Yin Style Baguazhang

Yin Style Baguazhang is a style of Baguazhang, a Chinese martial art. Yin Style has many substyles, some of the lineages of which are given below:

*Dong Haichuan
**Yin Fu
***Yin Yuzhang
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***Ma Gui
****Wang Pei Sheng
***Li Yongqing
****Liu Zhenlin
***Cao Zhongsheng
****Chi Shixin
***Men Baozhen
****Xie Peiqi
*****He Jinbao
***Gong Baotian
****Gong Baozhai
****Wang Zhuangfei
****Liu Yunqiao

Although all of these styles share certain characteristics, some of them are more different than others; in particular, the Xie Peiqi and Gong Baotian lines have much material not seen in the other lines. As a matter of course, not everyone agrees on who has the "true" or most complete transmission of Yin style baguazhang. Wang Pei Sheng, Ma Gui's last student, was very famous for his fighting ability. He was better known as the inheritor of Northern Wu taijiquan.

=History=
Yin Fu had multiple students, but taught the complete baguazhang system to only a few. Of these students, Men Baozhen taught Xie Peiqi. In , dated to 1999, Xie stated that his teacher, Men Baozhen, was considered to be the third best pupil of Yin Fu, after "Wan Tong" Li and Ma Gui . Dr. Xie died in 2003 and his top student, He Jinbao, is now teaching the system. Other famous students of Yin Fu included Yin Yuzhang , Cao Zhongsheng , Gong Baotian, and others.

=Overview=
Yin Style as passed down by Xie Peiqi is notable for having eight distinct animal styles within the body of the art. In other words, Xie's Yin Style is a complete system, which is made up of other complete systems. These include the eight animal systems as well as several 'unorthodox' systems, such as the Penetrating Palm and Backhand systems.. Each of the eight animal styles is related to one of the eight of the I Ching. The following table describes this relationship:

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!colspan=3 style="background-color:#CCCCCC"|Trigram!!rowspan=2 style="background-color:#CCCCCC"| Animal !!rowspan=2 style="background-color:#CCCCCC"| !!rowspan=2 style="background-color:#CCCCCC"|Title
|-
!style="background-color:#CCCCCC"|   !!style="background-color:#CCCCCC"| !!style="background-color:#CCCCCC"| Pinyin
|-
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|align=center| 乾 ||align=center| Qián ||align=center| ||align=center| �br />

Each animal is a complete system in its own right, possessing its own personality, skills, applications, and functions. Each of the eight animal systems contains eight striking methods, and each striking method has seven strikes. Three of those seven are considered the 'primary' strikes and are emphasized more than the others in single practice. Therefore, the animal systems of Xie's Yin Style Bagua have a total of 448 unique strikes. However, Xie's Yin Style Bagua also contains other unorthodox systems outside of the eight animals, such as Penetrating Palm and the Backhand systems. Hence, there are more than 448 strikes, though 448 are contained within the animals.

Other substyles of Yin include different forms and methods. For example, Cao Zhongsheng's system's technical base is the 64 palms; other substyles focus on only 8 main palms . Gong Baotian's version has many forms and a strong emphasis on Yin Fu's Luohan forms. Each substyle also includes many supplementary forms and training methods .

The Four Basic Practices

There are four basic practice methods in Xie Peiqi's Yin Style Baguazhang: standing, turning, striking, and changing. These practices are the basic pillars of the style, and are all considered equally important.

Standing

The standing practices involve nine static strengthening postures specific to a given animal. Each posture requires precise body alignment and distinct isometric pressures necessitating full body exertion to maintain properly. These postures are undertaken to develop and check the structure of every part of the body.

Turning

Turning , is the practice many people associate with Baguazhang. "Yin style Bagua is the art of striking while you are moving. You ceaselessly move and strike, and are always trying to get to the outside by turning. No matter what, position yourself to avoid the heavy blows and let the light ones fall. It is within turning that these movements and techniques are honed to perfection or to a higher level. All movements and techniques are linked smoothly together."

Striking

Striking is the most fundamental way of developing power in Yin Style Baguazhang. It is introduced through the stationary drilling method, unaccompanied by footwork. It is intended to establish the harmony between hand and waist that is necessary for generating power.

The moving strike practices consist of:

* One-step drilling method, of which there is the zig-zag stepping or dominating the side, straight stepping, or dominating the center, and closing or turning the back method.

* Two-step, or square drilling, which consists of advance-back-step, advance-advance, or back-step-advance, and back-step back-step.

* Three-step, or horizontal drilling method, which combines the stationary strike, advance step, and back-step.

Changing

Changing is most obvious when changing hands to face opposite directions. Changing also includes the changing or redirecting of force, or alterations in stepping.

Animal Styles in Xie Peiqi's Yin Style

Commonalities Between the Animal Styles

Each animal style in Yin Style Baguazhang is its own complete system; however, each system contains practices and movements from all of the other animal systems. Example: when practicing forms in Yin Style Bagua, a practitioner may practice, for example, the Lion System Windmill Sweeping Strike Form. The strikes come from the lion system, but the Windmill movements come from the Phoenix system.

Thus, each animal has a specific movement technique in addition to its 8 striking methods. Each animal also has its own kicking technique, which is not included in its striking methods.

Qian Trigram Lion System

The lion is pure Yang energy, or hardness, and is one of two animals represented by a pure trigram; the other is the Unicorn. The lion trigram is characterized by powerful and ferocious full-body force generated from the waist. The lion's eight striking methods are: sweeping, cutting, chopping, hooking, shocking, blocking, seizing and grasping.

The lion's characteristic movement technique is Linking the Forms.

Kan Trigram Snake System

The Snake's striking methods are: shoulder, elbow, knee, hip, shooting, binding, entrapping, and grasping. The style is characterized by a smooth and flowing motion of the force-palm, with many of the strikes targeted at vital organs.

The snake's characteristic movement technique is Moving with the Force.

Gen Trigram Bear System

The bear system is distinguished by a strategy of taking advantage from a losing position. The Bear's striking methods are: rushing, penetrating, withdrawing, carrying, leaning, shocking, soft and following. The Bear's power is generated from the back, and is short and blunt.

The bear's characteristic movement technique is Turning the Back.

Zhèn Trigram Dragon System

Known as the lifting and holding palm. Its striking methods are: pushing, lifting, carrying, leading, moving, capturing, chopping and entering. The Dragon's power is emitted through a forward motion of back and waist. The Dragon style, although practiced differently in Yin Style, is the animal practiced by .

The dragon's characteristic movement technique is Lifting and Upholding.

Xun Trigram Phoenix System

In the phoenix system, force is emitted from the shoulders, and characterized by whipping action. The striking methods are: dodging, extending, chopping, shocking, transforming, removing, curling in, and cutting.

The phoenix's characteristic movement technique is Windmill.

Li Trigram Rooster System

The rooster focuses on long, deep footwork with one's center of gravity close to the ground. Power comes from the elbows. The Rooster's striking methods are: dodging, extending, lifting, shifting, entering, whipping, rushing and stabbing.

The rooster's characteristic movement technique is Reclining Step .

Kun Trigram Qilin/Unicorn System

The Unicorn is the opposite of the Lion, being pure Yin. The Unicorn's striking methods are: sticking, kneading, soft, following, hip, striking, chopping and cutting. It issues force by employing all joints to produce a flexible, snapping power.

The unicorn's characteristic movement technique is Reversing the Body.

Dui Trigram Monkey System

Concentrates on leg techniques, referred to as the interlocking leg. Its striking methods are: bending, thrusting, straightening, hip, chopping, swinging, stopping, and ending.

The monkey's characteristic movement technique is Compacting the Body.

Distribution

Yin stylists are most concentrated in Beijing, where practitioners of the lineages of Yin Yuzhang, Cao Zhongsheng, Li Baosen, Li Yongqing, Men Baozhen, and others still practice and teach today. Certain Yin styles have moved to other locations as well, however, such as the Cui Zhendong lineage in Shanghai and the Gong Baotian lineage in Shanghai, Shandong, and Taiwan. Famous practitioners in Beijing today include He Jinbao, He Puren, Wang Shangzhi, Xu Shixi, Zhang Lie, and Zhu Baozhen. Others include Huang Zhicheng of Shandong, He Jinghan of Taiwan, and Kuan Wang of Texas.

=References=

Web resources

Xie Peiqi/He Jinbao lineage:

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* [http://www.baguakungfu.com/ USA Irving, TX
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http://www.yinstylebaguazhang.com/

Sui Yunjiang

Sui Yunjiang 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 . 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. In September 2007, he traveled to the United States for the first time to give seminars on Baguazhang and Meihuazhuang in New York City.

List of I Ching hexagrams 33-64

This is a list of I Ching 33-64, and is a continuation of the list of I Ching hexagrams 1-32.

Hexagram 33

''Hexagram 33'' is named 遯 , "Retiring". Other variations include "retreat" and "yielding". Its inner trigram is bound = mountain, and its outer trigram is force = heaven.

Hexagram 34

''Hexagram 34'' is named 大壯 , "Great Invigorating". Other variations include "the power of the great" and "great maturity". Its inner trigram is force = heaven, and its outer trigram is shake = thunder.

Hexagram 35

''Hexagram 35'' is named 晉 , "Prospering". Other variations include "progress" and "aquas". Its inner trigram is field = earth, and its outer trigram is radiance = fire.

Hexagram 36

Hexagram 36 is named 明夷 , “Darkening of the Light.” Other variations are "brilliance injured" and "intelligence hidden". Its inner trigram is radiance = fire, and its outer trigram is field = earth.

Hexagram 37

''Hexagram 37'' is named 家人 , "Dwelling People". Other variations include "the family " and "family members". Its inner trigram is radiance = fire, and its outer trigram is ground = wind.

Hexagram 38

''Hexagram 38'' is named 睽 , "Polarising". Other variations include "opposition" and "perversion". Its inner trigram is open = swamp, and its outer trigram is radiance = fire.

Hexagram 39

''Hexagram 39'' is named 蹇 , "Limping". Other variations include "obstruction" and "afoot". Its inner trigram is bound = mountain, and its outer trigram is gorge = water.

Hexagram 40

''Hexagram 40'' is named 解 , "Taking-Apart". Other variations include "deliverance" and "untangled". Its inner trigram is gorge = water, and its outer trigram is shake = thunder.

Hexagram 41

''Hexagram 41'' is named 損 , "Diminishing". Other variations include "decrease". Its inner trigram is open = swamp, and its outer trigram is bound = mountain.

Hexagram 42

''Hexagram 42'' is named 益 , "Augmenting". Other variations include "increase". Its inner trigram is shake = thunder, and its outer trigram is ground = wind.

Hexagram 43

''Hexagram 43'' is named 夬 , "Parting". Other variations include "break-through " and "resoluteness". Its inner trigram is force = heaven, and its outer trigram is open = swamp.

Hexagram 44

''Hexagram 44'' is named 姤 , "Coupling". Other variations include "coming to meet" and "meeting". Its inner trigram is ground = wind, and its outer trigram is force = heaven.

Hexagram 45

''Hexagram 45'' is named 萃 , "Clustering". Other variations include "gathering together " and "finished". Its inner trigram is field = earth, and its outer trigram is open = swamp.

Hexagram 46

''Hexagram 46'' is named 升 , "Ascending". Other variations include "pushing upward". Its inner trigram is ground = wind, and its outer trigram is field = earth.

Hexagram 47

''Hexagram 47'' is named 困 , "Confining". Other variations include "oppression " and "entangled". Its inner trigram is gorge = water, and its outer trigram is open = swamp.

Hexagram 48

''Hexagram 48'' is named 井 , "Welling". Other variations include "the well". Its inner trigram is ground = wind, and its outer trigram is gorge = water.

Hexagram 49

''Hexagram 49'' is named 革 , "Skinning". Other variations including "revolution " and "the bridle". Its inner trigram is radiance = fire, and its outer trigram is open = swamp.

Hexagram 50

''Hexagram 50'' is named 鼎 , "Holding". Other variations include "the cauldron". Its inner trigram is ground = wind, and its outer trigram is radiance = fire.

Hexagram 51

''Hexagram 51'' is named 震 , "Shake". Other variations include "the arousing " and "thunder". Both its inner and outer trigrams are shake = thunder.

Hexagram 52

''Hexagram 52'' is named 艮 , "Bound". Other variations include "keeping still, mountain" and "stilling". Both its inner and outer trigrams are bound = mountain.

Hexagram 53

''Hexagram 53'' is named 漸 , "Infiltrating". Other variations include "development " and "advancement". Its inner trigram is bound = mountain, and its outer trigram is ground = wind.

Hexagram 54

''Hexagram 54'' is named 歸妹 , "Converting the Maiden". Other variations include "the marrying maiden" and "returning maiden". Its inner trigram is open = swamp, and its outer trigram is shake = thunder.

Hexagram 55

''Hexagram 55'' is named 豐 , "Abounding". Other variations include "abundance" and "fullness". Its inner trigram is radiance = fire, and its outer trigram is shake = thunder.

Hexagram 56

''Hexagram 56'' is named 旅 , "Sojourning". Other variations include "the wanderer" and "traveling". Its inner trigram is bound = mountain, and its outer trigram is radiance = fire.

Hexagram 57

''Hexagram 57'' is named 巽 , "Ground". Other variations include "the gentle " and "calculations". Both its inner and outer trigrams are ground = wind.

Hexagram 58

''Hexagram 58'' is named 兌 , "Open". Other variations include "the joyous, lake" and "usurpation". Both its inner and outer trigrams are open = swamp.

Hexagram 59

''Hexagram 59'' is named 渙 , "Dispersing". Other variations include "dispersion " and "dispersal". Its inner trigram is gorge = water, and its outer trigram is ground = wind.

Hexagram 60

''Hexagram 60'' is named 節 , "Articulating". Other variations include "limitation" and "moderation". Its inner trigram is open = swamp, and its outer trigram is gorge = water.

Hexagram 61

''Hexagram 61'' is named 中孚 , "Center Returning". Other variations include "inner truth" and "central return". Its inner trigram is open = swamp, and its outer trigram is ground = wind.

Hexagram 62

''Hexagram 62'' is named 小過 , "Small Exceeding". Other variations include "preponderance of the small" and "small surpassing". Its inner trigram is bound = mountain, and its outer trigram is shake = thunder.

Hexagram 63

''Hexagram 63'' is named 既濟 , "Already Fording". Other variations include "after completion" and "already completed" or "already done" . Its inner trigram is radiance = fire, and its outer trigram is gorge = water.

Hexagram 64

''Hexagram 64'' is named 未濟 , "Not Yet Fording". Other variations include "before completion" and "not yet completed". Its inner trigram is gorge = water, and its outer trigram is radiance = fire.

List of I Ching hexagrams 1-32

This is a list of I Ching 1-32. Hexagrams 33-64 can be found at the list of I Ching hexagrams 33-64.

Hexagram 1

''Hexagram 1'' is named 乾 , "Force". Other variations include "the creative", "strong action", "the key", and "god". Its inner is force = heaven, and its outer trigram is the same.

Hexagram 2

''Hexagram 2'' is named 坤 , "Field". Other variations include "the receptive", "acquiescence", and "the flow". Its inner trigram is field = earth, and its outer trigram is identical.

Hexagram 3

''Hexagram 3'' is named 屯 , "Sprouting". Other variations include "difficulty at the beginning", "gathering support", and "hoarding". Its inner trigram is shake = thunder, and its outer trigram is gorge = water.

Hexagram 4

''Hexagram 4'' is named 蒙 , "Enveloping". Other variations include "youthful folly", "the young shoot", and "discovering". Its inner trigram is gorge = water. Its outer trigram is bound = mountain.

Hexagram 5

''Hexagram 5'' is named 需 , "Attending". Other variations include "waiting", "moistened", and "arriving". Its inner trigram is force = heaven, and its outer trigram is gorge = water.

Hexagram 6

''Hexagram 6'' is named 訟 , "Arguing". Other variations include "conflict" and "lawsuit". Its inner trigram is gorge = water, and its outer trigram is force = heaven.

Hexagram 7

''Hexagram 7'' is named 師 , "Leading". Other variations include "the army" and "the troops". Its inner trigram is gorge = water, and its outer trigram is field = earth.

Hexagram 8

''Hexagram 8'' is named 比 , "Grouping". Other variations include "holding together" and "alliance". Its inner trigram is field = earth, and its outer trigram is gorge = water.

Hexagram 9

''Hexagram 9'' is named 小畜 , "Small Accumulating". Other variations include "the taming power of the small" and "small harvest". Its inner trigram is force = heaven, and its outer trigram is ground = wind.

Hexagram 10

''Hexagram 10'' is named 履 , "Treading". Other variations include "treading " and "continuing". Its inner trigram is open = swamp, and its outer trigram is force = heaven.

Hexagram 11

''Hexagram 11'' is named 泰 , "Pervading". Other variations include "peace" and "greatness". Its inner trigram is force = heaven, and its outer trigram is field = earth.

Hexagram 12

''Hexagram 12'' is named 否 , "Obstruction". Other variations include "standstill " and "the wife". Its inner trigram is field = earth, and its outer trigram is force = heaven.

Hexagram 13

''Hexagram 13'' is named 同人 , "Concording People". Other variations include "fellowship with men" and "gathering men". Its inner trigram is radiance = fire, and its outer trigram is force = heaven.

Hexagram 14

''Hexagram 14'' is named 大有 , "Great Possessing". Other variations include "possession in great measure" and "the great possession". Its inner trigram is force = heaven, and its outer trigram is radiance = fire.

Hexagram 15

''Hexagram 15'' is named 謙 , "Humbling". Other variations include "modesty". Its inner trigram is bound = mountain and its outer trigram is field = earth.

Hexagram 16

''Hexagram 16'' is named 豫 , "Providing-For". Other variations include "enthusiasm" and "excess". Its inner trigram is field = earth, and its outer trigram is shake = thunder.

Hexagram 17

''Hexagram 17'' is named 隨 , "Following". Its inner trigram is shake = thunder, and its outer trigram is open = swamp.

Hexagram 18

''Hexagram 18'' is named '蠱' , "Corrupting". Other variations include "work on what has been spoiled " and "branch". Its inner trigram is ground = wind, and its outer trigram is bound = mountain.

Hexagram 19

''Hexagram 19'' is named 臨 , "Nearing". Other variations include "approach" and "the forest". Its inner trigram is open = swamp, and its outer trigram is field = earth.

Hexagram 20

''Hexagram 20'' is named 觀 , "Viewing". Other variations include "contemplation " and "looking up". Its inner trigram is field = earth, and its outer trigram is ground = wind.

Hexagram 21

''Hexagram 21'' is named 噬嗑 , "Gnawing Bite". Other variations include "biting through" and "biting and chewing". Its inner trigram is shake = thunder, and its outer trigram is radiance = fire.

Hexagram 22

''Hexagram 22'' is named 賁 , "Adorning". Other variations include "grace" and "luxuriance". Its inner trigram is radiance = fire, and its outer trigram is bound = mountain.

Hexagram 23

''Hexagram 23'' is named 剝 , "Stripping". Other variations include "splitting apart" and "flaying". Its inner trigram is field = earth, and its outer trigram is bound = mountain.

Hexagram 24

''Hexagram 24'' is named 復 , "Returning". Other variations include "return ". Its inner trigram is shake = thunder, and its outer trigram is field = earth.

Hexagram 25

''Hexagram 25'' is named 無妄 , "Without Embroiling". Other variations include "innocence " and "pestilence". Its inner trigram is shake = thunder, and its outer trigram is force = heaven.

Hexagram 26

''Hexagram 26'' is named 大畜 , "Great Accumulating". Other variations include "the taming power of the great", "great storage", and "potential energy." Its inner trigram is force = heaven, and its outer trigram is bound = mountain.

Hexagram 27

''Hexagram 27'' is named 頤 , "Swallowing". Other variations include "the corners of the mouth ", "jaws" and "comfort/security". Its inner trigram is shake = thunder, and its outer trigram is bound = mountain.

Hexagram 28

''Hexagram 28'' is named 大過 , "Great Exceeding". Other variations include "preponderance of the great", "great surpassing" and "critical mass." Its inner trigram is ground = wind, and its outer trigram is open = swamp.

Hexagram 29

''Hexagram 29'' is named 坎 , "Gorge". Other variations include "the abysmal " and "repeated entrapment". Its inner trigram is gorge = water, and its outer trigram is identical.

Hexagram 30

''Hexagram 30'' is named 離 , "Radiance". Other variations include "the clinging, fire" and "the net". Its inner trigram is radiance = fire, and its outer trigram is identical. The origin of the character has its roots in symbols of long-tailed birds such as the peacock or the legendary .

Hexagram 31

''Hexagram 31'' is named 咸 , "Conjoining". Other variations include "influence " and "feelings". Its inner trigram is bound = mountain, and its outer trigram is open = swamp.

Hexagram 32

''Hexagram 32'' is named 恆 , "Persevering". Other variations include "duration" and "constancy". Its inner trigram is ground = wind, and its outer trigram is shake = thunder.

Li Ziming

Li Ziming was a 3rd generation descendant of Baguazhang creator Dong Haichuan under the lineage of Liang Zhenpu - progenitor of Liang Style Baguazhang.

History

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 89.

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 died, 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 , Wang Shitong, Zhao Dayuan, Di Guoyong , Sui Yunjiang, Li Gongcheng, Wang Tong, Zhang Quanliang , Sun Hongyan, and Ma Ling.

References
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* Gongcheng, Li. "Baguazhuangzhang Jijishu". Beijing Physical Education University Press, Beijing, 1994.
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Notes
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Legge romanization

Legge romanization is a transcription system for Mandarin Chinese, used by the prolific 19th century sinologist James Legge. It was replaced by the Wade-Giles system, which itself has been mostly supplanted by Pinyin. The Legge system is still to be found in Legge's widely-available translation of the Yijing, and in some derivative works such as Aleister Crowley's version of the Yijing.

Legge transcription uses the following consonants:

f h hs k kh ''k'' ''kh'' l m n ng p ph ''r'' s sh sz t th w y z ''z'' з зh з z

And it uses the following vowels:

a â ă e ê i î o u ui û ü

The vowel letters also occur in various vowel digraphs, including the following:

âi âo âu eh ei ih ui

Features of the Legge system include:
*the use of 'h's to signal consonantal ,
*the use of the Cyrillic/Fraktur letter "з" distinct from "z", and
*the use of italicized consonants distinct from their normal forms.

Comparing words in the Legge system with the same words in Wade-Giles shows that there are often minor but nonsystematic differences, which makes direct correlation of the systems difficult.

NB. Although frequently improperly called a "transliteration", Legge's system is a transcription of Chinese, as there can be no transliteration of Chinese script into any phonetic script, like the Latin alphabet. Any system of romanization of Chinese renders the sounds and not the characters .

I Ching's influence

As an important component of traditional culture, the I Ching's influence throughout history has been profound. The ''I Ching'' , or ''Classic of Changes'', which dates from over 3,000 years ago, is believed to be one of the world's oldest, and is certainly one of its greatest books. The two major branches of Chinese philosophy, Confucianism and Taoism have common roots in the ''I Ching''.

Significance for Chinese culture

From its mythological origins in prehistory and the earliest dates of recorded history in China, the ''I Ching'' has been added to by a succession of philosophers, scholars and rulers. Thus, it reflects a thread of thinking and a common cosmology that have been passed through successive generations. In addition to the ''I Ching's'' broadly recognized influence on Confucianism and Taoism, it has been shown to have influenced . Fazang, patriarch of the Huayan school, is believed to have drawn on a mode of thought derived from the I Ching .

One of the earliest versions of the ''I Ching'' was the oracle of the people. It played a role in their overthrow of the Shang dynasty by Zhou in 1070 BCE. An account of Wu's conquest tells of a solar eclipse believed by the King to be an omen from Heaven to march against the Shang. This account has been matched with a solar eclipse that occurred on June 20, 1070 BCE. Thus, the earliest layer of the I Ching has been shown to preserve a hidden history that went undetected for three millennia . The ''Zhou Yi'' has been called "the source of Chinese culture." It has influenced fields as varied as mathematics, science, medicine, martial arts, philosophy, history, literature, art, ethics, military affairs and religion.

Joseph Campbell describes the I Ching as "an encyclopedia of oracles, based on a mythic view of the universe that is fundamental to all Chinese thought"

Confucius

Confucius was fascinated by the I Ching. According to Joseph Needham, Confucius' copy, "a set of bamboo tablets fastened by a leather thong, was consulted so often that the binding had to be replaced three times. He said that if he had fifty years to spare, he would devote them to the I Ching" . Confucius' ten commentaries, called the Ten Wings, transformed the ''I Ching'' from a divination text into a "philosophical masterpiece." It was this form of the ''I Ching'' that inspired the Taoists, Chuang Tzu and Lao Tzu. It has influenced Confucians and other philosophers and scientists ever since.

Criticism

Historian of Chinese intellectual history and science, Joseph Needham, said in his second volume of ''Science and Civilization in China'' that the early luminaries of Chinese thought “would have been wiser to tie a millstone about the neck of the I Ching and cast it into the sea.”

Influence on Western culture

During most of its history, the ''I Ching'' was only known in China. It was introduced to the West in the late 19th Century. A translation by Richard Wilhelm, into was subsequently translated into by Cary F. Baynes. Another translation, by James Legge has also held wide popularity in the West. Since the early 20th Century the ''I Ching'' has been influential in fields as diverse as psychoanalysis and popular culture. Some of those influenced are the following:

* Niels Bohr included the Tai Chi symbol in his coat of arms, when knighted, to reflect his appreciation for the ''I Ching's'' use of probabilistic concepts in its handling of physical, social, and psychological phenomena.
* Carl Jung developed his theory of synchronicity based upon the I Ching.
* Lost - The ''I Ching'' is the primary component of the logo for ''The Dharma Initiative''.
* John Cage - experimental musician and composer who used the ''I Ching'' to decide the arrangements of many of his compositions.
* - composer who uses vast quantities of ''chance operations'' to generate compositional events and structures, and whose simulation of the coin-tossing oracle called is available freely online at .
* Merce Cunningham - choreographer who uses the ''I Ching'' and ''chance operations'' to decide the arrangement of many of his dances.
* Philip K. Dick - science fiction writer who used the ''I Ching'' to decide some of the plot movements in ''The Man in the High Castle''. The ''I Ching'' is referred to several times through the plot of the book, and is consulted by certain characters at key points in the plot.
* Dead Prez - an activist hip-hop group that refer to the ''I Ching'' in several of their songs. To them, the ''I Ching'' represents the change they want to bring about through revolution. The symbol in their logo is the seventh hexagram, ''sze'', which represents an army - the "people's army".
* ''The Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul'', by Douglas Adams features the main character Dirk Gently acquiring and consulting an electronic device which is both a calculator and an ''I Ching''. The functionality of the device may be deduced from the fact that the calculator renders any result higher than 4 as "A Suffusion of Yellow".
* The soap opera ''Dark Shadows'' at one point featured a copy of the ''I Ching'' and yarrow sticks amongst its many mystical plot elements. Rather than using it as a tool of divination, the characters meditated on its hexagrams as a means for travelling into the astral plane.
* George Harrison of the Beatles read the ''I Ching'' and decided he should surrender to chance. Following this, in his words, he "picked up a book at random, opened it, saw 'gently weeps,' then laid the book down again and started the song" .
* In the late 1960s, the comic book ''Wonder Woman'' temporarily changed the title character from a superhero to a secret agent, and placed her under the guidance of an elderly mentor named "I Ching". The writer behind this change later expressed regret at potentially offending Asian audiences, and later the character was retconned so that "I Ching" was merely a code or nickname.
* British author Philip Pullman's book ''The Amber Spyglass'' features use of the ''I Ching'' by the character Dr. Mary Malone. The ''I Ching'' is presented as one of many methods by which individuals in Pullman's universe are able to communicate with .
* The song Chapter 24 from Pink Floyd's first album, ''The Piper at the Gates of Dawn'', written by Syd Barrett features lyrics adapted from the Book of Changes. The song Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun from ''A Saucerful of Secrets'' is also based on the I Ching.
* Hermann Hesse's novel "The Glass Bead Game" is mainly concerned with the principles of the "I Ching".
* Terence McKenna, built the foundations of his Novelty Theory upon an analysis of the King Wen sequence of the ''I Ching''. He developed a fractal curve that can be plotted as an , linear graph and that purports to describe the ebb and flow of novelty in time. His analysis of the numerical patterns in the King Wen sequence led to the development of his Timewave Zero computer program, which postulates that the ingression of novelty into human history can be calculated and predicted. This concept first took root in his entheogenic experiences shared by McKenna and his brother Dennis McKenna and documented in the book ''True Hallucinations''.
* A red ''I Ching'' hexagram tattoed on the right forearm is the symbol for 's Arashikage ninja clan in G.I. Joe continuity.
* In 's '''' Vincent refers to ''I Ching'' as he tries to teach Max the importance of improvisation.
* Aura-Soma practitioners relate their color-based divination system to the I Ching and other systems.
* In Neal Stephenson's novel '''', ''I Ching'' hexagrams are used as encryption keys for the cyphered messages that Eliza sends to Leibniz. Before encryption, the plaintext has to be rendered as a binary sequence, following a 5-bit alphabet. The consequence of this particular cypher is that Eliza's letters are necessarily five times longer than the encrypted message hidden in them. Eventually, a cryptoanalyst at 's court grows suspicious of the length of Eliza's letters and correctly deduces that they carry encrypted messages.