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Dong Yingjie
Dong Yingjie (Wade-Giles: Tung Ying-chieh, Chinese: 董英傑, 1897 - 1961) was a leading master of tai chi, and a top disciple of Yang Chengfu. Born in Renze (then known as Renxian), Xingtai, Hebei, China, his given name was Wenke (文科). Famous in his time for defeating a foreign boxer in a public challenge match, he dedicated his life to the martial arts, training intensively in multiple styles, serving as chief assistant instructor for Yang Chengfu, and going on to found his own thriving tai chi legacy.
He was born to a prosperous farming family, and as a child was very studious but frail. Avidly interested in martial arts even then, at age 12 he convinced his grandfather to send him away to learn from security professional and martial arts master Liu Yingzhou (劉瀛洲), also known as Liu Laoying (劉老瀛). There he trained in San Huang Pao Chui and other Shaolin styles. Liu also taught him some tai chi.
After five years he returned home to marry and join the family business, but soon sought out Liu Laoying again to resume training. Liu recommended deeper study of tai chi, and through Liu's relationship with Yang Zhaolin (楊兆林, 1884–1922), the eldest grandson of Yang Luchan, Dong studied Yang-style tai chi under Li Zengkui (李增魁). Dong was impressed with Li's pushing hands skills, but at that time Dong's expertise in external martial arts — on which he relied in those years to deal with bandits and other conflicts — remained superior to his understanding of tai chi.
Dong achieved a high level of skill in tai chi after Liu introduced him to Li Baoyu (李寶玉, 1889–1961), who was known by the courtesy name Li Xiangyuan (李香遠). Li had mastered Wu (Hao)-style tai chi under Hao Weizhen, and was famous for defeating all challengers in and out of the ring, including some local gangsters. For three years, Dong lived with Li, worked for him in his business, and trained intensively in Wu (Hao) style and Li's advanced techniques. From that time onwards, Li became a lifelong coach, mentor, and friend.
In 1926, Dong moved to Beijing seeking instruction from Grandmaster Yang Chengfu in Yang-style tai chi. He quickly mastered Yang Chengfu's "large frame" techniques, and served as chief assistant instructor for much of the last 10 years of Yang's life.
While in Beijing he also trained under Yang's older brother Yang Shaohou in "small frame" Yang-style tai chi, and practiced push hands with Chen-style master Chen Fake. Also training with Yang Shaohou were Dong's future lifelong colleagues, the Wu-style masters Wu Gongyi and Wu Kung-tsao.
A few years later he resumed training with Li Baoyu to master the Wu (Hao) style as well, and so the Dong family trace their tai chi lineage through both Yang and Wu (Hao).
In 1928 Dong moved south with a group led by Yang Chengfu to establish tai chi schools in other cities. Later that year he proved his pushing hands prowess and confirmed the reputations of his teachers by defeating all nine challengers at the Hangzhou Guoshu Arena Competition (杭州國術擂台賽). He also demonstrated Yang-style forms at major Guoshu events for audiences that included martial arts celebrities and government officials, for example in Shanghai in 1928 and at the West Lake Expo Auditorium (西湖博覽會大禮堂) in 1929.
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Dong Yingjie
Dong Yingjie (Wade-Giles: Tung Ying-chieh, Chinese: 董英傑, 1897 - 1961) was a leading master of tai chi, and a top disciple of Yang Chengfu. Born in Renze (then known as Renxian), Xingtai, Hebei, China, his given name was Wenke (文科). Famous in his time for defeating a foreign boxer in a public challenge match, he dedicated his life to the martial arts, training intensively in multiple styles, serving as chief assistant instructor for Yang Chengfu, and going on to found his own thriving tai chi legacy.
He was born to a prosperous farming family, and as a child was very studious but frail. Avidly interested in martial arts even then, at age 12 he convinced his grandfather to send him away to learn from security professional and martial arts master Liu Yingzhou (劉瀛洲), also known as Liu Laoying (劉老瀛). There he trained in San Huang Pao Chui and other Shaolin styles. Liu also taught him some tai chi.
After five years he returned home to marry and join the family business, but soon sought out Liu Laoying again to resume training. Liu recommended deeper study of tai chi, and through Liu's relationship with Yang Zhaolin (楊兆林, 1884–1922), the eldest grandson of Yang Luchan, Dong studied Yang-style tai chi under Li Zengkui (李增魁). Dong was impressed with Li's pushing hands skills, but at that time Dong's expertise in external martial arts — on which he relied in those years to deal with bandits and other conflicts — remained superior to his understanding of tai chi.
Dong achieved a high level of skill in tai chi after Liu introduced him to Li Baoyu (李寶玉, 1889–1961), who was known by the courtesy name Li Xiangyuan (李香遠). Li had mastered Wu (Hao)-style tai chi under Hao Weizhen, and was famous for defeating all challengers in and out of the ring, including some local gangsters. For three years, Dong lived with Li, worked for him in his business, and trained intensively in Wu (Hao) style and Li's advanced techniques. From that time onwards, Li became a lifelong coach, mentor, and friend.
In 1926, Dong moved to Beijing seeking instruction from Grandmaster Yang Chengfu in Yang-style tai chi. He quickly mastered Yang Chengfu's "large frame" techniques, and served as chief assistant instructor for much of the last 10 years of Yang's life.
While in Beijing he also trained under Yang's older brother Yang Shaohou in "small frame" Yang-style tai chi, and practiced push hands with Chen-style master Chen Fake. Also training with Yang Shaohou were Dong's future lifelong colleagues, the Wu-style masters Wu Gongyi and Wu Kung-tsao.
A few years later he resumed training with Li Baoyu to master the Wu (Hao) style as well, and so the Dong family trace their tai chi lineage through both Yang and Wu (Hao).
In 1928 Dong moved south with a group led by Yang Chengfu to establish tai chi schools in other cities. Later that year he proved his pushing hands prowess and confirmed the reputations of his teachers by defeating all nine challengers at the Hangzhou Guoshu Arena Competition (杭州國術擂台賽). He also demonstrated Yang-style forms at major Guoshu events for audiences that included martial arts celebrities and government officials, for example in Shanghai in 1928 and at the West Lake Expo Auditorium (西湖博覽會大禮堂) in 1929.
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