Mr. Wang Xiangzhai (1885-1963) founder of Yiquan
Mr. Wang Xiangzhai, whose name is Zhenghe, also known as Nibao, and also named Yuseng, called himself "Old Conflict" in his later years. He was born in Weijialin Village, Shen County, Hebei Province in 1885. He studied Xingyiquan from Master Guo Yunshen in 1894. Because he practiced hard all year round, regardless of the cold or heat, he studied boxing principles in depth, and was highly favored by Mr. Guo, so he gained the essence of Mr. Guo's life-long boxing knowledge. At a young age, he has become a famous teacher.
A very wonderful passage from Mr. Wang Xiangzhai:
Boxing is about spirituality,
We must lift up the inside and follow the outside.
Hands and feet together, the Dharma becomes true;
The mind wants luck, the energy wants encouragement,
The fist is like a cannon, and the snake is curled up,
Facing the enemy is like burning your body with fire,
To be full of splendor must strengthen the bones, and to beautify one's appearance must be true.
Plans need to be planned far ahead, and spirit is like thunder.
A poisonous heart is the best strategy, but a ruthless hand can win the battle;
What is flashing, what is advancing,
Chase and dodge, dodge and advance.
There is no need to look far for beauty;
What is beating, what is caring,
If you care, you will fight, if you fight, you will care.
That's where it starts.
Powerful as gunpowder, punch as bullets,
It's hard for a bird to fly once you have an idea.
When the enemy doesn't move, I remain calm; when the enemy moves slightly, I take the lead.
Not moving like a scholar, moving like a dragon or a tiger,
It starts like lightning.
Machine-translated from the Chinese original 意拳-王芗斋先生 (published 2020-03-12). WeChat original ↗