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12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training

In my other post Demystifying Bagua Circle Walking I did a high level breakdown of my Circle Walking Routine. Some people asked about how to Circle Walk or what postures to use. This post is to demo the 12 postures I use, for anybody that would like to referrence.

This is not the only way to do it. This is just one way to do it.

It’s also common practice across many people to walk with only one posture instead of changing into so many. I recommend picking 3 and sticking with it.

#1 推磨掌 / Tui Mo Zhang / Grinding Palm

The name really goes back to the old ways of making food. You had to push against this heavy stone equipment to grind all the beans. The posture resembles working this equipment.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Rise and Grind!

This is how it looks like in Circle Walking practice.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Grinding Palm with Core Twisted Towards Center of Circle

The easier variation of this posture is facing “forward” rather than the center of the circle.

Beginners can start with this posture alone, facing forward. It’s not a bad idea to spend a month on this before you add other postures.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Grinding Palm Facing Forward (easier)

#2 托天掌 / Tuo Tian Zhang / Holding The Heaven

Like the name suggests, you’re basically carrying the sky. In the old ways of training, each hand would carry 4 bricks.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Holding The Heaven with Core Twisted Towards Center of Circle

For an easier variation, you can also face “forward” for this posture.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Holding The Heaven Facing Foward (easier)

#3 雙撞掌 / Shuang Zhuang Zhang / Double Push Palm

This posture is one of the most common postures to practice Xing Bu (Bagua’s linear stepping / footwork).

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Double Push Palm with Core Twisted Towards Center of Circle

For an easier variation, you can also face “forward” for this posture.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Double Push Palm Facing Forward (easier)

#4 白猿獻桃 / Bai Yuan Xian Tao / White Monkey Gives Peach

Some practitioners just call this the Monkey shape. There is also another name used, Qi Xing, which translates to Seven Stars.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
“Monkey”

#5 陰陽魚 / Yin Yang Yu / Yin Yang Fish

This one is interseting because in the west, people generally call this the Bear shape. How we got from fish to bear, I have no idea. For beginners, the flexibility of the back hand’s shoulder could be a challenge.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
“Bear”

The shape is called Yin Yang Fish because if you look at your arms from a birdseye view, the curve of the arms look like the “S-shape” in a Taichi Yin Yang diagram.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training

#6 陰手掌 / Yin Shou Zhang / Yin Hands

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Yin Hands

This one seems less common. Not many schools and lineages have a shape like this. The back hand is a hook.

When walking, front hand should point TOWARDS the center, and you should be looking towards the center as well.

#7 托槍手 / Tuo Qiang Shou / Spear Holding Hands

Also called Lion Opens Its Mouth, many times abbreviated to just Lion shape. There are different variations of this. For example, some lineages have the upper palm facing down instead of up. Some hold there back hand in front of their chest.

Traditionally, this shape resembles someone holding a spear.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
“Lion”

Look at the similarities in the hand posture with someone actually holding a spear:

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Guy holding a Spear

#8 上立樁 / Shang Li Zhuang / Upper Stance

Very similar to moves in Wing Chun wooden dummy practice. It is called “Upper” Stance because the front hand focuses on protecting the upper part of the body (including head).

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Upper Stance

Example of the shape in Wing Chun

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Demonstrated by emmyohmy from instagram.com/emmyohmy

#9 下立樁 / Xia Li Zhuang / Lower Stance

The reverse of the last one. The front hand focuses on protecting the lower part of the body. Also can be seen in Wing Chun. This is also very similar to the Philly Shell in boxing.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Lower Stance

Wing Chun example

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Demonstrated by emmyohmy from instagram.com/emmyohmy

Here’s Philly Shell / Shoulder Roll

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Shoulder Roll and Philly Shell Defense in Boxing

#10 上下立樁 / Shang Xia Li Zhuang / Upper and Lower Stance

Another name is called “Zhi Tian Cha Di”, which translates to Point Towards the Heaven, and Pierce Through the Earth.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Point Heaven Pierce Earth

This posture is a throw in Double Palm Change. Here’s a photo of another master doing it. This is Cheng De Liang, a direct descendent of Cheng Style Bagua (Cheng Ting Hua’s grandson).

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Cheng De Liang Demonstrating Zhi Tian Cha Di

#11 橫樁 / Heng Zhuang / Horizontal Stance

In the Single Palm Change form, this move is called “Push Open the Window to See the Moon.” This could be a strike or a throw, with hidden kicks and grappling. On a static posture, it aims to protect the chest and core area.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
Horizontal Stance

#12 青龍探爪 / Qing Long Tan Zhua / Green Dragon Stretches Its Claws

The most iconic posture in Bagua. This shape can also be practiced as a stance. Many people just call this Dragon shape. When practiced as a stance (static posture), the name is called Long Pan, or Coiling Dragon.

12 Mother Postures for Bagua Circle Walking Training
“Dragon”

If you haven’t read this, make sure you at least put in 40 minutes for your circle walking practice: How and How Long to Circle Walk?

Join me in my 100-Day Circle Walking Challenge.

Peace out. Train hard. Do more Bagua.

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