Above, our Ba Gua Zhang (baguazhang) lineage, Beijing, 1917. 3rd generation formal lineage holder Liu Bin indicated in red circle. Below, John Bracy and Chris Gulbrandson, respectively, formally lineaged 5th & 6th generation lineage holders/ disciples.
Ba Gua Basics: Avoid mistakes that you will have to fix later
Ba Gua: Beginners/ Intermediate
FIRST 3 LESSONS & a FREE VIDEO!
VIDEO LINK [CLICK HERE] Video lessons for the 3 lessons/ photos below
Lesson 1: Getting a few basic movements. “Walking the Circle” and “Single Change” are the most common practices of Ba Gua worldwide, and especially the Cheng Style
Lesson 2: Learning to mix relaxation with tension in new ways. The ultimate goal of the internal martial artist, and especially for the ba gua martial artist, is the ability to direct a narrow, concentrated line of force through an otherwise relaxed body.
ADD HERE:OPTIONAL LINK TO LOW COST TRAINING PACKAGE ON STUDYING THAT INTERPLAY BETWEEN LOOSENESS AND TENSION
ADD HERE: MORE DISCUSSION AND VIDEOS ON ONE POINT MIND TRAINING
Correct hand shape and angle is critical to making your Ba Gua effective. This point is explained in the YouTube link that follows. LINK = https://youtu.be/hwve6U3Znlk
If the below YouTube player isn’t working, try this link https://youtu.be/hwve6U3Znlk
What is Ba Gua? Why study it? Is it for you?
What to look for in your Ba Gua study
Why circle in Ba Gua? READ MORE/ watch video
Stepping: Why you should care? and how the way you step determines for success or failure. WATCH VIDEO
Hand position: It’s only important if you want your Ba Gua to work in real STREET COMBAT. READ MORE / watch video
Ba Gua Advanced: Tips and training guidance
What is “controlling space” and why is it essential to Ba Gua mastery (new video series in development)
Why over stylized and “pretty” Ba Gua form practice is killing our art (and what you can do about it).
There are two reasons to study ba gua. One is for health, healing, and internal energy development. The other is to learn effective self-defense / close combat.
The value of ba gua for health, healing, and internal energy development consists of “moving the qi/ ch’i ” internal energy deep into the bones and tissues. In this presentation, the practice represents the moving expression of Taoist yoga. In the future a link will be provided here so that you can read about this approach in more detail.
However, now we introduce the most challenging aspect of ba gua: how to use the art effectively in close combat. Keep in mind that today, even in China, very few instructors are able to realistically demonstrate effective close combat of the art. If you are a martial artist, you can determine this for yourself by watching the many YouTube presentations that are available. After viewing, you will notice that only a small percentage of instructors present a believable ability to defend themselves with ba gua. The purpose of these pages is to assist YOU in the DEVELOPMENT of YOUR realistic ba gua skill.
Below are a few of our recommended videos on ba gua combat application. It is suggested that the potentially serious student of ba gua watch and think about these before going on to Ba Gua lesson 2.
