2,The brief history of Ba Gua.
3,What are the features of Ba Gua?
4,What are the benefits of practicing Ba Gua?
5,What will we teach in our school?
7, Questions and Answers of Ba Gua.
Ba Gua, as a short term of Baguazhang, is one of the three classic internal Chinese martial arts in China. Literally, `Ba Gua' means "eight trigrams", it comes from the ancient Chinese philosophy book"The Book of Changing". But techniqually, Ba Gua as a martial art, just gets the basic practice principle fromTthe Book of Chaning, or we can say that The Book of Changing gives the basic prictice guidence toward the Ba Gua, or Baguazhang as a martial art. So that Ba Gua as a martial art based on a theory of continuous changes adapted to different situations. Ba Gua is one of the youngest style in the 3 internal styles, many people in China believe that it is the combination of Xing Yi and Tai Chi, since the force of Ba Gua is close to Tai Chi and the movements of Ba Gua are closes to Xing Yi. There are a few different styles of Ba Gua in China, however, no matter what is the individual features among each other, all of them follow the same basic idea: focus on circular walking, attack with plam mostly and focus on internal power instead of physical strength only.
Ba Gua is the youngest of the traditional internal martial arts. According to legend, the founder was Dong Haichuan, born in Wen'an county of Hebei province (4 hours from Beijing) sometime in the 1820s. Dong was a good fighter who knew the art of Er'Langquan (Er'Lang -- a hero in Chinese Daoist legends). He traveled through China to meet masters of martial arts living in out-of-the-way places. When he reached Jiuhua mountain in Anhui province, he lost his way in a forest. There he encountered a young Daoist who was circling pine trees. Dong Haichuan understood that the young monk was training in some form of martial art, but couldn't understand the strangeness of his training method, and began to laugh. Insulted, the Daoist challenged Dong to match forces. Dong Haichuan agreed and the two proceeded to do battle in a nearby glade. Dong launched fierce strikes, using both fists and feet, but he was not able to reach the young Daoist, who always slipped behind Dong's back and overturned him. After the third fall, Dong admitted defeat, knelt down and asked to be accepted as a student. Once again he heard laughing, this time from behind, and when he turned, an old Daoist stepped into the glade. This old Daoist was Bi Chengxia, teacher of the young monk who had just defeated Dong while Bi Chenxia looked on. Bi accepted Dong as his student, and during a period of four years taught him the art of rotating palms while walking in a circle.
Later Dong Haichuan moved to Beijing and was hired as a servant to Prince Su. Su was a great lover of martial arts, and masters visited him frequently. On one occasion, Su asked a master to demonstrate his art before a large crowd. It happened that a servant with tea was unable to make his way through the crowd to serve the Prince. To help the man, Dong Haichuan took his tea tray and ran to the prince on a wall, turning and twisting over the heads of the spectators. The Prince was an observant man and immediately asked if Dong had studied some martial art. It was impossible to keep the secret any longer, and Dong told his story. From that time forward he taught Ba Gua in Beijing. Later this art spreaded through all China.
Dong Haichuan had many students, and each of them developed his own techniques, adapted to different circumstances. This is the reason for the existence of more than one branch of Ba Gua. Today, three main branches are still recognized. The first of them derives from Yin Fu, bodyguard of empress Qixi. Yin Fu was a long-time student of Dong Haichuan, and one of the greatest fighters of his time. He had studied luohanquan (Fist of Arhat), and because of this, fighters of his branch prefer long-range combat. This form of Ba Gua contains many strikes, the circle step is used for avoiding attack and attacks are launched from the side rather than the back. When the form is executed properly, it is easy to see the projection of power. Yin Fu was a rich man and gave money for the erection of a monument on Dong Haichuan's grave, inscribed with the names of all Dong's students. Another famous student of Dong's was Cheng Tinghua, born in Chengjiazhuang village of Shen county of Hebei province. Cheng was well-known as a great Shuaijiao (Chinese wrestling) master. When he moved to Beijing, he aquired the nickname "spectacles Cheng", because he sold spectacles for a living. Ba Gua fighters of his branch try to close on their opponent as quickly as possible, and the techniques contain many throws. The execution of forms is characterized by quick and continuous movement. In 1900 when the united forces of England, France, Russia and Germany occupied Beijing and began to plunder the city, Cheng Tinghua and his bother Cheng Dianhua, armed with daggers, went out into the streets and killed a dozen German soldiers before Cheng Tinghua was shot to death. The third main branch of Ba Gua derives from Liang Zhenpu, one of the youngest of Dong Haichuan's students. In addition to these three main forms, there are also a few others, such as Zhang and Fan Ba Gua.
3,What are the features of Ba Gua?
As with Xing Yi and Tai Chi, the practice of Ba Gua generates vital energy for both health and combat purposes. Mostly, Ba Gua uses palm techniques and is outwardly simpler than Xing Yi or Tai Chi. Some have said that Ba Gua is the combination of Xing Yi and Tai Chi.
A)Circle-Walking Boxing.
The basics of Ba Gua are a series of movements done while walking in a circle, and quick footwork and turns are adopted as its self-defense strategy. The coiling movements become faster and more intricate once practice becomes consistent. At that point, practitioners can move the body in all possible angles and directions for fitness, centering and agility. Ba Gua places emphasis on circularity; the movements of the art include twisting, spiraling, and turning. Specifically, the Ba Gua fighter does one of two things: either circling around a central point outside the body, or rotating the body around its vertical axis. All styles of Ba Gua emphasize complete physical relaxation, correct skeletal alignment, and natural movements that are in harmony with the body's normal reflexes and inherent design. Furthermore, all movements are directed by the intent.
B)Walking Backward for Attacking.
Through mobility of position and agility of body, Ba Gua proves itself to be a formidable style for many practitioners. Instead of meeting directly an incoming force, Ba Gua "melts" around the attack, either simultaneously redirecting the attack while closing the position, or by "ignoring" it and repositioning one's self before an advantageous "doorway" through which one enters to finish the opponent instantly. This strategy allows the smaller and weaker fighter to apply maximum force from an angle at which the larger and stronger opponent cannot resist, effectively making the weaker fighter more powerful at that moment. Finally, the relaxed physical and mental state of the Ba Gua fighter makes it possible for him to change and adapt as the situation demands. His movements are spontaneous and difficult to predict. Fighters of all disciplines agree that the unpredictable fighter is the hardest to beat.
C)Using Palm mostly.
Zhang (literally, Palm) is the usual term used to indicate a martial art. The open hand or palm is preferred by Ba Gua Zhang because it creates a better energy flow within the body, an energy flow which can be directed for spiritual, martial, or healing purposes.
4,What are the benefits of practicing Ba Gua?
1, Self-defense: Ba Gua is a very good style for self-defense.
2,Health: people will improve their healthy situation through doing Ba Gua also.
5,What will we teach in our school?
A)Empty-Hands.
!,Eight Basic Palms.
2,Eight Big Palms.
(1)Single Changing Palm.
(2)Double Changing Palm.
(3)Smooth Changing Palm.
(4)Back-Body Palm.
(5)Returning Body Palm.
(6)Rub-Body Palm.
(7)Turning-Over-Body Palm.
(8)Turning-Around-Body Palm.
3,Routines.
(1)Ba Gua Linking Palm.
(2)Ba Gua Swimming-Body palm.
(3)Eight-Fightting Palm
(4)Xing Yi-Ba Gua Palm(For the students who have finished Xing Yi).
(5)Others...
B)Weapons.
1,Ba Gua Sword.
2,Deer Horn Sword.
3,Judge Pen.
4,Others...
