Dong Yingjie (Wade-Giles: Tung Ying-chieh, , 1897 - 1961) was a leading master of tai chi, and a top disciple of Yang Chengfu. Born in Ren County, Hebei, China, his given name was Wenke (). Famous in his time for defeating a foreign boxer in a public challenge match, he dedicated his life to the martial arts, training intensively in multiple styles, serving as chief assistant instructor for Yang Chengfu, and going on to found his own thriving tai chi legacy.
Early life
He was born to a prosperous farming family, and as a child was very studious but frail. Avidly interested in martial arts even then, at age 12 he convinced his grandfather to send him away to learn from security professional and martial arts master Liu Yingzhou (), also known as Liu Laoying (). There he trained in San Huang Pao Chui and other Shaolin styles. Liu also taught him some tai chi.
After five years he returned home to marry and join the family business, but soon sought out Liu Laoying again to resume training. Liu recommended deeper study of tai chi, and through Liu's relationship with Yang Zhaolin (, 1884-1922), the eldest grandson of Yang Luchan, Dong studied Yang-style tai chi under Li Zengkui (). Dong was impressed with Li's pushing hands skills, but at that time Dong's expertise in external martial arts — on which he relied in those years to deal with bandits and other conflicts — remained better than his understanding of tai chi.
Dong achieved a high level of skill in tai chi after Liu introduced him to Li Baoyu (, 1889-1961), who was known by the courtesy name Li Xiangyuan (). Li had mastered Wu (Hao)-style tai chi under Hao Weizhen, and was famous for defeating all challengers in and out of the ring, including some local gangsters. For three years Dong lived with Li, worked for him in his business, and trained intensively in Wu (Hao) style and Li's advanced techniques. From that time on Li became a lifelong coach, mentor, and friend.
Career
Mastery
In 1926, Dong moved to Beijing seeking instruction from Grandmaster Yang Chengfu in Yang-style tai chi. He quickly mastered Yang Chengfu's "large frame" techniques, and served as chief assistant instructor for much of the last 10 years of Yang's life.
While in Beijing he also trained under Yang's older brother Yang Shaohou in "small frame" Yang-style tai chi, and practiced push hands with Chen style master Chen Fake. Also training with Yang Shaohou were Dong's future lifelong colleagues, the Wu-style masters Wu Gongyi and Wu Kung-tsao.
A few years later he resumed training with Li Baoyu to master the Wu (Hao) style as well, and so the Dong family trace their tai chi lineage through both Yang and Wu (Hao).
Jianghu journeys
In 1928 Dong moved south with a group led by Yang Chengfu to establish tai chi schools in other cities. Later that year he established his prowess and the reputations of his teachers by defeating nine push hands challengers at the Hangzhou National Martial Arts Arena Competition (, Pinyin: Hángzhōu Guóshù Lèitáisài).
He was the principal contributor to Yang's 1931 book Methods of Applying Tai Chi (), and helped establish Yang-style tai chi schools and classes in Hangzhou, Nanjing, and other cities, including Suzhou where he led classes by himself, Shanghai, and Guangzhou where he assisted and then took over when Yang returned to Shanghai in 1935.
Yingjie
He earned the name Yingjie, which can be translated as "heroic figure", in his early thirties by defeating a British strongman in a brutal public boxing match in Nanjing. Dong defended the honor of tai chi and all Chinese martial arts, and bolstered Chinese national pride after the foreigner had issued insulting racial taunts and had already defeated several other Chinese martial artists.
Li Baoyu coached Dong for that competition, after planning to take the challenger on himself but then dropping out because, as the story goes, a local gangster hired by the British deputy consul threw lime powder in Li's eyes which temporarily blinded him. After the fight, Dong threw his winner's jackpot of silver coins into the crowd, asking the audience to cover transportation home for other Chinese martial artists who had competed.
Nationalism had been stoked on both sides in no small part because his opponent was sponsored by the British deputy consul. As word of Dong's win and generosity spread across the country, he was hailed as a hero of the Chinese people. And so from that time on, Dong Wenke was known only as Dong Yingjie.