Comments on: Baguazhang History — Dong Haichuan http://ubagua.com/baguazhang-history-dong-haichuan/ Change for the Better Mon, 12 Apr 2010 05:26:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: SS http://ubagua.com/baguazhang-history-dong-haichuan/#comment-11 SS Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:44:53 +0000 http://ubagua.com/?p=21#comment-11 That's a great vision too: that Dong shifted from Cotton Palm to Eight Trigram Palm. It really must have held a different weight in the Chinese mind at the time. It's a fun story for me in any case, but my favorite part is the lack of ability to trace roots...the absolute resiliance of mystery...that surrounds Baguazhang. We can only pretend to know real lineages, and, in any event, we must rely more on dreaming power, than on digging through records, to uncover the real Baguazhang. That’s a great vision too: that Dong shifted from Cotton Palm to Eight Trigram Palm. It really must have held a different weight in the Chinese mind at the time.

It’s a fun story for me in any case, but my favorite part is the lack of ability to trace roots…the absolute resiliance of mystery…that surrounds Baguazhang. We can only pretend to know real lineages, and, in any event, we must rely more on dreaming power, than on digging through records, to uncover the real Baguazhang.

]]> By: Chris Haynes http://ubagua.com/baguazhang-history-dong-haichuan/#comment-9 Chris Haynes Sat, 06 Dec 2008 14:40:01 +0000 http://ubagua.com/?p=21#comment-9 Hello, Thank you for your post on some the history of Dong Hai-Chuan. You make an interesting statement towards the beginning of your post. "Dong Hai-Chuan deliberately cultivated the shroud, and, as a result mastered the marketing of Baguazhang." I think that this is something that adds to the sell ability of the arts, especially Chinese Martial Arts. Adding an air of mystery to the origin of an art makes it much more appealing. This is why Shaolin traces its roots to Tao Mo, and why Bagua is appealing. Within the branch I study, Gao Style, we also have a an air of mystery surrounding our Houtian Bagua. It is said that we received our Xian Tien Bagua via the Cheng Ting Hua lineage, but that Gao created the Houtian after meeting a taoist monk in the mountains. I have heard conflicting information on where Gao's houtian actually came from. But adding the air of mystery certainly helps to sell it and it keeps from having to reveal your sources. (Personally, I could care less about where Gao got the houtians, they are quite functional). I have also heard that part of the reason that the name Baguazhang came about was because it was something that everyone could recognize. The I-Ching and Bagua are no stranger to the Chinese culture. Actually the original name for the style that Dong practiced was Cotton Palm. How much easier would it be to sell if he used a name that tied into a subject that the culture has already been familiar with for hundreds of years? Whatever the name and wherever it came from, I love Baguazhang. I think that the practice of the art not only has it's health benefits and martial capability, but it's principles can be carried over into everyday life to make things run just a bit smoother. Take care, and train well! Chris Haynes www.gaostylebaguausa.com Hello,

Thank you for your post on some the history of Dong Hai-Chuan.

You make an interesting statement towards the beginning of your post.
“Dong Hai-Chuan deliberately cultivated the shroud, and, as a result mastered the marketing of Baguazhang.”

I think that this is something that adds to the sell ability of the arts, especially Chinese Martial Arts. Adding an air of mystery to the origin of an art makes it much more appealing. This is why Shaolin traces its roots to Tao Mo, and why Bagua is appealing.
Within the branch I study, Gao Style, we also have a an air of mystery surrounding our Houtian Bagua.
It is said that we received our Xian Tien Bagua via the Cheng Ting Hua lineage, but that Gao created the Houtian after meeting a taoist monk in the mountains.
I have heard conflicting information on where Gao’s houtian actually came from. But adding the air of mystery certainly helps to sell it and it keeps from having to reveal your sources. (Personally, I could care less about where Gao got the houtians, they are quite functional).

I have also heard that part of the reason that the name Baguazhang came about was because it was something that everyone could recognize. The I-Ching and Bagua are no stranger to the Chinese culture. Actually the original name for the style that Dong practiced was Cotton Palm. How much easier would it be to sell if he used a name that tied into a subject that the culture has already been familiar with for hundreds of years?

Whatever the name and wherever it came from, I love Baguazhang. I think that the practice of the art not only has it’s health benefits and martial capability, but it’s principles can be carried over into everyday life to make things run just a bit smoother.

Take care, and train well!
Chris Haynes
http://www.gaostylebaguausa.com

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