This site is an attempt to present the skills, training methods, and theory of Ma Gui's system of bagua, through Liu Wanchuan to Li Baohua, in an organized manner. I, Andrea Falk, hope to give people a clearer understanding of the system through this site. It is written in complete freedom, so will contain inaccuracies and may express views contrasting to those on the international site and Li's seminars. It is basically my notes put into better order than my notebooks. Consider it a rather extensive and systematic blog of my interpretation of the system. The website of the International Ma Gui Ba Gua Promotion centre is www.maguibagua.com. Some historical articles that I translated for the International Association are now only at that site, by request of Li.
The most striking characteristic of Ma Gui baguazhang is the slow and stable circle-walking that develops lower leg strength, qi and blood flow, and whole body power. The body develops to resemble Dong Haichuan and Ma Gui – a thick trunk and back with well developed dantian, firm wrists and ankles, powerful legs and arms, rosy complexion, and calm expression. When practising techniques, footwork is clean and quick, always using koubu and baibu. The system also emphasizes horse stance training to develop useable whole body power in techniques, and specific fast stepping with techniques practices that develop the coordination for the application of this power. Training this system develops your health and martial ability simultaneously. It is not a performance or routine based style.
My training notes that reproduce this website (with some added details, integrated photos, and print friendly formatting) are no longer available. The notes were the November 2012 editions, redone after meeting with Li in May of that year, but do not represent the official line, and Li has asked that I no longer sell them.
Walk the circle one step at a time, in the footprints of the masters.
Last update to the site: June 20, 2019. Each page is individually dated so you can see when each page has been changed.
