Liang Zhenpu 梁振蒲 |
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Born | 1863 Beihaojia Village, Ji County, Hebei, China |
Died | 1932 (aged 68–69) |
Other names | Second Hand Clothing Liang |
Style |
Tán Tuǐ, Baguazhang |
Teacher(s) | Dong Haichuan (董海川) |
Trainer |
Yin Fu, Cheng Tinghua, Shi Jidong, Liu Fengchun |
Rank | Founder of Liang Style Baguazhang |
Notable students | Li Ziming |
Liang Zhenpu (梁振蒲) (1863–1932) was a Chinese martial artist.
He was born in Beihaojia Village in Ji County in Hebei province on May 20, 1863 during the Qing dynasty under the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor, and died on August 13 at the age of 69 due to illness. He trained in Tan Tui and Biaozhang during his early childhood. At the age of 13, he moved to Beijing to apprentice at his father's second hand clothing store. At this time he had the nickname "Second Hand Clothing Liang". It was during this period in 1877 that he became a direct disciple of Baguazhang creator Dong Haichuan. He studied with Dong for about five years and was well liked by all of Dong's students. He had the fortune of not only learning from Dong Haichuan but also from Dong's other students including Cheng Tinghua, Yin Fu, Shi Jidong, and Liu Fengchun. After the death of both parents at age 20, he opened a martial arts kwoon to make a living.
In Ji County he defeated the four "Batian" gangs. In 1899, he saw that there were many injustices being committed by local criminals in the Beijing suburb of Majiapu (马家堡)and single handedly fought over 200 gangsters armed only with a seven section chain whip, killing 20 and wounding over 50. He was subsequently imprisoned and sentenced to death. When the Eight-Nation Alliance army invaded Beijing to crush the Boxer Rebellion his prison was heavily damaged and he managed to escape.
Being the youngest of the disciples of Dong, he trained not only with Dong but also with both Yin Fu and Cheng Tinghua, and as a result his style of Baguazhang has some characteristics of both styles. Examples include the Ox Tongue Palm from Yin Style and wrestling movements from Cheng Style. His Baguazhang forms are taught in a circle with the exception of Liu Dekuan's 64 Linear Palms, unlike versions from earlier students (for example, Yin Style Baguazhang) which have many linear segments.