip included tours of the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace, Wangfujing, Beijing Zoo, Temple of Heaven, Sanlitun, Houhai District, and Beijing Opera. In June of 2006, Keoni accepted a position at the University of Nevada, LasVegas as the E-learning Coordinator, and as a result had to make the difficult decision of leaving the Winthrop Chinese Martial Arts Association behind and moving to Nevada.

At UNLV, he has successfully founded another student organization called the UNLV Chinese Martial Arts Association with a primary focus on teaching Baguazhang. The organization was officially recognized in March of 2007 and has received funding, training space, and had its first president, Peter Mengert and financial officer, Tina Quesada. The group gave it's first performance at the UNLV Unity Fest Variety Show on April 10th, 2007. He traveled to Beijing, China in May 2007 to continue training with Master Sui in Baguazhang and Meihuazhuang. He and a group of students traveled to New York City in September 2007 to train with Master Sui. In May of 2009, he and club president Joseph Pantuso traveled to Beijing to train with Master Sui in Meihuazhuang and Baguazhang.