Changhuxinyimen (Songshan sect)

[LFJ]

Given the newly uncovered information, and very keen observations by RenDaHai, we seem to have nailed down this Songshan sect. So here we give it its own topic.

History:

Founder: Li Jiyu (李际遇), a coal miner turned rebel in the 17th century (late Ming/early Qing Dynasty). Notorious for having led a large peasant revolt. His hometown and sanctuary was in Mogou village in Songshan where he learned the Shaolinquan of Mogou, Shaolin Xiyuanpai (Western Courtyard) separated from Shaolin Monastery at the time for over 100 years (now about 500). He insincerely made "friends" with the Shaolin monks, offering them loads of resources and learned their wugong at Shaolin Monastery Yonghuatang, aka. Nanyuan (Southern Courtyard). Concerned the monks would side with the Emperor, as they did in the past, he planned a massacre in the early 1640's. When they were known to be in prayer (he asked them to gather in the hall to commemorate his birthday), he and his men swept down on them on horseback, entering the hall and killed over 200 of the monks. The peasant uprising was suppressed by officers of General Chen Wangting of Chenjiagou, who was actually cousin to the Li family. This gave opportunity to inspect Shaolin manuals and incorporate them into the corpus that formed Chen Style Taijiquan. It is also said at a time Chen Wangting accompanied Li Jiyu in studying in Yonghuatang, learning 'xuzhuang' (empty stake) and other skills of Xinyiba. This is also around when much of extant Shaolin arts were spread to surrounding villages, such as Ruan village Nanyuan which separated roughly 360 years ago.

Li Jiyu at the time had learned Mogou Xiyuanpai and Shaolin Nanyuanpai wugong and also learned the teachings of Ji Longfeng when he visited Shaolin. What Ji Longfeng taught at the time was called Xinyi in Shaolin and incorporated Priest Dong Cheng's Tongbiquan theories as well as Ji Longfeng's newly developed 'rooster style' based on a c0ckfight he had witnessed.

Later interactions elsewhere with Ji Longfeng and his students led to the development of Xingyiquan/ Xinyi Liuhequan. Back at Shaolin, Li Jiyu took the new Xinyi elements and mixed them with Shaolin Nanyuanpai and Mogou Xiyuanpai styles to create a new sect called Changhuxinyimen (长护心意门), meaning "Constant Protection of the Xinyi (mind & intent) Sect".

Boxing Sets:

This sect's material is generally made from pulling Mogou and Shaolin Monastery sets and adding Xinyi to them, often using rooster, tiger, and snake hand and body methods. Hand shapes include the rooster claw also called 'fengshou' (wind hand) for the splayed fingers, also tiger claw, and 'goushou' (hook hand, like crane's beak) which represents a rooster's head.

The representative boxing set of the Changhuxinyimen is Changhuxinyimenquan, which uses Mogou Xiaohongquan as a template combined with Xinyi (Dong Cheng's Tongbi + rooster) elements. It is a Muzi (mother & son) set with Qixingquan (also called Qixingba), which in other sects is separate and unrelated. The following sets also have non-Changhuxinyimen versions that exist. The videos below are as in this sect. The Datongbiquan video is Road 1 of Nanyuan Datongbiquan with some embellishments for performance, until another video can be provided. You will notice much of the same technique set throughout these routines as done in this sect.

1) 长护心意门拳 Changhuxinyimenquan
2) 七星拳 Qixingquan
3) 关东拳 Guandongquan
4) 五型十六法 Wuxingshiliufa
5) 大通臂拳 Datongbiquan
6) 六合拳对练 Liuhequan Duilian

Videos:

Changhuxinyimenquan
Changhuxinyimenquan

Qixingquan
Qixingquan

Guandongquan

Wuxingshiliufa

Datongbiquan

Liuhequan Duilian

[Sal Canzonieri]

If you can PM me the bibliographical reference for this info, I would appreicate it, thanks.

Some further things:

Chen Wangting around the time of Li Jiyu's rebellion had killed someone by accident during his examinations and fled to Li Jiyu's army, where he met up with Jiang Fa. People say that he was there to capture LiJiYu but there are info from Chinese historians that uncovered Chen Wangting's accidental killing of someone and his running off to hide amongst Li Jiyu's forces. Eventually he came back to his village and followed soon after by Jiang Fa.
So, this part of your history thing needs to be examined more. It seems weird that he would be taking exams when he was already advancing in age. He retired from the Ming army when it fell in 1644. Also, some say that he was stationed in Shandong province the whole time (Chen Wang Ting was statioedn in Shandong during the 1610s and 1620s and was appointed "Commander of the Garrison Force" of Wenxian County in 1641 with the duty of mopping up bandits in Shandong Province), but others say that this is a different General Chen.

According to the book Cultural Centrality and Political Change in Chinese History: Northeast Henan by Roger V. Des Forges:

Li Jiyu had failed his exams, and after becoming a farmer, he joined up with a sect (this one) that saught to rebel against the Ming government. He stationed himself in Dengfeng and took over most of the surrounding areas with his rebel troops. Then in 1641 anti-Ming rebel Li Zicheng's troops reached Henan, joined forces with Li Jiyu's rebel army. THAT made the Qing Army come there and the Ming Dynasty lost Henan after having just lost both Shantong and Shaanxi. Also, Li's his wife and son and the sect leader were executed soon after the rebellion began but Li escaped.
Chen Yongfu was the actual person in charge of fighting the rebels for the Ming in the Luoyang adn Kaifeng area, along with his son Chen De.

The reason Li Jiyu tricked the Shaolin monks was that the monks had previously participated in the suppression of other farmers' rebellions such as the Red Scarves and Shang Zhao's rebellion.

It is thought by some that the Chen family was part of a secret sect, that they outwardly were supporting the Ming by suppressing local rebellions, but that they were secretly working against the Ming.
In the Chen Family Chronicles, it mentions that Li Jiyu was a martial arts expert.

[Sal Canzonieri]

I think that Ji Longfeng wasn't at Shaolin till 1650, so Li Jiyu's martial arts had to come from a different source.

[Sal Canzonieri]

Shaolin seems to have incorporated Ji Longfeng's material in the early 1700s

Here's some info from my book that might help you:

Yang Jing-Ming, in his book Xingyiquan: Theory, Applications, Fighting Tactics and Spirit, argues that certain aspects of Xinyi/Xingyi Quan (particularly the animal shapes) are identifiable as far back as the Liang Dynasty at the Shaolin Temple. Also, other aspects of the style appear to have evolved from military spear techniques. Supposedly, Ji was impressed by Shaolin’s postural movements that were taken from the Rooster, Eagle, Monkey, Tiger, and other animal imitating self defense methods. On the other hand, the Shaolin monks were greatly awed by Ji’s Liuhe spear methods and worked to incorporate his Liuhe knowledge into their martial arts. In fact, the ‘Spear Method of Teacher Ji’ is contained in an ancient Shaolin manual. From this first exchange, the Shaolin Xinyi (heart mind) Quan sets were developed.

The art eventually was taught to Henan’s Ma Xueli (馬學禮) (about 1714-1790) of Muslim origin and to non-Muslim Li Chenhu. Ma’s teacher is conventionally taught of as being Ji Longfeng. However, the traditions of the Ma family itself say only that he learned from a wandering master, a hermit who was called ‘Henanfu Li’; “Henanfu” means “Luoyang”. Note: Li Chenhu and Ma both had the same teacher, Li Shiming. Li Shiming is the true author of the famous “Ten Principles of Xinyi Liuhe” section of the Xinyi Liuhe Quan book in 1713. According to martial art historian You Tanghao in his book, Pictorial Collection of Chinese Martial Arts: “The rest of the masters learnt from Zheng (called Nan Shan Zheng Shi), who learnt from Ji (Long Feng). Although the martial art was not learnt under the best of circumstances, the basic essence was understood and divided into ten principles to better teach students, thus no one master dared to say he inherited from Ji Longfeng. From all resources and backdating, the history of Liuhe Quan should be thus: Ji passed it to Zheng (of Mt. Nan), who passed it to Li Shiming, and it was Li who wrote the Ten Principles or Truths.”

According to You Tanghao, “Li Shiming struck up a friendship with Shaolin’s abbot around the years of the emperors’ Yong Zheng (1723-1735) and Qian Long’s (1735-1795) reigns. Li presented the abbot with a copy of the manual Ten Most Important Truths of Xinyi Liuhe, written by him in the 11th year of Emperor Yong Zheng’s reign.“ The ‘12 Moves of the Xinyi Liuhe’ set was later passed to the Shaolin abbot by Li, which was taught only to high ranking monks. Li’s disciple, Ma Xueli, the founder of Luoyang Xinyi Quan, and grand disciple, Ma Sanyuan, also visited Shaolin temple. Today, the Ma family Xinyi Ba set and the Shaolin Xinyi Ba still appear to share many features, names, postures, and movements, showing that they arose from a common source. The Shaolin material within Xinyi Ba was developed from Shaolin’s Rou Quan, Hong Quan, and Pao Quan and studying these three systems all of the Xinyi Ba movements can be found within them.

[LFJ]

I think that Ji Longfeng wasn't at Shaolin till 1650, so Li Jiyu's martial arts had to come from a different source.

1650? That would have been right after the invasion and massacre that decimated the monks. There are many separate source records of Shaolin Monastery's condition being largely deserted and falling apart mid-century.

The other thing is, the existing Shaolin imitative boxing styles didn't include rooster, which is attributed to Ji Longfeng during his 10 year stay at Shaolin, according to some Xinyi Liuhequan manuals. Yet the defining characteristic of the Li Jiyu's Changhuxinyimen sect throughout all it's boxing sets is this rooster style shouxing and shenfa. Wouldn't it be too close in time and coincidental not to have come from Ji Longfeng's new concept?

Also, in Shaolin's Nanyuan, the Tongbiquan subsystem is very close in technique to Changhuxinyimenquan, and as done in our school the Nanyuan Datongbiquan even has the rooster shouxing and shenfa. Ji Longfeng's Xinyi Liuhequan was also said to have been based partially on Dong Cheng's Tongbiquan concepts, plus Shaolin Wuquan, and his newly developed rooster idea. So it makes sense that Tongbiquan seems to have been pulled in as part of Li Jiyu's Changhuxinyimen.

Further, Shi Zhenxu from last century created two roads of Xinyi Changchui by combining Xinyi, Changquan, and his own experience. If you see these sets, they too have a lot in common with Nanyuan Tongbiquan and include the rooster elements. Although it is modern, I think it shows connections nonetheless.

Isn't it a bit too coincidental for Li Jiyu's style to include Tongbi and rooster elements, the two things Ji Longfeng definitely would have taught at Shaolin?

[Sal Canzonieri]

1650? That would have been right after the invasion and massacre that decimated the monks. There are many separate source records of Shaolin Monastery's condition being largely deserted and falling apart mid-century.

The other thing is, the existing Shaolin imitative boxing styles didn't include rooster, which is attributed to Ji Longfeng during his 10 year stay at Shaolin, according to some Xinyi Liuhequan manuals. Yet the defining characteristic of the Li Jiyu's Changhuxinyimen sect throughout all it's boxing sets is this rooster style shouxing and shenfa. Wouldn't it be too close in time and coincidental not to have come from Ji Longfeng's new concept?

Also, in Shaolin's Nanyuan, the Tongbiquan subsystem is very close in technique to Changhuxinyimenquan, and as done in our school the Nanyuan Datongbiquan even has the rooster shouxing and shenfa. Ji Longfeng's Xinyi Liuhequan was also said to have been based partially on Dong Cheng's Tongbiquan concepts, plus Shaolin Wuquan, and his newly developed rooster idea. So it makes sense that Tongbiquan seems to have been pulled in as part of Li Jiyu's Changhuxinyimen.

Further, Shi Zhenxu from last century created two roads of Xinyi Changchui by combining Xinyi, Changquan, and his own experience. If you see these sets, they too have a lot in common with Nanyuan Tongbiquan and include the rooster elements. Although it is modern, I think it shows connections nonetheless.

Isn't it a bit too coincidental for Li Jiyu's style to include Tongbi and rooster elements, the two things Ji Longfeng definitely would have taught at Shaolin?

Hmm, yeah, everything you say seems very logical. I feel that you are right in all of it, because it would explain so much.

The problem is that Chinese sources give two different set of dates for Ji Jike (ji Long feng) birth and death dates:
Ji Jike 姬际可 (1588-1662) and Ji Jike (1602 - 1683).

The first one would fit much better because it would line up better with the time period of the formation of these Shaolin sets.

Do you or anyone else have a reliable Chinese source that gives the right dates?
Such as a history book that cites a Shanxi gazette that cites when he did his exams and his bio info?

it would solve a lot of problems in the historical record of Shaolin.

Here is more info from my book:

According to Ji family written records, after learning the Six Harmony Spear’s shenfa at Qianzai temple, Ji practiced it to mastery. Setting off again for Shaolin temple, Ji took the second route, which was over the mountains and across the Yellow River to the Three Gorges. Passing the provincial seat of Henan, he arrived near Shaolin. It is recorded that Ji's horse lost its footing and fell into the valley below. Ji was able to scale the cliffs to safety after a few days effort. Arriving at Shaolin Si, Ji impressed them with his “Six Harmony Spear” skill, and the abbot there begged Ji to stay at the temple to teach (this event was recorded in the Ji Family Chronicles).

In the Shaolin temple's archives, there is a spear manual titled, Teacher Ji's Spear Manual. Shi Yong Wen, originally from Shaolin, still has it in his care. (Dr. Yan has visited Shi Yong Wen in Kaifeng, Henan to authenticate this manual.) According to Dr. Yan, “the manual in question is exactly the same as the Xinyi Liuhe Chang manual in the author's possession. From this, we can see that Shaolin treated Ji respectfully and called him Ji Lao Shi (teacher, Ji). This story matches up with the story in the Ji Family Chronicles.”

[LFJ]

Every Chinese source I've seen uses the second set (1602-1683), which actually makes more sense considering the following:

According to 88th article in "The History of Xiangcheng" (史话襄城), Ji Jike started training martial arts at the age of 13. When he was 18 both of his parents passed away in close succession. Two years later he developed an interest in Shaolin Monastery's fame, and at the age of 20 made his way alone on horseback to Shaolin (on the path to which is Qianzai Monastery, where he would have learned Dong Cheng's Tongbi and Liuhe Spear). This is when his horse fell and he climbed to safety and eventually made it to Shaolin Monastery where he stayed for 10 years, as the abbot was impressed and asked him to teach. This would be 1622-1632 if not taking a length of stay at Qianzai into account.

Now, later in the 1630's is when Shaolin's anti-Qing activities were getting stronger. Monks were regularly drafted against the troops of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong. Eventually their anti-Qing tendency led to the destruction and massacre we've discussed. According to the above text, it was prior to this, when Shaolin's secretive anti-Qing activities in the monastery were discovered by the local Qing government officials. Whereupon they reported it to their superiors and sent a trusted investigator to infiltrate the monastery, and furthermore dispatched local forces to prepare a surrounding of the monastery. Fortunately, everyone in the monastery caught wind and spread out in advance. Ji Jike also left Shaolin then. He headed south and the story continues...

At the latest, this would have been in the early 1630's, before things really started to get rough around Shaolin. This would have been during Ji Jike's really formative years (throughout his 20's) when he started to create the rooster style based on a c0ckfight he witnessed while reading at Shaolin that got him thinking.

This would match up well with Li Jiyu having learned his material at Shaolin, to later mix with his Mogou village style and Shaolin Nanyuan style, perhaps even directly from him.

[LFJ]

You mention Dong Cheng's early Tongbiquan that he created based on the Shaolinquan he learned from students of Bai Yufeng (including Taizu Changquan, Hongquan, Paoquan) mixed with "full arm" (tongbi) ideas he got from watching yellow gibbons interact in the mountain slopes.

This is the contents of Shaolin Nanyuan Renshou Xiaotongbiquan (could be the same style). Whereas the Nanyuan Datongbiquan carries more of a 'rooster' style. This may explain it's formation, mixing the Tongbiquan of Dong Cheng via Ji Jike with his newly developed rooster concept.

This would explain the Nanyuan Tongbiquan, whereas Xiyuan Tongbiquan which is related to Taizu Changquan and has a far more complicated history, naming-wise, lost sets and all, is more than likely the much older one from General Han Tong, hence the bigger mess.

If all of that makes sense, this would sort out both Nanyuan and Xiyuan subsystems of Shaolin Tongbiquan.

[Sal Canzonieri]

Okay, but also type in 1588 and Ji Jike (in Chinese characters) in google and see what these Chinese sites say why 1588 is also given for his birth. There is a gazzette or family chronicle that must state the exact date.

[Sal Canzonieri]

You mention Dong Cheng's early Tongbiquan that he created based on the Shaolinquan he learned from students of Bai Yufeng (including Taizu Changquan, Hongquan, Paoquan) mixed with "full arm" (tongbi) ideas he got from watching yellow gibbons interact in the mountain slopes.

This is the contents of Shaolin Nanyuan Renshou Xiaotongbiquan (could be the same style). Whereas the Nanyuan Datongbiquan carries more of a 'rooster' style. This may explain it's formation, mixing the Tongbiquan of Dong Cheng via Ji Jike with his newly developed rooster concept.

This would explain the Nanyuan Tongbiquan, whereas Xiyuan Tongbiquan which is related to Taizu Changquan and has a far more complicated history, naming-wise, lost sets and all, is more than likely the much older one from General Han Tong, hence the bigger mess.

If all of that makes sense, this would sort out both Nanyuan and Xiyuan subsystems of Shaolin Tongbiquan.

Yeah, the Nanyaun Xiao version of Tongbi Quan would be the earlier version and the Da version would be the latter, adding in material from Xinyi Quan (Ji Jike's Rooster ideas).

Xiyuan seems like it would be, especially if associated with Taizu chang quan, more to do with Hantong's Tongbi Quan, which is just another way to say Long Fist anyways.

[Sal Canzonieri]

Every Chinese source I've seen uses the second set (1602-1683), which actually makes more sense considering the following:

According to 88th article in "The History of Xiangcheng" (史话襄城), Ji Jike started training martial arts at the age of 13. When he was 18 both of his parents passed away in close succession. Two years later he developed an interest in Shaolin Monastery's fame, and at the age of 20 made his way alone on horseback to Shaolin (on the path to which is Qianzai Monastery, where he would have learned Dong Cheng's Tongbi and Liuhe Spear). This is when his horse fell and he climbed to safety and eventually made it to Shaolin Monastery where he stayed for 10 years, as the abbot was impressed and asked him to teach. This would be 1622-1632 if not taking a length of stay at Qianzai into account.

Now, later in the 1630's is when Shaolin's anti-Qing activities were getting stronger. Monks were regularly drafted against the troops of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong. Eventually their anti-Qing tendency led to the destruction and massacre we've discussed. According to the above text, it was prior to this, when Shaolin's secretive anti-Qing activities in the monastery were discovered by the local Qing government officials. Whereupon they reported it to their superiors and sent a trusted investigator to infiltrate the monastery, and furthermore dispatched local forces to prepare a surrounding of the monastery. Fortunately, everyone in the monastery caught wind and spread out in advance. Ji Jike also left Shaolin then. He headed south and the story continues...

At the latest, this would have been in the early 1630's, before things really started to get rough around Shaolin. This would have been during Ji Jike's really formative years (throughout his 20's) when he started to create the rooster style based on a c0ckfight he witnessed while reading at Shaolin that got him thinking.

This would match up well with Li Jiyu having learned his material at Shaolin, to later mix with his Mogou village style and Shaolin Nanyuan style, perhaps even directly from him.

yeah, but the Ji family chornicles say that he went to learn at Shaolin twice. The first time he got lost and wound up in Wangbao where he learned the spear methods and also the Tongbei Quan. People assume he learned the Tongbei Quan and simplified it because the earliest copies of writings on the methods and theories of Ji's Martial arts closely match material also found in Tongbei Quan manuals.

[LFJ]

Okay, but also type in 1588 and Ji Jike (in Chinese characters) in google and see what these Chinese sites say why 1588 is also given for his birth. There is a gazzette or family chronicle that must state the exact date.

The only results for that on Google are articles written in English. The Chinese ones all have 1602. I searched on Baidu as well, where there are 0 results for the 1588, but several for 1602.

yeah, but the Ji family chornicles say that he went to learn at Shaolin twice. The first time he got lost and wound up in Wangbao where he learned the spear methods and also the Tongbei Quan. People assume he learned the Tongbei Quan and simplified it because the earliest copies of writings on the methods and theories of Ji's Martial arts closely match material also found in Tongbei Quan manuals.

So the "first time" he didn't actually go there? The reason given for why he went to Shaolin at age 20 and why he later had to leave to evade the Qing in the 1630's makes clear sense, and lines up with Li Jiyu and the Changhuxinyimen sect coming out of it. He also had the Tongbi and spear methods by that time. If he made a return, perhaps it was once things were stable in the new Qing dynasty. But it doesn't sound like much would have been going on then. I'll continue looking.

[LFJ]

In all I'm able to find I only come across Ji Jike having gone to Shaolin Monastery once, in the early 1620's until fleeing to evade the Qing in the 30's. Later in the 30's things were getting worse at Shaolin, then it was massacred in 40's. From that time until 1684 the monastery was largely deserted and falling apart. When reconstruction began, Ji Jike had already passed away. Between the 40's and 80's I don't see a reason for Ji Jike to have returned, or anything that came out of it. If he returned after creating Xinyi Liuhequan and people were around, it would have probably survived somewhere in the area, like the material from Li Jiyu's sect which is everywhere around Shaolin now.

[Sal Canzonieri]

In all I'm able to find I only come across Ji Jike having gone to Shaolin Monastery once, in the early 1620's until fleeing to evade the Qing in the 30's. Later in the 30's things were getting worse at Shaolin, then it was massacred in 40's. From that time until 1684 the monastery was largely deserted and falling apart. When reconstruction began, Ji Jike had already passed away. Between the 40's and 80's I don't see a reason for Ji Jike to have returned, or anything that came out of it. If he returned after creating Xinyi Liuhequan and people were around, it would have probably survived somewhere in the area, like the material from Li Jiyu's sect which is everywhere around Shaolin now.

He sent his students later on, from whence the Xinyi Ba was created by their input. His students made friends with the abbot, well documented.

[Sal Canzonieri]

Try this search, it has chinese sources citing 1588:

https://www.google.com/search?source...1588&oq=&gs_l=