Bagua Zhang is an ancient internal martial art generally characterized by a preference for open-hand fighting, circular movements, and evasive footwork. Its foundation is built upon the yin and yang circle. Its complexity is to control your opponent while doing circles around them. Not knowing which angle and direction the person is coming in. The founder Dong Hai Chuan who gave birth to Bagua is the father buy paper but know body really knows who started the art. It has been passed down from Master to student and is here in the Shaolin Temple School. The art took off when Grandmaster Dong Hai Chuan competed and not just one but made a change in the Martial Art world. The idea not of linear fighting and forms was a big change to the world.

Dong Hai Chuan (1797-1882)

Bagua Zhang is the most recently developed of the three main Chinese internal martial arts, the other two being Taiji and Xing Yi. It originated with Dong Hai Chuan who began demonstrating and teaching it in the mid 1860's in Beijing. Bagua Zhang quickly established its reputation as a very effective fighting system. At the time Dong worked as a bodyguard and later as a tax collector for Prince Su at the Imperial Court. Using Bagua Zhang he was undefeated in fights during this period until his death in 1882. Bagua Zhang literally means eight trigram palm and the structure of the system is based on Daoist philosophy. Dong is reputed to have learned the system from an old Daoist in the mountains, but its exact origin remains a mystery.

Yin Fu (1843-1909)

Dong's first and by far his longest serving student was Yin Fu (1842 - 1909). Yin started studying with Dong in the mid 1860's and is believed to be the only student to have learnt the complete system. The style and flavor of Bagua that Yin Fu began to teach became known as Yin Style Bagua.

Men Baozhen (1870-1957)

The last of Yin's top three disciples was Men Baozhen who spent nearly 20 years studying with Yin. Men were the student who inherited Yin's complete system including not only the martial arts but also the health building and healing systems and related philosophy.

Xie Peiqi (1920 - )

Men's last disciple was Xie Peiqi who spent nearly 25 years studying with Men and is the last person to be fully trained in the entire system of Yin style bagua. In addition to studying with Men, Xie studied with another of Yin's top three disciples - Ma Gui (1853 - 1940) from whom he learned amongst other things the back fist system: the back fist system was taught directly to Ma by Dong and falls outside the main structure of Bagua Zhang. Another of Dong's students was Fan Zhiyong (1840 - 1922). Fan did not learn Bagua Zhang but learned Dong's Buddhist health building, qigong and meditation exercises. Xie learned these from Fan's daughter - Fan Fenglan (1884 - 1967).

Hao Xinlian

Hao Xinlian is living in Gansu China teaching many colleges and Universities in China. He has written many books about Baguazhang and other martial arts that he teaches. He has won Lion prize in China in his province 5 years in a row. This consists of knowledge of all areas of martial arts, calligraphy and the healing arts. He is government taught and has the seal of head coach from the Chinese Government. He teaches a variety of Internal and External kung fu. He has written books on every subject he teaches. He has had the honor from learning from the best master in each field he teaches. He has had the opportunity to learn the whole Gin Yi and Yin Baguazhang.

John Painter

The four main practice areas in Bagua

1. Standing Exercises

The standing exercises, which include static and moving exercises, are a key element in Yin style bagua and are used to build up qi, physical strength and flexibility.

2. Circle Walking

Circle walking is perhaps the single most important area but sometimes the least practiced! It comprises walking in a circle holding a static posture from the animal system concerned and then using a simple routine or strike to periodically change direction. It is an important method of building up qi and learning relaxation and rooting.

3. Routines

Routines involve practicing a sequence of strikes (typically seven strikes) whilst walking the circle. Also included in this area are the practical fighting applications of these strikes. Practicing the strikes whilst walking in a circle helps the practitioner to develop the ability to change his line of attack relative to an opponent.

4. Power Training

Power training involves repetitive practice generally of single strikes to build up power in the strikes. The power training is done using stationary drilling, single step drilling, two step drilling and three step drilling. Particular emphasis is placed on developing a relaxed connected structure in the body, rooting to the ground and on optimizing the body mechanics so that the power comes from the whole body and not just the arms.

5. Practical Combinations

In addition to these four main areas of practice there are many other areas of practice within the system. Thus a practitioner who is particularly interested in fighting would practice Practical Combinations. These are combinations of two or three strikes that the practitioner would practice by himself whilst visualizing an opponent and then with an actual opponent.

Lineage

Founder - Dong Hai Chuan

Yin Fu Cheng Tinghua

Gong Bao Tain Men Baozhen

Xie Peiqi

Hao Xinlian

Manuel Marquez - Shi Xeng Peng

Al Simmons

Jonathan Savell