The Qi Family Tongbiquan (祁家通臂拳), or Qi Family Ape Style Boxing, traces its origins to an itinerant warrior from Zhejiang Province named Qi Xin.

After being forced to flee his native province because of civil unrest, he eventually settled in Guan, in Hebei Province, where he was employed as a bodyguard by a wealthy family.

There, he became famous after confronting ten men armed with spears and sabres. Qi Xin was already renowned for his mastery of both the sabre and the spear, and after this incident he became known as Ganzi Qi ("Qi of the Spear"), or simply Spear Qi. At the time, he practiced the Twenty-Four Forms of Tongbiquan, and he transmitted his art to several disciples, the best known of whom were his son Qi Taichang and Chen Qin.

Qi Taichang was less powerfully built than his father and therefore emphasized the softer, more technical aspects of the art, refining smaller movements and developing new methods of striking an opponent. His branch became known as the Lesser Qi School (Shao Qi Pai).

Chen Qin, nicknamed "Flying Knives," more faithfully preserved Qi Xin's original movements, placing greater emphasis on expansive techniques and internal power. His branch became known as the Old Qi School (Lao Qi Pai). In later generations, however, the two branches gradually merged into a single tradition.

Chen Qin had many disciples, but the most celebrated was Wang Zhanchun, who brought the style to Beijing (then known as Beiping) and taught numerous students.

Wang Dianchun was renowned both for his kindness and for his exceptional skill in Tongbiquan and sabre techniques.

Among his disciples, Liu Yueding, who had already mastered Shaolin Six Harmonies boxing, Tantui (flapping legs), and all kinds of weapons, was by far the most accomplished.

Liu opened a wushu school (Wushuguan) in Beijing, where he welcomed challenge matches from anyone who entered his school. He engaged in numerous bouts, particularly against practitioners of Yiquan ("Mind Boxing"), with whom he fought without any protective equipment.

Liu Yueding in turn trained many disciples, among whom the best known were Wang Xialin and Yang Buchan (Yang Guilin).

Wang Xialin, a woman who had already learned the Twenty-Four Forms of Tongbiquan from her father, Wang Rongbiao, later studied the 108 techniques of the Qi Family under Liu Yueding.

She became famous after defeating Japanese soldiers aboard a train during the Second World War.

Yang Buchan (Yang Guilin), a scholar as well as an accomplished martial artist, had already attained mastery in Shaolin boxing before studying Tongbiquan. He systematized the 108 techniques into a more pedagogical curriculum and compiled them in a Quanpu (martial arts manual), making the style easier to teach and learn.

Yang Buchan had many disciples, the most notable of whom were Chen Degun, Zhong Guolin, and Ji Yulin.

Ji Yulin, who came from a distinguished family of practitioners of Luohanquan (Arhat Boxing), eventually became a master of Tongbiquan as well.

The foremost disciple of Yu Baolin was Zhang Zhichang, a native of Hebei Province.

Having already trained in Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) for ten years, Zhang Zhichang subsequently devoted himself to the study of Tongbiquan.

Zhang Zhichang focused exclusively on combat application. He took part in numerous street fights to refine the practical effectiveness of his art. He also challenged many masters of other martial arts styles and, on more than one occasion, fought against multiple opponents simultaneously. Lucas Christopoulos became a disciple of Master Zhang Zhicheng in 1992 and an indoor disciple in 1995.

"Hit suddenly hard and quick like a slingshot, heavy and long, while flexible and skillful at the same time. Be heavy and fierce while mixing lightness and relaxation efficiently. Combine real and fake moves with speed as sticking quickly to the opponent's changes." 

(冷彈脆快硬，沉長活軟巧，重猛輕靈抖，涵虚粘連脆)

Lineage

1. Qi Xin (祁信), founder, from Zhejiang province, spear champion and bodyguard in Gu an, Hebei 

2. Chen Qing (陳慶), nicknamed "flying knives," bodyguard in Hebei province 

3. Wang Zhanchun (王占春), bodyguard and martial arts trainer in Hebei province 

4. Liu Yueting (劉月亭) opened a Shaolin Liuhe Quan and Tongbiquan school at Beijing Dongsishitiao 

5. Yang Guilin (楊桂林 or Yang Buchan) teacher at the Academy of arts of Beijing (北京藝術學院) 

6. Ji Yulin (季玉林), trainer of Shaolin and Tongbiquan near Niujie Street 

7. Zhang Zhicheng (張志誠, 1945- 2002) Sanda sports referee and athlete level 1 (一级运动员) from the Chinese Wushu Association (中國武術會). 

8. Yun Luxia (Lucas Christopoulos 雲露俠)

From childhood, I was passionate about studying boxing and Chinese wrestling. I also devoted myself to the subtleties and techniques of (Yang style) Taijiquan and Taiji Changquan, becoming a student of Master Wei Jiuhua (Wei Shuren 魏树人 1924-2013).

Later, I became a disciple of the famous Master Ji Yulin, the 6th-generation inheritor of Qijia Tongbiquan, which I continue to practice to this day.

In 1985, I passed the entrance examination of the Beijing Wushu Association and became a referee for Sanda competitions. In 1987, I was appointed as a first-degree referee member.

Today, I accept Luka (Lucas Christopoulos and Wang Qingxi) as 8th-generation disciples of Qi Family Ape-Style Boxing (Qijia Tongbiquan).

Zhang Zhicheng
7th-generation inheritor of Qijia Tongbiquan
Beijing, November 5, 1995