Jan 23 2008, 3:20 pm - By Vindicator

Mainly known as Baguazhang, Pa Kua Chang literally means "eight trigram palm".
Its main feature is the practice of circle walking, or 'Turning the Circle', as it is sometimes called, and it is a method of stance and movement training.
Practitioners walk around the edge of a circle in various low stances, facing the center, and periodically change direction as they execute forms. This way, they get to learn flexibility through such exercises, then move on to more complex forms and internal power mechanics because many aspects of baguazhang are very similar to those of xingyi and tai chi and focus on internal energy.
Pa Kua Chang also contains an extremely wide variety of techniques, like various strikes (with palm, fist, elbow, fingers etc), low kicks, joint locking techniques, throws, and distinctively evasive circular footwork, making it a very effective martial art.