Bagua style in Jade Dragon kung fu.

Jade Dragon School of Kung Fu and Qigong

Bagua

Bagua (sometimes spelled Pakua) is one of the most well known and sophisticated of all Chinese martial arts. It is one of the three noble internal arts alongside Hsing I and the better known Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan). Bagua is based on the 8 trigrams of the I Ching (book of changes) and continuous circular movements with the famous bagua palm strikes.

Bagua was developed by Dong Hai-Ch'uan who was an imperial bodyguard and had spent many years studying from different martial artists. He had also studied walking circle meditation from Taoists of the 'Complete Reality Sect' and incorporated these circular stepping patterns into his martial arts. The result was a virtually unbeatable martial art that was designed to defend against up to 8 attackers simultaneously. To face a Bagua stylist is unnerving as they twist and coil around you, avoiding attacks and can counter-attack from seemingly impossible angles using throws, pressure points, a variety of kicks and their famous palm strikes.

If a bagua stylist is under attack he will consider the worst possible thing he can do would be to stay where he is. That position is under attack and so his first priority is always to move and keep moving. His superior balance and coordination enable him to deliver powerful attacks while walking and turning around his attacker. THis is unnerving for the attacker who finds that his target has disappeared and is now behind him. On turning he will find the bagua stylist is still moving around him always, tantalisingly, just out of reach. The bagua stylist can then close quickly from any direction and use spiralling and twisting moves to deliver powerful strikes, throws and kicks etc.

These days bagua is known for its health and fitness benefits as much as its martial arts skills. The twisting movements stretch and tone the muscles and joints and realign the vertebrae. Balance, stability and coordination are greatly enhanced and the pratitioner learns the secrets of how to develop true power without the need for weight training or fighting from fixed stances. The circle walking brings in large amounts of energy and is a powerful form of moving meditation. Most people's reactions on first learning bagua are firstly how difficult it is to walk properly with balance and stability in a circle, let alone try to fight but secondly they are amazed at just how much energy they gain from the practice. "It's like being connected up to the mains" is a common reaction.