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Baguazhang (Pa Kua Chang)
(Contributors: William Breazeal - breazeal@tweedledee.ucsb.edu,
Mike Martelle - 3mbm@qlink.queensu.ca)
Intro:
Baguazhang is one of the three orthodox "internal" styles of
Chinese martial art (the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan).
Translated, Bagua means "Eight Trigram". This refers to the eight
basic principles described in the ancient metaphysical treatise
the Yijing (I-Ching), or "Book of Changes". Bagua is meant to
be the physical manifestation of these eight principles. "Zhang"
means "palm" and designates Baguazhang as a style of martial art
which emphasizes the use of the open hand over the closed fist.
Baguazhang as a martial art is based on the theory of continuously
changing in response to the situation at hand in order to overcome
an opponent with skill rather than brute force.
Origin: Northern China.
History:
Although there are several theories as to the origins of Baguazhang,
recent and exhaustive research by martial scholars in mainland
China concludes without reasonable doubt that the art is the creation
of one individual, Dong Haichuan (or Dong Haiquan). Dong was born
in Wen'an County, Hebei Province about 1813. Dong practiced local
martial arts (which reportedly relied heavily upon the use of
openhand palm strikes) from his youth and gained some notoriety
as a skilled practitioner. At about 40 years of age, Dong left
home and travelled southward. At some point during his travels
Dong became a member of the Quanzhen (Complete Truth) sect of
Taoism. The Taoists of this sect practiced a method of walking
in a circle while reciting certain mantras. The practice was designed
to quiet the mind and focus the intent as a prelude to enlightenment.
Dong later combined the circle walking mechanics with the boxing
he had mastered in his youth to create a new style based on mobility
and the ability to apply techniques while in constant motion.
Dong Haichuan (or Dong Haiquan) originally called his art "Zhuanzhang"
(Turning Palm). In his later years, Dong began to speak of the
Art in conjunction with the Eight Trigrams (Bagua) theory expoused
in the Book Of Changes (Yijing). When Dong began teaching his
"Zhuanzhang" in Beijing, the vast majority of his students were
already accomplished martial artists in their own right. Dong's
teachings were limited to a few "palm changes" executed while
walking the circle and his theory and techniques of combat. His
students took Dong's forms and theories and combined them with
their original arts. The result is that each of Dong's students
ended up with quite different interpretations of the Baguazhang
art.
Most of the various styles of Baguazhang found today can be traced
back to one of several of Dong Haichuan's (or Dong Haiquan's)
original students. One of these students was a man called Yin
Fu. Yin studied with Dong longer than any other and was one of
the most respected fighters in the country in his time (he was
the personal bodyguard to the Dowager Empress, the highest prestige
position of its kind in the entire country). Yin Fu was a master
of Luohanquan, a Northern Chinese "external" style of boxing before
his long apprenticeship with Dong. Another top student of Dong
was Cheng Tinghua, originally a master of Shuaijiao (Chinese wrestling).
Cheng taught a great number of students in his lifetime and variations
of his style are many. A third student of Dong which created his
own Baguazhang variant was Liang Zhenpu. Liang was Dong's youngest
student and was probably influenced by other of Dong's older disciples.
Although Baguazhang is a relatively new form of martial art, it
became famous throughout China during its inventor's lifetime,
mainly because of its effectiveness in combat and the high prestige
this afforded its practitioners.
Description:
Baguazhang is an art based on evasive footwork and a kind of
"guerilla warfare" strategy applied to personal combat. A Bagua
fighter relies on strategy and skill rather than the direct use
of force against force or brute strength in overcoming an opponent.
The strategy employed is one of constant change in response to
the spontaneous and "live" quality of combat.
Bagua is a very circular art that relies almost entirely on open
hand techniques and full body movement to accomplish its goals.
It is also characterized by its use of spinning movement and extremely
evasive footwork. Many of the techniques in Bagua have analogs
in other Northern Chinese systems;however, Bagua's foot work and
body mechanics allow the practitioner to set up and execute these
techniques while rapidly and smoothly changing movement direction
and orientation. Bagua trains the student to be adaptable and
evasive, two qualities which dramatically decrease the amount
of physical power needed to successfully perform techniques.
The basis of the various styles of Baguazhang is the circle walk
practice. The practitioner "walks the circle" holding various
postures and executing "palm changes" (short patterns of movement
or "forms" which train the body mechanics and methods of generating
momentum which form the basis of the styles' fighting techniques).
All styles have a variation of the "Single Palm Change" which
is the most basic form and is the nucleus of the remaining palm
changes found in the Art. Besides the Single Palm Change, other
forms include the "Double Palm Change" and the "Eight Palm Changes"
(also known variously as the "Eight Mother Palms" or the "Old
Eight Palms"). These forms make up the foundation of the Art.
Baguazhang movements have a characteristic circular nature and
there is a great deal of body spinning, turning and rapid changes
in direction. In addition to the Single, Double and Eight Palm
Changes, most but not all styles of Baguazhang include some variation
of the "Sixty-Four Palms." The Sixty-Four Palms include forms
which teach the mechanics and sequence of the specific techniques
included in the style. These forms take the more general energies
developed during the practice of the Palm Changes and focus them
into more exact patterns of movement which are applied directly
to a specific combat technique.
Training:
Training usually begins with basic movements designed to train
the fundamental body mechanics associated with the Art. Very often
the student will begin with practicing basic palm changes in place
(stationary practice), or by walking the circle while the upper
body holds various static postures (Xingzhuang). The purpose of
these exercises is to familiarize the beginning student with the
feeling of maintaining correct body alignment and mental focus
while in motion. The student will progress to learning the various
palm changes and related forms. The Sixty-Four Palms or other
similar patterns are usually learned after some level of proficiency
has been attained with the basic circle walk and palm changes.
Some styles practice the Sixty-Four Palms on the circle while
other styles practice these forms in a linear fashion. All of
the forms in Baguazhang seek to use the power of the whole body
in every movement, as the power of the whole will always be much
greater than that of isolated parts. The body-energy cultivated
is flexible, resilient and "elastic" in nature.
In addition to the above, most styles of Baguazhang include various
two-person forms and drills as intermediate steps between solo
forms and the practice of combat techniques. Although the techniques
of Baguazhang are many and various, they all adhere to the above
mentioned principles of mobility and skill. Many styles of Baguazhang
also include a variety of weapons, ranging from the more "standard"
types (straight sword, broadsword, spear) to the "exotic." An
interesting difference with other styles of martial arts is that
Baguazhang weapons tend to be "oversized," that is they are much
bigger than standard weapons of the same type (the extra weight
increases the strength and stamina of the user).
SUBSTYLES:
Each of Dong Haichuan's (or Dong Haiquan's) students developed
their own "style" of Baguazhang based on their individual backgrounds
and previous martial training. Each style has its own specific
forms and echniques. All of the different styles adhere to the
basic principles of Baguazhang while retaining an individual "flavor"
of their own. Most of the styles in existence today can trace
their roots to either The Yin Fu, Zheng Dinghua, or Liang Zhenpu
variations.
Yin Fu styles include a large number of percussive techniques
and fast striking combinations (Yin Fu was said to "fight like
a tiger," moving in swiftly and knocking his opponent to the ground
like a tiger pouncing on prey). The forms include many explosive
movements and very quick and evasive footwork. Variations of the
Yin Fu style have been passed down through his students and their
students, including Men Baozhen, Ma Kui, Gong Baotian, Fu Zhensong,
and Lu Shuitian.
Zheng Dinghua styles of Baguazhang include palm changes which
are done in a smooth and flowing manner, with little display of
overt power (Zheng Dinghua's movement was likened to that of a
dragon soaring in the clouds). Popular variants of this style
include the Gao Yisheng system, Dragon style Baguazhang, "Swimming
Body" Baguazhang, the Nine Palace system, Jiang Rongqiao style
(probably the most common form practiced today) and the Sun Ludang
style.
The Liang Zhenpu style was popularized by his student Li Ziming
(who was the president of the Beijing Baguazhang Association for
many years and who did much to spread his art worldwide).
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