Jiang Style Baguazhang

Introduction

Jiang Style Baguazhang (姜氏八卦掌) is the style of Baguazhang (八卦掌) taught by Jiang Rong Qiao (姜容樵) 1890-1974. Jiang Rong Qiao (also anglicized as Chiang Jung Ch’iao) was a student of both Zhang Zhao Dong and Cheng Tinghua, both of whom were formal students of Baguazhang founder Dong Haichuan (董海川). Jiang Rong Qiao's Neijia kung fu is the most widely practiced combined style of Baguazhang and Xingyiquan in the world today. Jiang’s Bauguazhang is distinguished by emphasizing efficiency of movement and an ambidextrous approach.

Influences and Teachers

Zhang Zhao Dong appears to have been the dominant influence on this style, but Jiang had many other influences. Jiang Rong Qiao started his training as a student of the Shaolin Kung Fu art of Mi Zhong Quan with his father, Jiang Fatai. Jiang Rong Qiao later studied more formally with his uncle, Chen Yushan. Jiang also studied Chen style Taijiquan. Eventually, Jiang Rong Qiao became a formal student of Zhang Zao Dong, who had studied with both Dong Hai Quan and Liu Qi Lan. Jiang Rong Qiao also studied with Li Cun Yi, a close associate of Zhang Zao Dong. Li Cun Yi (also known as Single Saber Li) was also student of Dong Hai Quan and Liu Qi Lan. While Jiang Rong Qiao did not become a formal disciple of Li, Li Cun Yi was clearly a significant influence on Jiang. Finally, Cheng Tinghua is also credited as a teacher of Jiang Rong Qiao. While Cheng Tinghua and his emphasis on throwing or Shuai jiao applications must have influenced Jiang's Baguazhang, these disparate influences mean that it is probably not correct to view Jiang's Baguazhang as a branch of Cheng Tinghua's Baguazhang in the same way that Gao Style Baguazhang is a branch of Cheng Tinghua's Baguazhang.

Contributions and Legacy

In 1926, Jiang Rong Qiao began teaching kung fu in Nanjing. Jiang was instrumental in developing sets that combined Bagua, Xingyi, and Taijiquan. This includes a Tajiquan set known as Taiji Zhang Quan (or Tai Chi Palm and Fist), which is based on sequences from Jiang’s Bagua and Xingyi, as well as the Old Chen Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan. Some students of Jiang Rong Qiao point to these combined forms as a legacy of his teacher Zhang Zhao Dong. The practice of internal style Chinese martial arts (Baguazhang, Xingyiquan and Taijiquan and a variety of minor styles) has been called Neijia kung fu. Because Jiang Rong Qiao taught Baguazhang along with Xingyiquan (and taught Taiji Zhang Quan as an advanced form), it is difficult to categorize the practice he taught as anything other than Neijia kung fu.

Jiang had an accident and went blind. Jiang's adopted daughter, Zou Shouxian, taught classes and helped produce his most famous book, Bagua Palms Practice Method. This was the first Baguazhang book published in China after the 1949 revolution. This book greatly enhanced Jiang's reputation as one of the most famous Chinese Internal style Martial Artists of his generation. Jiang Rong Qiao died at the age of 84. Several of his closest students were: Sha Guozhen, Zou Shuxian, Ji Yuansong, and Yang Bangtai.

Jiang Rong Qiao's Books

Jiang Rong Qiao authored a number of books (Joseph Crandall has translated many of these books into English):

Xingyi Mu Quan (Xingyi Mother Fists);

Baguazhang Lianxifa (Bagua Palms Practice Method);

Xingyi Za Si Chui and Ba Shi Quan;

Xingyi Lianhuan Quan;

Bagua Myterious Spear;

Qingping Sword;

Tiger Tail Whip.

External links

* Joe Crandall's Smiling Tiger website with many English translations of Jiang Rong Qiao's books [http://www.smilingtiger.net/]
* Gerald Sharp's on-line biography page for Jiang Rong Qiao [http://www.chiflow.com/html/bio_JiangRongQiao.htm] and a sample application [http://www.chiflow.com/html/bgzRemoveHelmetCJF.html]
* Andrea Falk's translations of several of Jiang Rong Qiao's books are available at www.thewushucentre.net [http://www.thewushucentre.net/service_pages/sales_page/bagua_books_and_videos/]