Wudang Mountains in China were at one time a sort of University for Martial Arts. Masters of different disciplines would come together and exchange their research findings in order to advance their combined understanding. There the principles of how to use the human body and mind most efficiently for self-defense were distilled into a new Martial Art. It was named Ba Gua Zhang, or Eight Trigram Palm, after the set of Daoist mathematical equations that capture its essence.

This was a giant leap forward. A Martial Art was no longer a set of techniques useful in a particular situation but an understanding of how to fully develop the body and mind so that it could respond most effectively in any combat situation. A very useful byproduct of such development was a method to realize one’s full potential.

Several hundred years ago, a Ba Gua Zhang Master ‎Dong Hai Chuan made the art famous by becoming the lead instructor at the Chinese Emperial Palace Martial Arts school. It then became the art of choice for professional bodyguards. It was also an art that was taught to the Emperor’s family, not only for its self-defense proficiency, but for the health benefits that it produced.

I studied the art with Park Bok Nam for 17 years. Park Bok Nam has always taught the art in such a way that I could continue to research and develop the art without him, and I continue to do so. I will be forever grateful for the knowledge he has given me and will do my best to make sure this cultural treasure will be available to future generations.

Below are the official charts outlining our school lineage from 2020. Park Bok Nam’s teacher, Lu Shui Tian, believed that the art he received originated before Dong Hai Chuan and is a more complete system than what Dong Hai Chuan taught to his students.

In 2021, I passed my instructor training with the French Federation of Chinese Energetic and Martial Arts (FAEMC), and have the official certification to teach in France on a voluntary basis.