Translated from Chinese by Andrzej Kalisz
This year is 100 anniversary of our maternal grandfather, great master of Chinese wushu - Wang Xiangzhai. He committed his life to the martial art, making great contribution to research and development of Chinese wushu, and getting paramount results. Unfortunately he passed away years ago. And the period of 10 years turmoil caused extremely unfavorable conditions for the research and development of yiquan. But thanks to efforts of Yao Zongxun, Wang Yufang and others, yiquan is becoming popular now.
In 1930s quite many western boxers and Japanese judokas challenged Wang
Xiangzhai and were defeated by him. Later he spent several years, training his best students, with plan of going abroad and proving value of Chinese wushu in many countries.
Unfortunately after 1937, under Japanese occupation he was not able to fulfill this plan. He regretted this all his life. In his last years he used to say: "Not many people know of yiquan yet, but in several tens of years, it will have great influence in China and abroad". He was right. Results of many contemporary researches are similar to Wang ideas long time ago. We can say that China outdistanced the world.
As a child I was growing by my grandfather's side. When I was just 3 - 4 years old I used going to Sun Yatsen park (Zhongshan Gongyuan) together with him. He was walking fast, so for me it was always running. We seldom visited shops, but the stalls with typical Beijing snacks were a point of our everyday schedule. Grandpa liked to have them at breakfast. He also liked eel, mutton from Mongolian hot pot, noodle soup. He used to eat a lot. Sometimes we went to antique shops. About 9 or 10 a.m. we came out from the park and went to Zhubaoshi or Dazhalan area. Grandpa had a collection of old calligraphies, paintings and seals. He was quite an expert. His ability of appreciating and estimating seals was great.
Many specialists recognized this. I still have a seal which he used. It is very precious to me.
He was generous and righteous, often helping others. At the same time he had quite fierce temper and students were afraid of him. But as we remember him, he was a very nice old man. He gave us a lot of love. Once he bought some peanuts, spill them on the table and started eating them. I took an empty box and started putting the peanuts into it, one by one.
Soon there was no peanut left on the table. Grandpa said: "Leave some for grandpa". I started crying and spill the peanuts on the floor. But grandpa mildly said: "O.K., grandpa will not eat your peanuts". He squatted and started putting the peanuts back to the box, until I stopped crying.
Once some friend came to visit him. But grandpa was out. I opened door and asked the guest inside, but he didn't went in. I asked about his name and reason for coming. Before he
left, I said: "Have a good walk, good bye". Then I closed door. This man praised me to my grandpa, saying that he had a really clever small grandson. Grandpa was delighted and bought me a lot of sweets. He often used to tell people about it, and was very happy doing so.
For our grandpa martial art was most important, and he was great at this. But in everyday life he didn't manage too well. Once, when I was 3 y.o., I went with my grandma to Tianjin to visit my mum. Grandpa went with us to the railway station. Grandma was half hugging me, half leading, and was not able to carry anything. So grandpa, carrying a big bundle on his back went on the train and searched for a sitting place for us. The train took off with grandpa, who only came to see us off, and me and grandma stayed at the station instead.
Grandpa got off at Fengtai station, and with the big bundle, walking, came back to Yongdingmen. Annoyed grandma said only: "There is no use of you, old muddlehead".
When grandpa was teaching in Sun Yatsen's park, it was mainly zhan zhuang, which was practiced by people with chronic illnesses. But sometimes he started some practice too.
His eyes had sharp expression, his body was coordinated, moving harmoniously, with great agility. He was really moving like a fierce tiger, like coiling dragon, with power which could move mountains. And when not moving, he was like a delicate scholar, like a shy virgin, full of calm and dignity. He really achieved the great level about which he was writing in his works.
On evenings students came to our home to practice. Most of them were those who learned fighting. They practiced zhan zhuang, shi li, tui shou, fighting. Grandpa put a table and a few chairs in the courtyard, and made tea, once and again giving some instructions.
Sometimes all students stood around him listening to his explanation of the principles and the essence of yiquan. Unfortunately at that time I was too small to learn yiquan from my
grandfather. But I will always remember how he looked when he practiced.
In 1962 grandma died. Grandpa was extremely sad. And he was really unable to take care of himself. So the chief of Hebei Province Chinese Medicine Institute invited him to Baoding and offered him a job. Also a secretary was appointed to help grandpa with editing his works on yiquan and zhan zhuang, and to take care of everyday matters.
Unfortunately, there were many reasons, which caused grandpa's heavy illness. We took him to us, taking care of him. We had chance to receive some instruction from grandpa.
But because we were not able to appreciate the deepness of yiquan, we were not too serious in the study and practice, and we didn't benefit too much. Grandpa was very sad because of this.
When I think about this, I really regret that I wasn't able to use such an opportunity. We, two brothers were 14 and 16 y.o. at that time. When grandpa was feeling better, he was giving us lessons. One afternoon we did zhan zhuang, and then we started tui shou. We were never able to make it properly. Because we heard that grandpa was "making people fly away", we asked:
"Grandpa, why we are not able to do this?". Grandpa was sitting on a couch, he moved his
body slightly, raised his right arm, with slightly bent wrist and outstretched fingers, and told me to push his arm. Seeing his thin body, and knowing that he was weak because of illness, I didn't dare use too much force. Grandpa smiled and said: 'Stupid child, use more power, don't be afraid". I started pushing stronger, but I wasn't able to move his arm. Then I suddenly issued my all power. I felt as if I was in a lift which suddenly moved. My body raised and flied backward, hitting wall. Then I fell down on the floor. Granpa laughed. I and my younger brother were astounded. Old and sick grandpa had such tremendous power! Sitting on the floor, I started laughing too. Mum came from the kitchen to see what happened. Seeing happy grandpa, she shed a few happy tears. Grandpa probably felt that he was still full of energy, that he could recover. Then brother wanted to try, and result was of course the same.
Granpa had a very curious way of taking medicine. First he took some water into his mouth, and the put the medicine there. He did a sudden movement with his body forward, and at the same time he swallowed the medicine. Who would expect that his life will end in such a way. I brought the water and medicine for him. It was cerebral hemorrhage. Grandpa fell on my right shoulder. We were broken-hearted. Our mother was barely alive, crying all the time.
Friends and students prepared celebration, remembering Wang Xiangzhai's great contribution to the development of Chinese wushu, the great reform he did, the contribution to the cause of improvement of people's health.
Commemorating Wang Xiangzhai's 100 anniversary we are filled with deep feeling.
We will work to do what he was not able to do. Chinese wushu will for sure find its place among all world's martial arts. And yiquan for sure will flourish.
WEI YUZHU