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Liang, Qiang-Ya
International WuDang
Association
Liang, Qiang-Ya
 In 1931, Liang, Qiang-Ya was born in GuangZhou,
China.
In the summer of 1945, Liang Qiang-Ya was not yet
14 years old. Fu Zhen Song had come to GuangZhou for the second time. He met his
top student, Sun BaoGang (Liang's older KungFu brother and husband of his aunt,
his father's sister). Sun Bao-Gang invited Fu Zhen Song to live with Liang.
Liang was very happy to have the opportunity to learn day and night. Liang
officially became the disciple of WuDang Master, Fu Zhen Song. Liang is
therefore one of Fu's youngest disciples. Though Fu was 64 years old, he trained
Liang in the secrets of reaching one's highest potential energy by practicing
and interacting in the forms of art. Together, they practiced swordplay and
boxing. Liang mastered the spirits of Tai-Chi and excelled in the bagua powers
of push hands. Liang was able to learn all of Fu Zhen Song's techniques. He
learned from Fu in the morning, noon and night. Whenever Fu taught or performed,
he always brought Liang with him. Liang later assisted Fu in his instruction,
and was also sometimes asked to perform. Fu had Liang perform in several
different events, large and small. At Fu Zhen Song's request, Liang Qiang-Ya
became an instructor of the Fu system by the time he was 15 years
old.
With this opportunity, and his diligence in
practicing, even when Fu Zhen Song was not present, Liang was able to progress
rapidly. Fu Zhen Song taught Liang boxing. At the age of 17, Liang entered his
first competition in boxing and defeated two of the best boxers of the Canton
Province Boxing Competition. Liang defeated the silver-medallist in the
lightweight division in the first round and was given the name "Lightening
Fist." In another competition, with no weight limit divisions, his opponent was
20 pounds heavier. Liang used the Bagua technique of evasion. He was able to
blacken his opponent's right eye until it was swollen shut. This person's
nickname was "Big Hammer" for his ability to hammer nails into wood with his
bare fist. After Liang defeated "Big Hammer," his name was made.
Before Liang retired, he was an engineer. In 1987,
his older Kungfu brother, Sun BaoGang and the Hong Kong Bagua Chuan Wushu
Society invited him to Hong Kong as a special guest advisor and consultant of
bagua, tai chi, and push hands. Afterwards, Liang was continuously invited to
return to Hong Kong to be the guest advisor and consultant.
 In 1995, when Liang Qiang-Ya was 64 years old, the
WuDang Association Chairman, together with Liang and his younger KungFu brother,
went to the second annual Chinese International Martial Arts Research Center,
which sponsored the 2nd Annual Bagua Conference and Competition.
Liang and the Chairman (who was Liang's younger KungFu brother) competed in the
Bagua push hands and together received the highest recognition of excellence
among the Bagua practitioners.
In 1953, Fu Zhen Song passed away. After so many
years, from then until the present, Liang has continued to do as Fu had
encouraged him to do; to continue to progress and not become stagnant. Liang has
remembered to do what Fu once told him when he was young—to continue to progress
and to continue to make changes when necessary:
- Must be committed to practice continuously.
- Must unceasingly advance and innovate.
- Must continuously absorb those good things.
These three points became an important teaching
guideline for Liang. Liang has therefore continued to learn other systems and
develop the Fu system. Liang has continued to diligently make progress. From
that point on, Liang has held many positions of influence in the martial arts
world:
• Director, GuangZhou WuShu Committee
• Executive Director, Vice-President and Chief
Training Officer of GuangZhou WuDang Association
• Advisor and Guest Coach of Hong Kong Association
for Advancement of Bagua Martial Arts
• Coach of Martial Arts Association of GuangZhou
Herbal Medicine, Herbalist University
• Coach of Martial Arts Association of GuangZhou
Institute of Medicine
• Coach of Martial Arts Association of GuangZhou
Foreign Trade College
• Advisor of GuangZhou-Hong Kong Tai Chi,
Push-Hand Competition Organizing Committee
 These are positions to which he has been
appointed. From the time of his appointment to the GuangZhou association, the
others have followed.
In GuangZhou park, Liang taught Bagua, Tai Chi,
and various internal weapons. He created the WuDang Continuous Sword, the Bagua
Soaring Dragoon Sword, Fu style 48 movements Tai Chi, and then wrote the four
volumes of the WuDang Spear.
He has also created instructional videos, which have been sold
throughout the U.S., Canada, and the rest of the world. In 1996, he came to the
United States, as part of his continuing effort to spread Fu style internal
martial arts throughout the world.
Liang has taught martial arts "realistically."
Liang is a hard master, but also a gentle one. A retired engineer, Liang uses
the laws of physics, in conjunction with his martial arts instructions. He
teaches how to defend against many opponents, rather than just one. As a result
of his scientific, rather than mystic, approach to his instruction, he has been
a very popular instructor in many countries. He has taught many students from
Sri Lanka, Brazil, Spain, Venezuela, Taiwan, Hong Kong, England, Japan, Korea,
Singapore, Thailand, Mongolia, Africa, U.S., and other countries.
In 1993, '94 and '95, in GuangZhou, his students
have competed in Tai Chi, the sword and won Grand Champion awards. In GuangZhou,
first place awards have been won in Bagua, Long and Short Weapons. In GuangZhou,
Jiao Hsin, and Hong Kong most of his students have received awards, and over
half of the Gold Medals have gone to his students.
In March of 1996 he moved to the United States. In
November of 1996 he had students compete in the San Francisco International
WuShu Championship. His female student received 1st place. Afterwards, in every
competition in which they entered, his students have received more and more Gold
Medals.
 In Winchester, Virginia, at the 1998, A Taste of
China's (ATOC), all Taiji USA Championship, his students won 8 awards. In the
A.T.O.C competitions, all levels of students compete together. One of his
students received Grand Champion in Bagua, 2nd and 3rd in Tai Chi. His student,
received the Fu, Yong-Hui Bagua Grand Champion award. During the same year, in
the month of August, in Baltimore, Maryland, at the USA WuShu-KungFu
Federation's 1998 International Martial Arts Competitions, he had 3 students
compete. His students received 8 awards, among them a first place in the Bugua
and long weapon. In 1998, his student, Haruwn Wesley won the San Francisco
International WuShu grand championship in internal style using Bagua
Zhang.
In May 2000, in Dallas, Texas, at "The Taiji
Legacy's International Martial Arts Championships," his student, May Lee,
competed in 8 internal forms and received 8 first place awards and the Grand
Champion in internal award. His other student, Haruwn Wesley, received 4 first
place awards and two 2nd places.
In July 2000, in Winchester, Virginia, "A Taste of
China's All Taiji USA Championship, May Lee, won the Fu Yong-Hui Bagua Grand
Champion award for the 2nd time.
Since his arrival in the United States, Tai Chi
Magazine and the Bagua Journal have interviewed and featured him on the cover
articles. Almost half of each magazine was devoted to his perspectives and
insights on tai chi chuan and bagua zhang. These interviews centered on
techniques and theory of the internal styles, and also included advice on how to
practice.
In the Bagua Journal, Liang Qiang-Ya gave step-by-step details,
with corresponding photos on some fundamental techniques in order to disseminate
his system throughout the West.
Presently, Master Liang Qiang-Ya wishes to continue making
further WuDang Boxing Series video tapes in order to allow the martial arts
world to learn and understand more about the Fu style's unique characteristics.
For more information, contact master Liang at: sifuliang@wudangboxing.com.
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