An Interview on the Expulsion of Chang Zhilang（常志朗）in Yiquan History
——— Professor Liu Zheng Discloses for the First Time the Origins of
the Dispute Between Li Jianyu（李见宇） and Wang Yufang（王玉芳）
Tanaka Koufu（田耕夫）
Editor’s Note: As a neighbor of Grandmaster Wang Xiangzhai (王芗斋), Chang Zhilang—a sweet-talking, handsome teenager—was deeply favored by the Grandmaster, who even considered selecting him as a future grandson-in-law. Chang could have become a dazzling third-generation Yiquan master. However, driven by insidious motives alongside his mother, he thoroughly enraged Wang Xiangzhai over trivial matters, further infuriating his mentor, Master Li Jianyu. Consequently, the founder of Yiquan and his prized disciple, Master Li Jianyu, joined forces to officially expel Chang Zhilang from the Yiquan lineage. Far from showing remorse, Chang went on to blackmail Wang Xiangzhai’s family—particularly Ms. Wang Yufang—and posed as a closed-door disciple of Wang Xiangzhai, swindling people far and wide. Now, let us follow the objective and composed historical narrative of Professor Liu Zheng—a second-generation disciple of Wang Xiangzhai, lineage successor to Master Li Jianyu, and renowned Chinese-American historian—to uncover the truth and examine this authentic period of history.
Beyond academia, Professor Liu Zheng has practiced martial arts since childhood, studying under famous masters. He is an authentic third-generation lineage successor of Yiquan and an authentic eleventh-generation lineage successor of Chen-style Taijiquan.
Preface
Recently, Professor Liu Zheng(刘正)’s series of monographs and academic papers on Yiquan history were officially published overseas and released across major digital platforms in China, sparking widespread attention and continuous discussion within global martial arts and historical communities.
The series of articles published on WeChat, as is widely known, created a huge sensation and generated high hit rates early on. It was common for a single article to quickly exceed 10,000 views, with related discussion threads garnering over 100,000 views.
Today, I am visiting my mentor, Professor Liu Zheng—a internationally renowned Chinese-American historian, scholar of Confucian classics, paleographer, antique authentication expert, as well as an authentic third-generation Yiquan successor and eleventh-generation Chen-style Taijiquan successor—to conduct a live, on-site interview regarding Chang Zhilang’s lineage, rank, and related topics.
Because my Chinese writing skills are quite limited, every bylined article I publish on WeChat is first drafted in English and then translated into Chinese via Google Translate before publication. For this reason, the original audio recording of this interview will not be released, as my conversation with Professor Liu Zheng involved extensive code-switching between English and Japanese.
Chapter 1
[Tian Gengfu]: Hello, Professor Liu. To start, could you please introduce the development and current state of Yiquan in the United States?
[Professor Liu Zheng]: Hello, Xiao Tian. Broadly speaking, the widespread dissemination of Yiquan in the U.S. didn’t officially begin until around 1981 to 1983. This was primarily driven by the couple You Pengxi and Ouyang Min, who officially immigrated to the United States and brought Yiquan with them. Since they resided in California for a long time, California remains the primary stronghold for Yiquan in the U.S. to this day.
Currently, four lineage systems of Yiquan coexist in California:
The Direct Lineage of You Pengxi（尤彭熙） and Ouyang Min（欧阳敏）: Their iconic representative disciple is Huang Dehui (黄德辉). Senior Brother Huang is a good friend of mine; we have kept in touch ever since I arrived in the United States over a decade ago. Two years ago, he decided to return to China for retirement, leaving the lineage in California to several of his junior fellow disciples and his son. Consequently, this branch remains widely practiced in California—especially around San Francisco and Los Angeles—boasting the largest number of students and disciples.
The Lineage of Uncle Han Sihuang（韩嗣煌）: He was the true last disciple (the final student accepted by a master) accepted by Grandmaster Wang Xiangzhai in his late years. So many people in China are still squabbling over the title of “the true last disciple”—claims by Wang Xuanjie, Chang Zhilang, and others are absolute nonsense. The only person whose the true last disciple under Wang Xiangzhai was formalized through an official ceremony, recognized, and witnessed by key figures across the martial arts and Yiquan communities is Uncle Han Sihuang. Both my master, Li Jianyu, and my aunt, Wang Yufang, were present to witness it.
To this day, many people in China know nothing about him and have never even heard his name. Uncle Han Sihuang’s eldest son, Senior Brother Han Fei（韩飞）, immigrated to the U.S. even earlier than I did and has lived in California for many years. We have a great relationship and visit each other often.
Think about it: Chang Zhilang spent two or three decades in Hong Kong (where he founded a “Hong Kong Dachengquan Association” centered around his medical patients), and Wang Xuanjie established a “National Research Association for Wang Xiangzhai’s Dachengquan” focused on his own disciples and students. Yet, did either of them ever receive such genuine honor or recognition?! The broader community simply ignored them. The disciples of “Chang the Kid” and “Wang the Kid” scrambled to claim their teachers were “Wang Xiangzhai’s the true last disciple,” which deeply angered all authentic third-generation successors of Yiquan at home and abroad! What we practice is Yiquan, not Dachengquan! Our Grandmaster Wang Xiangzhai did briefly instruct “Chang the Kid”（常志朗） and “Wang the Kid” （王选杰）in person, but that was a grandmaster teaching his disciples’ students (grand-disciples). This is our consensus.
The Lineage of Senior Brother Wang Yu（王禹）: He is Grandmaster Wang Xiangzhai’s eldest grandson. He formally studied under Li Jianyu, making him both a lineage successor to Master Li Jianyu and my fellow senior disciple. He lives in California, where he primarily teaches Master Li Jianyu’s Shenyi Yangsheng Quan (神意养生拳).
The Lineage of My Good Brother, Mr. He Rong（贺荣）: He has lived in California for a long time and served as the Vice President of my senior brother Yao Chengguang（姚承光）'s Zongxun Martial Arts Hall（宗勋武馆） for many years. He personally funded coaches from the hall to study Muay Thai abroad. In areas like Los Angeles and San Francisco, he propagates the Yiquan lineage of Yao Zongxun（姚宗勋）. Thus, we can say that four distinct lineage systems coexist in California alone.
The fifth lineage system is my own. My home is in Texas, so for the past decade or so, I have been teaching authentic Chen-style Taijiquan（陈氏太极拳） and authentic Yiquan，from the Jiang Zhengkun（姜正坤） and Li Jianyu branches right here in Texas, along with Song-style Xingyiquan（宋氏形意拳）.
As authentic third-generation successors of Yiquan, we represent these five existing lineages in the United States. Every one of us has our names carved on the Grandmaster’s monument, confirming our direct and authentic Yiquan heritage.
Apart from these, there are scattered smaller branches across various parts of the U.S.—some practicing Yiquan, others Dachengquan—with generational ranks ranging from the fourth to the sixth, or even the seventh generation. However, these individuals mostly teach within small local circles, focusing primarily on Yangsheng Zhuang (养生桩，A type of standing Qigong similar to yoga) and Tui Shou (推手，A technique similar to Taiji pushing hands). In terms of martial skill, reputation, and overall influence, they simply cannot be compared with the five major lineages mentioned above.
Chapter 2
[Tian Gengfu]: Professor Liu, let us get back to our main topic. Could you please introduce Chang Zhilang first?
[Professor Liu Zheng]: I only learned Chang Zhilang’s name for the first time in 1988, when I began studying Yiquan under Master Li Jianyu. Prior to that, I had absolutely no idea who he was—I want to make that clear first.
During the eight years from 1988 to 1996—the period when I studied Yiquan under Master Li Jianyu and officially became his indoor disciple—I earned his deep trust. Even when he was teaching overseas, I made special trips to the United States and France to meet with him. Before his passing, Master Li Jianyu explicitly stated to me his entire roster of lineage successors and disciples.
Now, some people claim they didn’t know about the list of disciples I publicly released, or assert that they were early disciples of Master Li Jianyu, and so on. All these deceptive lies are complete nonsense. In his telephone deathbed instructions to me, Master Li Jianyu explicitly said: “My official disciples fall into two categories: First are those whose names appear on Grandmaster Wang Xiangzhai’s memorial stele—these are all my lineage disciples. For anyone whose name is not on the stele, they must possess a formal apprenticeship card (Baishi Tie) to be recognized.” As for anyone without either, he told me directly: “They are merely ordinary students.” Whether to acknowledge them or not was up to me.
Having been given this bottom line by Master Li Jianyu, I naturally follow it strictly. That is why the List of Master Li Jianyu’s Indoor Disciples that I publicly published is primarily based on the names carved on the Grandmaster’s stele. For those outside the stele list—such as Senior Brother Su Youming（苏有明）, whose name isn’t on the stele—I know him personally and have verified his original apprenticeship card, so of course I included him. That is my baseline.
To put it plainly, Master Li Jianyu treated me as his chief disciple. Naturally, I must act in a way that gives him peace of mind. How could I possibly let standards slide? Anyone can come along and say, “I am senior to you; I was studying with Master Li Jianyu before you even entered the door,” and so on. Whether you studied with him or not, I don’t know—you know best whether you were a formal disciple or just a student. But if you claim to be a formal disciple and lineage successor, please produce your apprenticeship card. Without it, I will not recognize you at all.
As for Shi Mo（石墨）, who preaches that “Shenyi Foolish Boxing（神意忽悠拳）,” he was merely a fan who met my master once through the introduction of Master Li Jianyu’s second daughter, Eldest Sister Li Zhengwei（李政伟）! Beyond that, he is nothing. After all, Sister Li Zhengwei isn’t Wang Yufang, nor does she practice Yiquan.
Now, regarding Chang Zhilang: he was one of the three foundational disciples accepted by my master, Li Jianyu, in 1956.
Some people insist on distorting facts and making up stories, claiming Wang Xiangzhai said things like, “You, Li Jianyu, can’t fight, so I need to find a capable fighter to be your disciple so others won’t bully you,” and so forth. This is pure nonsense; no such event ever occurred. Grandmaster Wang Xiangzhai introduced three people to become his disciples at the same time: the eldest was Chang Zhilang, followed by Liu Zigeng（刘子庚）and Luo Yaoxi（罗耀西）. Grandmaster Wang Xiangzhai acted as the introducer for all three fellow disciples. In each case, their parents knew Wang Xiangzhai and brought their sons to request initiation under Wang Xiangzhai. Wang Xiangzhai replied, “I am no longer accepting disciples, but my disciples can accept disciples.” That was how he introduced them under Master Li Jianyu’s door.
There are also rumors claiming that “14-year-old Chang Zhilang knocked down Li Jianyu,” and so on. If he was really that formidable, why was it that when I made a point of waiting two days for him in Hong Kong during a layover in 2014 and publicly challenged him to a match, he didn’t even dare to show up?!
As everyone can see in the existing footage, Master Li Jianyu was defeated during push hands (推手) by Senior Uncle Yao Zongxun, Senior Uncle Wang Bankui（王斌奎）, Senior Brother Yao Chengguang, and Senior Brother Yao Chengrong（姚承荣）. These videos are currently interpreted and spun by certain people as “proof” that a 14-year-old Chang Zhilang knocked down Li Jianyu. Ha! Let me ask: if you think you are tougher than my master, who among you dares to do push hands with Yao Zongxun, Wang Bankui, Yao Chengguang, or Yao Chengrong to see what happens?! Today, Yao Zongxun, Wang Bankui, and Yao Chengguang have all passed away, but Yao Chengrong is still alive. If you’re not convinced, go find Yao Chengrong and do push hands with him to see the outcome. Do you, Li Rongyu（李荣玉）, dare to give it a try?! Don’t just put on a black suit and brag all day while lacking the nerve to face Yao Chengrong. I am waiting in the United States anytime for you to come slap me, challenge my school, seek revenge, or take my life.
Master Li Jianyu possessed exceptional martial skill, and his power generation (发力) was the closest to Wang Xiangzhai’s. Moreover, he was short in stature, Hui ethnic Chinese, and struck with ferocious intensity. When I learned boxing from him, I took plenty of hits—he would send me flying right in the middle of talking. Since ancient times, there has been a basic rule of thumb in the martial arts world: beware of short fighters and Hui fighters, as they are generally not to be messed with. Almost all of them strike with ruthless determination and fierce hands. To be completely honest, Master Li Jianyu struck with extreme ferocity; he was by no means a gentle or lenient figure. He wasn’t just the kindly, amiable little old man you saw on the surface. Having spent so many years with him, I know him all too well.
Chapter 3
[Tian Gengfu]: It seems Master Li was certainly not someone whose contributions could be written off as easily as some claim. Professor Liu, after carefully reading your book An Academic Investigation into the Legends and Secrets of Yiquan History (《意拳史传说和秘闻的学术考察》), I would love to hear more about the history between Wang Xiangzhai, Master Li, and Chang Zhilang.
[Professor Liu Zheng]: Before 1949, Master Li Jianyu’s family owned over 70 rooms across Beijing—located around Xidan area, Niujie area, and Xuanwumen area. Similarly, Wang Xiangzhai owned four properties spread between Beijing and Tianjin. So the claim that Wang Xiangzhai lived continuously in Dongbeiyuan（东北园）Road, Liulichang（琉璃厂）area is complete fiction. Like Li Jianyu, he rented out his properties to generate income for his livelihood.
Only Senior Uncle Yao Zongxun was truly selfless: his family owned several houses, but he dedicated one entirely as a martial arts hall at the cost of his own financial interests. Senior Uncle Yao Zongxun lost his parents early, leaving him several properties in Beijing, but because of his deep love for martial arts and Yiquan, he offered one to Wang Xiangzhai to use as a school. Meanwhile, Wang Xiangzhai owned properties himself, yet couldn’t bear to use them for a school, preferring to rent them out for profit. He then rented a modest place elsewhere to live. Just like many people in Beijing today, right? They rent in outlying areas while leasing out city-center properties for a handsome income—it was pure practicality. Many people simply do not know or understand the fact that Wang Xiangzhai owned multiple properties in Beijing. My master Li Jianyu’s family had over 70 rooms; why didn’t he set aside a room or two for a martial arts hall?! So I can only say that the short-stature Master Li Jianyu was, as the Japanese say, sly and calculating boy(狡猾狡猾滴干活), right? I saw right through him: he was selfish and loved taking small advantages.
When I was in college, a classmate of mine named Ms. Cheng(程女士) turned out to be Wang Xiangzhai’s neighbor. To this day, even after retiring, she still lives there, waiting for the old property to be demolished and redeveloped. The exact location is Dongbeiyuan Road, Liulichang aera, though I cannot reveal the specific house number out of concern that certain ruffians might go harass her family. Back in my college days, I visited her home many times. After I entered the Yiquan lineage, we had even more to talk about. Her parents even introduced me to several former staff members at the local Dongbeiyuan Neighborhood Committee—eyewitnesses who dealt with Chang’s mother blocking the doorway, creating scenes, and hurling insults. I have recorded all accounts from the key witnesses of these historic events.
This classmate and I are now around 64 or 65 years old. Her parents have passed away, and the historical witnesses from the neighborhood committee I interviewed back then have also passed one by one. But back in the 1980s and 1990s, I interviewed them on multiple occasions, learning detailed particulars about Wang Xiangzhai’s neighbors, who else studied under him, his daily routine, and his relationship with the neighborhood. I have a very clear picture of all of it, including the full context surrounding his move out of Dongbeiyuan. I have already discussed this issue in Master Li Jianyu on Yiquan. For now, I am saving face for both sides and prefer not to dwell on it further. Last year, several chapters I wrote were withheld and removed by the Martial Arts Association and Senior Brother Chengguang, who advised me: “Do not escalate matters or bring trouble to innocent people; state the point and leave it at that.”
Here, I will reveal just a bit more inside information: Wang Xiangzhai had actually considered taking Chang Zhilang as a live-in grandson-in-law for one of his granddaughters! But after the commotion caused by Chang’s mother, that idea was completely discarded!
Think about it logically: would a neighbor really send their adolescent child to live and eat at an old neighbor’s house for nine years straight?! And claim he served as some kind of “liaison guardian between the school and parents”? Wang Xiangzhai already had a household full of children and grandchildren living there, and space in his home was constantly tight. How could he possibly host a neighbor’s teenage boy in his home? Furthermore, after 1949, under the political environment and historical background of the time, Wang Xiangzhai was not permitted to teach children or young teens martial arts, nor would society have allowed a teenage boy to live with an elderly neighbor like that. The subsequent scene with Chang’s mother causing a public disturbance at the door was a reaction—a fallout from that entire situation.
Many people do not realize what Wang Xiangzhai’s family actually went through after 1949, such as what I mentioned regarding “Wang Xiangzhai’s entire family being sent to Xinjiang for nearly two years of labor reform.” Officially, it was framed as “decentralized labor and supporting healthcare construction in Xinjiang.” But Master Li Jianyu told me explicitly: “That was labor reform! Going to Xinjiang meant participating in daily labor reform—it was by no means mere decentralization or aid construction. Nominally, Wang Xiangzhai was dispatched to assist local healthcare massage, but in reality, he was banished there for labor reform. Wang Yufang’s entire family went along as well, which had a major impact on her family.”
Why do some people refuse to acknowledge this? Because admitting this fact completely shatters the fabricated narrative they spent so long peddling—that “Chang Zhilang ate, slept, studied boxing, and stood in stances (Zhan Zhuang) at Wang Xiangzhai’s home for nine years.” This is the primary reason Li Rongyu’s group viciously attacks me. As for claims of eating and living at Wang Xiangzhai’s house like a leech on a wealthy family—under the strict rationing of oil tickets, grain coupons, and household registration (Hukou) controls of that era, how could a neighbor send a teenage child to live at an old man’s home? From the local neighborhood committee to the police station and society at large, strict oversight was everywhere; such an arrangement would never have been permitted. Anyone with a brain understands this is an impossible myth. All I can say is that those who invent such stories will resort to any means to serve their personal agendas.
To claim things like “eating and living alongside the Grandmaster for nine full years, becoming the closed-door disciple dearest to Wang Xiangzhai in his late years”—if he truly “ate and lived alongside the Grandmaster,” then it is hardly surprising that Chang’s mother blocked the door and screamed about someone sleeping with her son. Afterwards, Chang Zhilang and his circle continued to leverage this leverage (duan’er) over the founder’s legacy, boldly touting themselves as authentic second-generation closed-door disciples. They coerced Wang Yufang into going along with their script, threatening that failure to comply would ruin her father’s reputation.
In reality, Chang Zhilang lived and studied at the founder’s house for less than three weeks before running back home. This triggered a cascade of unpleasant friction. I have presented the narrative and my conclusions in Master Li Jianyu on Yiquan (specifically, that I offer no definitive verdict on certain details, as they cannot be proven or disproven, but simply present an objective historical account). Yet today, a select few continue to ceaselessly spin tall tales for their own profit—spouting nonsense about “studying under the Grandmaster for 9 years” or “being taken as the Grandmaster’s closed-door disciple.” Beyond their empty boasts, they have failed to produce a single piece of hard physical evidence or witness testimony to support their claims!
In fact, as everyone can see, his name appears neither on the Grandmaster’s memorial stele nor on the 1959 roster of Yiquan disciples. This means that our entire Yiquan lineage officially and completely expelled Chang Zhilang.
Chapter 4
[Tian Gengfu]: I have come across materials and video footage claiming that Grandmaster Wang’s daughter, Ms. Wang Yufang, “acknowledged Chang Zhilang as her fellow junior disciple and the best in combat (技击,A form of freestyle combat technique).” What was that actually about?
[Professor Liu Zheng]: Aunt Wang Yufang was naturally fond of martial arts from a young age, which left the martial arts grandmaster Wang Xiangzhai quite helpless and displeased. The old gentleman did not want the women in his family to get involved in the martial arts world. He strictly commanded his wife and daughters not to meddle or comment on his martial arts career, demanding they behave properly and adhere to traditional women’s virtues.
(Looking back at the absurd claims fabricated by Li Rongyu—such as “Wang Xiangzhai’s wife reprimanded Wang Xiangzhai” or “Wang Xiangzhai’s wife insisted on accepting Chang Zhilang as a disciple”—it is truly incredible what people can make up! It reaches a level of absolute shamelesness!)
In particular, when Aunt Wang Yufang learned wrestling under Senior Uncle Bu Enpu, Wang Xiangzhai was so enraged that he smashed a cup, picked up a small folding stool (马扎，A small folding chair), and hurled it right at her head. Wang Yufang blocked it with her hands, and eventually Wang Xiangzhai had no choice but to accept reality. Just look at how Li Rongyu exaggerates things in his claims.
Over the years, I noticed that the relationship between Aunt Wang Yufang and Master Li Jianyu fluctuated between good and bad. When things were good, he would tell me with deep emotion: “Your aunt hasn’t had an easy life. She really knows how to hold things together. Truth be told, she often cleaned up the messes and swept up the trash for the old man.” But when things were bad, he would repeatedly curse in front of me: “Wang Yufang is truly something else. Whenever she receives favors or money from someone, she goes out and talks complete nonsense. Otherwise, why would the old man have slapped her so hard across the face back in the day?”
I even heard them arguing heatedly over the phone about Chang Zhilang at his home on more than one occasion, and their relationship became extremely tense at times. In short, whenever Wang Yufang interacted with Chang Zhilang, Master Li Jianyu would instantly get furious! He would closely monitor her every word and move, then call her up, launching a whole new round of shouting matches. I was dragged into it several times myself.
The core of their dispute centered on the following two points:
First, Wang Yufang once claimed: “Among my father’s disciples, Zhilang was the best in combat.”
Master Li Jianyu berated her over the phone: “Where does that leave Zhao Daoxin? Where does that leave Yao Zongxun? Where does that leave Wang Bankui? Does Chang even have a track record in combat?! Does your father know you’re talking like this?!”
Aunt Wang Yufang replied: “I didn’t mean it literally—I was just being polite and giving him face to smooth things over. Don’t take it to heart. Besides, when it comes to whose kung fu is higher or lower, who among you doesn’t know where everyone stands? Is that something decided by my words?!” My impression at the time was that my aunt was truly a master of public relations! I was so exasperated that I was left speechless.
Back when Aunt Wang Yufang’s entire family returned to Beijing from Xinjiang along with Wang Xiangzhai, Wang Xiangzhai’s household registration (户籍，A resident registration system) and job were quickly arranged, but resolving the household registration and employment for Wang Yufang’s family was not nearly as easy. Out of necessity, she accepted an offer from Hu Yaozhen to serve as a director at the Qigong Research Association. This infuriated Wang Xiangzhai so much that he slapped her hard across the face several times in front of all his children. Wang Xiangzhai never recognized or approved of the term “Qigong.” But when Hu Yaozhen promised to help resolve her family’s Beijing household registration and employment, Aunt Wang Yufang accepted the appointment first. I have nothing to say about this—none of us should judge from a position of comfort!
Second, Wang Yufang once claimed: “Both Chang Zhilang and Wang Xuanjie were my father’s students. Back then, we called them ‘Chang the Kid’ （常小孩）and ‘Wang the Kid（王小孩）.’ My father passed the real essence to these two kids.”
Master Li Jianyu berated her sharply over the phone: “They stayed at your house for just a few days and created a whole mess of trouble. Did they treat the old gentleman right?! Besides, the little bit he learned isn’t worth a drop of urine compared to what the old man had! Have those of us who followed him and studied for decades been studying for nothing?! You can’t just talk nonsense like this!”
Aunt Wang Yufang replied: “I am just an old woman. Whatever people ask me to say, I say it. I have a whole family waiting to be fed. If I don’t go along with what they say, and they end up ruining my father’s reputation, how does that benefit you? Don’t judge when you don’t have to carry my burden.”
Evidently, someone was continuing behind the scenes to blackmail her with the threat of going public about “Chang’s mother blocking the door and screaming Wang Xiangzhai about sodomized his son when her son slept with Wang Xiangzhai.”
I present these two incidents here—Master Li Jianyu’s questioning and Aunt Wang Yufang’s response—without any embellishment, providing them as they occurred so that readers can judge for themselves. As I have said before, I have no definitive answers to this matter. I feel exhausted and helpless!
A few days ago, during a telephone conversation with a third-generation combat-style Yiquan master in Beijing—who is also a senior fellow disciple of mine—I was relieved to learn that Aunt Wang Yufang’s children unanimously agree: “Chang Zhilang is a third-generation disciple of ours, and nothing more than that (i.e., he was definitely not Wang Xiangzhai’s the last disciple).” This shows that Aunt Wang Yufang’s family and the many members of Wang Xiangzhai’s grandchildren’s generation understand the actual facts very clearly!