After Lu Song Gao died in 1961 Master Qian continued to work with Lu Song Gao’s other students both as a teacher and as friends. Master Qian studied with many different teachers. Most important among them was his Shui Jiao (Chinese wrestling) teacher, Zhou Fenggeng. Master Qian had dropped out of school at a young age and it was Zhou Fenggang who made sure that he was literate and taught him to be a good person. In addition he studied Tong Bei, Ba Gua, Wu Dan Qi Gong, and he studied Spiral Taiji from its creator, Chen Jizheng.
Master Qian has been teaching for more than 30 years and has taught many highly successful martial artists, including push hands national champions and a silver medalist in a national free fighting competition. Master Qian himself has won many challenges in both push hands and free fighting, yet he emphasizes that long life, good health and mental well being are much more important benefits of martial arts practice.

More on Master Qian can be found at http://masterqian.multiply.com/ Much of the site is in Chinese, but in the training blog there are some articles in English, including a more thorough biography.

Reference: bruceboldon.com

Many may be familiar with five major schools of Taiji Quan, such as Yang, Wu, Sun, and Chen. But few have ever heard Jinggong Spiral Taiji Quan because it has been secretly kept among a very small number of practictioners in China. The founder of this obscure style was Professor Chen Jisheng (1904-1988) who created it after 70 years’ study of Chinese martial arts.

Prof. Chen was from Tangshan, Hebei Province, China. He received his martial art training from his father and grandfather since he was 8 years old. Later he was accepted as a student by then famous martial arts Master Zhao Qingchang(1830-1927). Under Master Zhao’s instruction, Chen eventually completed his martial art training and became a professional martial art instructor. He taught mainly in universities and colleges in Shandong Province, Shanghai and Nanjing..

His Jinggong Spiral Taiji Quan stresses tranquility, relaxation, and circular movement of body to reach a purest state of mind. This in turn will result in great health and amazing martial skills.

Xin Yi Quan is called Xin Yi Liu He Quan (Heart Mind Six Harmonies Boxing). It is also known as Henan Xingyi Quan. Many believe this martial art style was originated by the famous general and patriot Yue Fei (1103- 1141) of the Song Dynasty. However, there is no documentation to prove it. In the early 17th century, historic records show Xin Yi Quan was first taught by Ji Longfeng (1602-1683) of Shanxi Province, who transformed his spear fighting skills into hand-to-hand combat style

Ji taught Cao Jiwu of Hebei province and Ma Xueli of Henan Province. Cao passsed on his art to two brothers, Dai Longbang and Dai Linbang. Dai Longbang passed his Art on to Li Luoneng. Li was one of best masters in the Xingyi history. He taught many students and the most famous ones include Song Shirong and Zhe Yizhai, who became founders of the Shanxi style of Xingyi. Other students such as Guo Yunshen from Hebei province created Hebei style, which produced a great number of masters including Wang Fuyuan, Liu Qilan and Sun Ludang, Li Cunyi, Zhang Zhangui and Wang Xianzhai.

Henan Xin Yi Liu He Quan is evolved from Ma Xueli’s lineage. Ma Xueli had three students: Ma Xing, Ma Sanyuan, Zhang Zhicheng. Only Zhang’s lineage was most thriving. Zhang passed his art to Li Zheng of Lushan County, and Li passed it on to two Moslems, Zhang Ju and Mai Zhuangtu. Mai Zhuangtu had many disciples of whom the most famous were: Ding Zhaoxiang, Li Haisen, Mai Pengxian, An Daqing, Yuan Fengyi and Yuan Changqing. Yuan Fengyi’s four most famous students were: Shang Xueli, Yang Dianqing, Lu Songgao and Song Guobin.

For over 200 years, Henan Xianyi was strictly kept to Chinese Moslems. It was Lu Songgao who was the first one to popularize the art and teach it to non-Moslems. In his early year, Lu involved in a fight in which he killed a man, and had to flee his native town of Zhoukou. Lu finally settled in Shangshai and had to teach Xinyi Quan to make a living. Although most of Lu’s students were Moslems he took a few non-Moslems students. Lu was a legendary fighter and defeated numerous martial art masters during his lifetime. Master Qian’s art comes from Lu Songgao’s lineage.

Xin Yi Quan emphasizes three internal harmonies and three external harmonies: the heart or desire coordinates with the intent; the intent coordinates with the qi or vital energy; the qi coordinates with the strength; the shoulders coordinate with the hips; the elbows coordinate with the knees and the hands coordinate with the feet. When these six harmonies are achieved, one can use natural and powerful swinging movements of all his body parts. Xinyi Quan is fairly simple and straightforward, but it is said to be “the most cruel style among Chinese martial arts.”

Reference: http://masterqian.multiply.com/journal

While focusing on He Nan Xingyi Quan, Qian studied Wu’s style taiji from grandmaster Zhang Daquan and he also studied the Spiral Taiji Quan, a combination of five taiji styles, from its founder, Chen Jizheng. Other masters he learned certain styles, forms and weapons from included Sun Dianmin (Fan Zhi Quan, sword, saber), Ji Jingshan (Four Forms of Yue Jia), Xu Wenzhong (Bagua), Bao Guanyuan (Tong Bi Quan) and Pei Xirong (Wudan qi gong). But the most important teacher he had was Zhou Fenggeng, a national Chinese wrestling champion and the lead coach for Shanghai wrestling team. Zhou taught him Chinese combat wrestling as well as how to be a good person.

Qian began teaching martial arts at age 27. During his teaching career, he trained many first class Chinese martial artists, including national champions in a variety of martial arts competitions. Yu Qing, one of his students defeated a number of famous taiji masters and won the national pushhands champion in 1982. Another student, Xu Yaguo won silver medal in free fighting in a national wushu competition in 2002 .

For years, Qian taught professional martial arts students at several universities in Shanghai. He was deputy director for Shanghai Center of Chinese Combat Arts and the chief coach for the center.

In his martial art career, master Qian defeated numerous challengers openly and privately. He is considered to be one of the best free fighters in China. Because of his highest level of martial skills, he became a martial art legendary himself. For Qian, fighting is not the purpose of his martial arts. His arts are a way of life. In recent years, he has been focusing on how to use the arts to maintain health, cure diseases and extend life. At the same time he continues to refine his comba skills to effortlessly control opponents.

Reference: http://masterqian.multiply.com/journal

What a magnificent master. His humor, wu wei spirit, playfulness and levels of emptiness, nei gong, footwork, hipwork, precision, freedom, and fluency of technique are really extraordinary.

One can appreciate that he has been nicknamed the ‘New Lu Song Gau’.