Biography of Li Ziming (李子鸣)
Li Ziming (李子鸣, 1902–1993) was a major twentieth-century transmitter of Liang-style Baguazhang (梁派八卦掌) in Beijing and is widely regarded as a key figure in the modern public preservation of Baguazhang. He is consistently identified as a disciple within the line of Liang Zhenpu (梁振蒲) and is remembered for maintaining classical Baguazhang principles while teaching to large student communities in China and abroad.
Training and Teachers — Liang-Style Baguazhang in the Hebei–Beijing Line
Sources agree that Li Ziming was born in Hebei and later became associated with Baguazhang training linked to Liang Zhenpu. In English-language reference material, he is described as formally entering Liang Zhenpu’s instruction in the early 1920s.
Chinese-language reference material places his early training and entry into Baguazhang instruction in Hebei before his later long-term activity in Beijing.
Within Taoist-Lifestyle documentation standards, Liang Zhenpu is treated as the principal historical anchor for Li Ziming’s Baguazhang lineage connection.
Teaching Career and Reputation
Li Ziming is repeatedly described as teaching Baguazhang for many decades, with a large number of students in Beijing across different social backgrounds. Chinese sources also state that his students and influence extended internationally, including to parts of Asia.
Modern organizations and community lineages outside China often reference Li Ziming as a senior modern representative of the third generation in Liang-style Baguazhang, reflecting his position as a prominent transmitter in the late twentieth century.
Liang-Style Baguazhang (梁派八卦掌) — Continuity and Method
In modern descriptions, Li Ziming is associated with preserving and teaching a Liang-style Baguazhang curriculum connected to the Hebei–Beijing transmission stream. This role is usually described in terms of continuity and preservation rather than innovation or the creation of a new branch.
Students and Later Transmission
Li Ziming’s influence continued through many students in Beijing and through international practitioner networks that refer back to his teaching. Some Western schools explicitly trace their Baguazhang transmission through Li Ziming and present him as an important modern transmitter of orthodox/early-generation material.
Late Transmission and European Lineage
In the final period of his teaching life, Li Ziming transmitted Baguazhang to Prof. dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen. This transmission forms the historical basis for the preservation of Liang-style Baguazhang within Taoist-Lifestyle.Com, where the art is studied and taught as part of a broader Taoist internal martial and alchemical framework.
Historical Sources and Dating
Li Ziming’s death date (23 January 1993) is consistently reported across major sources.
His birth date varies by reference tradition (both within Chinese- and English-language sources), while the birth year 1902 is most widely reported.
For lineage overview presentation, Taoist-Lifestyle.Com uses 1902–1993.
Influence on the Modern Baguazhang Tradition
Li Ziming is presented as a key modern transmitter whose long teaching career supported the public continuity of Baguazhang in Beijing and strengthened later transmission lines connected to Liang-style Baguazhang. His position is important for understanding how earlier Baguazhang teachings continued into the late twentieth century and became accessible to later generations. Master Li was also the driving force behind academic research into Baguazhang, founding the Baguazhang Research Institute, and personally stimulated and encouraged Prof. Dr. Dan KJ Vercammen to investigate Baguazhang's history, practice, and theory, which resulted in the Baguazhang part of Vercammen's PhD thesis.
Acknowledgment of Gratitude
With deep respect, Taoist-Lifestyle.Com acknowledges the profound and personal influence of Li Ziming (李子鸣) on the life and path of Prof. dr. Dan K.J. Vercammen.
Li Ziming held a special place in Dan Vercammen’s training and personal cultivation. Beyond formal instruction, their connection was marked by continued correspondence and artistic exchange. From China, Li Ziming generously sent handmade paintings and calligraphy pieces, carefully folded and mailed, as well as letters written in traditional calligraphic style, reflecting both transmission and personal regard.
These works, preserved within Taoist-Lifestyle, stand as tangible expressions of a living teacher–student relationship and embody the cultural, ethical, and internal dimensions of Baguazhang transmission beyond physical technique alone. Li Ziming lived and breathed the Wude (martial ethics) and inspired Dan Vercammen to follow in his footsteps.
Through the preservation of these calligraphic works, teachings, and the continued study of Liang-style Baguazhang, Taoist-Lifestyle.Com honors the memory, guidance, and trust of Li Ziming, and maintains this lineage with respect, responsibility, and dedication.
