The Gao Bagua Map


This is a map I designed to visually see as much of Gao Bagua at once as possible. Sorry I had to write it in Chinese cause it was the only way to make it fit together. (Later in my book I will write an English version). Even though this is a rough draft it is easy to see the complexity of the system. There is a lot of information I had to strip out of this just to make it more simple. I was fortunate enough to be able to have a master such as Wu Guo Zheng who taught me in such great detail and completeness. However I think this is not the case for most of the masters out there. With Bagua I find it is crucial to have a good amount of knowledge of the movements in order to be effective. If you have a teacher that is only showing you partial explanations, then there is a good chance you could be thrown out of balance and maybe even suffer from injury. On the other hand masters will never teach completely to half ass students. Just like this chart there is a "living" balance. Every movement has a counter, opposite, or can be combined with other movements. Making a map can make it much easier to visualize.


I think I have explained part of this before but Bagua is so complex that it is essential to make a map that is visual. Once you have learned all of the movements is when the learning actually begins. It is a university of knowledge and the only way to become good is to have a major. In Gao Bagua we start from the Heaven section located in the South East Corner.Then we move clockwise to the South being section two, South West is section 3 and so on. On the very outside is the Pre Heaven or strengthening movement. There are eight strengthening movements which each strengthen 8 Post Heaven or application techniques located on the inside. On the inner most part of circle is written the 24 different footwork movements. There are actually 25 but the 25th one represents constant change. So if there was a location for it, it would be in the middle.


Heaven Section (South East Corner) The Way of striking

蛇形順式掌 Snake's Flowing Palm (Pre heaven)
1. 開掌Opening Palm
2.捧掌 Carrying Palm (offering palm)
3.扽掌 Yanking Palm
4.探掌 Searching Palm
5.捩掌 Twisting Palm
6.挑掌 Choosing Palm (Selecting Palm)
7.蓋掌 Covering Palm
8.纏掌 Wrapping PalmSection

Water Section (South) 手法 The Way of the hands
龍形穿手掌 Dragon's Piercing Palm (Preheaven)
1.截掌 Intercepting Palm
2.藏掌 Hidden Palm
3.砍掌 Chopping Palm
4.削掌 Peeling Palm
5.二掌 Two Palms
6.虎掌 Tiger Palm
7.奪掌 Snatching Palm (Robbing Palm)
8.環掌 Surrounding Palm (Looping Palm)

Mountain Section (South West) 卸法 The Way of Diverting
回身打虎掌 Tiger's Turning Palm (Pre Heaven)
1.穿掌 Piercing Palm
2.搬掌 Moving Palm
3.接掌 Catching Palm
4.攔掌 Hindering Palm
5.停掌 Stopping Palm
6.翻掌 Flipping Palm
7.走 Stepping Palm
8.轉 Spinning Palm

Thunder Section (West) 身法 Way of the Body
燕翻蓋手掌 Swallow's Reversing Covering Palm (Pre Heaven)
1.推掌 Pushing Palm (forcing palm)
2.托掌 Supporting Palm
3.帶掌 Taking Palm
4.領掌 Leading Palm (Guiding Palm)
5.沾掌 Staining Palm
6.連掌 Repeating Palm
7.隨掌 Allowing Palm (Following Palm)
8. 黏掌 Sticky Palm

Wind Section (North West) 肘法 The Way of the Elbow
轉身翻背掌 Spinning Backward Palm (Pre Heaven)
1.蹲 Crouching Elbow
2.盤 Capturing Elbow
3.墜 Falling Elbow
4.頂 Peaking Elbow
5.衡 Measuring Palm (Weighing Palm)
6.挫 Obstructing Palm
7.疊 Stacking Palm
8.鑽 Drilling Elbow


Fire Section (North) 腿法 The Way of the Legs
擰身探馬掌 The Searching Horse's Twisting Palm (Pre Heaven)
1.趨 Quick Stepping kick
2.踹 Sweeping Kick (Trample)
3.擺 Outward Kick
4.掛 Hanging kick
5.踢 Lifting Kick (Raising Kick)
6.截 Intercepting Kick
7.蹚 Drifting Sweep (Wading Sweep)
8.撞 Crashing Kick

Earth Section (North East) 進法 The Way of Entry
翻身背插掌 Reversing Body Backward Stabbing Palm (Pre Heaven)
1.掖 Tucking Palm
2.擠 Pressing Palm
3.雕 Statue Palm
4.攞 Splitting Palm
5.崩 Collapsing Fist
6.闖 Breaking Palm
7.扣 Hooking Palm
8.攀 Climbing Palm (Pulling Palm

Lake Section (East) 走法 The Way of Stepping
停身搬扣掌 In Place Hooking Palm (Still Hooking Palm)
1.搗 Pounding Palm (Stirring Fist)
2.狸 Fox Palm
3.吸 Attracting Palm
4.跨 Cross step Palm
5.搖 Trembling Palm (Shaking Palm)
6.閃,三 Lightning Palm (Triple Palm)
7.橫 Horizontal Palm (Crossing Palm)
8.竄 Scurrying Palm

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