Liu Bai-Chuan was a major figure in the recent history of Chinese martial arts. Such was the power of his kicks and leg techniques he was known as 'Iron Legs' Liu; he served as bodyguard to both Sun Yat-Sen and Chiang Kai-Shek. Liu was born in 1871 in Anhui Province and lived until 1964. The son of a poor family, he received only three years of education before starting an apprenticeship as a painter.

Near his workshop there was a pawnshop, the owner of which employed several kungfu experts as guards. Liu enjoyed watching the guards practice wushu at night and at the age of 14 persuaded them to teach him.

After several years' hard training Liu himself became a bodyguard for a travelling businessman. While passing through Yinkou, in North East China, they stopped at an inn. At dusk Liu went out for a stroll in the outskirts of the town. Passing near a copse he noticed a figure sitting up in one of the trees. Looking closer he saw the man was a monk wearing a black habit. Liu, puzzled, continued his walk when suddenly he felt the pat of a hand on his back. As he turned around he found himself face to face with the monk he had just seen in the tree. The man turned out to be none other than the famous Shaolin master Abbot Yang Deng-Yun.

Liu begged the master to accept him as a student. Yang agreed, provided Liu was prepared to undergo the extremely severe training that would be involved. They started practicing every morning at 3.00 a.m., working mainly on Shaolin Lohan chuan. They frequently sparred with each other and Liu was often injured, Yang being an exceptionally aggressive and violent fighter. At times Yang stood well away from Liu but in less than a second he could leap forward on to Liu and drop him with one touch. As time went by Liu advanced and mastered Lohan Chuan. Then Yang started to teach him what was known as 'Son and Mother Mandarin Duck Kicking.' Yang suspended a sack from a log held up by two trees. The bag was filled with dried grass, leaves, and other things. Liu was required to stand about a yard away from the bag then lunge forward with a right side-kick. The bag would be hit and swing backwards and forwards and Liu had to turn and execute a back heel-kick with his left leg changing the direction of the bag's swing which he then had to kick with another right side-kick. All types of kick were practised plus knee and hip strikes with the emphasis on rapid sequences of powerful and flexible kicking attacks. As Liu progressed, the filling of the bag was changed to sand and later small stones.

When Liu's kicks had reached a high enough standard he was allowed to try them out against Master Yang. But Yang was able to grab Liu's leg when he kicked no matter how fast he was. On the other hand, when Yang allowed Liu to catch his leg during a kick he would jump up and perform a kick with his free leg powerful enough to knock Liu back several yards. Yang also taught Liu sword fighting, spear work, and the seven section chain whip. Liu used all these skills in real fights when he returned to his job after his time with Yang. In one fight against a sword-wielding landlord, Liu, armed with his chain whip, emerged the victor but had the end of his index finger cut off by the landlord's sword. From 1910 Liu became an instructor at Huo Yuanjia's Ching Wu Martial Arts Society in Shanghai.

One day, a guest named Tao Hong-Ching came to the school and asked Liu to show him his Wushu skills. After Liu's outstanding demonstration, Tao shook his head and said to Liu, "You are strong in appearance but weak in spirit". Tao touched Liu on the shoulder, his fingers pressing slightly; Liu sat down and felt a numbness flow through his body and he could not move. Tao then produced a small porcelain bottle from which he extracted three pills. He told Liu to keep two which he wrapped in silver paper, then gave him one to take. Ten minutes later, Liu began to feel very warm and comfortable, his eyes grew clear and bright and he experienced a sense of great refreshment. He thought of the way he had led his life since coming to Shanghai. Things had been too easy and secure and Liu had wasted his time taking it easy and staying awake most nights playing mahjong with his friends. He had dissipated his energy and strength and his vitality was at a low ebb. Restored by the medicine he resolved to change his undesirable way of life. Tao then gave him some advice on how to stay young and healthy and that night taught him Lohan Chi-Kung for that purpose. He was told to practice every morning and night without fail. Later when he went home, Liu felt that his spirit had cleared and his vigour had returned. Convinced of the efficacy of the medicine Tao had given him, Liu decided to take out the remaining two pills and put them aside for future emergency; but when he opened the silver paper there was nothing inside. He immediately went to Tao's residence but could find no sign of him and never saw or heard of him again. Liu continued to practice what Tao had taught him and subsequently passed it on to his own students.

In 1928, Liu became honorary dean of studies at the Central Martial Arts Academy in Nanking 南京中央国术馆. Yang Cheng-Fu was also there at that time before moving to Hangzhou. A martial arts tournament was held to find the best new fighters which was won by Wan Lai-Sheng. Hoping to improve his knowledge of the internal styles, Wan went over to Yang Cheng-Fu's place one day. When he arrived he found Yang brushing his teeth and suddenly had the idea of attacking Yang to test him. Taken by surprise, Yang slipped and lost his balance. When Liu heard about this he gave Wan a severe reprimand for his lack of respect for the older generation.

However, one of Wan Lai-Sheng's teachers was the renowned fighter Du Xin-Wu (1869-1953), master of Tzu Ran Men 'natural' style and famous throughout China and Japan. He had heard a lot about Liu's fighting skills and rather than let Wan try, he himself decided to challenge Liu. They met in the courtyard of Du's house.

They were well matched. Du was an expert in Ching Kung (light kung fu) and therefore able to jump and spring and easily dodge Liu's ferocious and violent attacks. But Liu was so strong and determined that Du was cornered near a vat where, to escape the onslaught, he sprang on to the edge of the vat and from there leapt up on to a 10 foot high wall where he looked down smiling at Liu and said, "Come up here and continue fighting." Liu was no expert in Ching Kung though, and said, also smiling, "Why don't YOU come down here and we'll go on?" Just then Li Jing-Lin, director of the Martial Arts Academy, arrived and ordered them to desist. He led them inside and reconciled them. Later Wan Lai-Sheng also studied with Liu.

Shortly after that Liu went to Hangzhou to take up his post at the Zhejiang Martial Arts Academy. He taught many students there including national champion Jiang Huixin and the famous master and fighter Ho Chang-Hai.