Ba Gua can be considered the whirling dervish of the internal arts. The practice of walking in endless circles performing complicated turning movements verges on dance. It is a martial art that uses agility to outmaneuver an opponent and attack from unexpected directions.
While there are several stories of how it was developed, most branches credit Dong Hai-chuan (1798-1882) with inventing Ba Gua. It is known that he taught each of his students differently, based on their abilities. So the lineages from each of his students vary quite a bit from each other. Yin and Cheng styles (the main styles are named after Dong Hai-chuan’s students) are the most well known.
Ma Gui was Dong Hai-chuan’s last and according to many, his best student. Despite his accomplished skill, he was very traditional in his teaching and taught few students and so Ma Gui style is not well known. His style emphasizes slow and heavy circle walking to build internal health.
What makes a martial art internal?
The internal martial arts make a distinction between health and fitness. Most typical forms of exercises train fitness. Fitness requires health, but increasing fitness levels doesn’t necessarily build up health. In fact too much exercise can even hurt your health, as anyone who has over-trained will understand. The internal arts are different in that the emphasis is first to build up health. This is why typically, exercises are done slowly and relaxed. Meditation and/or standing exercises to cultivate health are also an important part of the learning do this reason.
Learning Ba Gua
Central to Ba Gua is circle walking. There are eight animal postures held to train different types of alignment while walking. Through this practice the body is strengthened and health is cultivated. For each animal the are eight short sequences called Changes. These Changes are used to change direction and to learn techniques. It is also common to practice application drills which focus on a single martial technique.
Ma Gui style emphasizes circle walking with a slow, deliberate step using the Bear posture. This builds strength in the legs and lower body. All the other elements in this style build on this, attempting to knit the body into a strong, integrated unit.
Tips for successful practice
Circle walking takes patience and perseverance. With time and practice it becomes clearer how it relates to martial application and to health building. While seemingly simple, there are many details to refine in circle walking. At the start, broad strokes are usually taught with more details added on as a student progresses.
Focus your practice on the fundamentals. While it can be tempting to practice the more flashy moves, Bear circle walking is the practice that makes all the other parts of Bagua effective. Ma Gui style even takes the perspective that all of the other movements are simply ways of testing to see how your circle walking is progressing.
Practice regularly to build health. The internal arts all rely on a foundation of health. The process of cultivating health is gradual and requires diligent training.

Tai Chi (taiji) is probably the best known of the internal martial arts. Slow, fluid movements practiced by groups in parks is a quintessential icon of Chinese culture.
While there are several stories of how it was developed, Chen Wang-ting is most commonly recognized as the creator of Taiji. He was a Ming dynasty general who lived from 1580–1660. Combining his knowledge of Shaolin martial arts with aspects of Chinese Medicine and Chinese Philosophy, he invented Taiji. For five generations it was only taught to Chen family members. It was then taught to Yang Lu-chan, who created Yang style Taiji (surnames are conventionally placed before personal names in Chinese). Of the various family styles of Taiji, Chen and Yang styles are the most well known.
Chen style Taiji is distinct in that it retains much of the art’s martial flavor. Stomps, jumps and fast punches appear in the routines. But these explosive movements (“fa jin”) alternate with fluid and relaxed movements.
What makes a martial art internal?
The internal martial arts make a distinction between health and fitness. Most typical forms of exercises train fitness. Fitness requires health, but increasing fitness levels doesn’t necessarily build up health. In fact too much exercise can even hurt your health, as anyone who has over-trained will understand. The internal arts are different in that the emphasis is first to build up health. This is why typically, exercises are done slowly and relaxed. Meditation and/or standing exercises to cultivate health are also an important part of the learning for this reason.
Learning Taiji
Taiji learning often focuses on practicing a long solo sequence - the First Routine (“Yilu”). Depending on how the movements are counted, this set will have around 100 linked movements. Within these movements are martial techniques as well as health building principles. The Second Routine (“Erlu”) or Cannon Fist (“Paochui”) is often taught to more advanced students. Complicating things slightly, there are two versions of these routines - the Old Frame (Laojia) and the New Frame (Xinjia). The Old Frame is more fluid in its movements while the New Frame has more quick and explosive elements. A teacher may teach either one or both versions depending on their background. It is also common to find an abbreviated sequence taught which distills the first routine into around 20 moves, making it easier to learn and practice.
A third component of Taiji instruction is the two-person practice of Push Hands (“Tuishou”). Finally, various weapon forms, commonly sword, saber and spear can be taught.
Tips for successful practice
Be patience with yourself as you start to learn the sequence. Remember key postures and the general shape of the sequence. Don’t get caught up on details or esoteric points too early. There is a saying in Taiji, “a beginner for 10 years”. Which means the insights that truly increase one’s skill take time and patience.
Practice regularly to build muscle memory. The more you practice the movements, the less you will have to think about the sequence. At the beginning you can practice key pieces or even just single postures.

Tai Chi, Qi Gong & Beyond

Stone Lantern Open House. Wednesday, January 11th at 7:30pm
St. Andrew’s Church, 161 Norfolk St.
free presentations, instruction & demonstrations
(click the image for more info)

When I was growing up, the first personal computers were being created. They were full of potential and short on practical uses. Storing recipes and text-based games were among the early achievement of these computers. As programming languages have become more nuanced and as computer hardware have become more capable, computers go way beyond the visions pioneered in the 1970’s and 80’s.
A parallel can be draw with learning the internal arts. At the start, students have only a vague sense of what they hope to gain from the practice. In time, the understanding becomes refined, the body changes and the internal practice becomes more integrated with daily life.
(Photo by Phillie Casablanca. Click on image for more photos on Flickr.)

While sometime technical in its language, this three part presentation will be of interest to anyone practicing an internal style.

An incredible display of martial skill. It is amazing what you can achieve with diligent training.

As we age, if our joints become stiff the muscles* will become weak. The internal arts aim to keep the joints flexible and allow the muscles* to remain robust.
* ‘muscles’ includes ligaments, connective tissues, fascia, nerves, etc.