Baguazhang

The teachers in this country who do teach Ba Gua usually teach many other styles and pass on only a little of the original Ba Gua flavor. Ba Gua is a complete system with its owns separate training, power issues, and benefits.

Shao Kai Men is the first form taught to Ba Gua students. Shao Kai Men means open the small gate. In a literal way, It conditions your ming men area, the space in your back around the kidneys. But the small gate might also refer to a smaller gate inside a Chinese door. In other words this form will give a student a good peak at Ba Gua. This form combined with the basics and stance training are necessary to build the foundation required to continue in this style.The next level comes from Ba Gua's kicking Form, Ba Gua Tui. This level will really develop the leg strength necessary for this style. Since the essence of Ba Gua is in the footwork and the trapping and wrapping of the legs this level is essential to strengthen the foundation. This form also helps make the connection between the lower body and the upperbody.

The next form learned might be Ying Shao. This translates to mean without a hitch. This form needs to flow continuously from movement to movement without any energy breaks. The forms are taught as hand forms but the forms have all the elements needed to use the Ba Gua weapons. (i.e. Sun and moon rings, hook swords, deerhorn knives, piercers, etc.)

In the next level, the 8 mother palms and 64 Palm Changes are taught. This is Ba Gua's advanced form and has all the elements of the Ba Gua style. It is broken down into eight individual lines and done continuously on the circle.

When all of the forms have been learned the student can progress to the higher levels of this art. Post Training for example. Here a student really learns how the forms work. Nine posts are set in the ground in all the directions, (approximately north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast and southwest) at approximate equal distances apart. One post is in the center. The forms are then practiced between each post in random sequences. You can then see how these techniques work from any angle or direction.

At each level a student must put emphasis on the basic applications and power issues. A lot of two man training and multiple person training is necessary. There is a form of push hands common to Ba Gua where the opponents walk the circle together and attempt to attack or defend using the Kun, Tsuan, Cheng and Kuo and the inside or outside steps learned from the walking the square. Using the forms and the basics together are what will really internalize a form or a style. There is also additional weight training and weapons training specific to Ba Gua. The relationship can definitely be made between the I Ching and Ba Gua but the basic lesson is only continuous change. The Eight Trigram can be useful to illustrate change and directions but there is no mystic connection between the two. When training in Ba Gua the primary focus should always be on the basics and continuous practice.