Gao style Baguazhang is a martial with a comprehensive syllabus that is designed to develop a strong, intelligent and agile body. Summarised simply the Gao style syllabus includes:
Circular bagua – body control, meditation, strategy, and power, integration of techniques
Linear Bagua – tactics, body conditioning, power development for application, techniques
Neigung - deep body patterning
Partner drills - from cooperative techniques, sensitivity exercises, controlled and free sparring
The principles of change and flow are drilled into the body through specific techniques, until they become internalised, spontaneous and creative. Like a Jazz musician learning a repertoire of pieces to master their instrument as a step towards jamming freely.
Just as Jazz musicians gravitate towards styles and pick instruments that suit their moods, interests and personality Bagua has a rich range of martial application for the practitioner to choose from. Bagua includes hand techniques, locks, throws, kicks and trips so that the practitioner can develop in a way that matches their physique, emotions and mentality.
Bagua is best known for it’s circle walking practise demonstrated by my teacher Luo De Xiu below. While this aspect of training is beautiful, and dance like it develops balance and body control, it contains patterns of flowing of movement which originate in combat, and have their expression there.
Luo demonstrates the martial nature of Bagua with my classmate Aarvo Tucker – the throw comes from the sinuous twisting and dropping movement 15 seconds into the video above.
Because Bagua is so abstract in it’s movements it is very easy to misunderstand. Fortunately there is a logic to it, that once revealed is as intelligent and elegant as the movements are physically graceful.
