One thing that is fascinating to me about traditional CMA is discovering connections between teachers from traditions that were ostensibly separate but were around the CMA scene at the same time. One such connection I recently discovered was that between the famous xingyiquan master Xue Dian, whose evolution of xingyiquan he named Xiang Xing Shu, and Wang Yan-nian (Wang Yen-nien in the Taiwanese spelling), who is mainly famous for bringing the Michuan version of Yang style to Taiwan after independence, from which it spread to many other countries including the USA, France, etc. It turns out that Wang Yan-nian, although he was mostly famous for taijiquan, not only learned xingyi as part of a group of students learning from Li Zhenbang in Taiyuan in the early 1940s, but also met and interacted with Xue Dian.
In a recently released book called “Quan Dao Shu Zhen” (True Teachings of the Boxing Way) by Li Zhenbang’s grandstudent Li Yushuan, Xue Dian features prominently in his recollections of his own teacher Li Yunlong:
“My teacher Li Yunlong, was born in Daping, Zhao County, Hebei province in 1912 and died on 7 August,1992, at the age of 81. When Li was 4 years old, his parents moved to Taiyuan to open a TCM pharmacy for a living. Because he came from a family of traditional Chinese doctors, their medical skills and medical ethics were well-known throughout the Nanqiang district of Taiyuan city (capital of Shanxi province).
During the Sino-Japanese war, his family lived in a courtyard house that was blown up by a bomber plane, and he moved to Baotou city in October 1947. M Li came from a well-off family and as a child liked both literary studies and martial arts.
In February 1933, he became a disciple of He Yubo*, a 3rd-generation master of Cheng style baguazhang who was a martial arts instructor at Shaanxi National Normal School at the time. In June 1940, he became a disciple of Li Zhenbang (1864-1949) to learn xingyiquan; and in 1943, he started learning taijiquan from Zhang Qinlin, a disciple of the famous Yang style teacher Yang Chengfu.
M Li loved xingyiquan, and hosted Li Zhenbang, the grandson of Li Luoneng, the founder of xingyiquan, at his home for 4 years, during which time he taught Li unreservedly.
At that time, Xue Dian, one of Li Zhenbang’s prized disciples, had left the Tianjin Guoshuguan to move to Taiyuan. As early as 1929 and 1932, Xue had published two books “Xingyi Boxing Notes” and “True Transmission of Xiang Xing Shu” respectively. It can be said that at this time, Xue Dian had already reached the highest levels of the art, both in terms of theory and gongfu.
In 1941, Xue Dian often visited teacher Li Zhenbang at Yunlong’s home, during which time he often gave tips to Li Yunlong, Hu Yuezhen**, Wang Yannian and Wang Jinquan on movements and fajin. M Li Yunlong benefited greatly from Xue Dian’s guidance, he witnessed how Xue Dian practiced the 5 Elements and 12 Animals, his ghost-like speed and his seizing (peng duo) and crashing (pu zhuang) power.
Later, because Xue Dian took part in an anti-revolutionary movement, he was executed in Taiyuan in 1953***“.
*He Yubo was a student of Cheng Tinghua’s son Cheng Youlong, who did a lot to spread bagua in Shanxi / Shaanxi provinces
**Name is very similar to Feng Zhiqiang’s teacher Hu Yaozhen but appears to be unrelated
***Referring to Xue’s position as a leader in the banned Yi Guan Dao religious movement, which remains banned in the PRC to this day.