Ma Gui (martial artist)

Ma Gui (马贵)
A portrait of Ma Gui.
Born	1847/1851 Beijing, China
Died	1941 (aged 93–94) Beijing, China
Other names	Ma Shiqing, Wood Ma
Residence	Beijing
Nationality	Chinese
Style	Yin Style Baguazhang
Teacher(s)	Yin Fu (尹福) Dong Haichuan (董海川)
Rank	Founder of Ma Gui style Baguazhang
Occupation	Martial arts teacher Lumber merchant
Notable students	Liu Wanchuan Wang Peisheng

Ma Gui (also known as Ma Shiqing) (Chinese: 马贵; pinyin: Má Guì) (1847–1941 or 1851–1941) was an accomplished master of the internal Chinese martial art of Baguazhang, and was the first disciple of Yin Fu, who in turn was the first disciple of Baguazhang's founder Dong Haichuan. Various lines of Baguazhang claiming lineage to Ma Gui (but comprising different material) are still actively taught in China as well as in Japan, North America, and Europe.

Ma Gui's parents were originally from Laishui County, Hebei province but eventually relocated to Beijing where Ma Gui was born and raised.

Ma Gui grew up to become a lumber merchant by trade and was nicknamed "Mu Ma" or "Lumber Ma". He was called this to differentiate himself from another prominent Bagua master, Ma Weiqi, who was in the coal business and hence nicknamed "Mei Ma" or "Coal Ma". Ma Gui was also called "Cuozi Ma" or "Little Ma" due to his short stature.

Ma Gui began studying Baguazhang at the age of twelve with Yin Fu and then with Dong Haichuan while still a teenager. Unlike many of Dong's top students, Yin Fu, Cheng Tinghua, and Ma Weiqi, who blended Bagua into their extensive martial arts background, Ma Gui had very little martial arts experience before studying Bagua and therefore was taught unique training fundamentals designed to develop Bagua fighting skills from the ground up. He remained steadfastly devoted to his two masters and trained with them exclusively throughout both of their lives. Like Dong's disciple Shi Shidong, Ma Gui helped house the elderly Dong Haichuan for several years until Dong's death in 1882.

Ma Gui advocated a rigorous approach to training with a heavy emphasis on developing extraordinary lower leg strength. According to current Ma Gui Style Baguazhang teacher Li Baohua, "The Baguazhang passed on by Ma Gui emphasizes the lower basin walking, so his lower legs were extremely thick. Lower basin walking means that the strength of the whole body is concentrated on the lower legs and feet, using the hidden strength of the bones and tendons. Ma Gui's lower legs were so developed that the shin bone was completely protected by tissue. He often had Liu Wanchuan (Li Baohua's grandmaster) look at his shins, and would occasionally allow people to hit them with wooden or iron staffs." Ma Gui would often wear a sand filled jacket on his body or a sand filled belt around his waist or legs for strength training and would also attach ropes on nearby trees to make a netting, and then train under the netting. The netting would ensure that he stayed low. Ma Gui was also known to demonstrate his strength by Bagua circle walking underneath a three foot high table. While an impressive feat, the majority of Ma Gui's leg training was not done through walking at such an extremely low level, but rather was cultivated by countless hours of his system's "bear walking:" slow concentrated circle-walking in a horse stance that dramatically transforms the large tendon lines from neck to feet and strengthens the entire body.