Yin Fu, the founder of Yin Family Baguazhang, had the courtesy name De'an and the nickname Shoupeng. He was born in the 20th year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty (1840) and died on June 28th in the first year of Xuantong (1909) at the age of sixty-nine. A native of Zhanghuai Village, Hebei Province today. When he was young, he was exiled to Beijing due to repeated disasters in his hometown, and lived in Toutiao, Jishikouwai, outside Chaoyangmen. He first learned how to make scissors, and later made a living by selling fried dough sticks and twists. In his early years, he learned Shaolin boxing skills and was good at Arhat boxing and leg kick. Around the age of twenty (i.e. around 1860), he took an artistic apprenticeship under Mr. Dong Haichuan. At that time, Mr. Dong was in his fifties and was already "suffering from old age and had to live outside his home." From then on, Yin Fu practiced on the streets day and night, day and night, in the cold and heat, and won the favor of Duke Dong. With his talent and intelligence, his martial arts skills improved day by day. Since he stayed with his master for many years, he received a lot of lessons. Although there were Quan Kaiting, Ruan Guzhen and others from Prince Su's mansion who studied under Dong before him, most of them stopped learning after Dong Haichuan left Su's residence. Therefore, it is said in later generations that Yin Fu was the head disciple. In the martial arts world, he is called "Skinny Yin" because of his gentle personality and handsome face.
After becoming an artist, he once worked as a nursing home. He successively worked at Waitabu House in Dongchang Hutong, Jiangan Hutong Yingjia, and Wangjiujia Canghuahu in Chaowai Zhongjie, etc., and served as a Chongqing nursing home. Inspection duties of the Foreign Taxation Department. Later, he was recommended by the Manchu Fo Niyinbu (Chinese name Ye Qian, a famous calligrapher in the late Qing Dynasty) and served in the palace. It is said that he taught the chief eunuch and the Guangxu Emperor in the inner court, so he had a high reputation among Dong's disciples.
In the winter of the eighth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1882), the great master Dong Haichuan passed away. Yin Fu and other disciples and his disciples buried him in the south of Niufang Village, Hongqiao, outside Dongzhimen, the capital. Twice in thirty years, a stone tablet was erected next to the teacher's tomb to express his sincerity. The inscriptions engraved on these two steles are the earliest written records of Dong Haichuan's life so far, providing important written historical materials for later generations to verify his life and the origin of Bagua Zhang. Since then, the disciples of Bagua have inherited the art from their masters, enriched and perfected the basic palm movements taught by their masters, and integrated what they learned personally. Yin Fu once taught disciples outside Jinchaoyangmen and made a significant contribution to the initial formation of the Baguazhang system. The early boxing styles passed down from generation to generation were expanded and innovated by subsequent descendants, and finally formed their own system, forming today's unique style of Yin's Baguazhang. Yin Fu had four children in his life. Among them, his eldest son Shiting died young. His daughter Yin Jinyu married his disciple He Jinkui. His third son Chengzhang and fourth son Yuzhang all inherited the family education. Although Cheng Zhang's skills were excellent, his reputation was not yet apparent. Yin Yuzhang (1890-1950), also known as Peiyao. Slender and of moderate stature, he is agile in movement and is known for his quick movements and changes in movement. He has taught his art in Beijing, Qingdao and other places successively, and is quite famous. In 1932, the book "Compendium of Baguazhang" was compiled at Qingdao Guoshu Museum and handed down to the world, which provides a strong basis for today's understanding of the early style of Yin's Baguazhang. His descendants include Wang Fu, Zhao Shouleng, etc.
Yin Fu had many disciples throughout his life, including Ma Gui, Li Yongqing, Ju Qingyuan, Cui Zhendong, He Jinkui, Yang Junfeng, Liu Dongchen (about 1870-1940), Cao Zhongsheng, Men Baozhen, Zeng Zengqi, Gong Baotian, Liu Qingfu and others became famous in later generations, and Yin's Baguazhang became more widely spread due to the unremitting efforts of the masters to study and popularize it.