Pa kua chang

Pa kua chang (also spelled baguazhang) is one of China's three main internal martial arts. It was created near the end of the 18th century and based on the eight trigrams of the 800-year-old classic text I Ching (Book of Changes). In China, pa kua chang is often taught in conjunction with hsing-i chuan because the two arts complement each other.

Pa kua chang movements focus on the circle and the opposites of yin and yang. Many of the offensive techniques are subtle and indirect, but they're considered very effective for self-defense. Because the art is based on the I Ching, students learn to constantly adapt their responses in a self-defense situation.