The Three Divisions

an important Bagua principle

The idea of the three divisions is a traditional martial arts principle used to describe the sections and functions of the body.

According to Master Liu Jingru’s book Baguazhang, in Bagua they are:

• Central division,

• Tip division,

• Root division,

These are each split into three sections respectively:

Central:

• waist,

• elbows,

• knees,

Tip:

• head,

• palms,

• feet,

Root:

• legs,

• shoulders,

• kua/hip region (this may vary depending on school, but it usually means the interior crease of the crotch near the head of the femur),

These three sets of three must be coordinated in movement in order for the force to reach the tip divisions of the body (this is how to use the three divisions to generate force in martial arts).

Here is a basic explanation of how this works in Cheng style Bagua:

1: Movement arises in the tip: