Lineage: Masters, disciples, uncles and brothers.

What is the Chinese kung fu got that makes it so mysterious to the West? Interest for the martial arts in the West is moving towards the internal schools.

I first started being interested in the Lineage of my own style of Ba Gua Zhang when I got more achieved. Just what did the ‘family’ system mean for me? It occurred to me that behind this cultural wall there was an important system of knowledge maintaining the art's survival. It is this understanding of Lineage that makes clearer sense when I put it into my own context.
The value of it is for you to judge.

It seems almost absurd to think in terms of feudal family systems of martial arts to a westerner. Yet there does exist a formal structure in some of these arts that really serves a purpose.

We can see systems of martial arts being promoted in many magazines and on the net.
Gracie Ju Jitsu is a well-known example. It draws parallels with The Gao system of Ba Gua Zhang, notably because it bears a name of a successful stylist. Just like Gracie, Gao Yi-Sheng had success in fighting. The arenas of their success differ in time, but share that all to familiar ‘family’ trait. It will be interesting to see how long the Gracie name shares the Ju Jitsu history.

Gao Yi-Sheng’s interpretation of Ba gua Zhang was derived from several sources. Cheng Ting Hua was very influential and his Xing-Yi ,from Li Chun Yi, explain the mix of half steps and linear training sequences ( Ho Tian )

To see where he features in the family tree of Ba Gua Zhang see the Lineage chart.
(Please excuse the omissions of important names - this tree attempts to only simplify for the sake of this essay.)

Dong Hia-Chauan (1798-1882)

Cheng Ting-Hua (1848-1900)

Gao Yi-Sheng (1886-1951)

Wu Meng Hsia (1905-1979) Chang Chun Feng (1902-1974)

Hung Brothers: Hung I-Hsiang, Hung I-Wen, Hung I-Mien

Luo De-Xiu

Aarvo Tucker, Ed Hines

Nick Cumber (Me!)

The Purpose of martial arts in China was re-evaluated after the boxer’s rebellion in 1900. During these times Cheng Ting-Hua died by gunshot. Perhaps a trend towards national identity can explain why Taoism , the indigenous religion of China, was sought for in the martial arts. Dong Hia-Chuan myths have him learning the arts foundations from a Taoist monk in Anwei (Dong never divulged his teachers name).

Gao Yi-Sheng

Gao Yi-Sheng too has links ( and it would be fair to say the cannot be proven by records ) to a mysterious Taoist monk Song Yi Ren, in picturesque mountain settings.

Teaching in Taingin, Gao Yi-Sheng met Chan Chun-Feng. Chan Chun-Feng is perhaps the most important character in the family tree for me. As a disciple of Gao Yi-Sheng, Feng was taught possibly everything that Gao knew. In a sense his relationship was more than just master/student. It was supportive to Gao and his art. It let the system survive when it could have died.

His move from China in 1948 to Taiwan as an economic migrant was the beginning of its journey toward Kentish Town in London today (and many other parts of the world!).
His particular emphasis on extended postures survives as a tool for encouraging alignment and internal training.

Preserving the hard work were the Hung brothers from Taiwan. Their successful internal martial arts school in Taiwan, whose strong reputation from fighting competitions and informal brawls, attracted the Taiwanese and Westerners.
The Eastern ‘family’ rules of whom you should teach these arts to were being challenged. As too were the entire politics of the region with Communist China next door.
The Hung brothers surely taught the art to make sure it survived and travelled beyond these boundaries.

One of Hung I-Hsiang’s successful students is Lo De-Xiu. Preserving the syllabus he has taught the two Gao Style Ba Gua Zhang brothers (classmates Aarvo Tucker and Edward Hines) that teach me today.

Today my ‘brothers’ and me train in Kentish town congregational church. Occassionally our “fathers and uncles” (Ed Hines and Aarvo Tucker) come and teach.

That is quite a journey in roughly 100 years since Gao Yi-Sheng established his interpretation of this fighting system

The conservatism that often threatened Ba Gua Zhang’s survival is being revalued. It would be true to say that as a disciple you would learn in a concentrated environment.
Aarvo Tucker learnt from Lo De-Xiu in a live in context. It is fair to assume that in this context he has learnt and polished off the system significantly enough so that he can teach with Lo De-Xiu’s blessings. By assuring the time with his teacher Aarvo has achieved what cannot reasonably be learnt from a book.

I’m glad that this traditional approach lets the quality instruction filter to me. It has given me the confidence to continue learning a comprehensive realisation of this fighting art. If Gao Yi-Sheng’s school was closed and shrouded in mystery then I doubt that It would have lasted intact as it is.

All that remains for me is to continue enjoying what I learn and keeping this balanced view of tradition.

Nick Cumber 4/09/02

Glossary of useful terms:

Brother and Sister :
training associate being male as the gender indicates. Somebody who shares the same teacher as you in the style that you practise. You teachers class mates are “uncles” or “aunts”.

Uncle and Aunt :
Your teachers classmates who learnt under your grandfathers teaching

Bai shr :
Literally means to 'pray to your teacher.' Ceremony involving kowtowing ( touching your forehead to the floor) to the previous generations of teachers, incense, red envelope and a meal.

Inner door student :
Student with access to more information than “outside” students. Likely to be taught more secret techniques that will win fights.

Lineage holder :
Student designated by the teacher as a successful inheritor of the styles goals as an art.
This probably involves character assessment as well as skill so that the teacher can be content that his or her name may not be digraced by ill deeds.