The Cheng School Gao Style Baguazhang Manual - Book Review

The Cheng School Gao Style Baguazhang Manual: Gao Yisheng's Bagua Twisting-Body Connected Palm Paperback by Gao Yisheng  (Author), Liu Fengcai (Editor), John Groschwitz (Translator)

The Chinese internal martial art of Bagua Zhang, the eight change of the palm, is an art with similarities to Tai Chi Chuan. The author of the book, Gao Yi Sheng, was a student of one the all-time greats of Bagua Zhang, Ching Ting Hua. Gao’s innovation to and standardization of the Cheng Bagua curriculum, as well as his well know fighting ability, earned him a branch of the Cheng school.

The recounting of Gao’s life is almost worth the price of the book. These types of martial histories, while not always accurate, give us insight into the developmental process Gao went through and how he innovated on what he learned. They may not be a way to explore motive but expand our thinking about the influences he was exposed to in the creation of the straight line sets. Also included is the life history of his nephew and student Liu Feng Cai and many of the students in his lineage.

This book is not a teaching book, it was written as a resource for the “in door” students and never meant to be published. If you had access to the book you were a long term, in door student who was already familiar with the basics postures, stances, and movements. This is why the book is heavy on theory, basic rules of the system, etc., and not a posture by posture teaching book. 

Also, you cannot learn a martial art as complex as Bagua Zhang (or Taiji Quan or Xingyi Quan for that matter) from a book. It is not possible unless you have years of experience with basic stancing, body mechanics, had position, application, etc. Learning these arts is time consuming and arduous. Even with a good, open teacher and a willing student it is difficult to learn and will take years of dedication and training.

This book is the official standard for the curriculum of the Gao lineage. Its contents are a must for all practitioner of Bagua Zhang in the Gao system or the Cheng Bagua school. 

I am a 20 year practitioner and teacher of Xingyi Quan, Gao Bagua Zhang and Tai Chi Quan

Fundamentals of the Wudang Sword Method - a Manual of Chinese Swordsmanship Translation by Scott M. Rodell

This book is a must have for any practitioner of the Chinese sword arts. Scott Rodell is one of the foremost experts of the Chinese Jian and has 40+ years of experience he brings to the table in his commentary and translation. 

The layout of the book is useful as well, he leaves the classical Chinese, the pinyin and the English translation on the page together. I like that because it gives me the opportunity to see the character (I don’t speak Chinese) and look at the tone in Pinyin as well as see the translated meaning in English.

This is not a book for a novice, although it can benefit someone who has no experience, this book is really for the person who has some background in Chinese swordsmanship. The insight and depth of the commentary helps to elucidate some of the finer points of theory and usage. 

I believe the introduction about Li Jinlin the “Sword Saint”, the history of Wu Dang Sword and Chinese history lesson alone is worth the $6 price tag. 

Bagua and Xingyi: An Intersection of the Straight and Curved

Bagua & Xingyi an Intersection of the straight and the curved: An anthology of Articles from the Journal of Asian Martial Arts Compiled by Michael A DeMarco, M.A. is an amazing book spanning years of in depth articles from the Journal of Asian Martial Arts about the Chinese Internal Arts of Bagua, Xingyi and Taiji.

In the name of full disclosure I am a lineage holder and teacher in the Gao Bagua Yi Zong lineage which is featured heavily in this book.

Over the last 20 + years of my learning, teaching and training these arts I have read or heard about most of the articles in this book but to see them finally collected in one edition is really a great resource for any practitioner of the Internal Marital Arts (IMA).

The articles span multiple generations of practitioners of Bagua Zhang/ Pa Kua Chang (the eight trigram palm) and Xingyi Quan/ Hsing I Chuan (mind-shape boxing) so the depth and breadth of the information can inform the new practitioner or the advanced student. I have read and re-read most of the articles included in the book countless times and have always gained a new perspective on the arts.

Owen Schilling is a 20 year practitioner and teacher of Xingyi Quan, Bagua Zhang and Tai Chi Quan, a lineage holder in the Yi Zong School and the lead instructor at Boulder Internal Arts in Boulder, CO.