Teachers of the MaGui system of Baguazhang (not an all inclusive list, just those on whom we have information). For more information, please see the MaGui Bagua Promotion Centre website.
Starting from Dong Haichuan as 1st generation. Dong taught many people, one of which was Ma Gui, who was thus 2nd generation. (We also give the generation within the MaGui system in parentheses)
There is a good story about Ma Gui on this link. http://wulinmingshi.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/yin-style-baguazhang-he-puren/
Stories
about Ma Gui, by Li Baohua (translated by Andrea Falk)
1. About the leg skills of Ma Gui
Liu Wanchuan often spoke of Ma Gui’s leg gongfu. 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
look at his shins, and would occasionally allow people to hit them with wooden
or iron staffs.
Commentary by Li Baohua: This story describes the most
basic characteristic of the MaGui system, that is that the circle walking is
low basin. It shows that the low basin walking is not what people normally
think – of sitting as low as possible. But it is to put the strength of the
body into the lower basin – the lower legs – instead of into the hips or
thighs. When training MaGui baguazhang we must be aware that it differs from
other training methods.
2. About the triple chuanzhang of Ma Gui
Liu Wanchua often spoke of Ma Gui’s triple chuanzhang
(spearing palm, or threading palm) When Ma Gui was in his 80s he would still
train the triple chuanzhang. To Liu Wanchuan, watching from the side, Ma Gui’s
body looked very light, as if his feet did not even touch the ground.
Commentary by Li Baohua: The most brilliant footwork
of MaGui baguazhang is the small koubu and small baibu (hook-in and open-out).
The small turned steps allow the body to turn smoothly, and advance and retreat
at will. The stepping is the technique that creates all techniques. The ability
to use the small turned stepping is based on the foundation of real lower leg
gongfu. After the lower legs’ tendons and tissues have been transformed, then
the strength of the lower legs surpass most people’s. We can see that the
lightness and agility of our predessesors is the result of their lower basin
gongfu. We should use them as our models and train as hard as them, one step at
a time, tracing their footsteps around our circles, to develop the same lower
basin gongfu.
3. About the foot strength of Ma Gui
Liu Wanchuan often told the story that after Ma Gui
had finished his early morning practice in the Ba Wang Fen area, he would often
go for a walk. He would walk from Ba Wang Fen to Tong Zhou (nowadays Tong Xian)
and back again. That was a distance of 40 li [about 20 km], and moreover, he
would be back on time for breakfast!
Commentary by Li Baohua: When the legs are strong, or
the lower legs are strong, then you walk lightly and easily. But to walk long
distances without fatigue, you also need to have freely flowing qi and blood.
The special gongfu of Ma Gui came from the training of Dong Haichuan to train
the spirit and the qi that made the whole body extraordinarily full of qi and
blood, and spirit. The training is bitter but the results are sweet. You pour
out your muddiness in sweat and gain purity of spirit and qi.
4. About the light skills of Ma Gui
Liu Wanchuan told this story: Once after Ma Gui
finished training, he walked as usual to Tong Zhou. On this day he felt
particularly happy, so he bought a muskmelon and played with it. Without paying
much attention he tossed it from one hand to another, and unwittingly jumped
into the air after it. Ma Gui hovered in the air playing for a long time before
landing. Ma Gui was overjoyed at this, and hurried back to the city to tell
Dong Haichuan about this light skill. Dong Haichuan laughed and said, “Really?
Jump up again and show me.” Ma Gui jumped with all his might, but could not
jump up. Dong Haichuan laughed and said, “I haven’t taught you, how could you
do it?”
According to Wang Jiaofu, from Shenyang in the north
west of China, of the Ma Weiqi lineage, Ma Gui went to the north west once and
visited Li Wenbiao, a famous apprentice of Cheng Tinghua. Ma Gui went along to
visit, but did not introduce himself, just said he that he came to test skills.
Li Wenbiao was highly skilled, his nickname one ‘Mr. one grab’, meaning that
his hands and wrists were so powerful that he just had to grab onto you and you
would be in so much pain your whole body would go weak and you would drop to
the ground, defeated. Li Wenbiao looked over and saw an old a man who was not
very tall but whose spirit shined out from large eyes. They started to spar. Li
Wenbiao reached out to touch Ma Gui’s wrist, but as his hand closed to grab, it
closed on nothing. Ma Gui was already standing on Li’s outstretched arm, one foot
on his arm, the other touching lightly on his face. Li could do nothing but
stand there suppporting Ma, and finally said, “old master, please come down.”
Ma gui jumped down and introduced himself. Li Wenbin was very happy because he
had heard a lot about Ma Gui. This is what is called ‘to have eyes but not
recognize Mount Tai’.
Commentary by Li Baohua: The above stories are only
two about the light skills of Ma Gui. There are a lot more stories about his
light skills. We have no way of differentiating the true from the questionable.
Light skills, the ability to jump up high and fly, to
run up walls – do these skills really exist? There are many stories of old
masters who, in their later years, have bodies as light as sparrows. If they
trained in this type of skill in their youth, and mastered the technique, why
would they not achieve a light gongfu?
Here was have talked of Ma Gui’s gongfu. Think for a
while on my own, and the distance is vast between us. Now I am responsible for
teaching the MaGui system, and my heart is unsettled, I am afraid I am not
equal to the task.
Li Shao’an and Liu Wanchuan, the transmitter’s of
MaGui’s baguazhang, have already passed away. My own teacher, Yu Zhiming, is
elderly, as are the others of his generation. Each teacher wants someone to
pass on and promote MaGui baguazhang. I am happy to accept the happiness that
MaGui baguazhang gives.
5. Stories of Ma Gui training
Liu Wanchuan often said that Ma Gui during training
often wore sand filled jacket on his body or a sand filled belt around his
waist or legs, for strength training. Also, to further improve his leg and back
strength, he would attach ropes on the trees to make a netting, and would train
under the netting. The netting would ensure that he stayed low.
Commentary by Li Baohua:
The process of training is to achieve your full
potential, it is the process of extending your qi and blood, your spirit, your
tendons and bones. That is, it is the process of overcoming your innate
physiological and spiritual limitations. Most people who train are able to
achieve their innate potential. In the earlier stages of training you advance
quickly and have good results. But once you reach the stage of overcoming your
innate limitations, then for most, progress is very slow or seems to stop
altogether. Those who surpass others have reached a place with their hearts and
bodies where most will not reach. They have special training methods to bring
them past the physiological and psycological limitations. We can see that Ma
Gui had reached the limitations he used his brain and sweat to train in a
manner which enabled him to overcome the limitations of normal people.
6. Other stories about Ma Gui
Liu Qingfu, one of Yin Fu’s top apprentices, often
talked of Ma Gui when he went home to visit in Haiyang county in Shandong. He
said that Ma Gui surpassed all other apprentices of Dong Haichuan. Knowing the
personality of Liu Qingfu, he would not say this lightly.
In the book “Cao style baguazhang” a sparring match
between Ma Gui and Li Ruidong (the creator of Taiji Wuxing chui) was described.
Ma Gui subdued Li Ruidong with his first technique.