Bagua zhang was originally created as a comprehensive meditation system over 4,000 years ago in China by Taoists. Bagua zhang (translated means ‘eight trigrams’) was created to realize the practical energetic teachings of the I Chingi through experiential knowledge of Walking the Circle or Circle Walking. The I Ching is an ancient Chinese text documenting the energies of the universe and how they change in life.  

In ancient times, monks practiced bagua zhang (ba guai/pakua) to achieve stillness and clarity of mind; generate a strong, healthy, disease-free body; and perhaps, more importantly, to maintain internal balance while either their inner world or the events of the external world changed.

As a martial art, bagua zhang was designed to fight up to eight opponents at once. Virtually no other martial art system or style, internal or external, has combined and seamlessly integrated into one package the whole pantheon of martial arts fighting techniques as effectively as bagua zhang.

The basic internal power training consists of learning eight palm changes, each representing the eight trigrams of the I Ching, and combining them with walking, spiraling and twisting arm movements and constant changes of direction.

Bruce and his Certified Energy Arts Bagua Zhang Instructors are the only instructors of which we are aware in the West that teach the monastic tradition, pre-birth style of bagua for martial arts, health and meditation.