A Brief History of Ba Gua Zhang

Abstracted from: Foundations of Ba Gua Zhang

Author: Jia Shusen

Translated by Stella (Hu Ya Li)

All Rights Reserved

Birthplace and founder of Ba Gua Zhang

Abstracted from: Foundations of Ba Gua Zhang

In Chinese history, Martial Arts of many different categories such as Taijiquan, Ba Gua Zhang (also known as the Eight Trigram Palm), the various Shaolin styles, etc. have been and still remain the only national sports to offer both health care as well as self-defense.

Beijing is the birthplace of Ba Gua Zhang. Ba Gua Zhang was created during the late Qing Dynasty in Beijing, by Grandmaster Dong Haichuan while he was in the mansion of Prince Su. Ba Gua Zhang became the top martial art amongst the royalty of the time. It rapidly expanded throughout Beijing but also to Tianjin, to the He Bei Province and later even spread to the whole country. Ba Gua Zhang greatly influenced the whole field of martial arts as it was so popular amongst practitioners.

Grandmaster Dong Haichuan (1799-1882), a famous Chinese Martial Artist of the late Qing Dynasty, was the very founder and disseminator of Ba Gua Zhang.

Like his forefathers before him, Grandmaster Dong Haichuan was born in Zhu Jia Wu of Wen’an County in He Bei Province. He loved Chinese culture, its traditions, and thus began practicing Chinese Martial Arts at a very young age. Talented and smart, he quickly became a renowned martial artist in his hometown. Once adult, he first went south from where he then traveled all over China. Inspired by Daoism, it is during this period that Grandmaster Dong Haichuan created, from a theory stemming from the Yi King (Book of Changes), what is now regarded as the embryo of Ba Gua Zhang; the Circle Walking Palms. Coming to Beijing afterwards to hold a post in the Mansion of Prince Su, it is there that he began teaching Ba Gua Zhang. Beijing thus became the birthplace of the art. Famous books like “Emperor Yongzheng and his knights-errant” and “Biography of Tonglin” tell of his story.

The Research Institute holds Ba Gua Zhang competitions every year since 2001 as well as establishes its regulations, membership system, coaching system, etc., the Research Institute thus was chosen as one of the “Outstanding Organizations” of the Beijing Wushu Association in 2002. In 2008, the Research Institute erected the statue of Grandmaster Dong Haichuan, the very founder and disseminator of Ba Gua Zhang, on the site of his original tomb.


Portraits of Grandmaster Dong Haichuan

A statue of Grandmaster Dong Haichuan in bronze

The popularization and development of Ba Gua Zhang

Since Grandmaster Dong Haichuan created Ba Gua Zhang in Beijing, many top Chinese Martial Artists, especially those from Beijing, Tianjin and He Bei Province, came to measure themselves against him. Without exception, they were all convinced of his mastery not only by his exceptional skills but also by his Wushu morality. This was to such an extent that all of them became Grandmaster Dong’s disciples. Most of these men already had a background in other styles of Chinese Martial Arts and were already famous in their respective hometowns when they began learning Ba Gua Zhang. By the end of the 19th century, there were more than 50 inner circle disciples of Grandmaster Dong. Since Grandmaster Dong didn’t stick to one pattern but rather adapted his teaching to the individual characteristics of his students, gradually, different styles of Ba Gua Zhang came to be. Their methods of training and the expressions of their palm techniques differ significantly from one of these styles to the other.

Undoubtedly, the variety of styles within Ba Gua Zhang added much to its development and prosperity.

Some famous disciples of Dong Haichuan, who became teachers were: Yin Fu (尹福), Cheng Tinghua (程廷華), Liu Dekuan (刘德宽), Liu Fengchun (劉鳳春), Li Cunyi，Shi Jidong, Liang Zhenpu(梁振蒲)，Song Yongxiang, Fan Zhiyong , and Ma Weiqi (馬維棋) (all these styles will be introduced below in this order of sequence), etc. Although Fan (樊), Shi (史), Liu (劉), Fu (傅), and other styles also exist, most people doing Bagua generally either practice the Yin (尹), the Cheng (程), or the Liang (梁) style of Baguazhang.

Yin Style Ba Gua Zhang

The creator of this branch of Ba Gua Zhang is Yin Fu (1840-1909). Born in Yi County, He Bei Province, Yin Fu, who lived in Ji Shi Kou Tou Tiao, Chaoyangmen Wai, Beijing, began practicing Shao Lin Tan Tui and the arhat fist at a very young age. These styles were later on integrated into Ba Gua Zhang after he studied with Dong Haichuan. The characteristics of Yin style are sudden, hard, brisk, point-blank movements. Its palm is similar to the Shaolin one; its thumb folded inward, the other four fingers held tight together in an ox-tongue shape. The techniques of this palm are push, hold, lead, aim, pierce, lift, cut, punch, chop, crush, slap, dig, etc. Yin style’s footwork is the “fast step”, also similar to the footwork of Shaolin. After Grandmaster Dong Haichuan passed away, Yin Fu taught Ba Gua Zhang in the Mansion of Prince Su instead of his Shifu. Thus, the Yin style Ba Gua Zhang spread mostly in Beijing. Famous disciples of Yin Fu were Ma Gui (Shi Qing), Yang Junfeng, Men Baozhen, Gong Baotian, He Jinkui (passed his knowledge on to He Zhongqi who then did the same on to Wang Shangzhi), Yin Yuzhang, Cao Zhongsheng (passed his knowledge on to Zhang Jinchen, then from whom on to Li Wenzhang, Sun Shuli, Sun Shuxue, etc.), another disciple of Cao Zhongsheng is professor He Puren, who is still living and in good health.

Cheng Style Baguazhang

Cheng Ba Gua Zhang is the Ba Gua Zhang style created by Cheng Tinghua, fourth disciple of Baguazhang's founder Dong Haichuan (Yin Fu was the first, followed by Ma Weiqi and Shi Jidong).

Cheng Tinghua (1844-1900), born in Cheng County, He Bei Province, made a living of making spectacles (this got him the nickname of “Spectacle Cheng”) in Hua Shi Tou Tiao, Chongwenmen Wai, Beijing. He learned Chinese wrestling (Shuaijiao) at a very young age and, through years of hard training, came to specialize himself in low stances in which movements were combining both the firm and the gentle. After Cheng was accepted as a disciple; he often invited Grandmaster Dong Haichuan out from the Mansion of Prince Su to stay in his store for a while. During these visits, Cheng would study hard what Grandmaster Dong would teach him, day and night, and gradually built up his own style. This, he called the Swimming Body Interlinked Palms. Its palm has the shape of a dragon’s claw and its footwork is that of a “slide step”, which is to say that it looks like one is sliding when advancing forward. When one’s foot lands on the ground, it’s as if one is walking through mud.

When practiced, it reminds of a swimming dragon that doesn’t stop, of the clouds flying in the sky or of a flowing brook. It looks like a ferocious tiger when moving, yet it looks like the Tai mountain when resting. It is firm but not stagnant, soft but not feeble. There are many techniques like dodge, stretch, advance and retreat, twist, wrap, drill, roll, push, hold, lead, pull, buckle, cut and block, circle over circle.

Cheng Tinghua used to teach in the Temple of the Fire God, close to which his spectacle store was located. Grandmaster Dong Haichuan often gave his training classes there. Because Grandmaster Dong was old at that time, Cheng Tinghua gave classes while Dong sat aside, giving instructions. Brothers, Cheng Tinghua and Cheng Dianhua were also both disciples of Grandmaster Dong Haichuan. They later taught Ba Gua Zhang in Shen County of He Bei Province.

Some famous disciples of Cheng Tinghua were Zhang Zhankui, Cheng Yougong (Cheng Tinghua’s nephew), Cheng Youlong (Cheng Tinghua’s eldest son), Cheng Youxin (Cheng Tinghua’s second son), Feng Junyi, Sun Lutang, Yang Mingshan, Liu Ziyang, Cheng Yousheng (Cheng Dianhua’s eldest son), Liu Bin, Zhang Yongde, Li Wenbiao, etc. Cheng style Ba Gua Zhang was widespread not only in the Beijing area but even to the whole country with these disciples’ contributions.

Zhang Zhankui taught in Tianjin and created national heroes like Han Muxia and Jiang Rongqiao who were highly reputed both home and abroad. Cheng Yougong taught in the three provinces of the northeastern part of China. Cheng Youlong and Cheng Youxin taught in Beijing and Tianjin respectively and trained Sun Xikun. During the period of the Republic of China, Sun Lutang and Sun Xikun were appointed as coaches in Nanjin Wushu Club. Sun Lutang wrote “Ba Gua Zhang” and “Ba Gua Sword” in 1916 and 1925 respectively. Sun Xikun wrote “Essentials of Ba Gua Zhang” in 1934. These works are real treasures for all the people following in their steps and did much to accelerate the development of Ba Gua Zhang.

Disciples of Cheng Youlong were Sun Xikun, He Jun, He Guang, Ma Deshan and Zhu Wenbao, etc. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the only descendants of the Cheng family were Cheng Yousheng and Cheng youxin from whom Sun Zhi Jun, Xu Fanzeng, Qian Wenzhang, Duan Bingzhang, Zhang Rongli and Xu Lifang received their Chinese Martial Arts training. Among them, Sun Zhijun was chief disciple and trained a new generation of Cheng style Ba Gua Zhang both home and abroad. Some of his disciples won championships in national and international Traditional Chinese Martial Arts Competitions. Jia Shusen, one of the disciples of Sun Zhijun, is the current chairman of Ba Gua Zhang Research Institute.

Other styles of Ba Gua Zhang

Liu Dekuan and Liu Fengchun (Cui Hua Liu) taught Ba Gua Zhang in Bao Ding and Zhuo Zhou, He Bei Province. Together with Cheng Youlong, they used to be coaches of the He Bei Wushu Assembly Hall. It is during this time that they created the sixty-four San Shou of Ba Gua Zhang which was inherited by Guo Gumin and later became widespread in Beijing. Disciples of Guo Gumin are Wang Qichang, Zhu Ge Jiabao, Gai Lide, Liu Jiemin, Xing Quantong, Wang Qingfa, Li Changxing, Li Lianxing, Wu Yongshan, Gao Ziying, Zhang Zhaolong, Wang Xueyou, etc. Guo Gumin devoted his whole life to the development of Ba Gua Zhang, was and still is respected by all the practitioners of Ba Gua Zhang.

Li Cunyi taught Ba Gua Zhang and Xing Yi in Shanxi Province as well as founded Chinese Martial Artists Club in Tianjin in 1912.

Di Zhaolong, disciple of Shi Jidong, taught Ba Gua Zhang in Nanjing.

Liang Zhenpu introduced Ba Gua Zhang to Yi County, Shulu and Xinji, He Bei Province and trained Guo Gumin and Li Ziming. Disciples of Li Ziming include Ma Chuanxu, Zheng Suiqing, Li Gongcheng, Wang Tong, Zhao Dayuan, Di Guoyong, etc. who are still hard practitioners of Ba Gua Zhang. Li Ziming was the first and Ma Chuanxu was the second chairman of the Ba Gua Zhang Research Institute.

Song Yongxiang taught in Beijing, his disciple Tang Gu La Si trained Liu Wancang, then Liu Wancang trained Wang Juxing.

Also in Beijing, there was Fan Zhiyong who disseminated Ba Gua Zhang. Fan Zhiyong (1840-1922), Manchu, lived in Beijing for generations. He learned Shaolin and Tantui at a very young age, when he became Dong’s disciple; he thus already had very good basics in Chinese Martial Arts. His style’s palm is like a tile with all the fingers held together. Its footwork is to attack in four then eight directions with “triangular step”, walking through the Nine Palaces. Fan passed on his skill to his single daughter, Fan Fenglan. Her main disciples are Wen Dasheng, Wang Gang, Han Jie, etc.

Development of Ba Gua Zhang in Modern History

In September 1980, the first national Chinese Martial Arts Club organized by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sport was founded in Dongcheng district. Sun Zhijun, Liu Jingru, Zhu Baozhen and Wang Juxing were appointed as coaches of the club. Thousands of students received their Ba Gua Zhang training there. This is a cornerstone for the organized development of Ba Gua Zhang.

As a secondary group member of the Chinese Wushu Association, the Ba Gua Zhang Research Institute of the Beijing Wushu Association was founded in 1982, the early days of the Chinese Reform Policy. It is the pioneer organization of unique category in the field of Chinese Martial Arts as well as one of the biggest organizations for enthusiastic and talented Chinese Martial Artists who are practicing Ba Gua Zhang. The foundation of the Research Institute is the beginning of a new era for Ba Gua Zhang. With years of development, the Research Institute has become a solid organization of more than 900 members along with a large number of enthusiasts nation-wide. Meanwhile Ba Gua Zhang is widespread in the US, the UK, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Norway, Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Japan, South Korea, Australia, etc.

The Research Institute holds Ba Gua Zhang competitions every year since 2001 as well as establishes its regulations, membership system, coaching system, etc., the Research Institute thus was chosen as one of the “Outstanding Organizations” of the Beijing Wushu Association in 2002.

Ba Gua Zhang, being deeply rooted in Traditional Chinese Culture and having a theory that stems from the Yi King (Book of Changes), is a martial art rich in philosophical elements. Ba Gua Zhang, widespread both home and aboard, has now gained a large number of adepts. We believe that Ba Gua Zhang, embranchment of Chinese Traditional Culture, must continue to flourish all over the world. Its popularization will add even more to the all work made on improving humanity’s health.

An expatriate friend once said, “Ba Gua Zhang will be an outstanding Chinese Martial Art in the 21st century” And it is!