Ba Gua Quan – 8 Trigram Form
Pa Kua Chuan
8 Trigram Form
Below is the China Hand Kung Fu Academy Pa Kua Chuan System.
Introduction ~ Pa Kua
China Hand Kung Fu Academy teaches the Traditional Style Pa Kua Chuan.
Like many other styles of kung fu, Pa Kua has several different pronunciations: Pa Kua, Pa Kua Chuan, Pa Kua Chang, Ba Gua, Ba Gua Zhang, Ba Gua Quan. No matter how you say it, it is still all the same…Pa Kua. Also, like many other styles, Pa Kua has many influences depending on the teacher and their background. As in all internal martial art’s, pick a style, stay with it as the concepts should follow regardless of who’s style you do.
Pa Kua was was founded by Dong Hai Chuan (1798 – 1879) in northern China, though many might argue differently, the most reliable information is Dong Hai Chuan did found Pa Kua. Pa Kua, like the other internal martial arts of Tai Chi and Hsing Yi, has three main components to it: martial, health, and performance. Though it is not as popular a style as Tai Chi, it is growing. Pa Kua is the youngest of the three internal arts and considered and is a companion system to Hsing Yi and Tai Chi.
Pa Kua traditionally was taught as a advanced system, meaning you had to have other kung fu experience in order to learn Pa Kua. This eliminated the need to teach basic kung fu skills to the student who was already familiar with martial skills. Today, you can learn Pa Kua having no knowledge of any kung fu or martial art. All you need is a good teacher and the will to want to learn.
Pa Kua traditionally didn’t have weapons. Though as time has gone on, many have incorporated weapons training into their Pa Kua systems. This applies to the bare hand techniques too.
History
Ba Gua Quan is one of the three major internal Chinese Martial Arts. Ba Gua has also been know to go by other names such as: Youshen Bagua (Roving Eight-Trigram), Longxing Bagua (Dragon-Shaped Eight-Trigram), Xinyi Ba Gua (Xinyi Eight-Trigram Boxing), Yinyang Bapan Zhang (Positive-Negative Eight-Plate Palm), etc…
Though there are many stories and versions of how Ba Gua was founded, the most widely accepted version is the one we subscribe too. Dong Hai Chuan, a native of Zhujiawu, south of Wenan County in Hebei Province was the founder of Ba Gua. Certainly, it was his teaching of many students which lead to the ultimate popularity in the growth of Ba Gua. Dong Hai Chuan’s most famous students are:
Yin Fu
Cheng Ting Hua
Liu Fengchun
Li Cunyi
As in other Chinese Martial Arts, many of the students who taught Ba Gua have used their name to distinguish the styles of Ba Gua being taught. Other examples of Ba Gua Styles would be:
Yin Style
Cheng Style
Liang Style
Sun Style
Ba Gua is based on the Chinese philosophy of I Ching. The Traditional Style Ba Gua taught by China Hand Kung Fu Academy comes from the lineage of Cheng Tin Hua and the Cheng Style. Also, our system has no weapons or two man sets. However, this is the characteristic of the Traditional Style. Other styles of Ba Gua do teach two man sets and weapons, most commonly seen, the staff, double edge sword, broadsword, and deer horn knives.
Ba Gua is characterized by its’ dexterity, agility, changing footwork, and constant twisting and turning while walking in a circle.
Dong Hai Chuan was known to teach Ba Gua to students differently. That is to say, if your strength was in wrestling, then your Ba Gua had more wrestling, throwing, joint locking types of movements. If you were a Shaolin student, perhaps your training would take on the movements of more kicking, punching, and striking.
Training
In order to optimize your training, it is suggested you establish a training schedule. Since not all students are sure what to do or how to do this, here are some suggestions.
It is always best to practice everyday, try your best even if it is 5 minutes.
It is better to practice more times per week than to practice less but for a longer duration. Simply the repition daily, or regularyly, is needed to retain and progress. Hence refer to rule number 1, practice daily.
The more you practice, the better you will get.
Hand Forms
Exercises
Stances
8 Palm Changes
Recommended 30 – 45 Minute Training Regimen
Warm-up before you start to get deep into your workout, 5 – 10 minutes.
Practice at least two of the eight “Basic Stances,” 10 sets each stance, 5 minutes.
Practice all of the newest material you are learning every workout, 10 minutes.
Practice at least one of you basic forms three times, 5 minutes.
Practice at least one of your intermediate forms three times, 5 minutes.
Pracitce at least one of your advanced forms at least three times, 10 minutes.
Practice qigong, standing meditation for at least 5 minutes to cool down and center.
If at all possible, try to practice at least every other day.
Health
Stress relief, increased muscle strength, improved coordination, improved flexibility, lowering of blood pressure, improve arthritis, increase bone density, Improve your cardio vascular system, etc…
Self Defense
Gain the self confidence to defend yourself, your family, and your friends if necessary.
Mind~Body~Spirit
Bring the Mind, Body, & Spirit together through the meditative or focus training.