The 'Knight' of Xinyi - A potted biography of Dai Kui

by Dong Zhenglong, head of the Zhenglong Wuguan in Yuci city, Shanxi (translated by Jon Nicklin)

Dai style xinyiquan was founded by Dai Longbang of Qi county in Shanxi, who lived during the late Ming and early Qing dynasty. His grandfather, Dai Guangqi, became a jinshi (passed the highest imperial examinations) and long held a post as a official in China's border areas.

In his youth, he patrolled the borders of Shaanxi and Gansu. Later on in life, he was transferred to China's southern border. Dai Guangqi was well versed in both the civil and martial arts. The Wanli emperor praised him as an 'all-round talent' (wenwu quancai), a real scholar and a gentleman. His son, Dai Yunchang, inherited his father's aptitude in both spheres, and was a local county magistrate of the 7th rank (NB. 1st rank was highest, officials directly under the Emperor. 9th rank was the lowest). He later withdrew from the civil service and became a businessman.

Dai Yunchang's son, Dai Longbang was an advocate for the restoration of the Ming dynasty, and carried on his family's tradition of "Neither becoming a Qing dynasty official, nor doing things for the Qing". He was fast friends with the famous scholar Fu Shan, and organized a secret organization called 'Dan Feng Ge' [Flaming Maple Pavilion] which aimed to restore the Ming and had close connections with the anti Qing society 'Shui Hui Tu' (Water-colour Painting) in the South of China.

Dai Longbang had practiced martial arts since childhood, receiving teaching in the family art, Qi style boxing (Qi shi quan xie), and was also adept at Daoist dantian neigongi. Like his grandfather, he was talented at both the civil and martial arts and was dedicated to restoring the Ming. He forged connections with many far-sighted men of the time and started up a caravan escort agency in Lushan county in Henan.

Dai Longbang and his children (first son Dai Wenliang, second son Dai Wenxun and his daughter Dai Jinfeng) were all outstanding masters of martial arts. Dai Longbang, Jin Shikui, Ma Xueli, Li Zheng and Niu Xixian were collectively known as the '5 tigers of the central plains' and were famed both sides of the Yangtze. Dai Longbang's second son, Dai Wenxun, was famed in the martial arts community for 'defeating the iron-headed monk of Shaolin temple' and 'flying the flag past Cangzhou' (NB.Bodyguard agencies usually flew flags with the name of the agency on the caravan they were guarding. There is a famous saying in Chinese martial arts circles that no caravan-guarding agency would fly their flag while passing Cangzhou, for fear of the Baji and Pigua masters there). All over China, wherever the flag of Dai's bodyguard agency was seen, none would dare attack.

Once, the Dai's mistakenly saved one of the Emperor's caravans from attack, and Longbang was rewarded by the Emperor with a yellow robe and offered the post of provincial commander. Dai Longbang refused and returned to Qi county with his family. Back in Qi county, he lived a secluded existence, researching xinyiquan. With his writing of the 'Liuhe Xinyiquan Pu' (The 6-harmonies xinyiquan manual) in the 15th year of Qianlong's reign, Xinyiquan was perfected, becoming the secret art of the Dai family. The only outsider to learn the art was Li Laoneng from Shen county in Hebei. Dai Wenxun taught his son Dai Wuchang, his daughter Dai Hua-nu and his nephew Dai Liangdong. Dai Liangdong in turn taught his son Dai Kui. Dai Kui then taught the art to outsiders.

Dai style xinyi is also called 'Liu he xinyiquan' (6-harmonies xinyiquan). Among locals it is just called Yiquan ('Intention boxing', exactly same characters as Wang Xiangzhai's art). Dai style xinyi mostly focuses on training neigong whilst also training the external. As soon as one part moves, the whole body moves (yi dong ju dong), its punches are like the wind. "Rise like an awakening dragon to the sky, fall like a thunderbolt striking the ground" (qi ru zhe long sheng tian, luoi ru pili ji di). It is an extremely effective fighting art, the more one practices it, the more one appreciates the wonders within.

In breaking with his family's tradition and teaching the art to outsiders, ensuring that Dai style xinyi was not lost to future generations, Dai Kui's contribution was invaluable. While Dai Kui was extremely strict with his tudi (disciples), his teaching was patient and systematic, and he adapted it to suit his students' abilities. Because of this, his students were from various classes. His teachings are carved into our hearts and flesh before our eyes. The relationship between teacher and student is often closer than that between father and son, our nostalgia is hard to express.

Dai Kui was indifferent to fame and fortune and detested the oppression of commoners by the greedy, scheming Mandarins. He often came to the aid of the needy and hungry and loathed the local gentry. He enjoyed helping people, and it was his acts of righteous justice that led to him being called a 'knight-errant of Xinyi'[note]. He was born in 1874 and died at the age of 77 in 1951 after a period of illness in Xiaoyi village, Qi county. Even though he has passed away, his spirit of chivalry will live on eternally in our hearts.

Although Dai Kui's martial arts prowess was known all through the north of China, in person he was very approachable. He did not fawn upon those with money and power, but rather liked to travel among the mountains and rivers, wandering by the simple temples and huts in the countryside, which gave rise to another nickname, 'leisurely immortal of the MA world' (wulin san xian).

Dai Kui started to make his mark on the martial arts community in 1890 when he went to Qinzhou in Shanxi to do business. The merchants of Qinzhou were often harassed by local gangs. Dai dealt with the gangs, to the point that they would do just as he said. After doing business for 2 years in Qinzhou, Dai was introduced to work as a security guard for a bank in Baotou, where he continued to display his skills. Many people came to learn from him, and soon Dai had many students in Baotou.

One year, there was a mule and horse expo, where the local magistrate had set up a Leitai, stating that whoever could last 100 days would be declared the champion. The leitai itself was high off the ground with colored flags fluttering in the wind, and surrounded by people, making a lively scene. What drew the observer's eye the most were the two couplets written either side of the leitai. The top one read 'a master without equal in China' while the lower read 'frightening heroes and angering bulls'. Any number of brave men were eager to challenge the 'ringmaster' of the leitai. However, the 99th day came and still no-one had managed to defeat the host. Everyone was hoping that some master would come and win some respect back for those the ringmaster had beaten. By this point, Dai Kui and his students had been keeping an eye on the leitai for several days. Many of Dai's students were infuriated by the ringmaster's arrogance and boastfulness and had been tempted to step onto the leitai, only to be stopped each time by Dai. "Though this man is indeed a braggart, he is nonetheless extremely skilled. Let him win his 100 ounces of silver, 10 bolts of satin and ride in a sedan chair for 3 days [the prize for the leitai winner].

On the 100th day of the leitai, Dai and his students arrived at the leitai early on to watch the last challenges. The ringmaster was heavyset, burly man around 40 years old, and was fighting shirtless. As soon as he walked out on to the leitai, there stood a row of 10 shirtless, solidly-built men with menacing expressions; it made quite an imposing sight. The ringmaster stepped forward and said, "My fellow heroes and onlookers, today is the 100th day of the leitai, if there's anyone who dares to come up here and meet his death, I'm here waiting for him!". His opening remarks sent a ripple of indignation through the crowd, with some shouting "Come on, won't some hero stand up and be counted, don't let him flaunt his strength any more!" Dai Kui watched all of this impassively, seeming to concentrate only on smoking the tobacco in his copper pipe. His disciples whispered amongst themselves "This guy has gone too far!""Master Dai is too timid, his gongfu is at least at the same level as that ringmaster's!" One of Dai's more impulsive disciples made as if to jump on to the leitai, only to be grabbed by Dai, who said "So you'd like to die, would you?" Seeing that Dai seemed determined to stop them from challenging the ringmaster, Dai's disciples stood by and watched sullenly.

In the next 4 hours, not a single person got up onto the leitai. Lunchtime came with the ringmaster still sitting on the leitai leisurely drinking his tea. The crowd, disappointed, started to disperse. It was at this moment that M Dai, with a swish of his robes and having handed his pipe to a disciple, leapt upwards, 'sticking' himself to the pole of the ornamental gate of the leitai. This skill is called 'a beauty hanging a picture'. Dai's actions were met by cheers from the crowd and silent amazement from his disciples. The ringmaster cupped his fist (gong shou, traditional kungfu greeting): "Where is this hero from? Your lightness skill (qing gong)is not half bad! You'd better hurry up and register your name, else you'll miss your chance!" Dai dropped to the ground lightly in front of the registrar, and cupping his fist, said "I am Dai Kui, from Qi county in Shanxi." The registrar wrote down Dai's name and asked "Do you know the rules of the leitai? No medical care if you're injured, no responsibility if you die!" "I know" "So I guess you're brave enough to sign a death disclaimer form then!" Dai inked his thumbprint onto the disclaimer. At this moment, the ringmaster cupped his fist again, saying "This way, hero, today is the last day of the leitai, would you prefer a 'civil' or a 'martial' bout?" "What is a 'civil' bout?" asked Dai, at the same time mentally preparing himself for the fight ahead. "In a 'civil' bout, I receive 3 of our punches, then you receive 3 of mine. In a 'martial' bout, anything goes." Dai replied "The martial bout sounds more interesting." The ringmaster laughed and said "Great! Have at thee!" As he spoke, he launched a punch at Dai's heart. Mr Dai didn't dodge, but first contracted (shu), then used xinyi's drilling fist (zuan quan) to simultaneously deflect the ringmaster's blow and attack at the same time. With a yell, the ringmaster was knocked 3 meters away and lay on the ground spitting blood.

The crowd below erupted in cheering, shouting "Well done!" Mr Dai leapt from the leitai down into the crowd of his disciples, who lifted him up into the air on outstretched hands, like the stars frame the moon. Back on the leitai, ten burly men lifted the prone ringmaster backstage. It turned out that the ringmaster was a famous master called Liu Shi'er. Not long after being injured by Mr Dai, Liu died. Most of Liu's disciples wanted to avenge their teacher's death. The senior disciple, Liu Hongyuan was from Yuan Tai Goui village in Qi county (same county as Dai’s) and had incredible arm strength. He could lift a millstone a foot thick and was called a "Thousand Catty Strongman" (qian jin li shi). Liu was distraught after his teacher died, and started carrying throwing blades in his belt and a dagger in his boot. Every night, he would make enquiries as to Dai's whereabouts. The second night after his teacher had died, Liu decided to make an attempt on Dai's life, only to find that Dai had already left Baotou. Liu followed Dai.

One day, as he was just about to creep through Dai's window to kill him, Liu felt a cold wind on his wrist. He knew that he was in trouble, but it was too late, in an instant his wrist was throbbing with pain. It turned out that Dai had thrown a pebble at Liu's wrist with pinpoint accuracy. Liu realized that Dai was on guard now and did not dare to attack lightly. M Dai was a veteran of the jianghu (term for the 'underworld' inhabited by itinerant monks, bandits, thieves and martial arts masters in ancient China) was always on his guard. When staying at a hostel, he would not take off his clothes or sleep on the bed; instead he would sleep on the floor in a corner in his day clothes, with a weapon next to his pillow, so that he could respond if there was any disturbance.

It is said that Dai had a level such that mosquitoes couldn't bite him, dust could not settle on him and he could see in the dark. Thus he managed to return to Qi county without being assassinated. Liu Hongyuan knew that it would be even harder to make an attempt on Dai now that he was back home, so returned to Yuan Tai Gou village. However, Liu's desire to avenge his teacher had not died, he still wished to settle things with Dai once and for all. The following year, a grand temple fair was held at the ancient Gaobei village on the 18th day of the 4th lunar month, with 3 days of Chinese opera laid on. Liu Hongyuan sent Mr Dai an invitation to attend a banquet in Yuan Tai Gou during the temple fair; in reality, this was a challenge letter.

Mr Dai's disciples, friends and family all urged him not to go. Mr Dai said "Hongyuan is a loyal man, at least he is direct and sincere in his desire to avenge his teacher. If I don't go this time, when will this vicious cycle end?" When the 18th day of the 4th month came, Dai first made one circuit of the temple fair, then, accompanied by 10 of his disciples, made straight for Yuan Tai Gou village. Hongyuan had sent men to wait at the village gates, who greeted Mr Dai when he arrived. As Mr Dai walked into Liu's home, Liu said "I have invited you here today for no other reason than to avenge my teacher in a challenge against you. If I should be unable to defeat you, I shall bow to you as your student." Mr Dai laughed and said "A straight talker!" After lunch, Liu's men set up Liu Shi'er's spirit tablet (small piece of wood inscribed with name and dates of the deceased), lighted a few sticks of joss and brought out lots of benches and tables for onlookers.

News of the challenge match had long since spread throughout Qi county, meaning that Liu's courtyard was full of other martial artists and interested locals. What with the temple fair and the Yuan Tai Gou challenge, it made a lively scene. Hongyuan stood in the centre of the courtyard and, clasping his fist, said "This way!""Very well then!" With this, Dai had jumped up from his seat until he was in right in front of Hongyuan. With gritted teeth and blazing eyes, Hongyuan charged at Dai, aiming a haymaker at Dai's head. Dai merely turned his body to evade the attack, letting Liu fall over. However, Liu instantly sprang back on his feet again and drew his straight sword (jian), the cold steel glinting in the sunlight. He hacked and stabbed repeatedly at Dai in a ferocious onslaught. Mr Dai kept on dodging Liu's attacks, until suddenly he darted inside Liu's guard. All the crowd heard was an 'Argh!' and Liu was thrown 10m away, leaving Dai holding Liu's sword.

The sheer speed of this 'sword-snatching' move of Dai's surprised the crowd. Unexpectedly, Hongyuan rolled back towards Dai and jumped up, using both his fists to hit Mr Dai's ears. Mr Dai moved slightly and hit Liu so that he sailed upwards, but caught him just in time, and then set him down on the ground lightly. Amiably, he said "Do you want to carry on?" Hongyuan was moved to tears by Dai's honorable behavior and was filled with respect for him, and so kowtowed to Mr Dai 3 times, calling him 'shifu' as he did so.

After Mr Dai had helped Hongyuan up, they walked into the hall, where everyone cheered and applauded. Later on, Liu Hongyuan became one of Dai's 10 top disciples, a story often retold in local circles. Because Dai Kui's wife died young, and he had no children, he made his home wherever he was. He did not teach the offspring of rich men, instead teaching only those in need. In his later years, he was often seen out and about in Qi county's villages and markets. He took on disciples from all over Qi county, teaching over 1000 people. His 10 famous disciples were: Shi Xiongba, Guo Yingtian, Ma Erniu, Duan Xifu, Gao Shengzhen, Yue Yunzhong, Wang Buchang, Wang Yinghai, Liu Hongyuan and Ren Dahua. By the present time, Mr Dai's students and grand-students all over the country number in their thousands.