The Golden Flower Tai Chi school teaches lineage Tai Chi Chuan and alongside this we practice and teach a highly effective Bagua system. We are not a lineage Bagua school.

Bagua is a Chinese martial art of the ‘internal school’ like Tai Chi and Hsing-I.

The main purpose of practicing of Bagua is to develop flexibility and build fitness, by combining fast movement with deep stances, jumps and extreme twists/turns. At the heart of the Linked Palm Bagua form is ‘walking the circle’ which facilitates development of a meditative state whilst moving briskly.

Bagua literally means 8 changes and is rooted in the ancient Chinese book of wisdom – I Ching, The Book of Changes. One interpretation of these 8 changes or states is:

State      Practice     Meaning

Heaven    Intent            Consciously creating what you do

Earth        Non-action    Achieving without doing – minimal effort

Fire          Application    Bring movement to function – defence

Water       Sinking         Internal softness and relaxation.

Thunder   Movement    Action and flow.  Motivated energy.

Wind        Breath          Gentle opening, bring ‘airiness’ inside.

Mountain Structure      Stability, alignment – upright posture

Lake        Gathering     Focus on centres (chakras). store energy