Ji Jike (; 1588–1662) was a highly accomplished

martial artist Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...

from Yongji, Shanxi Province. He was also known as Ji Longfeng (). According to accepted theory, he is widely considered to be the originator of the internal

martial art Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defence; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the pres ...

of Xingyiquan. (Other, less credible, theories consider Bodhidharma or

Yue Fei Yue Fei (; March 24, 1103 – January 28, 1142), courtesy name Pengju (), was a Chinese military general of the Song dynasty and is remembered as a patriotic folk hero, national hero, known for leading its forces in Jin–Song Wars, the wars ...

as the originators of this art.) Ji Jike created the martial art of Xinyiquan (Heart and Intention Boxing), which is the precursor of Xingyiquan (Form and Intention Boxing). He based the fundamentals of Xinyi on the spear techniques for which he was also famous. It was Li Luo Neng, a most famous descendant of Ji Jike, who modified Xinyi and called it Xingyi.

Biography

During Ji Jike's lifetime,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

was taken over by the

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(1644–1912), descendants of the Jurchen tribes of

's time. Ji Jike began his classical studies when he was seven years old, and

Wushu Wushu may refer to: Martial arts * Chinese martial arts, the various martial arts of China * Wushu (sport) Wushu () (), or kung fu, is a competitive Chinese martial art. It integrates concepts and forms from various traditional and modern ...

training at 13. After sitting for the imperial examination, he passed with honors, which earned him a position as a court official in Shanxi. However, he was disillusioned in this position because of the corruption he encountered, and was eventually forced out of office. After leaving, he traveled throughout China to refine his martial art. He eventually made his way to the

Shaolin temple Shaolin Monastery ( zh, labels=no, c=少林寺, p=shàolínsì), also known as Shaolin Temple, is a monastic institution recognized as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin kung fu. It is located at the foot of Wuru Peak o ...

Henan province Henan; alternatively Honan is a province in Central China. Henan is home to many heritage sites, including Yinxu, the ruins of the final capital of the Shang dynasty () and the Shaolin Temple. Four of the historical capitals of China, Luo ...

to study Shaolin Wushu. At the temple, the monks were all amazed at his skill with the spear as well as his unarmed fighting skills. Welcomed by the monks, he stayed at the Temple, where he spent more than 10 years. It was here where he created Xinyi. Legend has it that during his time at the Temple, Ji once observed two cocks fighting, and was inspired to complete his development of the art of Xinyi. He taught his art to the monks, who passed it on as Xinyi Ba (). It was also during this time that he was suspected of being involved with the resistance opposing the

. Later, after leaving the temple, he taught in the region to others from Henan. The most prominent of his students was Cao Jiwu and the other, Ma Xueli. When Ji returned home to

Shanxi Shanxi; Chinese postal romanization, formerly romanised as Shansi is a Provinces of China, province in North China. Its capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level cities are Changzhi a ...

, he taught Xinyi to family members. He was nicknamed "Divine Spear" () for his exemplary skill, and was respected like a guardian deity, for he single-handedly defeated a band of bandits raiding his village when he was of old age.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ji, Jike Chinese xingyiquan practitioners Neijia Qing dynasty Taoists 1588 births 1662 deaths People from Yuncheng Sportspeople from Shanxi Ming dynasty Taoists