Baguazhang 八卦掌 Bāguàzhǎng

'Eight Trigram Palm'. Defined by circle walking (tang ni bu – mud-wading step), constant turning and twisting, and palm changes. Dong Haichuan taught it in Beijing in the mid-1800s; his students (Yin Fu, Cheng Tinghua, Liang Zhenpu and others) founded distinct branches.

Key characteristics

• Circle walking meditation
• Single and double palm change
• Evasive footwork, spiralling, throws
• Branches: Yin, Cheng, Liang, Gao, Jiang (Gong Bao Tian), Sun

Forms & curriculum

• Eight Mother Palms
• Single Palm Change
• Double Palm Change
• 64 Palms
• Gao style 64 straight-line palms
• Deerhorn knives (yuanyang yue)
• Bagua dao (large saber)

What training looks like

Training usually begins with standing posture (zhan zhuang), breathing and slow solo forms. Partner drills such as push hands come later, followed by applications and weapons. Progress shows up as relaxation, root and coordination rather than belts.

Questions to ask a school

• Is the teacher's lineage clear, and are they open about it?
• Can you watch or try a class first?
• Are seated or adapted options offered?
• How is class time split between forms, standing and partner work?