A form that dates back to 19th century China, the roots and history of the Baguazhang style of martial arts can be traced back to 19th century China. It is a soft interior style martial art comparable to Tai Chi.
"Bagua" literally means "Bagua Palm" and refers to the Taoist classics, in particular a hexagram from the "Book of Changes".
History of Baguazhang
Wushu has a long way to go in China and consists of various disciplines.
Due to the lack of recorded history and the fact that many arts are practiced in isolation, it is very difficult to compile a complete history of any one of them. The same goes for Baguazhang.
Nobody really knows who invented the Baguazhang. That is, the art reached its peak in the middle period from Qingdao Guang (1821-150) to the sixth year of Guangxu (1881).
Documents show that Dong Haichuan, the famous master, was largely responsible for the popularity of his art. In the 19th century, he worked as a servant in the Forbidden City of Beijing, eventually impressing the emperor with his skills, making him the court's bodyguard.
There is much evidence that Haichuan learned practices from Taoist and even Buddhist teachers in the mountainous regions of rural China.
In fact, there is evidence that, although the story is dark, Master Dong Menglin taught Dong Haichuan and other Baguazhang.
Therefore Dong Haichuan is widely credited if he did not invent the art form.
From Haichuan, Baguazhang spread among famous masters such as Fu Chenxing, Yin Fu, Cheng Tinghua, Song Changrong, Liu Fengchun, Ma Weiji, Liang Zhenpu, and Liu Dekuan.
From these practitioners, various branches of the original style were formed, all emphasizing different things.
Many people think that Cheng Tinghua is the best student in Haichuan.
Characteristics of Baguazhang
Since Baguazhang is an internal martial arts style, the initial training focused on the mind, specifically the connection between inside (inside) and outside (movement). Ultimately, this translates into the actual movements and techniques of the discipline.
Baguazhang is often characterized by a slow flowing form. That said, there are differences between the different styles.
Baguazhang goal
The main goal of Baguazhang is to improve health. The theory behind learning this art form is that once understood, life and overall balance improve. Meditation and the effective use of one's own energy are the basis.
As a martial art style, Bagua Zhang teaches the practitioner to use the opponent's own aggression or energy towards him. It is not a difficult style. In other words, there is no emphasis on electrified energy.
folk bagua style
There are various sub-styles of Baguazhang include the following:
- Process
- Fan
- Blessing
- Beam
- Liu
- Shi
- Negative
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