Our Bagua Curriculum
Personal Profile
The TIAN YI Foundation Bagua Zhang Curriculum was developed as a structured movement education system designed to support mobility, balance, coordination, posture, fall prevention, and healthy aging. While rooted in the traditional principles of Cheng Style Bagua Zhang, the curriculum is presented through a modern wellness framework that emphasizes safe, progressive movement training for older adults, veterans, and individuals seeking improved functional mobility.
Our curriculum incorporates foundational stance training, weight-shifting exercises, circle walking, coordinated stepping patterns, postural alignment, controlled breathing, and balance-development drills. These training methods are designed to strengthen lower-body stability, improve proprioception (body awareness), enhance gait mechanics, and develop the neuromuscular coordination necessary for safe and confident movement in everyday life.
The Cheng Style Eight Mother Palms form the foundation of our Bagua Zhang curriculum and serve as the primary framework for developing balance, mobility, posture, coordination, and fall-prevention skills. Through circle walking, directional changes, weight shifting, and controlled body alignment, students learn to move with greater confidence, stability, and awareness.
For seniors and veterans, these training methods help:
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Improve balance and reduce fall risk
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Enhance gait and walking mechanics
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Increase lower-body strength and stability
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Improve coordination and body awareness
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Develop safe turning and directional movement
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Increase flexibility and functional mobility
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Support posture and structural alignment
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Promote focus, relaxation, and stress reduction
The curriculum begins with the Eight Mother Palms, a series of progressive postures practiced while walking a circle. These methods train the body to coordinate movement from the ground up while integrating posture, breathing, and mindful awareness. As students advance, they learn the Single Palm Change, a core Bagua movement that develops turning mechanics, rotational mobility, and whole-body coordination—skills that are particularly important for preventing falls and maintaining independence as we age.
Combined with principles found in Tai Chi Chuan and Xing Yi Quan, the Cheng Style Mother Palms provide a structured wellness system that preserves traditional internal arts while supporting modern goals of healthy aging, veteran wellness, mobility preservation, and lifelong movement.
Cheng Style Bagua Zhang Mother Palms
In this demonstration, Master Ma Chuanxu ("Magic Palm Li") performs Cheng Style Bagua Zhang Nine Palace training, showcasing the art's characteristic circle walking, directional changes, body alignment, and coordinated stepping methods. The Nine Palace method develops balance, mobility, posture, spatial awareness, and whole-body coordination while preserving the traditional principles of Cheng Style Bagua Zhang. This training serves as a foundation for improving movement efficiency, stability, and functional mobility for practitioners of all ages.
Cheng Style Bagua Zhang –
Nine Palace Circle Walking
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Video Library Purpose
These videos are provided for educational and inspirational purposes, showcasing experienced Bagua Zhang practitioners and senior internal arts masters demonstrating movement, balance, coordination, and mobility later in life. Many of these individuals have trained for decades and serve as examples of how consistent practice can support healthy aging, functional movement, posture, flexibility, and overall wellness.
By sharing these demonstrations, we hope to show seniors, veterans, and individuals of all experience levels that age does not have to be a barrier to movement. While every person's abilities and health conditions are different, these examples illustrate the long-term benefits that mindful movement practices such as Bagua Zhang, Tai Chi Chuan, Xing Yi Quan, and Qigong may provide when practiced safely and consistently.
The purpose of these videos is not comparison, but inspiration—to encourage lifelong learning, continued mobility, increased confidence, and an active approach to health and wellness at every stage of life.
Bagua-Zhang / 8 Diagram Palm
Bagua-Zhang / 8 Diagram Palm
Zhu Bao ZhenYin Style Bagua
![Cheng Style Baguazhang - 64 Palms [程氏八卦掌 - 六十四掌]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f35732_aa519bc2476044e68599b98eac66b1eff002.jpg/v1/fill/w_740,h_416,enc_auto/file.jpeg)
Cheng Style Baguazhang - 64 Palms [程氏八卦掌 - 六十四掌]
Magic Palm Li
We have included this demonstration by Master "Magic Palm" Li as an example of the remarkable mobility, balance, coordination, and vitality that can be maintained through decades of dedicated internal arts practice. As an older practitioner of Cheng Style Bagua Zhang, he demonstrates that age does not have to limit movement, learning, or personal growth.
Our purpose in sharing this video is to inspire seniors, veterans, and individuals of all ages to explore the benefits of mindful movement and lifelong wellness. While everyone progresses at their own pace, Master Li's example reminds us that consistent practice can help support mobility, confidence, balance, and an active lifestyle throughout the aging process.
Movement • Balance • Wellness
A Tradition That Supports Lifelong Health and Mobility
Harvard Medical School Research on Tai Chi & Healthy Aging
Current research from Harvard Medical School continues to demonstrate the benefits of mindful movement for balance, mobility, fall prevention, and healthy aging. While Bagua Zhang has been studied less extensively, it shares many of the same principles and places an even greater emphasis on footwork, directional changes, turning mechanics, weight shifting, and dynamic balance training.
Because many falls occur while walking, turning, or transitioning between movements, Bagua Zhang's circle walking methods provide a unique approach to developing stability, coordination, body awareness, and movement confidence. These traditional training methods may help support functional mobility and fall-prevention efforts for older adults, veterans, and active-aging populations.
We invite you to explore this Harvard Medical School article to learn more about the growing body of research supporting the health and wellness benefits of internal movement arts and their role in promoting lifelong mobility and independence.
→ Read the Harvard Medical School Article
A Living Example of Lifelong Practice
The Tian Yi Foundation is committed to making wellness, education, and personal development programs accessible to as many individuals and communities as possible.
In addition to in-person classes and community programs, we offer scheduled virtual classes through Zoom for participants who may not have access to a local program, transportation, or who simply prefer to participate from the comfort of their home.
Our virtual programs may include Tai Chi, Qigong, mobility training, wellness education, balance development, breathing exercises, meditation, and other movement-based wellness activities designed to improve overall health and quality of life.
Virtual classes allow participants from throughout New Jersey and beyond to connect with experienced instructors and become part of the Tian Yi Foundation community regardless of their location.
As interest grows, additional virtual class offerings and schedules will be made available to accommodate veterans, seniors, community members, and individuals seeking accessible wellness opportunities.
Virtual Wellness Programs &
Zoom Classes
Address
Hopewell Borough Park S Greenwood Ave,
Hopewell, NJ 08525
Phone
(640) 265-1908
