Ba Gua History
Table of Contents
Preface
Chinese martial arts can be traced back 3500 years, yet today almost all of the
martial arts that are being practiced have their formal roots within the last few
hundred years. And, the “Internal” (Nei) arts have their roots even earlier, as
written about in the Nei Ching, circa 1850 BC. Book of Medicine, the second oldest
Chinese book in the world. (The oldest being the Book of Odes or History).
Thus the internal arts preceded the external martial arts. These internal arts
philosophically are Tai Chi, Hsing I, Ba Gua, Liu He Ba Fa and Chin Na which are
taught together as a family of arts. This was advanced by Sun Lu Tang (circa
1910). In the aftermath of the boxer rebellion, a brilliant Ba Gua grand master of
all 5 arts.
Tai Chi is the harmony and balance of duality. The study of Yin/Yang, which is at
least 8500 years old (first archeological evidence of the Tai Chi symbol), The way
of the Tao (‘The Way’).
Hsing I is from the Shang and pre-Shang dynasty jungle shamanism instilled upon
the warrior class of 1700 BC to much great effect. This became the classical five
elements theory of Taoism which comes out of the Tai Chi (Yin/Yang) theory – a
natural evolution of Fu Shi’s original Ba Gua diagram.
Ba Gua are the eight gates of nature of Fu Shi’s original vision seen on the flank of
a Mare during a major flood on the Yellow River in 2850 B.C. It is explored in the
I-Ching (3rd oldest book in the world, circa 1150 BC) also called the Book of
Changes .
Liu He Ba Fa are the six harmonies and eight directions. How to harmonize with
our opponents without effort of any kind (Borrowing Force).
Chin Na (grasp and press) is the equivalent to a PhD in anatomy and especially
physiology. Beside a deep study of movements, it includes how to mend the body
as well. Chin Na is the “Tree of Life”.
All five arts work harmoniously and seamlessly together through “the changes”.
No Blame.
The description of the movements within the text of The Palms is meant to be droll
and rather boring! This is intentional. It is meant as a definitive and written
STANDARDIZATION of each move. For Tradition. For Posterity. For Ba Gua.
The extreme diversity of Elemental Qualities, and their ability to shift instantly into
a different even opposite energetic element, is the core profundity of this form!
Putting this profundity into our bodies is the miracle of the Swimming Dragons
training. The longer you practice, the more it gives!!
The “Scholarly” or spiritual aspect of the Qi Gong in this form is primary to its
exceptionally effective Martial Qi Gong.
Tai Ba Gua is an exploration into the depths of the Great Mystery Herself!!!
It is now Documented …
–Geof Sparks, December 2018
The Song of Shao Yong
The “Ancient Period” of Chinese culture and history (4000 B.C. to 1000 A.D.)
culminates with the Song Dynasty beginning 960 A.D., with the overthrow of the
last vestiges of the Great Imperial Tang Dynasty.
The Song (Sung) Dynasty marks the beginning of a cultural renaissance … a long
period of relative peace and prosperity that fostered a deep flowering of
philosophical and spiritual renewal in all of the Arts (Music, Mathematics, Poetry,
Art, and literature) in China.
Perhaps the greatest mind of the period was the scholar, poet, mathematician and
cosmologist Shao Yong (1011-1077). His crowning achievement was the re-
organization of the already famous I-Ching, or Book of Changes. Using advanced
algebra, bordering at the levels of calculus, Shao Yong was able to formulate the
now famous ‘Earlier Heaven’ arrangement of the 64 hexagrams of the I-Ching.
This sequence established an elegant and accurate account of the Natural flow of
changes of Yin to Yang as explored in the Book of Changes, observed in the Cycles
of the Seasons throughout the year. This development undoubtedly marks the
highest achievement in the study of I-Ching theory, and is the base and
foundation for advanced Taoism. This Earlier Heaven sequence is also the
blueprint for the most advanced studies of Ba Gua Zhang … including the
Swimming Dragons form.
This book is a mathematically sound, yet deeply personal exploration of the
meaning and imports of this sublimely profound work by this brilliant Taoist
Scholar, Shao Yong. It is deeply connected to the earlier primal roots of the Jungle
societies of ancient China. It is my fervent hope that this journey through the
Swimming Dragons Form of these Earlier (Primal) Heavens, can help Humanity
reconnect with its most important ties to the Natural World, which much of
modern civilization has seemed to have forgotten!! Shameful. Long Live the Tao!