Ba Gua, also known as Eight Trigrams Palm, explores the eight areas surrounding a circle in effort to harmonize movement and different directions.  It traces its origins back to Dong Hai Chuan and his time spent with Daoist monks and their circle walking methods for meditation.  His skills were extraordinary and passed pieces of his art to his successors who internalized their master’s teachings in different aspects.  This aspects are popularized through the modern styles that include Yin, Cheng, Liang and Jiang.  Other styles  such as Liu, Ma, and Fu also exist and flourish in certain regions.

Ba Gua is characterized by circle walking at various heights, foot positions, and hand movements.  Through proper body alignment, flexibility, and endurance complex movements and forms can be accomplished in conjunction with internal power mechanics.  The Internal aspects are similar to other internal styles but are distinct in nature.

Sifu Hart utilizes the mud stepping method to gain a firm root through smooth centripical motion while emphasizing the four basic opposing forces  of roll, screw, contend and wrap.  Through progression of the basic techniques one can progress to more dynamic movements and begin to emphasize their intention to lead their energy and gain true insight into the internal aspects of the art.