Ba Gua: Hidden Knowledge in the Taoist Internal Martial Art (Paperback)

~ John Bracy (Author) "Ba Gua Zhang, designed to defend simultaneously against multiple opponents, is the only martial arts specifically developed for bodyguards..." (more)
Key Phrases: internal martial arts, internal arts, chi classics, Dong Hai-Chuan, United States, Chuang Tzu (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Authentic, well-ordered and written, Bracy and Liu's Ba Gua should fill a void. There is almost no literature on Ba Gua in English."
-Robert Smith, author, Chinese Boxing: Masters and Methods

Product Description

This book provides a history of Ba Gua--a rare, mysterious, and powerful form of kung fu--covering its nature and meaning, and the metaphysical and symbolic aspects of the discipline. 150 photos.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Blue Snake Books; illustrated edition edition (December 22, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556432763
• ISBN-13: 978-1556432767
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #483,125 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My students really liked this book, August 6, 2000

By	Vincent J. Lasorso (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As a teacher of Bagua Chang I have to commend Mr. Bracy for doing an excellent job in presenting some rather complex material in an easy to undesrstand manner. I enjoyed the material presented and felt the history lesson was quite good. It was very clear that Mr. Bracy has a greater knowledge and understanding of metaphysical internal arts than he choses to reveal. And based upon some of his reviews, this is probably a wise choice. It will be interesting to see what his next book will be like:-)

However, the best praise I can give is that my students found the book very informative and helpful in their practice. It added more depth to their circle walking and the definition of a Yogic internal art suited their nature. They enjoyed the pictures of Master Liu walking the circle. (That alone, is a good reason to own this book)

Bagua has produced more magical masters per capita than any other internal art. To only view this art as a martial one is a tremendous disservice and insult to its creators and first level masters. Mr. Bracy should be applauded for not creating another technical "how to do it" manual.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good overview of Ba Gua theory and practice., January 11, 2000

By	scott taylor (FWB, FL) - See all my reviews

This book was really good, it gave a great history section, overview of theory, and general explanation of what Ba Gua is about. There are very good explanations of internal power theory, the differences between the different levels of that theory(muscular effort to internal power, and what the differences are between each level). It also includes several two-man sets which are very good, and a section on applications. Strategy and actual applied fighting theory are elucidated to good depth, which made me quite happy. This book is a great overview, but don't buy it expecting to see tons of forms and the whole style laid out before you, there are a couple of chi-gung forms( with very good explanations), the aforementioned two man sets, and several applications. This book is a steal at 12 bucks and I would suggest it to anyone interested in Ba Gua- especially if you don't know anything about the style. This book presents the best introduction I have seen to Ba Gua, it's history and basic theory; one that clearly states what is esoteric and what is concrete, and is a very straightforward treatment of this style which is many times shrouded in obstrusity when discussed.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Really great history of the origins of ba gua, June 8, 1999

By A Customer

Books about ba gua are rare, so I snapped this up as soon as I saw it. I liked the history aspect of the book which tells how ba gua was developed, the purpose of walking in a circle, etc. But aside from that, it's clear that the author has reached a refined degree of practice and understanding about this profound art. It inspired me to resume learning ba gua, and much more seriously than before. It's a great book for anyone interested in tai chi, chi gung, and other internal martial arts.