lorraine,
Baguazhang was developed by Dong Haichuan at the end of the 19th
century. Most of the lineages extant can be traced back to his two
main students Yin Fu, who emphasized striking, ans Cheng Tinghua, who
had a background in shuai jiao (Chinese Wrestling). All systems share
basic principles, namely the use of a relaxed and aligned with
gravity
structure and the use of whole body power and internal strength.
Bagua's signature practice is walking a circle while changing
direction using one of eight "palm changes."

Gao Style Baguazhang, (1866~1951),
Gao Yisheng, also named Gao Deyuan, was born in Shandong province,
Wuli county, Dashan village in 1866 and died in 1951. At an early age
he followed the practice of his family's martial art, Dahongquan (Big
Red Fist). After that he also began to study Xingyiquan, later coming
under the instruction of the famous teacher Li Cunyi. At the age of
thirty, he met Wuqing Wafang village's Zhou Yuxiang. Zhou Yuxiang was
a highly skilled pupil of Cheng Tinghua. His skills were very deep,
especially in fighting. He was so adept at the use of his palms in
attack that he earned the nickname "Peerless Palm." Upon the first
meeting of Gao and Zhou they decided to compare each other's martial
arts. In this first contest, Zhou soundly defeated Gao three times in
a row, immediately after having Zhou's skills proved to Gao beyond
all
doubt, he bowed down and asked Zhou Yuxiang to become his teacher.
Because of their ages being similar, Zhou desisted and instead took
Gao Yisheng to Beijing to formally introduce him to his teacher,
Cheng
Tinghua (known to the martial world as "Eyeglasses Cheng." Based on
the basic palm movements that his teachers taught him, after 40 years
of refinement and organizing the system, it became Cheng Branch, Gao
style Baguazhang, also called Swimming Body Continuous Baguazhang,
with its own unique style.
The martial arts of our school began being passed down since the time
Zhang Zhunfeng arrived in Taiwan in 1947. Zhang Zhunfeng was
extremely
strict when teaching, especially in fighting and training the body.
Every time he had class he led the class on his own and he would pass
along the forms on his own. Therefore many of Zhang's students had
solid and real fighting skills. Real fighting is the tradition within
this school.
Zhang's main inheritors were the Hong brothers of Taipei. One of Hong
Yisheng's top students is Luo Dexiu, considered to be one of the
world's top experts in baguazhang.

This system has two parts, the first, Xiantianzhang ( Pre-heaven
palms
), is done walking in a circle; the second, Houtianzhang ( Post-
heaven
palms ), is done in straight lines. The research methodology for the
system is that of the Pre-heaven palms being the foundation of the
Post-heaven palms and the Post-heaven palms being the application of
the Pre-heaven palms . The Pre-heaven palms takes the Single Palm
Change as the head of the dragon and the eight lines evolve from
there.
Below is a link of my teacher demonstrating some of the post heaven
line Subtle Skills. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koYMr9ZJi8A&mode=related&search=