Gao Style - Origins and Structure
Gao Style Baguazhang
Gao Yi-Sheng (1866-1951)
Gao Yi-Sheng, also named Gao Deyuan, was born in Shandong province, WWuli county, Dashan village in 1866 and died in 1951. At an early age he followed the practice of his family’s martial art, Dahongquan (Big Red Fist). After that he also began to study Xingyiquan, later coming under the instruction of the famous teacher Li Cunyi. At the age of thirty he met Wuqing Wafang village’s Zhou Yuxiang. Zhou Yuxiang was a highly skilled pupil of Cheng Tinghua. His skills were very deep, especially in fighting. he was so adept at the use of his palms in attack that he earned the nickname “Peerless Palm”. Upon the first meeting of Gao and Zhou they decided to compare each other’s martial arts. In this first contest Zhou soundly defeated Gao three times in a row, immediately after having Zhou’s skills proved to Gao beyond all doubt, he bowed down and asked Zhou Yuxiang to become his teacher. Because of their ages being similar, Zhou desisted and instead took Gao Yisheng to Beijing to formally introduce him to his teacher Cheng Tinghua (known to the martial world as “Eyeglasses Cheng”). Based on the basic palm movements that his teachers taught him, after 40 years of refinement and organizing the system it became Cheng Branch, Gao style Baguazhang, also called Swimming Body continous Baguazhang with its own unique style.
The martial arts of our school began being passed down since the time Zhang Zhunfeng arrrived in Taiwan in 1947. Zhang Zhunfeng was extremely strict when teaching, especially in fighting and training the body. Every time he had class he led the class on his own and he would pass along the forms on his own. Therefore many of Zhang’s students had solid and real fighting skills. Real fighting is the tradition within this school.
This system has two parts. The first, Xiantianzhang (Pre-Heaven Palms) is done walking the circle; the second Houtienzhang (Post-Heaven Palms) is done in straight lines. The research methodology for the system is that of the Pre-Heaven Palms being the foundation of the Post-Heaven Palms and the Post-Heavvveen Palms being the application of the Pre-Heaven Palms. The Pre-Heaven Palms takes the Danhuanzhang (Single Palm Change) as the head of the dragon and the eight lines evolve from there. The contents of the Pre-Heaven Palms are:
I. Danhuanzhang / Single Palm Change (4 major variations)
1. Dan Huan Zhang (single palm change)
2. Fan Huan Zhang (reverse / outward palm change)
3. Chuan Zhang (piercing / simple palm change)
4. Xia Shi Dan Huan Zhang (lower form single palm change)
II. 8 Big Palm Changes
1. Snake form smooth body palm
2. Dragon form piercing hand palm
3. Returning body, strike the tiger palm
4. Swallow overturning covering hand palm
5. Turn the body over the back palm
6. Twist the body, searching horse palm
7. Overturn the body, through the back palm
8. Stopping body, move and hook palm
The tail of the dragon is the form of Wu Long Bai Wei (Black Dragon Swings Tail),
which ends the form.
Gao Yi-Sheng (1866-1951)
Gao Yi-Sheng, also named Gao Deyuan, was born in Shandong province, WWuli county, Dashan village in 1866 and died in 1951. At an early age he followed the practice of his family’s martial art, Dahongquan (Big Red Fist). After that he also began to study Xingyiquan, later coming under the instruction of the famous teacher Li Cunyi. At the age of thirty he met Wuqing Wafang village’s Zhou Yuxiang. Zhou Yuxiang was a highly skilled pupil of Cheng Tinghua. His skills were very deep, especially in fighting. he was so adept at the use of his palms in attack that he earned the nickname “Peerless Palm”. Upon the first meeting of Gao and Zhou they decided to compare each other’s martial arts. In this first contest Zhou soundly defeated Gao three times in a row, immediately after having Zhou’s skills proved to Gao beyond all doubt, he bowed down and asked Zhou Yuxiang to become his teacher. Because of their ages being similar, Zhou desisted and instead took Gao Yisheng to Beijing to formally introduce him to his teacher Cheng Tinghua (known to the martial world as “Eyeglasses Cheng”). Based on the basic palm movements that his teachers taught him, after 40 years of refinement and organizing the system it became Cheng Branch, Gao style Baguazhang, also called Swimming Body continous Baguazhang with its own unique style.
The martial arts of our school began being passed down since the time Zhang Zhunfeng arrrived in Taiwan in 1947. Zhang Zhunfeng was extremely strict when teaching, especially in fighting and training the body. Every time he had class he led the class on his own and he would pass along the forms on his own. Therefore many of Zhang’s students had solid and real fighting skills. Real fighting is the tradition within this school.
This system has two parts. The first, Xiantianzhang (Pre-Heaven Palms) is done walking the circle; the second Houtienzhang (Post-Heaven Palms) is done in straight lines. The research methodology for the system is that of the Pre-Heaven Palms being the foundation of the Post-Heaven Palms and the Post-Heavvveen Palms being the application of the Pre-Heaven Palms. The Pre-Heaven Palms takes the Danhuanzhang (Single Palm Change) as the head of the dragon and the eight lines evolve from there. The contents of the Pre-Heaven Palms are:
I. Danhuanzhang / Single Palm Change (4 major variations)
1. Dan Huan Zhang (single palm change)
2. Fan Huan Zhang (reverse / outward palm change)
3. Chuan Zhang (piercing / simple palm change)
4. Xia Shi Dan Huan Zhang (lower form single palm change)
II. 8 Big Palm Changes
1. Snake form smooth body palm
2. Dragon form piercing hand palm
3. Returning body, strike the tiger palm
4. Swallow overturning covering hand palm
5. Turn the body over the back palm
6. Twist the body, searching horse palm
7. Overturn the body, through the back palm
8. Stopping body, move and hook palm
The tail of the dragon is the form of Wu Long Bai Wei (Black Dragon Swings Tail),
which ends the form.
posted by Fan Kuang-Ren at 2:24 PM
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