Cao Zhongsheng -Cao Style Baguazhang.
Cao Zhongsheng (1875-1949) - was from Cao Jia Viilage, Wu Cheng County, Shandong Province.
As a teen, he moved to Beijing to seek a trade in the capital city. Cao was first apprenticed in a jade store at the age of fifteen. At that time, Cao was weak and in ill health, but started training with a fellow employee, Fu Wenyuan, in an effort to boost his strength and overcome his weakness. Fu was a student of Ma Gui and he introduced his new friend to him.
The two students, Cao Zongsheng and Fu Wenyuan, would go to Ma Gui’s home to learn the art of Baguazhang. Eventually, Yin Fu
met the young Cao and accepted him as a student.
Later in life, the year is unknown, Cao turned to Cao Jia village in Shandong province. He started taking on students. Two of them were Chi Shixin and Cui Yunqing.
Cao led his students to a major martial arts fighting competition in Shandong in 1934, in which his disciple, Chi Shixin, won the gold medal.
In 1936, the Governor of Chahaier Province, Tang Yulin, invited Cao back to Beijing for the purpose of instructing himself and his son in Baguazhang. During this time, Cao accepted more students to include Zhang Dingchen, Zhang Jinchen, and Zhang Shutang. Cao’s student, Governor Tang Yulin, moved to Tianjin in 1938 and Cao accompanied him. While living in Tianjin, Cao accepted Liu Jinggui as a disciple.
Lu wrote a book, Cao Style Baguazhang, in 1942. Cao Zhongsheng died in Tianjin in 1949. His method is known as Cao Style Baguazhang.
Chi Shixin (1882-1974) – was born in Xue Guan Village, Wu Cheng County, Shandong Province in 1882. He and Cui Yunqing became disciples of Cao Zhongsheng in Cao Jia Village in Shandong, probably in the 1910’s. Chi gained a high level of skill in Cao’s methods and went on to represent his school in the 1934 Open Shandong Provincial Martial Arts Tournament..
This tournament was to test the fighting skills of martial artists in Shandong Province and Chi Shixin won the Gold Medal.
He went on to teach and travel many areas of Shandong and Hebei Provinces. He died on New Years Day in 1974 at the age of 92. Identified disciples of Chi Shixin are Zhang Lie
and Chen Xiaoping-
Liu Jinggui – was a disciple of Cao Zhongsheng. When Cao moved to Tianjin in 1938 he took Liu Jinggui as a student. Liu would later write and published a book on Cao’s Bagua Zhang in 1942 called Cao Style Baguazhang. No additional information.
Cui Yunqing – was a disciple of Cao Zhongsheng. When Cao moved back to his native Shandong province from Beijing, Chi Shixin and Cui Yunqing started their training with him. No additional information. Tang Yulin –Govenor of Chahier Province under the rule of the Guomindang. Cao Zhongsheng taught both Tang Yulin and his son in 1936. He later traveled with Cao to Tianjin. Zhang Dingchen – was a disciple of Cao Zhongsheng. In 1936, Cao moved back to Beijing from the Shandong province with the purpose of teaching the Governor of Chahaier Province, Tang Yulin and his son. During that time, he also took on several other students to include Zhang Dingchen.
Zhang Jinchen (1900-1983) – was a disciple of Cao Zhongsheng.
In 1936, Cao moved back to Beijing from the Shandong province with the purpose of teaching the Governor of Chahaier Province, Tang Yulin and his son.
During that time, he also took on several other students to include Zhang Jinchen.
This branch of Yin Style Baguazhang survived and is still taught in Beijing by Zhang Jinchen’s disciples, He Puren and Li Wenzhang Zhang li and in the United States of America by Chen Xiaoping & Novell G. Bell
Chen Xiao Ping with his disciple Novell G Bell after he defeated a professional Beijing China Sanda fighter at the 2001 New century Kwong Kee cup New York International Kung Fu Fighting challenge.
