Gao Yisheng

高義盛 Gao Yisheng
Portrait of Gao Yisheng.
Born	1866 Da Zhuang Zi Village, Da Shan Township, Wu Di County, Shandong province, China
Died	1951 (aged 84–85)
Style	Da Hung Chuan, Song style Baguazhang, Cheng Style Baguazhang, Xingyiquan
Teacher(s)	Song Changrong (宋长荣) Cheng Tinghua (程廷華) Li Cunyi Sung Yi-Ren
Rank	Founder of Gao Style Baguazhang

Gao Yisheng (simplified Chinese: 高义盛; traditional Chinese: 高義盛; pinyin: Gāo Yìshèng) (1866–1951) was the creator of the Gao style of the Chinese Internal Martial Art of Baguazhang. His life bridged the second generation and third generation of Bagua practitioners into the 20th century. He was one of the few third generation Bagua practitioners to live beyond the 1940s. His innovation and impact on Bagua as a fighting art cannot be underestimated.

Gao Yisheng was born in Da Zhuang Zi Village, Da Shan Township, Wu Di County, Shandong province, China in 1866. During his childhood his family fortune was lost so they moved to Wu Ching County, Shaogao township in Hebei province to find employment. When he was young his leg was broken by a mule cart and the bone was set incorrectly so Gao walked with a cane the rest of his life. As a boy he learned the art of Da Hung Chuan (Big Red Fist) in his home village.

In 1892 when Gao was twenty-six years old he began his study of Baguazhang with Dong Haichuan’s student Sung Zhangjun (Song Changrong). After three years of practice with Sung all he had learned was basic circle walking and the single palm change. Gao asked for more instruction, but Sung refused and Gao left to find another teacher.

At age thirty, in 1896, Gao met Zhou Yuxiang. Zhou was a talented student of Cheng Tinghua. Zhou’s skill in fighting had earned him the nickname “Peerless Palm” Zhou. Gao and Zhou “crossed hands” three times and Gao was defeated each time. Gao knelt and asked to become Zhou’s disciple. Zhou said they were too close in age for him to bring him into the system so Zhou took Gao to Beijing to meet his teacher Cheng Tinghua. Cheng accepted him as his student because of his previous experience with Sung and on Zhou Yuxiang’s recommendation. Gao learned the majority of the system from Zhou and would travel to Beijing periodically to study with Cheng, until Cheng’s death four years later. Gao learned the eight xian tian palms, weapons forms and applications.