Introduction to Baguazhang
Baguazhang is one of the three main branches of Internal Gung Fu (the others being Xingyiquanand Taijiquan).
The name literally translates to “Eight Trigram Palm,” referring to the trigrams of the I Ching -the Taoist Book of Changes
With both practical and philosophical roots in daoistspirituality, baguazhangis characterised by quick circular stepping methods and vigorous, intricate, waist driven movements.
Aside from being a devastatingly effective martial art, baguazhangcontains integrated methods for self cultivation

Origins of Baguazhang
The history of Bagua is shrouded in controversy but can be traced back to one man -Tung Hai Chuan(Dong Hai-Chuan)(1796-1880), or simply ‘Tung the fugitive’, a resident of Wen’an district in Hebei Province.
Tung was deliberately vague about the origins of his martial art and many theories have arisen as to the reason why.
One belief is that Tung, himself, invented the form and was too embarrassed to admit it for fear of losing face – attributing his work to ancient sages in order to gain respect and acceptance from his peers and society in general.
Another, belief is that Tung was a wanted man, on the run from the law and that was the reason why he was so vague – Whatever the reasons, one thing is for sure -the art has been added to and subtracted from, over the years, in order to arrive at the highly complex martial and healing form that we have today.