形意大师——尚云祥

    尚云祥，字霁亭，山东乐陵尚家村人，生于农历1864年11月28日，逝于1937年10月10日，尚氏形意拳创始人。尚云祥先拜李存义为师，后得郭云深真传。他体弱瘦小，但却以超人毅力和惊人精神刻苦练功，以“大杆子”、“半步崩拳”、“丹田气打”及实战武功名震武林，成为一代形意拳大师！

尚云祥幼时随父进京经商，经营义盛马蹬铺。他先向冯大义学功力拳六载，后拜李存义为师，学习形意拳。

    尚云祥曾独自一人在北京鼓楼专心练功十年，因生活拮据，以致练功赤脚袒背,虽严寒酷暑但从无稍怠。久之,身体练得不畏寒暑,双脚磨成坚硬铁底。砖头、石块,用脚一搓,顿成粉末,引气过步,铺地方砖竟致龟裂，而两腿的桩功和趟劲尤其惊人,故在武坛中人送绰号“铁脚佛"。

自1895年始，李存义先生分别开设河北任丘县姆州镇义友镖局、北京沛城镖局和保定万通镖局，均由尚云祥主持。

    尚云祥艺精徳高，曾在河北东皇庄，将大盗康小八擒获，为民除害！

1900年,八国联军疯狂屠杀中国人民。尚云祥随老师李存义参加义和团，血战天津老龙头火车站，刃扫八国联军。后同遭清廷缉拿，因之师徒俩都离开镖局。李存义去山西,而尚云祥只身回到家乡。其间李存义将其西去访同行前辈时所获得的“形意心得”尽授尚云祥，使之受益颇深。后来尚云祥自己又两次赴晋访心意六合门，收获亦丰。由于他勤苦善悟，将山西河北之异同贯而通之，交融升华，技艺大进，中年时已誉满武坛，艺冠群英。

    清宣统末年(1909年)，尚云祥复来北京,在东城总布胡同,联合同道刘殿臣、耿继善、祖万昌、王俊臣四位先生共组尚武学社。成立三载,授徒多人。

    1912年，李存义先生在天津创办“中华武士会”，大摆擂台，由尚云祥首出擂场，设擂一百天，终无一人能将他击败，自此誉满京津，名扬大江南北。

    尚云样成名之后，为增阅历，验武功，到处寻访武林名家高手。誉满武坛后，来访者亦甚多，但他注重武德只求以武会友，故习武一生，未结下任何怨仇。他的“半步崩拳”名闻天下，功艺精湛，但与人较量时却总是改拳为掌，以免伤人。他常说：“以武会友，行遍天下；逞强伤人，寸步难行。”

民国十四年 (1925年)天津王锦文等廿余人来京聘请尚云祥到天津设形意拳研究社。后改名振华武术社，教人甚多。

    尚云祥从天津回京后 ,又迁到北新桥十二条辛寺胡同一废弃的尼姑庵中居住。他耿直刚正，厌恶旧社会的虚伪应酬，更不满官场上尔虞我诈。他不辱武林气节，不应权贵们的高薪聘请。张之江主持南京国术馆时，请他任教，被他婉言谢绝。袁世凯、曹锟聘请他,亦不肯就。甘守清贫,以当教员和授徒为生。

    1929年南京国术擂台赛聘尚云祥为仲裁委员。　

    1931年受二十九路军军长宋哲元之邀，以形意五行刀技教练指战员。“七·七”事变后不久，二十九军军长宋哲元的警卫营长尚其英拜尚云祥为师，并聘他担任警卫营的武术教官，在全军中传“五行刀术”。二十九军的大刀片，在与日作战时大显神威。先战 “喜峰口”，再战“罗文谷”，激战南苑机场，痛杀日寇。

    民国廿六年(1937年)北京社会局承办国术教员讲习会,分通臂、太极、形意三组学员,共二百余人,形意占一大半。特聘尚云祥先生为形意拳史教授。

   同年农历十月初十，尚云祥先生病逝于北京，享年七十三岁！

Xingyi Master - Shang Yunxiang

Shang Yunxiang, from Shandong Leling Shang Village, born in November 28, 1864, passed away in October 10, 1937, the founder of Shang Xing Yi Quan.

Shang Yunxiang first teacher was Li Cun-yi, then learnt from Guo Yunshen . He was very thin, but with superhuman perseverance and amazing spirit of hard practice, "big pole" "half-step collapse boxing" "Nita gas punch" and reputed martial arts combat martial arts, a master of Xing Yi Quan generation!"

Shang Yunxiang’s father was in Beijing on business when he was in childhood. He first learned the skill Fengtai Yi boxing six years, then follow Li Cun-yi as a teacher, learning Xingyiquan.

Shang Yunxiang was alone in the Gulou in Beijing for ten years to concentrate on practice, due to living in poverty, so practice barefoot bare back, although winter and summer, but without a little lazy." "A long time, the body turn out to be afraid of cold and heat. Bricks, stones, foot rub, becomes a powder if he use power on his feet, so send nicknamed iron pin Buddha.

Since the beginning of 1895, Mr. Li Cunyi were opened Yiyou Bodyguard office in Renqiu Muzhou, Peicheng Bodyguard office in Beijing and Wantong Bodyguard office in Baoding, presided over by the Shang Yunxiang.

Shang Yunxiang captured the famous thief named Kang Xiaoba.

In 1900, the eight countries coalition troops were very crazy to kill Chinese people. Shang Yunxiang participate with the teacher Li Cun-yi Boxer, fought in old Tianjin Railway Station. Apprehend by the Qing court after the same, both have to leave the bodyguard office. Li Cun-yi went to Shanxi, and Shang Yunxiang alone back home. Later Shang Yunxiang himself twice went to visit Shanxi Xing Yi, the harvest is also abundance. Because of his hard-working, combined differences between Shanxi and Hebei techniques into a Shang Xing Yi Quan.

Qing Dynasty (1909), Shang Yunxiang went to Beijing, united Liudian Chen, Geng Jishan, Zuwan Chang, Mr. Wang Junchen and founded Kungfu school. The school was opened for 3 years and taught many students.

In 1912, Mr. Li Cunyi founded in Tianjin “ China Kungfu society” set grind one hundred days, Shang Yunxiang was first one on the grind, and finally no one can beat him. From that time, he is very famous in Beijing and Tianjin, and whole China."

Shang Yunxiang is still learning very hard after he is very famous in China. His "half-step collapse boxing" was very famous, successful arts skills, but he never hurt people

Republic of fourteen years (1925) Tianjin Wang Jinwen asked Shang Yunxiang to come to Tianjing for Kunfu School and later changed the name to Zhenhua martial arts community. teaching many students.

Shangyun Xiang returned to Beijing from Tianjin, He hate the hypocrisy of the old society, entertainment and more dissatisfied with officialdom on intrigues. he refused Cao Kun hire him, also refused other officials.

1929 Nanjing Martial Arts Challenge Cup for the arbitration committee appointed Shang Yunxiang."

1937 (1937) Beijing Bureau of Social Affairs will host martial arts teacher workshops, Mr. Shang Yunxiang was a teacher.

Lunar month of October the same year, Mr. Shang Yunxiang passed away in Beijing at the age of 73!