Yiquan, also known as Dachengquan, is an internal martial art founded by the Xingyiquan Master Wang Xiangzhai (1885-1963.) Yì means intention, quan means boxing. It is famous for its combat effectiveness and health benefits.
Having studied Xingyiquan with legendary Master Guo Yunshen (1820-1900) in his childhood, Wang Xiangzhai travelled China, meeting and comparing skills with masters of various styles of Kung Fu. In the mid-1920’s, he started to teach what he felt was the true essence of the art using a different name, without the Xing (form.) Wang Xiangzhai, who had a great knowledge about the theory and history of his art, called it “Yiquan”. In the 1940’s, Yiquan quickly gained a reputation for its combat effectiveness. One of Wang Xiangzhai’s friends wrote an article about his “school” and named it “Dachengquan”, which means “great achievement boxing”.
Yiquan is a distillation of the internal aspects at the core of all arts that Master Wang Xiangzhai was exposed to, including Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, Tai Chi, Liuhebafa (Water Boxing) and White Crane. It was the internal core of these other arts that made them effective.
The basic training of Yiquan is Zhanzhuang (stance training), meaning standing like a tree. Yiquan’s methods of study are basically as follows: Stance, Testing Power, Friction Step, Testing Voice, Release of Force, Push Hands, Combat. It is essentially formless, containing no fixed sets of fighting movements or techniques. Instead, focus is put on developing one’s natural movement and fighting abilities through a system of training methods and concepts, working to improve the perception of one’s body, its movement, and of force.
Master Yin Yan had trained the Yiquan under the tutelage of Master Yu Yongnian (1920-2013), Master Wang Yufang (1921-2012), Master Zhu Yaoting (1921-2012) and Master Chang Zhilang (1940-2023.)
Join us at our Kung Fu & Meditation Center to explore the art of Yiquan. Whether you’re seeking to improve your health, learn self-defense, Yiquan offers a better way to help you understand the ancient Eastern philosophy of “less is more, one is all”.
