Development

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#333333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="0d3dedc2ddualp.gif"> <div> <B><IMG SRC="150691e0.gif" border=0 width="105" height="30" ALT="Baguazhang Characters" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Introduction"><U><B>Introduction</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Origins"><U><B>Origins</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Development</B></div> <div> <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Founders Bio"><U><B>Founder's Bio</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Family Tree"><U><B>Family Tree</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Masters"><U><B>Masters</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Systems"><U><B>Systems</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id31.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sets"><U><B>Sets</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Weapons"><U><B>Weapons</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Featured Articles"><U><B>Featured Articles</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Discussion Room"><U><B>Discussion Room</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tea Room"><U><B>Tea Room</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id40.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Members Rooms"><U><B>Members' Rooms</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Baguazhang Teachers"><U><B>Baguazhang Teachers</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Photos"><U><B>Photos</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id28.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Baguazhang Links"><U><B>Baguazhang Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FreeForAllLinks"><U><B>Free-For-All-Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Free Email Service"><U><B>Free Email Service</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id64.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Search Engines"><U><B>Search Engines</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B>Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id67.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email Mailing List"><U><B>Email Mailing List</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Search Engine"><U><B>Search Engine</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="0d464643.gif"> <div> <B>BAGUAZHANG CITY</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" >     |     </FONT><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000BF" FACE="Times New Roman" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="BAGUAZHANG CITY"><U>home</U></A></FONT></div> <bR> <div> Development</div> <bR> <div> Baguazhang is one of the three classic "inner" styles of chinese wushu. `Ba Gua' means "eight trigrams". This term refers to eight basic principles described in ancient metaphysical "Canon of Changes". Here the term means that the style is a physical reflection of these eight principles, that its basic positions refer to eight trigrams, changes of positions - to changes of trigrams described in "Canon of Changes". `Zhang' means "palms". Here it means that the style prefers to use palms rather than fists and hooks, because the palm can hit like a fist, and grasp like a hook. Hence, baguazhang is martial art, based on a theory of continuous change, depending on the situation. The enemy is defeated due to skill, not brutal force. </div> <div> Who, where and when created baguazhang - we don't know. People listened about this art recently, and it was occasionaly. Legend connects descripting of the style with Dong Haichuan, who was born in Wenan county of Hebei province sometime around 1820. He knew <B>erlangquan</B> ("Fist of Erlang"; Erlang - hero from chinese legends) and was a good fighter. He travelled through China to find masters of martial arts living in out-of-the-way places. Finally he reached Jiuhuashan mountain in Anhui province. After losing his way in the forest, he finally came upon young taoist who was "walking the circle " around pine trees. Dong understood that the taoist trained in some martial art, but could not understand why he did it in such a strange manner as in walking a circle around a tree, and began to laugh. The taoist felt insulted, and say they must compare their strengths. Dong Haichuan agreed, they went to the glade and the battle began. Dong used fierce strikes, his fists and legs flew like lightnings, but he was not able to reach young taoist who always slipped behind his back and overturned him. After the third fall Dong admited losing, knelt down and asked to be admitted as a student. But this time he heard laughing behind his back, and an old taoist came into the glade. It was Bi Chengxia - teacher of young taoist. Bi had watched the fight for quite a while. Bi accepted Dong as student, and during four years taught him the art of rotating palms in walking on the circle. </div> <div> Later Dong Haichuan moved to Beijing and was hired as a servant of great prince Su. Su was a great lover of wushu, masters were always visiting him. One time the Prince asked one Master to demonstrate his art. There were a big amount of spectators. The weather was harm, but servant with tea couldn't get through to the prince through the lardge crowd of spectators. In order to help a servant Dong took the tray with the tea and got to the Prince by running on the wall which was over everyone's head. Prince was an observant man and immediately asked, does Dong study some martial art? It was impossible to keep secret any longer, and Dong had to tell his whole story. From that time on he began to teach baguazhang in Beijing. Later this art came to be spread throughout all of China. </div> <div> Dong Haichuan had many students. Each of them learned its own techniques, more suitable to its own conditions. It was a reason to appearence of some different branches of baguazhang. Now three branches still exist. First of them origins from Yin Fu, bodyguard of empress Qixi. During long time he was Dong Haichuan's student, and was one of the greatest fighter of his time. Yin Fu knew <B>luohanquan</B> (Fist of Arhats), and by this reason fighters of his branch prefer long-range combat, techniques have many strikes, circle step is used for avoiding attack and attacking from the side rather than for attacking from the back, during executing form it is easy to see throwings of power. Yin Fu was a rich man, he gave money for the monument on Dong Haichuan's grave with the names of all Dong's students. Another famous Dong's student was Cheng Tinghua. He was born in Chengjiazhuang village of Shenxian county of Hebei province, was well-known as great <B>shuaijiao</B> (chinese wrestling) master. then he moved in Beijing, and derived nickname "spectacless Cheng", because seld spectacless for living. Fighters of his branch try to come close to opponent as quickly as possible, techniques have many throws, during executing forms usually try to have quick and continuous movement. In 1900 when united forces of England, France, Russia and Germany captured Beijing and began plunder a city, Cheng Tinghua armed by daggers with brother Cheng Dianhua went out on the street and kill about dozen of german soldiers before Cheng Tinghua being shot to death. Dianhua, barehand, broke through soldiers and run out to the home village. All his art he transferred to his fourth son - Cheng Yousheng. Cheng Yousheng taught Sun Zhijun, who now lives in Beijing. Third branch of baguazhang origins from Liang Zhenpu, one of the youngest student of Dong Haichuan. His student Li Ziming was one of the greatest baguazhang master of our century. Now most known master of this branch is Li's student Sui Yunjiang. Techniques of this branch have many pierce and chop strikes. </div> <div> But besides small style differences all schools of baguazhang have the same system of training. First some years student train himself in "walking on a circle" for working out skill of going out the straight line and for get accustomed to control his centre of weight. Later he study the set <B>Dingshi bazhang</B> ("Eight Palms of Fixed Positions") (in different schools names can be different). This set is dedicated to training the eight positions of palms. Then he studies the set <B>Bianshi bazhang</B> ("Eight Palms of Changeable Positions"), also known as <B>Laobazhang</B> ("Old eight palms") or <B>Badazhang</B> ("Eight Big Palms"). Later student can study high-level sets (<B>Dragon palms of Eight Trigrams</B>, <B>24 forms</B>, <B>Secret legs</B> and so on), applications of techniques, using a weapon, special techniques of moving. There are very intresting exercises, for example - "flying above nine palaces": nine staffs thrust in the ground to form 3 x 3 square, it is necessary to go between staffs on special trace. It is good exercise for preparing to fighting inside a crowd. All exercises have some levels of difficulty. "Walking a circle" first is executed on straight legs, gradually body lowers, finally hips must be parallel to the ground; first you simple go around each of "nine palaces", later you fight against each of the "palace", etc. Simultaniously student must srengthen his sriking surfaces and execute countr-striking training of the body. Many baguazhang masters were well-known masters of "iron palm" and "iron shirt". </div> <div> Baguazhang never was military art, it was an art of sole fighting. By this reason even standard weapon have specific form or specific using. For instance, swords used in baguazhang are one and half times longer than usual, for pole and spear it is saying "short using of long weapon". Besides usual spear, it is used "two-heads snake spear" with tips on both ends. Favorite weapon of Dong Haichuan - "sharp edges of cocks's paw". It is often said that favorite weapon of Dong Haichuan was "swords of mandarine ducks", but Li Ziming said that it is wrong, this weapon was created by another wushu master - Tong Daochang, he got the name from the book "Portraits of brave and honest fighters for justice". Author of the book - Chang Jiemao - used Dong Haichuan as prototype for Tong Lin - main hero of the book. </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>