Baguazhang or Pakua chang () is one of the three main
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms Kung fu (term), kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (sport), wushu (), are Styles of Chinese martial arts, multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. Th ...
of the
Wudang school, the other two being
T'ai chi
Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called " shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. ...
and
Xing Yi Quan
Xing Yi Quan is classified as one of the internal styles of Chinese martial arts. The name of the art translates approximately to "Form-Intention Fist", or "Shape-Will Fist".
Xing Yi is characterized by aggressive, seemingly linear movements ...
. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice (or
neijia quan). ''Bāguà zhǎng'' literally means "eight trigram palm", referring to the
bagua
The bagua or pakua (八卦) are a set of eight symbols that originated in China, used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each li ...
"trigrams" of the ''
I Ching
The ''I Ching'' or ''Yi Jing'' (, ), usually translated ''Book of Changes'' or ''Classic of Changes'', is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. Originally a divination manual in the Western Zho ...
'' (''Yijing''), one of the canons of
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
.
[Lie, Zhang. “Classical Baguazhang Volume V: Yin Style Baguazhang.” Trans. Joseph Crandall. Pinole, California: Smiling Tiger Martial Arts 1995.]
History
The creation of Baguazhang as a formalized martial art, is attributed to
Dong Haichuan
Dong Haichuan (13 October 1797 or 1813 – 25 October 1882) is regarded as a skillful martial artist and is widely credited to be the founder of Baguazhang. Most, if not all, existing schools of Baguazhang place Dong Haichuan at the beginning ...
(), who is said to have learned from Taoist and Buddhist masters in the mountains of rural
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
during the early 19th century. Many Chinese authorities do not accept the Buddhist origin, instead maintaining that those teachers were purely Taoist in origin, the evidence lying in Baguazhang's frequent reference to core concepts central to
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
, such as
Yin and Yang
Yin and yang ( and ) is a Chinese philosophy, Chinese philosophical concept that describes opposite but interconnected forces. In Chinese cosmology, the universe creates itself out of a primary chaos of material energy, organized into the c ...
theory,
I Ching
The ''I Ching'' or ''Yi Jing'' (, ), usually translated ''Book of Changes'' or ''Classic of Changes'', is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. Originally a divination manual in the Western Zho ...
and Taoism's most distinctive paradigm, the
Bagua
The bagua or pakua (八卦) are a set of eight symbols that originated in China, used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each li ...
diagram. The attribution to Buddhist teachers came from the 2nd generation teachers, i.e. Dong Haichuan's students, some of whom were Buddhist. There is evidence to suggest a synthesis of several pre-existing martial arts taught and practised in the region in which Dong Haichuan lived, combined with Taoist circle walking. Through his work as a servant in the Imperial Palace he impressed the emperor with his graceful movements and fighting skill, and became an instructor and a bodyguard to the court.
[Green, Thomas A. "Martial Arts of the World" 2001] Dong Haichuan taught for many years in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, eventually earning patronage by the Imperial court.
Famous disciples of Dong Haichuan to become teachers were
Yin Fu
Yin Fu () ( Chanhuaicun (), Jixian (), China, 1840 – China, June, 1909) was a Baguazhang (a martial art) disciple of Dong Haichuan responsible for the creation of the Yin Style Baguazhang.
Yin Fu was Dong's earliest disciple in Prince ...
(),
Cheng Tinghua
Cheng Tinghua (also known as Cheng Yingfang) () (1848–1900) was a renowned master of Chinese Neijia (internal) martial art Bagua Zhang.
Biography
Born in the Cheng family village, Shen County, Hebei (now in Shandong), he was the third of fou ...
(),
Ma Gui (), Song Changrong (), Liu Fengchun (), Ma Weiqi (), Liu Baozhen (),
Liang Zhenpu
Liang Zhenpu (梁振蒲) (1863–1932) was a Chinese martial artist.
Biography
Liang Zhenpu was born in Beihaojia Village in Ji County in Hebei province on May 20, 1863 during the Qing dynasty under the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor. He trained ...
() and Liu Dekuan (). Although they were all students of the same teacher, their methods of training and expressions of palm techniques differed.
The Cheng and Liu styles are said to specialize in "pushing" the palms, Yin style is known for "threading" the palms, Song's followers practice "Plum Flower" ( ''
Mei Hua'') palm technique and Ma style palms are known as "hammers." Some of Dong Haichuan's students, including Cheng Tinghua, participated in the
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by ...
. In general, most bagua exponents today practice either the Yin (), Cheng (), or Liang () styles, although Fan (), Shi (), Liu (), Fu (), and other styles also exist. (The Liu style is a special case, in that it is rarely practiced alone, but as a complement to other styles). In addition, there are sub-styles of the above methods as well, such as the Sun (), Gao (), and Jiang () styles, which are sub-styles of Cheng method.
Modern styles
*
Yin Style:
Yin Fu
Yin Fu () ( Chanhuaicun (), Jixian (), China, 1840 – China, June, 1909) was a Baguazhang (a martial art) disciple of Dong Haichuan responsible for the creation of the Yin Style Baguazhang.
Yin Fu was Dong's earliest disciple in Prince ...
()
*
Cheng Style:
Cheng Tinghua
Cheng Tinghua (also known as Cheng Yingfang) () (1848–1900) was a renowned master of Chinese Neijia (internal) martial art Bagua Zhang.
Biography
Born in the Cheng family village, Shen County, Hebei (now in Shandong), he was the third of fou ...
()
*
Liang Style:
Liang Zhenpu
Liang Zhenpu (梁振蒲) (1863–1932) was a Chinese martial artist.
Biography
Liang Zhenpu was born in Beihaojia Village in Ji County in Hebei province on May 20, 1863 during the Qing dynasty under the reign of the Tongzhi Emperor. He trained ...
()
*
Gao Style:
Gao Yisheng
Gao Yisheng () (1866–1951) was the creator of the Gao style of the Chinese Internal Martial Art of Baguazhang. His life bridged the second generation and third generation of Bagua practitioners into the 20th century. He was one of the few third ...
()
*
Yin Sect Gao Style:
Gao Ziying
Gao , or Gawgaw/Kawkaw, is a city in Mali and the capital of the Gao Region. The city is located on the River Niger, east-southeast of Timbuktu on the left bank at the junction with the Tilemsi valley.
For much of its history Gao was an impor ...
()
*
Jiang Style:
Jiang Rong Qiao
Jiang Rong-qiao 姜容樵, 1891-1974 was a famous martial artist from Hebei. His specialized focus in the internal arts led him to develop his own system of Bagua which became recognized and known as Jiang Style Baguazhang.
Biography
In 1926, Ji ...
()
*Shi Style: Shi Jidong ()
*Song Style: Song Changrong and Song Yongxiang ()
*Fan Family Style: Fan Zhiyong ()
*Liu Style: Liu Baozhen ()
*Ma Style: Ma Weiqi ()
*Ma Gui Style:
Ma Gui ()
*Gong Baotian Style: Gong Baotian ()
*Sun Style:
Sun Lutang
Sun Lu-t'ang or Sun Lutang (1860-1933) was a renowned master of Chinese neijia (internal) martial arts and was the progenitor of the syncretic art of Sun-style t'ai chi ch'uan. He was also considered an accomplished Neo-Confucian and Taoist ...
()
*
Fu Style:
Fu Zhensong
Fu Zhensong (; 1872–1953), also known by his courtesy name Fu Qiankun, was a grandmaster of Wudangquan martial arts. He was best known as one of the famed "Five Northern Tigers," and a third-generation master of Baguazhang who founded Fu St ...
()
*
Yin Yang Style (Tian Style): Tian Hui ()
*
Ho Ho Choy Baguazhang: He Kecai ()
*Lu Style: Lu Shui-Tian (盧水田)
Common aspects
The practice of circle walking, or "turning the circle", as it is sometimes called, is Baguazhang's characteristic method of stance and movement training. All forms of Baguazhang utilize circle walking as an integral part of training. Practitioners walk around the edge of the circle in various low stances, facing the center, and periodically change direction as they execute forms. For a beginner, the circle is six to twelve feet in diameter.
Students first learn flexibility and proper body alignment through the basic exercises, then move on to more complex forms and internal power mechanics. Although the internal aspects of Baguazhang are similar to those of Xingyiquan and Taijiquan, they are distinct in nature.
Many distinctive styles of weapons are contained within Baguazhang; some use concealment, like the "judge's pen" () or a pair of knives (the most elaborate, which are unique to the style, are the crescent-shaped
deer horn knives (). Baguazhang is also known for practicing with extremely large weapons, such as the ''bāguà jian'' (), or bagua sword, and the ''bāguà
dāo'' (), or bagua broadsword. Other, more conventional weapons are also used, such as the staff (''gun''), spear (''qiang''), cane (''guai''), hook sword (''gou'') and the straight, double-edged sword (
jian
The ''jian'' (pronunciation (劍), English approximation: ) is a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China. The first Chinese sources that mention the ''jian'' date to the 7th century BCE, during the Spring and ...
). Baguazhang practitioners are also known for being able to use anything as a weapon using the principles of their art.
Baguazhang contains an extremely wide variety of techniques as well as weapons, including various strikes (with palm, fist, elbow, fingers, etc.), kicks, joint locks, throws, and distinctively evasive circular footwork. As such, Baguazhang is considered neither a purely striking nor a purely grappling martial art. Baguazhang emphasizes circular movement, allowing practitioners to flow out of the way of objects and opponents. This is the source of the theory of being able to fight multiple attackers. Baguazhang's evasive nature is also shown by the practice of moving behind an attacker, so that the opponent cannot harm the practitioner.
Although the many branches of Baguazhang are often quite different from each other (some, like Cheng style, specialize in close-in wrestling and joint locks, while others, like some of the Yin styles, specialize in quick, long-range striking), all have circle walking, spiraling movement, and certain methods and techniques (piercing palms, crashing palms, etc.) in common.
Baguazhang's movements employ the whole body with smooth coiling and uncoiling actions, utilizing hand techniques, dynamic footwork, and throws. Rapid-fire movements draw energy from the center of the abdomen. The circular stepping pattern also builds up
centripetal force
A centripetal force (from Latin ''centrum'', "center" and ''petere'', "to seek") is a force that makes a body follow a curved path. Its direction is always orthogonal to the motion of the body and towards the fixed point of the instantaneous c ...
, allowing the practitioner to maneuver quickly around an opponent.
See also
*
Bagua
The bagua or pakua (八卦) are a set of eight symbols that originated in China, used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each li ...
—the eight trigrams, used as guiding principles for Baguazhang.
*
I Ching
The ''I Ching'' or ''Yi Jing'' (, ), usually translated ''Book of Changes'' or ''Classic of Changes'', is an ancient Chinese divination text that is among the oldest of the Chinese classics. Originally a divination manual in the Western Zho ...
—the Chinese Classic relied on by Taoist thinking.
*
Feng Shui—the metaphysical system of interior design based on the Bagua.
*
T'ai chi ch'uan
Tai chi (), short for Tai chi ch'üan ( zh, s=太极拳, t=太極拳, first=t, p=Tàijíquán, labels=no), sometimes called " shadowboxing", is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits and meditation. ...
-a similar
Neijia
''Neijia'' ( 內家) is a term in Chinese martial arts, grouping those styles that practice ''neijing'', usually translated as internal martial arts, occupied with spiritual, mental or qi-related aspects, as opposed to an "external" approach ...
.
Notes
References
* Robert W. Smith, ''Chinese Boxing'',
* Bok Nam, Park & Dan Miller, ''The Fundamentals of Pa Kua Chang: The Methods of Lu Shui-T'ien As Taught by Park Bok Nam'',
* Shou-Yu, Liang, ''Baguazhang : Emei Baguazhang Theory and Applications'',
* O'Brien, Jess, ''Nei Jia Quan: Internal Martial Arts Teachers of Tai Ji Quan, Xing Yi Quan, and Ba Gua Zhang'',
* Frantzis, Bruce Kumar, ''The Power of Internal Martial Arts: Combat Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi, and Hsing-I'',
* Wang Shujin, ''Bagua Linked Palms - Translated by Kent Howard and Chen Hsiao-Yen'', (1-58394-264-5)
* Wang Shujin, ''Bagua Swimming Body Palms - Translated by Kent Howard and Chen Hsiao-Yen'', (1-58394-245-9)
External links
The Pa Kua Chang JournalQiang Shan Ba Gua Zhang Association
{{Martial arts
Chinese swordsmanship
Neijia