Yiquan (yi = intention ; quan = martial art) originates from Xinyiquan (xin = heart). Dai Longbang from the Shanxi province changed the name Xinyiquan to Xingyiquan (xing = form) and passed on his techniques to Li Luoneng from the Hebei province. Li Luoneng, nicknamed "the divine fist", founded the Hebei school of Xingyiquan who produced numerous masters such as Guo Yunshen, Liu Qilan and Song Shirong.

Wang Xiangzhai, who was often sick as a child, learned Xingyiquan from Guo Yunshen to improve his physical condition. His remarkable intelligence, assiduous training and thorough study of the theory made him one of Guo's favourite students. Wang Xiangzhai then focused on developing Yiquan, travelling to many provinces in China and meeting many experts  spending more than twenty years studying the documents collected during his travels to find the essence of Chinese martial arts.

Wang Xiangzhai created Yiquan in the 1920s on the bases of Xingyiquan and other martial arts schools, but abandoning any codified forms (taolu) and aestheticism. He used the name Yiquan to emphasize the essential role of intention (yi) in training. After the creation of the People's Republic of China, Wang Xiangzhai focused on health posture and the treatment of chronic illnesses, notably in Beijing Guanganmen Hospital and Baoding Traditional Medicine Hospital, where many patients attended his classes. 

At the end of the 1970s, Yao Zongxun, successor of Wang Xiangzhai, continued to improve Yiquan by integrating modern training techniques. Cui Ruibin, one of his best disciple, opened a training center in Beijijng where he teaches to students from all over the world.

Four generations, Wang Xiangzhai, Yao Zongxun, Cui Ruibin and me.