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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
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