Ba Gua Zhang: Techniques and Application

The most frequent questions I was asked of Ba Gua Zhang are that how many styles there are and what characterizes the differences. I laughed and sighed. I laughed because I am happy that people are interested. I sighed because it will be a long answer. The answers are in this book. The students of Dong Hai Chuan made the styles different by incorporating different styles into the system. There were Luo Han Shou, Tan Tui, Shuai Jiao, Xing Yi etc. However, all styles share the common theme of change and fluidity. I started my martial arts training with Tan Tui and Shuai Jiao. I also studied some northern styles: Mantis, Ba Ji, Tong Bei etc before I studied Ba Gua Zhang. It was quite a rewarding learning experience, since I knew the other styles first. However, I was told to study Cheng Ting Hua style since this is more close to original Dong style without influences of other styles except Shuai Jiao. Whether you are interested in what Ba Gua Zhang is about or what styles there are, this is an essential book to read. The contents are written in a note format for easy reference. Every move is illustrated with a picture. At least one application for each move is discussed. Further discussions are in the Synopsis. Definitions of palm forms are in the Palm Terms. The basic 5 stances, 8 basic palm methods, and 8 single Palm Change sets from 8 styles are discussed and illustrated. This book will help you greatly at all levels of study and practice in Ba Gua Zhang.