Ba Gua Basics – The Importance of The 24 Basics in Gao style Baguazhang

— by Allen Pittman

The 24 exercises are the foundation and first third of Gao family Ba gua. When I learned this system, my teacher described them as “the alphabet”. Initially he said I did not need to learn them as I had already learned important basics of martial arts from studying other styles. I insisted and fortunately for me, he agreed so I ended up learning them anyway. Though similar to many martial arts movements they differ in syncopation (how parts move together) and function (how movements are applied).

They are sometimes called ‘heavenly gates’ or ‘heavenly stems’ (In Chinese astrology there are ten heavenly / celestial stems or zodiacal houses & 12 earthly branches). ‘24’ symbolizes the relationship between earth, the human and heaven. (There are also 24 solar seasons in the old chinese calendar…) I was taught these stems, though called ‘heavenly,’ were actually roots of the tree, which represents our Gao system of Ba Gua.

According to Ba gua theory there is an octave (eight aspects or notes) to life on earth, another eight in the life of a human being and again, another eight aspects pertaining to star constellations or ‘heaven.’ These three sets of octaves or laws describe possibilities of transformation for life on this planet. Students wishing to study this theory further can research P.D. Ouspensky’s book The Enneagram, which is the Greek term for ‘9 Points.’ Though if you are less interested in theoretical aspects and more in the heart-felt aspects try Maurice Nicoll’s “Psychological Commentaries on Gurdjieff and Ouspensky”.

These three sets of eight also relate to one another through sympathetic resonance. Those who notice the drone strings on a sitar or base strings on a harp will understand this. Western hermetic philosophy espouses it, particularly through the work of Pythagoras and his mono-chord study. If students are interested in this idea they can find useful work in A.K.C. Guthrie’s Pythagorean Workbook.”

Other cosmological traditions divide phenomenon into four (Greek), five (Chinese), nine (Burmese, Afghan) or even twelve (Zodiacal constellations) and then these traditions classify their medicine, cooking, basic geometry and numerology accordingly.

The chief function of the 24 exercises is to teach one how to stand firmly and root to the ground. Most of these exercises are done in a ‘horse-riding stance,’ which is common to Shaolin martial arts, as well as many other systems. At the time it was emphasized, horseback riding was the standard transportation – so it had more than a passing importance. It makes the legs stronger and tends to adjust the sacrum (and spine) to straightness by equally distributing muscular contraction in both legs through ‘double weighting,’ or sharing weight equally in both legs.

As a leg-training it is not complete but should be balanced with other movements to keep the legs from getting too sluggish. Static postures develop static energy; movements – moving energy. Both have utility in health and self-defense. The horse stance itself can be practiced as a lateral skipping movement, to dodge a punch – as well as a simple ‘stance,’ or standing position.

Students interested in sacred geometry can study architectural features of arch and vault, and then compare them to our horse riding stance. It’s been said by druids that when arch or vault is built correctly on the right place on the earth, it becomes a sort of lightning rod for subtle energy from the sun into earth. This energy is sometimes called ‘The Solar Snake‘ or ‘Voivre.’ A novel which describes this concept and how it was used by cathedral builders is “The Prophet of Compestello” by Henry Vincenot. Vincenot researched his ‘novel’ very carefully and it’s in agreement with recent scholarship. It also points to principles of energy shared by ancient cultures around the world and sometimes absorbed by prevailing religions.

Main Points of the 24

1. Keep your feet flat and parallel – modify this if your knees tend to turn out or in. One month later adjust your feet and see if they can go parallel. There are those people whose knees naturally turn out-this needs to be worked with. Stand on bricks to build your foot awareness. Concentrate on the bubbling well or point which is in the center of your foot, behind the ball.
2. A good length for a horse stance is the length of the tibia and extended toe.
3. Keep your head up to optimize use of eyes – look where you reach.
4. Turn your waist via the hip joints. Notice the rectangle formed by your shoulders and hips and that it turns as a unit. Do not twist like a rope – that is what the opponent should do!
5. Open your hands as wide as possible – but keep the palms concave and stretch your fingers.
6. If you wish to strengthen yourself further hold bricks or books and do the exercises slowly and evenly. Once you have the form down you can do these with heavier weights or weapons. Just remember – with weapons the line of movement is determined by the shape and edge or striking surface of the weapon. Remember also as a rule – you never cross your arms when holding a weapon and only rarely do you do so in empty hand techniques. Also remember the old Shaolin tradition of using the horse stance as a pivoting platform wether on heel, ball or foot center. This will keep your legs from getting stiff while doing these particular techniques. Turn your whole body and waist as you pivot on the chosen part of your foot. The hand techniques will divurge from the center by 30 to 45 degrees.
7. When drilling a tactic with a partner-do not forget your feet and your sacrum. Often a beginner forgets his form when he first starts to do function. This not only means he needs to do more form practice – it also means he needs to intensify his attention and perception into the rest of his body – especially when he does tactical practice.
8. In Ba Gua tactics, we prefer to ‘cross’ the body – like a handshake – to help cancel – out movement in the opposite hand of the opponent and give us the option of going behind them.
9. As “Qigong”, or breath/air work, do the movements of the 24 toward the sunrise. Breath should be rhythmical and movements even and circular. Be sure the tongue is flat against the palate and the eyes can look at the sun as it rises or at a point toward the horizon.

See The Gao 24 Heavenly Stems – Tien Gan / Tactical Exercises Video or DVD.