Lu Zijian was born in Yichang, Hubei Province, Mainland China on the 19th year of Emperor Guangxu, Qing Dynasty (15th October 1893). Well know martial artist, heading the Dragon Gate lineage of Daoism (Long Men Pai). In 2002 Lu was awarded 9 Duan (the highest grade in Chinese Martial Arts ranking system).
Lu attributed his longivity to his life long practice of martial arts and his longevity qigong: Hunyuan yangsheng Qigong.
In 2012 he was considered as the oldest living Chinese citizen as well as the oldest living man but Gerontology Research Group is still proceeding under further verification.
Former head of Chinese Ba Gua Zhang Federation (Eight Trigrams Boxing, one the three most famous Chinese Internal Martial Arts besides Tai Chi Chuan or Taijiquan and Xingyiquan).
He started in his young age to study wushu with his own mother and later he was accepted as disciple of Master Jiang Yin then he studied in the State Medical School of Hubei Province.
I
Historical milestones:
1911:
At
18 Lu went to Beijing, he
studied Baguazhang with Master Li Changye and Xingyiquan with Master Yu
Shirong, and finally he returned in Chongqinq Sichuan Province to study
Taijiquan with Master Li Guocao. (Most probably due to the political
instability leading to 1911 Chinese Revolution).
1920:
he
was Gold medalist at the
Nanjing Yuhuatai Martial Arts Competition at the age of 28.
1929:
He
was actively against a
proposal passed by the Central Ministry of Health of the new Kuomingang
(KMT)
government severely limited the advertising and practice of Chinese
medicine.
But finally this proposal was not implemented and he was part of the
Commission
for Chinese Medicine Organization. At that time he was in Chongqin as
Martial
Arts Chief instructor and member of the KMT Military Committee.
1979
He
is back in Chongqinq et was
Municipal MCPPCC member. This year he opened his Yudan Zijian Martial
Arts
academy as well as the Lu Zijian Chinese Medicine Orthopedics Clinic.
He
published several articles and books among them “Baguazhang Healing
methods”
and created his “Baguazhang Hunyuan Yangsheng Gong”.
2007:
Lu
Zijian on the 24th January
became the Oldest man in the world.
2009:
Lu
Zijian on the 2nd January
became the oldest person in the world and was 116 years old.
2012:On
21 October Lu
Zijian died surrounded by his family and closest friends one month
before his 119th anniversary.
II
Some historical facts
Huo
Yuan
Jia was not only a very famous
martial artists of his time, but Lu Zijian and Late Great Master Huo
were sworn
brothers with Huo being the elder brother. They fought together the monopolistic influence of
Foreign freight
companies deserving first the Yangtze river then later in Shanghai.
Later they
join Chinese Resistance against Japanese troops. He killed three
Japanese
Martial arts experts in duels. During of the raids they launched
against the
Japanese troops, Lu’s wife was killed. He used one single palm to kill
one
Foreign boxer named Marshall. The name of Lu Zijian grew very fast so
that
Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jie Shi) the Chinese military and political
leader who
was leading the Kuomintang (KMT) appointed him as one-star general and
Head Bodyguard
(General Chiang had thirteen top bodyguards, all of them were his
disciples).
During
China’s
Liberation Lu did not
follow the major of Chiang’s remaining troops in Taiwan, he choose to
stay in
Mainland China, he stayed in a labor camp up to 70’s. But later he held
progressively important posts such as President of Chongqinq North
South Wushu
Federation, Martial Arts Chief Instructor of the We He Chongqing
Headquarters,
Chairman of the Association of Chongqing Traditional Chinese Medicine,
President of Sichuan Province Martial Arts Association, Director of the
Chinese
Martial Arts Research Institute...
In
1982
he was Gold medalist of the
Gold Lion National Martial Arts Tournament.
He received a special Gold Award in 1984 at the Emei
Mountain Boxing
Tournament. 1985 appointed President of the International Gongfa
Association.
1994, the Chief Adviser of the International Qigong Association, in
2000 he
received the gold medal Senior People from the Chinese State
Administration of
Sports. The Chinese Ministry of Sports, Department of Martial Arts
attributed
him the title of “Leading authority of Chinese Martial Arts” and
rewarded the
highest rank of Nine Duan in 2002. He was the Honorary President of
the
Chinese Wudang Wushu Federation.
His
contribution
as Expert in Chinese
Medicine Treatments for Bone Injuries is widely recognized as he
treated
successfully numbers of patients in whole China.
Besides his pedagogic skills, his chivalric and generous temperament lead him to nurture thousands of disciples including foreign students, some of them are even very famous and own their own martial arts schools, perpetuating the “Zijian” style martial arts. All are under the head organization of Mr. Wang Qinghua. In 1986, he was hired as Principal Consultant International Qigong Society. In the same year he was appointed as Vice resident of the Wudang Martial Arts Development Center of California General Counsel. Since the implementation of the national Wushu Duan ranking system, Lu was involved in the long-term task to revise the teaching and training in Chinese martial arts with all the other 9 Duan top ranking experts of Chinese Martial Arts.